2002 Subaru Outback Sting Ray

Subaru’s most popular series is the compact Legacy which includes the Outback offshoot; the series was redesigned two seasons ago and is produced in both wagon and sedan forms. For 2001 the lineup gained new versions of the Legacy Outback that include a 212-horsepower 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine in addition to the usual 165-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The bigger engine goes into new H6-3.0 VDC and L.L. Bean editions of the Legacy Outback. Though it is similar to the regular Legacy the Outback wagon is the most popular trim level of this model. The Outback versions have a higher ground clearance than the other Legacy iterations as well as the styling cues of a sport utility vehicle. Launched as a 1995 model and billed by Subaru as the “world’s first sport utility wagon” the Legacy Outback helped lead the Japanese automaker to a sales resurgence. Other manufacturers notably Audi and Volvo have followed Subaru’s lead by offering similar car-based vehicles with AWD and SUV attributes. Little has changed for the 2002 Legacy Outback wagons though a new Outback H6-3.0 sedan has joined the lineup to complement the six-cylinder wagon. The 2002 wagon group consists of a base model and a Limited version with four-cylinder power as well as the six-cylinder L.L. Bean Edition and H6-3.0 VDC wagon. All Subarus have all-wheel drive. Exterior Except for an increase in overall height the dimensions are similar to regular Legacy wagons. Outback versions have 7.3 inches of ground clearance — that is 1.2 inches more than the conventional models. Subaru advises that Outbacks are suited for “light offroad travel” which is reasonable because they lack low-range gearing. The Legacy Outback wagon has a 104.3-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 187.4 inches which is about 3 inches longer than the Volkswagen Passat Wagon. The Outback differs from the Legacy wagon by having chip-resistant lower body cladding two-tone paint a standard roof rack and larger fog lights.