Consumer Reports on the 2005 Outback 'light truck'

Saw this in the May 2004 Consumer Reports [quote][b]The fuel-economy shell game[/b] When is a car a truck? When it suits an automaker's needs, at least where fuel economy is concerned. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules require that a manufacturer's combined fleet of cars meet a 27.5-mpg average based on the model-year sales, compared with 20.7 mpg for its light trucks, which include minivans, pickups, and most SUVs. Those rules allow lots of leeway in how to define a truck, and they're easy to bend. A case in point: Subaru's plan to certify its 2005 Outback sedans and wagons as light trucks by raising their bodies about an inch. According to Subaru, the taller versions are designed to satisfy outdoor enthusiasts. “Active-lifestyle people such as kayakers, skiers, and snowboarders told us that they were looking for a little extra ground clearance for going through deep snow and uneven road surfaces,” says Mike Whelan, a Subaru spokesman. The carmaker's CAFE figures suggest another possibility. Subaru's car-fleet mid-year average was just 0.1 mpg above the requirements for the 2003 models, the most recent data available. Sales of potentially thirstier, turbocharged Legacy cars due in June 2004 could have put the company over the brink. Turning Outback cars into trucks eases the pressure by shifting their fuel economy into the more lenient light truck category. Ironically, Subaru's SUV-like Forester is classified as a car partly because of its lower ground clearance. DaimlerChrysler is also playing the fuel-economy game. Four years ago the company got its PT Cruiser (derived from the Neon) classified as a light truck by giving it easily removable rear seats that when removed provide more cargo than passenger space. In turn, the PT Cruiser's 22-mpg EPA rating raised the company's CAFE for light trucks, rather than lowered it for cars. A convertible PT Cruiser, new this year, has nonremovable seats. That means the ragtop is classified as a car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which oversees the rules, acknowledges the problem. “When the regulations took effect in 1977, SUVs and pickup trucks were quite different from what we see today, and minivans had yet to be invented,” said Tim Hurd, a NHTSA spokesman. Today more than 50 percent of vehicles sold are light trucks. While CAFE requirements for these vehicles will rise to 22.2 mpg by the 2007 model year, that's still much lower than for cars. NHTSA published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which sought public comment on possible changes. One involves using weight-based standards for light trucks. But some environmental groups say that would create loopholes that give automakers an incentive to add mass to trucks to meet less strict CAFE standards.[/quote] My take: Can't say that I disagree with what Subaru is doing. They specialize in utilitarian/practical "cars" with the all-weather, all-terrain capability, and cargo area of a truck/SUV, yet they're still required to meet the fuel economy requirements of the "car" category of 27.5 mpg. Obviously that's going to be extremely difficult to achieve when you put AWD in every car, and especially in the midst of a modern era horsepower race reminiscent of the '60's musclecar era in the US. Subaru shouldn't be penalized under a rule system that doesn't seem to work these days for offering consumers SUV alternatives with SUV capability but "car-like" (but not quite) mileage. Steve

if this what needs to bring turbo legacy and outback to market :mrgreen: i'll take that

While I don't necessarily agree with the position to market it as a light truck, I understand the need from a business perspective. They aren't technically breaking any of the vague laws designed some 25 years ago. I do only see this a good thing as a hold-over to allow some of the more potent models to come sooner while allowing some more efficient models to be developed and Subaru be able to remarket it as a car. Hopefully sooner than later though. Some of the things that may be viable in the next 5 or so years include: -Turbo-Diesel (Bio-Diesel capable) -Turbo-Diesel Hybrid (partial mechanical linkage) -Turbo-Diesel Hybrid (100% electric motor driven) -Gas Hybrid (partial mechanical linkage) -Gas Hybrid (100% electric motor driven) Until even cleaner and more efficient non-petroleum solutions become available, I forsee these the best alternatives for the next 5-20 years to reduce pollution and petroleum consumption.

The ironic thing is the Outback is a truck and the Forrester a car ! I suspose it evens itself out.

I would bet the Forester will also become a truck on its next redesign (assuming the loophole still exists).