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REV UP - Liberated motoring |
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If your answer is yes you could be looking at a number of vehicles that fit this description and some of the European branded models cost in excess of $80,000. One vehicle that is a standout amongst all of its peers in the categories of performance, value for money and safety is the Subaru Liberty GT Spec B. Performance from its 2.5 Litre DOHC Turbo engine is nothing less than astonishing. It is an incredibly flexible engine, which will allow you to cruise happily around town to commute to work or do the shopping. But I am telling you that shopping is not what this vehicle was built for. Rapid acceleration from a stand still in first gear will bring you easily to 60km/h and leave every other vehicle at the traffic lights in your distant wake. This acceleration coupled with an easy shift, six speed manual gear box allows the driver to make the most out of everything the engine has to offer. Having 184kW of power and 339Nm of torque at your disposal, brings a huge smile to your face and if you are not careful speeding tickets to your mail box. Full effects of the turbo begin to be felt at around 3500rpm as you are thrust back into your seat and begin to hear the sensational muffled harmonious growl of the engine and turbo working together. Travelling at highway speeds in fifth gear the engine is sitting at around 2700rpm, to cruise comfortably you need to utilise the sixth gear, which before I used it I thought was a gimmick, to coast along at 2200rpm. Even in sixth the engine still wants to continue to pull all the way to the red line, to, I have no doubt, the 260km/h top speed on the speedometer. A tip for anyone who purchases this vehicle, after a while of knowing what it is capable of, driving in traffic can become frustrating. To counter this I would suggest for owners to regularly purchase a track day-pass at their local racing circuit, to allow you blow out the cobwebs and unleash its full potential. The car is also equipped with the Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE) system, which allows the driver to vary throttle response and control the three different modes of engine power characteristics. The three modes are Intelligent, Sport and Sport Sharp. It does work and you do feel the difference in power delivery when changing modes whilst driving. I preferred to leave the system in Sport Sharp to utilise the vehicles full power. Handling is very smooth, direct and the driver has to do very little for the satisfying return he or she gets. The car goes exactly where you point it. There is very little body roll through corners no matter how sharp they are, there are also huge amounts of grip thanks to a combination of All Wheel Drive, superb Bilstein sports suspension and 18-inch alloy wheels shod with low profile rubber. Around town passengers do feel small bumps and potholes, as you would expect, but I was surprised at the high level of cushioning overall and the lack of road and tyre noise. Driver and passengers have been generously looked after inside a well thought out cabin, that seats four adults in comfort and contains easy to operate switches and quality materials have been used on all interior trim. The equipment list is as long as your leg. It features; comfortable sports leather seats (driver's seat is electric operated with dual memory), dual zone climate control air conditioning, six air bags, Momo leather steering wheel, with very easy to use cruise control, stereo and in dash display controls, two extra large cup holders, enough storage to hide mobile phones from prying eyes, sunroof and a sublime, 14 speaker, aurally pleasing McIntosh six disc stereo system, which for the first time ever, did full justice to my U2 collection. When Subaru built this vehicle they did not forget to include safety features that have earned it a five star ANCAP occupant safety rating. Apart from the six airbags and All Wheel Drive, there are also ABS Brakes with EBD and Brake Assist, front seat active head rests to reduce whiplash injuries, self-levelling Bi-Xenon headlights with pop-up washers that literally turn night into day and to deter thieves from stealing your investment, Subaru has laser-etched each vehicle's VIN number onto 7000 microscopic dots and have strategically sprayed them onto the body. Outside vehicle styling is aggressive and attractive, absent is a boot spoiler, but I think adds to the appeal of the vehicle by not attracting attention from unwanted gazes from police when you are darting through the traffic. There are so many more good points I could add about this vehicle, the only thing I could find fault with it was the clutch and brake pedals seemed a little too close together for my feet and the front seats could do with a bit more side support to assist with comfort during cornering. These two minor faults have not tarnished my overall rating of this well designed and built four door drivers car, which would suit a family of four or someone who wants a bargain performance vehicle with five seats. - 4.5/5 stars
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