2012 Subaru Outback Buying Advice
The 2012 Subaru Outback is the best car for you if your idea of a midsize crossover SUV includes one with space and capabilities you’ll actually use.
The 2012 Subaru Outback is in line for a re-engineered base engine expected to deliver slightly better fuel economy but will retain four- and six-cylinder power, standard all-wheel drive, and a remarkably space-efficient four-door, five-passenger wagon body. It’s not designed for serious off-roading, but Outback can acquaint you with the wilderness and won’t be daunted by deep snow. Last redesigned for model-year 2010, this remains Subaru’s most popular vehicle and sales jumped 68 percent in calendar 2010 over 2009. Competitors include the Toyota Venza, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge, and Honda Accord Crosstour. A sedan version with lower ride height and an available turbo engine is sold as the Subaru Legacy.
Should you wait for the 2012 Subaru Outback or buy a 2011 Subaru Outback? Sign on the dotted line for a 2011 Outback. Even with a revised base engine, the 2012 Outback isn’t likely to be changed enough to compel you to wait. It’ll look older more quickly than a 2011 model because Outback is due for a model-year 2013 facelift, and it’ll cost more thanks to the inevitable model-year-changeover price boost.

2012 Subaru Outback Changes back to top
Styling: The 2012 Subaru Outback won’t get substantive styling changes as it awaits a model-year 2013 facelift. A new color choice or two, maybe a revised wheel design is about all you can expect. The 2012 Outback will retain the basic look it adopted with its successful model-year 2010 redesign.
The original Outback qualified as one the pioneering crossover sport-utility vehicles when it bowed in 1995 as a ground-clearance-enhanced station-wagon version of Subaru’s Legacy sedan with SUV-like styling cues. The basic formula remains intact in today’s fourth-generation model, though the junior-SUV look has thankfully been toned down over the years.
The 2012 Subaru Outback will remain based on the Legacy sedan, which also was redesigned for model-year 2010. Black-out treatment in the lower front and rear fascias and along the sides lend the Outback a more rugged appearance than the sedan. And the 2012 Outback should again be about four and a half inches taller and nearly two inches longer than the sedan. Overall, it’ll remain about the same size as the similarly wagon-ish Toyota Venza crossover, though the Honda Accord CrossTour is about 8.5 inches longer overall.
It still won’t qualify for serious off-roading, but the 2012 Outback will gain boast some pretty generous ground clearance. At 8.7 inches, it has nearly three inches more than the Legacy sedan and nearly an inch more than the Venza or Crosstour. In fact, Outback’s 8.7 inches is more than some more overtly SUV-like crossovers (the Honda Pilot, for example, has 8.0 inches) and rivals that of some off-road oriented crossovers, such as the Toyota 4Runner, which has 9-9.6 inches.
The 2012 Subaru Outback should again share its basic interior design with the Legacy sedan, which means it’ll remain comfortable and nicely finished with high quality materials. This five-seater will return with no less than eight cupholders. Limited models should again come with leather upholstery and other Outbacks with cloth seats.
The winged motif of the Outbacks’ grille and headlamps will again be mirrored in the attractively styled dashboard, which has conventional round gauges and a straightforward assortment of buttons and dials on the center stack of controls. When fitted with the available navigation system, a color LCD touchscreen display is located at the top center of the dash.
Outback’s cabin will remain impressively spacious, with plenty of headroom and 37.8 inches of rear-seat legroom, a measure that puts it in league with the Accord Crosstour and only an inch or so behind the Venza and the Chevrolet Equinox and Ford Edge, all of which have notably longer wheelbases. Wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear axles and key to how much interior volume a vehicle can provide.
Indeed, Outback gets the most of its comparatively brief wheelbase. Cargo volume, for example, is competitive with anything in the class, exceeding that of the crossovers mentioned above, as well as that of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Nissan Murano. The 2012 Outback will again provide some 34 cubic feet behind the rear seats and just over 71 cubic feet with the 60/40-split seatbacks folded flat; the rear seatbacks also recline for added passenger comfort.
Expect the 2012 Outback to return two basic series: four-cylinder models likely will retain 2.5i, 2.5i Premium, and 2.5i Limited designations and six-cylinder models probably will continue as the 3.6R, 3.6R Premium, and 3.6R Limited.

