chicagotribune.com's view

Subaru Outback.

People loved Subaru’s conversion of a Legacy station wagon into an all-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle in 1996.

Subaru Forester.

People loved Subaru’s conversion of an Impreza station wagon into an all-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle in 1998.

But, Subaru found that while most folks love Outback and Forester, some argue they still resemble the dreaded station wagon.

So after sitting down with Subaru owners and wannabes in New England, the Japanese automaker’s strongest U.S. market, it decided to come up with an all-wheel-drive vehicle that looked and acted like a sedan.

And what better choice for an all-wheel-drive vehicle that looks and acts like a sedan than a sedan. For 1999 Subaru has unveiled the Subaru Legacy Sport-Utility Sedan, or SUS.

“We test marketed the vehicle in New England, and it was a sell-out,” said Subaru spokesman Alex Fedorak, citing the reason for bringing it out nationwide.

But, it won’t be the Subaru SUS for long. Subaru will unveil the model-year 2000 rendition of the Legacy at the Detroit Auto Show in January at which time the SUS will become the Legacy Outback sedan.

The Outback and Outback sedan are built in Indiana off the Legacy platform. The Outback Sport and Forester are built in Japan off the smaller Impreza wagon platform.

Subaru sedans, wagons and hybrid sport-utility vehicles offer all-wheel-drive. Outback and Forester go a step further in beefing up and raising the suspension for more aggressive motoring on or off the road regardless of the season.

We confess to being a Subaru skeptic until the arrival of Outback and Forester, which provided Subaru with solid, substantial vehicles you could enjoy driving even when the roads were clear.

Sometimes lost in the fuss over the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V is the fact Subaru had little, high-mileage sport-utes long before the competition got around to it.

And when you see small sport-utes from Saturn and Ford and Dodge in the next few years, keep in mind that the success of the Outback and Forester helped pave the way for these makes.

We tested the ’99 Subaru Legacy SUS. The AWD machine provides sure-footed handling in corners and turns without a lot of road noise/suspension harshness filtering back into the passenger cabin as you sometimes find in AWD machines.

The SUS is powered by a 2.5-liter, 165-horsepower 4-cylinder that is adequate under most conditions but could use a power boost for more adventuresome driving. Of course, this isn’t an all-wheel-drive Porsche. It is an AWD economy sedan with an EPA rating of 21 miles per gallon city/27 m.p.g. highway. Go anywhere, anytime and not have to stop often for a long gulp of liquid energy.

The SUS has the advantages of a sport-ute–all-wheel-drive, sitting high so you can see down the road–but the ride, handling and, most important, the fuel economy of a sedan.

Noteworthy features include a lo ng list of standard equipment: four-wheel anti-lock brakes; 15-inch, all-season treads; power moonroof; tinted glass; heated seats and side mirrors; leather interior; AM/FM stereo with CD and cassette; carpeted mats; illuminated vanity mirrors; air conditioning; power windows/door locks/mirrors; cruise control; split/fold down rear seats; and the hood scoop/rear spoiler/splash guard exterior decor package for the look of an Outback sport-ute.

The SUS sits high for off-road usage, yet step-in/step-out height doesn’t make for cumbersome entry/exit.

Another benefit of the raised vehicle height is that the trunk is high so you can load or unload items very easily as well. In the cabin, the rear seat backs are slightly angled for the feeling of more room.

There are some nuisances, however, such as outside mirrors that are a tad too small, especially for a vehicle that will be driven in lousy weather; a cupholder that blocks clear access to the radio controls when in use; and a c abin obviously designed for the Japanese market where narrow is the norm.

Much has been said that consumers are looking for lower-cost, higher-mileage AWD or 4WD SUVs. With a 21/27 m.p.g. rating and all-wheel-drive, the SUS addresses part of the SUV problem.

At a $25,595 base price, there’ll be some debate on affordability, though the only item that had to be added to the SUS we tested was the $495 freight charge.

>> 1999 Subaru Legacy SUS AWD
© 1998 Chicago Tribune Wheelbase: 103.5 inches Length: 182.5 inches Engine: 2.5-liter, 165-h.p. 4-cylinder Transmission: 4-speed automatic Fuel economy: 21 m.p.g. city/27 m.p.g. highway Base price: $25,595 Price as tested: $25,595. Add $495 for freight. Pluses: Rugged design. AWD for all-season motoring, yet very good any-season mileage. Suspension keeps road harshness from filtering into cabin. Ride and handling more like a car than truck. Minuses: Cabin a tad narrow. Outside mirrors a bit too small. Radio controls blocked by cupholder. 4-cylinder could use a power boost. >>