WE COULD HARDLY find any flaws with the Subaru Outback when we drove the flagship 3.0-litre model. The car is exceptionally refined and handles beautifully. The Porsche-style horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine was one of the main highlights, boasting a charismatic growl, first-class smoothness and excellent power.

Based on the Legacy station wagon, it's no wonder that the Outback shares a lot of traits with the former. The chassis is rigid, the cabin is super-quiet and every bit of the car seems to be well screwed together.

To make the Outback stand out from the Legacy wagon, Subaru gave it new bumpers as well as a different bonnet and front grille. The ride height has been raised too, while the front and rear wheel arches have been widened.

The more affordable 2.5-litre Outback has almost all the qualities of its more expensive counterpart. It has great road manners and feels extremely plush. You?ll be hard pressed to tell the two models apart from inside the cabin.

The one difference you'll notice between the two models is the engine. The 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit lacks the six-cylinder's sporty note, although it still sounds suitably throaty. On the go, the four-cylinder feels as smooth, but less punchy than the 3.0-litre in the low to mid-range. Instead of a five-speed automatic, the 2.5 Outback gets a four-speeder with Sportshift, a feature that allows the driver to change gears manually.

The gearbox is buttery as it goes up the ratios, but can become a little jerky with downshifts. It sometimes doesn't respond to your right foot promptly, too, especially when you need to quickly downshift during overtaking manoeuvres.

Like we mentioned earlier, the 2.5-litre's cabin is very similar to the 3.0-litre's. The seats are wrapped in leather, there's a fancy McIntosh head unit and there are six airbags. Only the driver's side seat is electrically powered, though.

The 2.5 Outback costs about $8,000 less than the top-of-the-line version and commensurate with the price difference, the car gets a less sophisticated drivetrain. On the outside, the 2.5 Outback gets a smaller set of alloy wheels, which makes it look less sporty than the more expensive model.

But does the cost saving indicate the entry-level Outback is a better car to buy than the 3.0-litre version? We think it depends on the buyer. If you're like us, the sort who loves to drive and is a sucker for power, then you should go for the full monty. Yes, we think the 3.0-litre drivetrain is that much better than the 2.5's.

Otherwise, assuming you're just looking for an SUV of some sort that's refined and decent to drive, the entry-level Outback should suffice.

NEED TO KNOW

Model SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5
Engine 2,457cc 16V flat-four
Max Power 165bhp at 5,600rpm
Max Torque 226Nm at 4,400rpm
Gearbox 4-speed automatic
Top Speed 199km/h
0-100 Km/h 10.9 seconds
Price $108,000 with COE
Warranty 3 years / 60,000km
Contact Motor Image Enterprise, 6473-0333

SIMILAR CARS WE HAVE DRIVEN

NISSAN MURANO 250XL $112,500 with COE

The entry-level Murano doesn't have four-wheel drive and it's a bigger car than the Outback 2.5. It's more strikingly styled, too, although the price and level of refinement are comparable to those of the Outback's.