Road Test: Subaru Liberty 3.0R-B

By Feann Torr - 1/05/05

Take a 3.0-litre boxer engine, tune it to give a good spread of power and then wrap it in an attractive body shell, throw in a slick 6-speed gearbox and AWD, add a plush leather interior and a premium sound system and you've got the $51,990 Subaru Liberty 3.0R-B.

With a few visual tweaks and a set of flashy 18-inch alloy wheels, the range-topping 6-cylinder Liberty makes quite an impression - a somewhat restrained impression visually - but on the road it's the business.

For those who want the sure-footedness of an AWD Subaru and a chassis that just won't quit (but don't want the "please carjack me" stigma that's stuck to the WRX) the sporty Liberty in question may just be what you're after.

Subaru's 2005 model Liberty takes the brand upmarket somewhat, not to BMW or Mercedes-Benz levels, but with the local Japanese competition heating up, it's had to improve, and though the interior has seen numerous upgrades, with solid fit and finish, this car is all about the drive.

Enough with the intro, because this isn't a short review, so let's look at how this 6-cylinder Sooby reacts to friction, gravity, inertia and 4th gear, full throttle corners.

Drive

Subaru's 3.0R-B, or Spec.B as we like call it, is more than just a 6-cylinder Liberty with big wheels and a peculiar front apron.

It gets some semi-serious performance parts to make it handle and drive more decisively, the most impressive of which is the gearbox, which is the same as the item found on the manic WRX STi.

This 6-speed manual shifter is quite a tasty piece of kit it must be said (more on that later), and the Spec B also benefits from Bilstein dampers, and together with car's lively 3.0-litre flat six engine, worth an impressive 180kW, it makes for an exhilarating drive.

Settling into the sporty-looking black leather seats, the key into the ignition barrel, the first thing that pleased me about the Liberty 3.0R-B was the funky dance the red-rimmed dials do as the engine control unit (ECU) goes through its startup phase.

It's nothing new, Japanese super sports bikes have been displaying such simple tricks with the analogue dials for years, but it does tell you right away that this is no ordinary A-B commuter-mobile.

And to my reckoning, in a sports car that is upgraded from a much less flamboyant 'base' model, tricks such as these are vital in conveying the car's more serious attitude.

Thanks to one of the most sensitive throttles in the world, my usual one-hour car familiarisation took more than twice as long. In the city I was jerking and bunny hopping about like a fool, much to the amusement of other weary drivers all too keen on cutting each other off and showing a lack of courtesy. "It's a Spec.B, dammit!" I yelled through the sunroof, fitted as standard.

As a result of this touchy accelerator pedal, I thought the 3.0R-B was a bit of a pain in the bum to drive in the city and so I quickly proceeded to take the NSW-plated flat six out into the country, leaving the concrete jungle in my symmetrical AWD wake.

Keep the revs above 5500rpm and the Spec.B absolutely hammers along, with little respect for the laws of physics

Subaru Liberty 3.0R Considering the pleasant impression the 3.0R-B makes when you drive it, it's surprising how different it is from its brother, the 3.0R (pictured above in blue). Or should I say, sister. These two cars behave, drive and feel so different, you could wonder whether all they share is the 3.0-litre H6. On paper, the two cars are very close in spec, except the 3.0R gets smaller 17-inch wheels, has slightly different shockers and is available in automatic only. But on the road, they are vastly different. Where the Spec.B is exhilarating off the line, with plenty of load-up in first, a demanding clutch and short ratios, the 3.0R is a yawn. Whack the 5-speed auto in D and flex your right ankle, and this car will rock you to sleep quicker than you can say "underwhelming". Subaru has done a great job with the 3.0R-B, brilliantly adapting an efficient engine to a performance platform, but the auto version disappoints. At $50,990, the 3.0R, with its leather, premium sound and other conveniences, may attract Honda Accord Euro buyers who want a six, but existing Liberty lovers should shell out the extra $1000 and go for the R-B. Then again, the GT starts at $52,990… - Damien Tomlinson

The 6-speed transmission has incredibly close ratios, and they work effectively in squeezing every last iota of power from the 3000cc engine, and this comes in handy when you're keen to overtake, or just want to fang it as hard as possible.

