SUBARUOutback 2002 - 2003

　　It was the last manufacturing year for the Outback’s second generation, but the automaker didn’t want to let it go without a final update and refresh to keep the nameplate alive in its customers’ memory until the third generation of this moniker was available.

　　Subaru introduced the second generation of the Outback in Japan in late 1998 and started production in the U.S. in 1999 for the 2000 model year when the first customers got their vehicles. Even if the car was not considered highly attractive in terms of styling, it still had its advantages in the tech department that made buyers crave one. Then, in 2002, Subaru added a few updates to the Outback and also introduced the H6-3.0 L.L. Bean edition, which had all the bells and whistles someone could put on a Subaru. For the European market, the Japanese automaker kept the car virtually unchanged.

　　At the front, the Outback featured rectangular headlights with rounded corners, horizontally divided, where the upper area was for the high and low beams while the lower was for parking lights. The U.S. versions featured amber corner-mounted blinkers, while its European sibling had clear lenses with orange bulbs. On the lower bumper, the L.L. Beam got a golden paint, which contrasted with the green color of the vehicle. In Europe, on the other hand, the cladding and the bodywork sported the same paint.

　　From its profile, the car’s 16-inch light-alloy wheels had a new design for the L.L. Bean and the upper trim levels. At the same time, lower grades retained the same five dual-spoke alloys wrapped in 215/60 tires. One of the reasons why the Outback was so popular was credited to its tailgate, which opened from a very low area, cutting a portion of the car’s rear bumper. Following the “give them all” recipe, the L.L. Bean had a standard dual panoramic moonroof, where the front one tilted upwards and the rear one could be retracted.

　　Inside, the main attraction was the newly introduced McIntosh stereo that featured an in-dash 6-CD changer. The automatic air-conditioning was also standard, and customers could enjoy the comfortable, leather-wrapped seas. Fronting the driver was the standard Outback instrument cluster filled with two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer, the gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature, and a small LCD mounted on the lower side that showed the odometer. In the back, there was plenty of room for three passengers, although taller occupants could criticize the lower roof due to the dual-panel moonroof.

　　Under the hood, the 2002 Outback could be fit with either a 2.5-liter flat-four or a 3.0-liter flat-six gasoline engine. The McPherson front struts and the multi-link rear system offered an excellent compromise between performance and low running costs. The four-cylinder powerplant could be ordered with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.