Mechanical: The 2012 Subaru Outback will likely be fitted with an updated version of its base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It’ll power the 2.5i, 2.5i Premium, and 2.5i Limited versions. The 2012 Outback 3.6R, 3.6R Premium, and 3.6R Limited will continue with a 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine.
The updated 2.5-liter four debuted in the 2011 Subaru Forester compact crossover. As in the Forester, this engine in the Outback will likely retain the 170-horsepower rating of the outgoing 2.5-liter four-cylinder, but ,  torque will increase a nominal four pound-feet, to 174. And both horsepower and torque will peak at lower rpm than before, which should spell less labored throttle response. (Think of torque as the force behind acceleration and horsepower the energy that sustains thrust.) As an added perk, the updated 2.5 should improve fuel-economy ratings by about 1 mpg in city and highway driving.
As for transmissions, the 2012 Outback 2.5i series will likely continue with a six-speed manual as standard and again offer at extra cost Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT). A CVT eschews a set number of gears for a belt working variable-width pulleys. The intent is the most efficient balance of engine output, acceleration, and fuel economy. A CVT delivers power more or less seamlessly, though the lack of shift points takes getting used to. While there are no physical gears, Subaru’s Lineratronic CVT nonetheless includes steering wheel-mounted paddles that allow a driver replicate manual-type gear control.
The 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine in the 2012 Subaru Outback 3.6R, 3.6R Premium, and 3.6R Limited models should continue with 256 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. It’ll again come mated only to a conventional five-speed automatic transmission, though one that includes a manual mode via paddle shifters.
Like Subaru engines, those in the 2012 Outback will continue with a so-called boxer design. This configures the cylinders banks in horizontal opposition instead of aligned vertically or in a V, as with most engine designs. Only Porsche among other volume carmakers embraces this type of engine design, primarily because it helps a car maintain a lower center of gravity to the benefit of handling. Combined with a well-sorted suspension, the boxer design should continue to keep the Outback among the very best midsize crossovers for ride control and handling security.
Given its increased hauling ability and ground clearance, the 2012 Subaru Outback will again have a heavier-duty version of the Legacy sedan’s all-independent suspension. And like every Subaru, it’ll again come standard with AWD.
Subaru actually offers three separate AWD systems on the Outback. Two slightly different AWD setups should again be included with the 2.5-liter engine, the operation of each tailored to whether the car is equipped with the manual transmission or the CVT. Basically, the one used with manual transmission locks into a 50/50 front/rear torque split upon wheel slip while the one used with the CVT reapportions the split constantly. The 2012 Outback 3.6R models will continue with a more sophisticated version that normally splits engine power 45/55 to maintain a slightly sportier rear-drive feel, then reapportions constantly if traction is compromised.

Features: The 2012 Subaru Outback should continue to come nicely equipped in its 2.5i and 3.6R base versions, with the Premium and Limited trim levels of both series adding convenience features at progressively higher prices.
Every 2012 Outback will again come with Subaru’s Vehicle Dynamics Control antiskid system to help keep all four wheels planted during extreme or emergency handling maneuvers, traction control to help negotiate wet or snowy surfaces at lower speeds, and torso-protecting front side airbags and head-protecting side curtain airbags for all outboard positions. .
Other standard features will likely include air conditioning, power locks and windows, keyless entry, cruise control, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, a CD audio system with an auxiliary input jack, and alloy wheels.
The 2012 Outback Premium models should add amenities like a power driver’s seat, cargo cover, fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and rear privacy glass.
Expect top-of-the-line Limited versions to again come standard with a host of features, many of which are optional on the Premium models. These include heated front seats and side mirrors, windshield wiper de-icers, power passenger’s seat, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, woodgrain dashboard trim, and a 440-watt, nine-speaker harmon/kardon premium audio system that includes a CD changer, XM satellite radio, and Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone interface.
Options include a power moonroof that comes bundled with a rear backup camera with display integrated into an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Subaru has thus far confined the navigation-system option to the Limited models. It’s a voice-command setup that also includes a backup camera but displays its images on the nav system screen.

