Sometimes a car will surprise you by its performance, sometimes it will be extremely luxurious. This car though is one of the SAFEST cars I have ever driven.
The 2015 Subaru Liberty 2.5i Premium has been in my hands for over 700km’s. During this time I’ve used it for the daily commute to work as well as for a weekend away to the beautiful Whale Beach.
What’s Good About It?
Firstly, the 2015 Subaru Liberty is a huge improvement in the looks department. I haven’t loved the look of a Subaru Liberty for years, this model is very easy on the eyes. Speaking of eyes, the 2.5i Premium is fitted with the EyeSight Driver Assist System, it is essentially two cameras looking at the cars in front of you, watching the road lines beside you and keeping you safe.
The cruise is set to 100km/h but in traffic reduced to 30km/h, maintaining a safe gap and managing the trip home for me.
Using the EyeSight system I have managed to drive from my home to the office almost entirely feet free. What that means is that the cruise control is able to manage the brake and acceleration, maintain a safe distance to the car in front of me and make driving a real breeze.
Lights are flashing red as I approach a slow car at speed
When you aren’t using the cruise control feature EyeSight will also warn you when you’re drifting out of your lane as well as warn you of an upcoming collision – which if you don’t prevent, it will brake for you to avoid a prang. All of this is managed and controlled on your steering wheel and I just loved it.
Besides the EyeSight system, I was also very impressed at the all wheel drive system (common with all Subaru’s) along with the fantastic infotainment system with a large 7inch screen, satnav, bluetooth phone and audio, colour rear-view camera, Pandora and so much more.
What Didn’t We Like?
Under the hood of the Subaru Liberty 2.5i Premium is a 2.5litre boxer engine with 129kw connected to a CVT gearbox. This is not a performance car and will not be competitive with the WRX in the Subaru stable. I found the Liberty to be a bit underpowered for what is a medium sized car. Usually if a car is clearly not a “performance car” is is great on fuel, the Liberty is neither of those with an average of 9L/100km with mostly highway driving. The car handles and feels so solid though, which is a shame you cannot get more enjoyment under your foot, perhaps the more powerful Liberty 3.6R is the cure there.
Buttons… Buttons everywhere,
We also mentioned earlier about how much we love the infotainment and EyeSight system, with all of these amazing features though comes a rather cluttered steering wheel. For a techie like me it was quite a learning curve, so for others not gadget crazy they make struggle with it all. It is important to spend some time learning where all of these buttons are located before attempting to use them while driving, some of the controls on the wheel feel unnecessary and more of a distraction.
Should You Buy It?
Not every car suits everybody, if that were true then we wouldn’t have this variety on the market. The people who should buy this car rate safety above all else. They want a car to care for their family as much as they do. This car will protect you and the family even when the driver isn’t watching the road. The person who buys this car needs a backseat for actual people, fitting adults in the back is easy and comfortable, the boot is huge too. You’ll fit a family of five and luggage without a problem. It’s honestly a great replacement for the SUV many parents use to drop their kids off at school. With all of this said, the main reason you will want to buy this car? The price. Less than $40,000 on-road WITH the huge list of inclusions (not seen in its class).