With short throws and a smooth (if somewhat light) feel, the 6-speed gearbox is shared with the WRX STi, and gets a rather fancy wireless link between the electronic throttle and the clutch, aimed at reducing stalling.

It does this well, and together with a 3.900:1 final drive ratio lets you cruise at 60km/h in sixth gear at 1500rpm, pulling away cleanly with throttle input.

Gun the throttle through 2nd and 3rd gear on the open road, and the twitchy throttle sensor becomes much more useful, the car speeding ahead at a good clip.

Though the engine is quite lively, it does feel lacking in the torque department at times, something the tuned up turbo Liberty GT would no doubt remedy, but again, short gear ratios help mask this.

With grip and handling levels such as they are, the mild lack of torque can be completely overlooked - this car is a blast to drive. Head into a corner and then push faster than you think you can and the Sooby just grips and obliges, almost saying "Mate, is that all you got?".

While the suspension takes care of body roll, pitch isn't controlled as well, and squat can be a bit of problem when nailing the throttle from standstill.

It doesn't take the sheen off the car's impressive performance characteristics overall, and so long as you keep the revs above 5500rpm, the Spec.B goes like a rocket through the twisties.

Changing direction quickly can fluster the car a little, but as soon as you get back on the power, it grips and regains its level attitude. It feels as though the faster you drive, the more grip you are rewarded with, and it's high speed stability was much better than I expected.

Corner after corner I found myself pushing harder and harder - the brakes (front 316mm, rear 290mm) also coming in for a solid workout and proving more than up to the task - but the grip was almost inexhaustible. Fast, rolling sweepers in fifth gear, foot to the floor, white knuckles gripping the wheel? Piece of cake.

The 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/45 R18 combine with the AWD transmission to give the car high stunning levels of mid corner grip, though mild understeer means that you will need to turn the wheel moreso than you would in a rear wheel driver to stay on target, which doesn't always inspire confidence.

Having low-profile rubber on big rims is great when you're hammering along smoothly surfaced country roads but you'll rue the day you clip a kerb in the suburbs, as the stiff sidewalls refuse to morph, often resulting in an audible *bang* through the suspension struts.

Feedback through the steering wheel is very good, the power steering hasn't numbed things down too much, and I always felt safe and secure in the Spec.B. That's not so much due to the 5 star ANCAP safety rating, but the tied-to-the-road feel that ludicrous levels of grip provide.

The AWD system that Subaru has been refining since the Sports Wagon days helps in low traction situations, such as on gravel roads or on saturated bitumen, but is even more mind-shaggingly-brilliant in sports car applications, and I have to say that 3.0R-B is indeed one of best cornering tools I've ever driven.

Descriptive words that spring to mind after scaring myself witless driving round some rather hairy bends at rather hairy speeds in the 3.0R-B include "light footed, nimble, grippy, safe, rapid". Entertaining? To a point. But the car did feel slightly characterless.

You can thrash it all day long, and still not feel as exhilaratingly-knackered as when driving a Monaro, for example. But at the same token, a car that has 'character' often means it has shortcomings and foibles that must be navigated in order to extract maximum performance, so in hindsight, a car like the Spec.B that can be so effortlessly pushed to the limit, whose redline performance can be so easily attained, must be praised for that.

Sadly, it's only flaw it that it's virtually flawless. That's modern motoring for you...

Engine

The 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder engine that beats away to an unorthodox horizontally opposed tune under the Spec.B's bonnet is the epitome of Japanese design.

Not only is it frugal - returning 12.4-litres of fuel for every 100km travelled (city/highway cycle combined) - it's also got a nice and stretchy power band, spanning 2400rpm between peak torque and peak power.

Tractability is another strong point of the engine - it'll sit on 60km/h in sixth gear, doing 1500rpm as mentioned above, and can still find acceleration up hill. Gotta love the boxer!

Subaru's Spec-B will sit on 2500rpm in sixth gear at legal freeway speeds (100km/h) affording good fuel economy, yet from a standing start the engine will rapidly spin up to almost 7000rpm, making short work of the 0-100km/h dash - just 6.9 seconds.

With a claimed 243km/h top speed, this sporty Liberty ain't slow, and even when bouncing of its rev limiter at 7200rpm, there's still some juice left, but I would hazard a guess that it was set at just over 7000rpm for reliability reasons. Any higher would kill the engine too quickly.

