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I’D PLANNED to save the 1988 Subaru XT6 until some gossamer weekend in late October. The ghoulies come out then. And, goodness knows, this is a strange looking car, an automotive prop from some science-fiction movie or horror flick.

I could imagine its knife-like body cutting through the mist on a remote mountain road in Creepsylvania, its classic gray body catching the pale light and throwing it back, twinkle-like, through the enveloping fog.

Yeah, and then the XT6 arrives at some big, old ugly castle. It sort of just shows up there, with hardly a noise, because the engine is so quiet. Camera focuses on the castle door, then swings to the car.

Camera swings back to the castle door, which opens slowly. An old, formally dressed man steps through the portal. Young dude in leather steps out of the car. Old dude says in somber voice: “Igor, I thought I told you to get a Subaru.” Young dude says: “But, Dad, I did.”

Old dude checks the XT6’s outer shell, not knowing that it has the same weird lines as the first XT model introduced in 1985. Young dude, possessed of this knowledge, smirks privately.

Old dude motions for the young one to pop the hood. The young man complies. The old man is shocked. The Subaru cars he’s known always came with four cylinders. This one has six, two more than even the 1985 XT had.

Old dude says: “Subaru, eh?” Young dude nods. Old dude smiles and closes the hood. He asks for the keys. Young dude is confused, but obedient.

Old dude gets into the car and cranks the 145 hp engine. His smile turns to laughter, which turns demonic. He guns the motor and spins the front-wheel-drive car toward the road. As the XT6 disappears in the mist, the young man hears the old dude’s voice echoing off the mountains: “See you around, sucker, sucker, sucker . . . ”

Anyway, it was just an idea. I love this crazy car. I gotta write about it now, because the model year changes in October.

Complaints: Subaru has scrapped lots of video-game busywork that made instrument panels in the first XT’s look like stuff from Toys ‘R’ Us. But Subaru still needs to get rid of or modify those button-loaded control pods jutting out from either side of the steering wheel.

Also, the seats: Here’s another “four-seat” coupe with adequate room for two. Golly, folks, when will auto companies stop this foolishness? Those two practically useless rear seats cost money. If auto makers can’t put real seats back there, they should remove them and lower the prices of the cars accordingly.

Praise: The XT’s new 2.7-liter, six-cylinder engine (which makes it the XT6) is fantastic! It’s very smooth and quiet. Acceleration comes without begging. Discernible downshifting is virtually nonexistent. The engine kicks out 145 hp at 5,200 rpm. Whoosh! Who needs turbos?

Fit and finish are what you’d expect from Subaru: No squeaks, no leaks, no jagged peaks.

Head-turning-quotient: This one gets the Thumbed-Nose Award.

Ride, acceleration, handling and braking: Excellent ride, acceleration and handling. Braking (vented discs front, solid discs rear) is okay, but it could be tighter.

Sound system: Electronic AM/FM stereo radio and cassette with seven-band graphic equalizer. Monster sound.

Mileage: About 24 to the gallon (15.9-gallon tank, estimated 372-mile range on usable volume), combined city and highway, modest use of air conditioner, running mostly driver only.

Price: $16,510, including $129 dealer-preparation charge and $265 transportation fee. Dealer’s invoice price is $13,885, according to Automobile Invoice Service in San Jose, California.

Purse-strings note: Considering the higher-priced competition, which does not offer as much fun or car or mileage for the money, the XT6 is a good value in its category (sporty four-seat coupes). But keep in mind that prices on Japanese cars change constantly, usually upward.