Perfect snow and slush-mobile

We traded both our Honda Civic and Nissan Pathfinder on this car. Living next to a ski resort, the front wheel drive Civic was unable to handle the snow, ice and mud of rural life. And while the Pathfinder always made it home, 8mpg in 4WD was getting hard to take.

We have four golden retrievers who love rides, so needed something with plenty of cargo space. Yet we wanted milage that wouldn't cut into the pizza and beer money. We quickly ruled out another SUV, and the final three came down to the Audi A4 wagon, the Honda CRV, and the Subaru Outback. The Audi was nice, but after talking with several owners about their repair costs, well -- no thanks. We loved our old Honda, so actually intended to get the CRV, but after test driving for a few miles it was obvious the bucket seats were not designed with our "buckets" in mind.

We drove the Honda to the Subaru dealer and parked right next to the Outback we ended up buying. Opened the back hatches to compare cargo room and were amazed at how much more room the Outback had. Within a few hundred yards of the test drive it was settled.

The Outback isn't the peppiest car around, but wagons aren't supposed to be racers. It has an excellent road feel on those mountain curves, and has had no problems handling significant snowfall, slushy stuff, and the mud of spring thaw. Last week, after a brief ice storm, I passed seven cars that had slid into ditches on the short drive home. Though I felt the Outback slip a bit on icy curves, it quickly recovered and tracked exceptionally well.

I also like the engineering and ease of maintenance. Engine checks are easy, with dipsticks and filters within easy reach. The oil filter, in particular, is conveniently located and mounted vertically so hot oil doesn't run down your arms during changes. And the stainless exhaust system is a nice touch considering how much road salt is used in Vermont.

My next car will be a Subaru. I'm sold.