New Subaru Liberty Wagon Liberates More Space Without Compromise
It is difficult to think of any model that has established a reputation for such all-round excellence as the Subaru Liberty -- especially the wagon with its enhanced versatility.
Over 20 years, it has carved out a loyal following and has been renowned for quality and reliability, even if the styling, though neat, was uninspired.
What You Get
Bold new visuals ensure the latest model will not disappear in the traffic and no-one could describe the latest Liberty wagon as bland. Where previous models felt a little tight, the new model boasts far more interior space and a bigger load area.
The fifth generation Subaru Liberty wagon represents a triumph of evolution while also offering even more value for money and unrivalled safety credentials (which include all-wheel drive).
Under The Hood
The standard engine is Subaru's trusty and compact horizontally-opposed 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine which makes 123 kW of power at 5600 rpm and 229 Nm of torque at a highish 4000 rpm (which means you need to rev the engine towards these rpm to extract strong performance). Overall economy is rated at 8.4 litres per 100 kilometres with 198 g/km CO2 emissions.
On test the wagon proved capable of dropping into the mid-sevens per 100 km on the open road. Zero to 100 km/h takes almost 10 seconds, which is about average for mid-sized four-cylinder wagons. Performance is lively rather than brisk. Subaru's impressively seamless chain-driven CVT offers manual changing via either the transmission lever or steering-column paddles. But left in 'D' it does the job in fine fashion.
The Interior
It is surprising how much roomier the cabin is. With 50 mm of extra width and a wheelbase stretch of 80 mm, the latest Liberty actually feels half a class larger. Overall length and vehicle height are both up by 65 mm. You could be 185 mm tall and sit in the back seat wearing your Akubra, behind a same-height driver.
Three adults can be seated in fair comfort across the rear bench. When wagons became popular half a century ago, there were claims of sufficient length for people to sleep in the back but we prefer tents or five-star hotels these days. The rear seat backs are split 60/40 and fold down flat to create a huge load area and, yes, you could sleep in it at a pinch!
Convenient levers are located both on the seats themselves and in the cargo area. The interior design is restrained and the cloth upholstery is of impressive quality, especially for an entry level model (priced at just $35,990 for the six-speed manual and $38,990 for Lineartronic CVT version as tested). The electronic handbrake frees up more space for those up front. Remarkably, the automatic 2.5i wagon weighs just 1474 kilograms.
Exterior & Styling
This fifth generation Liberty has been described by some critics as 'ugly' but ugliness is in the eye of the beholder. At Car Showroom, we quite like the bold appearance, which blends a number of 21st century cues such as flared guards and a deeply sculptured bonnet with striking projector-style headlights which reach backwards for nearly half the length of that bonnet.
The assertive styling of the new Liberty arguably works a little better on the high-ridin' Outback variant but still works to make the standard Liberty wagon quite a standout in the traffic on those handsome 17-inch alloys.
On The Road
In recent years Subaru Australia has not promoted its all-wheel drive advantage to maximum effect but this is a real bonus when the going gets slippery. Although there is a front-wheel drive bias to the chassis configuration, the Liberty wagon feels nicely balanced and extremely secure on the road.
There is good steering feel. The ride comfort benefits from the increase in wheelbase. For a standard wagon, the Liberty 2.5i has quite a sporty character to its dynamics.
Challenges
Subaru has configured the manual mode of its CVT confusingly, so you need to make sure the selector is moved to the left in order to avoid being stuck in the manual mode - most manufacturers tuck the (rarely used) manual mode off to the left. The spare wheel/tyre combination is almost 'full size' but qualifies for limited use only, the 17-inch steel wheel being narrower than the 7.5-inch wide alloys and shod accordingly.
Verdict
Subaru reminds one of Volvos in as much as the wagon versions seem to have special appeal to buyers. This latest Liberty wagon is a pearler whose strongest competition is likely to come from its Outback sibling.
The Competition
Outback aside, the Liberty wagon faces a potentially strong challenger in the guise of the new Mondeo Zetec wagon, the six-speed automatic version of which is priced at $36,990. But the Ford cannot take advantage of 20 years of strong local reputation in this segment. The Mazda6 wagon in diesel form ($37,490) is another rival. But the merit of all-wheel drive really sets the Subaru apart from the field. You can't get a diesel engine in a Liberty wagon, but there is always the Outback diesel(from $40,490).
Likes
Much improved space without a weight penalty, five-star safety backed by all-wheel drive, excellent dynamics
Dislikes
2.5-litre four works hard with heavy loads
