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2015 Subaru Outback offers more room and better econ behind that new face

While its new front fascia makes the biggest obvious impact, Subaru says changes to the entire 2015 Outback package make it roomier, more powerful, more efficient and quieter. The hexagonal grille gets it in line with the corporate template, to go along with a new shape to the lower grille and fog light cladding, a sharp crease for a shoulder line and a faster rake to the windshield. The rocker panel cladding and its 'toothed' molding remain, but it now also doubles as a step for when you want to place items on the roof rack.
Under the aluminum hood will either be a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine with 175 horsepower and a carryover 174 pound-feet of torque, or a 3.6-liter inline-six-cylinder with 256 hp and 247 lb-ft exclusively in the 3.6R Limited model. Paired to the lower-friction Lineartronic CVT that is the only shifting choice, and aided by features like the active grille shutter system and electric power steering, Subaru estimates fuel economy for the four-cylinder at 25 miles per gallon city, 33 highway and 28 combined, an increase of 1/3/2 mpg over the outgoing car. The sixer is pegged at 19 city, 27 highway and 22 combined, an increase of 2 mpg across the board.
The Outback has grown in every dimension, but never by more than 0.7 of an inch. The passenger cabin grows by 2.7 cubic feet, though, so occupants have more shoulder, hip, elbow and legroom. The cargo hold is enlarged by 1.2 cu-ft with the rear seats up, by 2.0 cu-ft with them down and the load floor is flatter. Accessing it is made easier by the memory height function on the power tailgate and new release handles for the rear thrones. Cabin ambiance is improved by sound abatement measures like an acoustic windshield, thicker panels and more noise-insulating foam.

Subaru broke its own Isle of Man record with a 550-hp WRX STI

Well, they did it. Subaru of America, Prodrive, and driver Mark Higgins set out to break their own record on the Isle of Man's Snaefell Mountain Course, and the attempt was a success. Higgins covered the 37-mile course in the 2016 WRX STI Time Attack car in 17 minutes, 35 seconds. That's an average speed of 128.73 mph. Average. In a car. Higgins set the previous record, 19:26 at 116.47 mph, in a more-stock STI. He and Subaru of America have been bringing cars to the site of the motorcycle race for years now, setting automotive records as all along, but this one is going to be pretty tough to top. Subaru Prodrive Isle of Man View 4 Photos It comes pretty close to the overall lap record for the course, which was set over the weekend by Michael Dunlop. The rider set a 16-minute, 58.254-second lap in the RST Superbike TT, averaging about 133 mph. The fact the Subaru comes so close to the best bike time is pretty amazing. This year's Isle of Man TT weekend was marked by the deaths of two riders. Fatalities are a regular occurrence at the historic race around the island, but it continues to be held year after year with hundreds of participants. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Subaru WRX STI Time Attack Isle of Man View 22 Photos Motorsports Subaru

Jalopnik and Consumer Reports see who can pull off the best snow drift

The weather throughout much of the United States is pretty awful at the moment with some combination of extremely low temperatures, inches of snow and maybe some ice underneath it all. The folks at Jalopnik and Consumer Reports are making the absolute best out of a difficult situation by heading to CR's snow-covered test track and attempting to make the longest drift in a quartet of very different performance vehicles. Jalopnik brought along a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S Wagon, a Subaru WRX STI, a BMW 228i and a 1973 Volkswagen Baja Bug (heck yeah!) for the challenge. Also, the track was perfect for this group, with a mix of packed snow in places and still a few inches of unsullied powder in spots too. Ostensibly the goal was to get the tail to step out through a particular corner, but in reality this was more about having hilarious fun in the snow with fast cars. The result just looks like the best time humanly possible in this weather.