Used 2011 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport Sedan Review & Ratings

The 2011 Impreza Outback Sport Sedan is a more rugged form of the traditional Impreza, in the same way that Volvo distinguishes its V70 from the XC70. It is only available as a four-door hatchback, which features a two-tone appearance; the lower section of the body is a contrasting hue on all models. A new Special Edition Model of this sporty Outback is available with a portable 4.3-inch touch screen TomTom navigation system as an option for 2011. Although the Impreza sedan bears more than a slight resemblance to the high-performance WRX and STI models, its performance is more unexciting. The 2011 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport Sedan is more akin to the Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra than more "serious" sports cars sedans. Subaru owners are some of the happiest, most satisfied drivers on the market today, frequently because they find their vehicles to be so reliable.

The Outback Sport is powered by a horizontally opposed 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 170 horsepower. It comes with a five-speed manual transmission, but a four-speed automatic is available. Although this is not a ton of power, you will appreciate the savings at the pump as it returns 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, which is not too bad! The well-sorted chassis provides exceptional handling and the four-wheel independent suspension delivers a smooth ride. One thing that is special about the vehicle is that it is all-wheel drive ad offers excellent traction on slippery surfaces. It also boasts a raised suspension for better ground clearance, which some consumers will certainly appreciate.

As far as safety goes, the 2012 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport was given a "Good" rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for frontal-offset, side-impact and roof-strength crash tests. It boasts antilock brakes, airbags in all the right places, a whiplash protection system in the front head restraints, child seat anchors, emergency braking assist, stability and traction control, engine immobilizer, electronic brakeforce distribution and tire pressure monitoring. In other words, this is a family sedan that you can actually feel good about hauling your family in!

One of the reasons why the Outback Sport is often overshadowed by its competition is because of its price. It boats a starting MSRP just under $20. While this may sound fair to some, there are other vehicles in this class that are considerable cheaper for very similar features. One thing that should be noted when comparing this vehicle with others is that it has an extremely room cabin and an abundance of cargo space. It is also equipped with thoughtful features, such as standard Bluetooth capability and an optional moon roof, for those that desire to make the road a little more open.