The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

And you thought Paul Hogan wasn’t a real-life hero.

Thanks to Mr. Hogan’s revival of his “Crocodile Dundee” persona whilepitching Subaru’s Outback, he’s helped the Cherry Hill, N.J.-based car companyearn its first profits in more than a decade.

Of course, advertising doesn’t help if your product is no good — but inthe case of the Outback, it’s quite good indeed.

It’s based on Subaru’s Legacy, a compact sedan and wagon that, until theadvent of the Outback trim level, never caused a whole lot of excitement inthe marketplace.

With 4x4s flying out the door, Subaru, having only four-wheel drive cars,decided to make their wagon look truck-like. Increased ride height, lots oftrim, stone shields, fog lights, white-letter Michelin 205/70R15 tires and ahood scoop give the Outback a ruggedly handsome look.

Now Outbacks are flying out the door. If it’s hard for you to tell why,you’ve obviously never driven one.

First of all, even in top-of-the-line Limited trim, this is a lot of carfor the money. There are two engine choices, a 135-horsepower aluminum-alloysingle-overhead-cam 2.2-liter four or a 2.5-liter double-overhead-camfour-cylinder with 155 horsepower and an equal helping of torque. Both enginesare horizontally opposed, an unusual layout used in only a few cars. Thismeans that the cylinders are not configured in a straight line or V, butrather they lie flat opposite each other. The test car had thedouble-overhead-cam engine, and it developed enough power to move it withgusto. The four-speed automatic transmission was a willing partner. Afive-speed manual is available on the smaller engine.

Suspension is independent MacPherson strut at all four corners, brakes arefour-wheel disc with standard anti-lock. All-wheel-drive gives one piece ofmind, not only making one laugh at inclement weather, but also helping toincrease the handling quotient markedly.

To put it simply: This car is fun to drive. There’s plenty of body lean incorners, but the tires and suspension hang in there. There’s a bit of tirenoise and the engine gets gruff when pushed, but otherwise, this is a refineddriving experience.

Inside, it’s typical Asian-compact-car modern, with a dash that’s easy tounderstand, use and operate. The only faux pas was that the cupholder, when inuse, makes it difficult to reach the audio system. Up front, driver andpassenger are treated to leather-lined bucket seats that proved comfortable.Unusual for this price class were the seat heaters, always welcome whenperched atop cold hide.

The back seat offers average passenger space depending on how nice thepeople up front are about adjusting their seats, but its neither worse norbetter than competitors.

The interior comes standard with the power goodies most people expect thesedays.

The cargo hold is better, though. With the bumped-up roof, tie-down hooks,plastic floor pan and window-shade cover, this Sube offers plenty of help whencarting things, more than the competition.

Another nicety common to much more expensive cars is the standardweather-band radio that comes with the decent-sounding AM/FM cassette audiosystem. In addition, it also features rear seat headrests, another small touchuncommon for the class.

It’s no wonder that these cars are so popular. The Outback is very refined,much more so than when it first appeared as the Legacy. Add to that the littletouches commonly available only on more expensive cars, and you have anall-wheel drive vehicle that’s as comfy as a car with the styling panache of atruck.

Even if it isn’t “the world’s first sport-utility wagon” (the AMC Eaglewas), Subaru has a hit on their hands, one that stands apart from the crowd inthe best value-oriented Subaru tradition.

1997 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited WagonStandard: 2.5-liter horizontally opposed 16-valve double-overhead-cam,four-cylinder engine, five-speed manual transmission, all- wheel drive, dualairbags, four-wheel four-channel anti-lock disc brakes, rear windowwiper-washer, rear seat headrests, hood scoop, engine block heater, two-toneexterior paint, raised roof, halogen fog lamps with stone shields, roof rack,carpeted floor mats, P205/ 70R15 all-terrain tires, alloy wheels and splashguards, cargo-area 12-volt power outlet, cargo area hooks, cover and storagetray, air-conditioning, power windows, power door locks, heated mirrors,weather-band radio, cruise control, leather interior with heated front seats,60/40 split folding rear seats.Options: four-speed automatic transmissionBase price: $24,195As tested: $25,490EPA rating: 21 city, 27 highwayTest mileage: 21 mpg