Having been mostly in smaller vehicles, I'm really appreciating how the longer wheelbase helps make for a more relaxed ride, especially on some of the questionably maintained streets around here.

I also appreciate EyeSight. Sure, the Subaru EyeSight system has forward collision avoidance and one of the best cruising distance-control setups ever. But a feature that I started calling the "Road Rage Reduction System" detects when the car ahead of you has moved, after a light turns green, for instance. The multi-information display then shows a VEHICLE AHEAD HAS MOVED message while the system emits a distinct electronic beep. Whether you've been caught admiring a sunset or the McLaren next to you (because nobody would be checking email, right? RIGHT?), it's a handy "hey, dude, get going" before all the honking and swearing begins behind you.

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The Outback can fit a bunch of things in the rear hatch without folding the second row. That's a dehumidifier, an air-conditioner, a medium moving box, and some other things. No troubles.

The power liftgate has also been a nice feature. Despite my overall stance that power liftgates are completely unnecessary, I've appreciated it, especially the ease of closing it by pressing a button with two hands full of bags. But occasionally (less than about 5 percent of the time) the hatch will either not open after unlatching itself, or it won't close fully. That's with nothing obstructing it. And this thing is a slow-moving object of heavy resistance if you have to finish the job manually. If I have time, I cycle the open/close button. That usually helps after a few tries. Still, it seems to be a credit in the column of the "just something else to malfunction" purists.

More on our long-term Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited here:

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The Wilderness Green Metallic paint takes a healthy coating of dust before it looks dirty, and it looks fabulous after a wash.