Twice a year I make the trek from BC to Toronto to visit family. On such occasions I usually lean on the pr people at Subaru for the loan of a media car, even though I could borrow any car from any manufacturer for the week. As an automobile journalist still active in testing and reviewing new cars it's one of the perks of the job. But Subaru is kind enough to drop and retrieve the test car at a parking lot adjacent to the airport which, for me, is a huge time-and-money-saving advantage. If my editors at About.com are amenable, I then write a review; if not I at least give the vehicle some coverage on this site. After all, even collector car owners buy new cars. Thus you might think that under such circumstances my test drives would be prejudiced in favor of Subaru. Nyet! I "calls them as I sees them" and have no hesitation in criticising anything I don't like. Hence this 2008 Subaru Outback review is generally flattering but there is one aspect that made no sense to me at all and it's the very reason for the outback's existence. Curious? Read the About SUVs review and use our "comments" box if you disagree.

[photo credit: Philip Powell]