2012 Subaru Outback Prices back to top
Prices for the 2012 Subaru Outback were unavailable in time for this review but will likely remain in line with their model-year 2011 levels. Expect a 2012 Outback base-price range of around $24,500-$32,500. (Estimated base prices in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; Subaru’s fee for the 2011 Outback was $725.)
Estimated base-price range for the 2012 Outback 2.5i series is $24,500-$29,500. Estimated base-price range for the 2012 Outback 3.6R versions is $29,000-$32,500. This means the 2012 Subaru Outback should remain competitively priced among midsize five-passenger AWD crossover SUVs.
Among options, expect to pay around $1,000 for the CVT transmission on four-cylinder versions. On Premium models, an All-Weather Package that features heated front seats, heated side mirrors, and windshield wiper de-icers should cost around $500, and about $2,000 bundled with the power moonroof/backup camera, $1,800 with the harmon/kardon stereo, and $3,250 packaged with both. On 2012 Outback Limited versions, the moonroof/backup camera should cost around $1,500, with a package including the moonroof and navigation system/backup camera going for about $3,000.

2012 Subaru Outback Fuel Economy back to top
EPA fuel economy estimates for the 2012 Subaru Outback weren’t available in time for this review, but they’re not expected to change significantly from model-year 2011 ratings.
Thanks to the revised 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, the 2012 Outback 2.5i series should see a slight increase in fuel economy, with a rating of around 20/28 with manual transmission and 23/30 with the CVT automatic. These would be among the top fuel-economy ratings in the midsize-crossover class and compares to model-year 2011 Outback 2.5i-series ratings of 19/27 and 22/29, respectively.
Expect fuel-economy ratings for the 2012 Outback 3.6R models to remain 18/25 mpg.
2012 Subaru Outback Release Date back to top
The 2012 Subaru Outback should go on sale in September 2011.

What's next for the 2012 Subaru Outback back to top
Along with the Subaru Legacy, the 2012 Outback should receive a midcycle update for model-year 2014. This would not be a full redesign but likely include minor styling tweaks to nose and tail, a few new interior touches, and perhaps some added features. Expect a fully redesigned fifth-generation Outback for the 2016 model year.
At that, don’t expect Subaru to venture far from the current Outback’s successful formula. The next generation will likely remain similar in size, shape, and function. It will be recast with increased fuel economy in mind, particularly with a 40 percent boost in the federally mandated corporate average fuel economy requirement phasing in between the 2012 and 2016 model years.
Expect the redesigned 2016 Outback to be constructed with weight savings in mind, since weight directly influences fuel economy. Anticipate a more efficient engine lineup, too, with a direct-injected turbocharged four-cylinder likely replacing the six-cylinder engine in top-line models. Replacing the 2.5-liter four-cylinder as the base engine will probably be a modified version of Subaru’s new 2.0-liter four-cylinder that’ll debut in the 2012 Impreza compact car. Manual and automatic transmissions will be in the mix, but probably with at least six speeds. A CVT also could survive.
A gas-electric hybrid version of the next-generation Outback also is possible, with technology sourced from Subaru minority shareholder Toyota. Perhaps even a plug-in version will join the line at some point.
As is the case with most other midsize crossovers, the next-generation Outback will probably play catch-up in terms of the infotainment and driver-aid technology. Expect lane-departure and blind-spot warning systems, for example, plus a rear-seat entertainment system and more complex interfacing with mobile technology.

我也没完全看明白
好象是说12款小改，13款大改？

好象是说换了发动机，但CVT变速箱不换，同时也还是用皮带？