The engine is refined and smooth and quiet, yet willing to rev rapidly when asked. Even with what feels like a lack of torque at the top of the rev range, this is one of the best Japanese engines I've sampled. Add a pair of turbochargers to this well-mannered flat six and you'd have Porsche-rivalling performance.

Exterior

Measuring 4665mm long and 1730mm wide, the Liberty isn't a spectacularly large vehicle, and I like that. It's proportions are easy on the eye, with a bonnet and boot that don't look too long or too short, and I like the new look headlights too, the emphasised projector lamps giving a modern touch.

The Spec.B also gets a different front apron (lower bumper) than lesser Liberty's, which adheres to Subaru's new design direction, seen on vehicles like the Subaru B9 Tribeca.

At first the big 18-inch alloy wheels didn't appeal to me, but after seven days with the 3.0R-B they grew on me.

Their seven spoke design is somewhat organic, and I prefer more technical-looking angular wheels on sporty cars, but as I said, in time they become more and more pleasing, and I should mention that the Subaru also includes a full sized 18-inch spare. Very nice, just don't leave your boot unlocked...

At the rear, twin exhaust pipes make the car appear wider than it actually is, and a subtle rear apron cutout hints at it's athletic edge. The brake light styling doesn't really do it for me, but plenty of others round the office reckon they look good and "suit the car's personality". Whatever. The fact that they work is good enough for me.

Interior

First, the gripes. Rear seat room leaves a lot to be desired. Small adults will cope okay, but anyone who measures around five foot nine inches tall (or more) will have trouble with the leg room on longer journeys, unless the driver and passenger crank their seats all the way forward - but who does that?

In the cockpit, the the 8-way power adjustable front seats offer much more leg and shoulder room, and along with the rears are upholstered in a medium quality black leather that provides for a nice ambience: half sports, half luxo.

The front seats look awesome (particularly the way the head rests integrate into the seat backs), but side bolsters that are supposed to keep you from moving around in the front seats during fast cornering were underwhelming, particularly for a car that can carry such high lateral G-forces through corners.

The 3-spoke Momo leather steering wheel is a treat to use - nice and small for rapid response - likewise the gear shifter and drilled pedals, and the Subaru-embossed scuff plates are a nice touch too.

The HVAC controls look classy and are easy to operate and don't have that cheap and nasty feel of some Asian cars.

The overall level of luxury in the Spec.B is impressive. From the dash plastics to the headlining material, it's obvious that Subaru's upmarket push is more than just hot air coming from the mouths of well-paid PR executives.

A premium McIntosh stereo also forms part of the Spec.B package, and golly gee it's a corker. With no less than four satellite speakers in the front doors, the sounds system has 13 speakers in total. Too much for the Liberty's fairly small cabin? Never!

The centre stack is nicely designed, the sporty instrument cluster is easy to read, climate control options are welcome and the trip computer has a surprising amount of functions, and when you factor in the eight airbags (dual front, front side, front curtain and rear curtain) and a 5 star ANCAP rating, even those without a penchant for hard driving will find something like within.

Overall: 4.25/5

A four wheel drive sports car is a good thing - a four wheel drive sports car with a 6-cylinder boxer engine and a well sorted chassis is even better, and the Liberty 3.0R-B is just that.

Subaru has created a sophisticated luxury tourer with good reserves of power, and thanks to an AWD setup and an almost-perfectly balanced chassis, it can go from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde and back again with supreme ease.

What the Spec-B lacks in character it makes up for in refinement, and it's obvious that Subaru spent a lot of time and effort making it's new flagship luxury car better than ever. And for my money, the 3.0R-B is good value, and the fact that it's got a not-so-common flat 6-cylinder engine makes it even more intriguing.

Subaru's quality craftsmanship puts it at the pointy end of Japanese manufacturers - the interior fit and finish is exemplary, while exterior panels fit snugly to give the car a solid, prestigious appearance.

I don't think it's quite luxurious enough to begin competing with the Germans, but the foundations the 2005 model lays are solid, and besides, it's a much more affordable proposition too at under $52k.

Apart from the driving experience lacking a touch of character, there's very little to poke fun at here. The Liberty 3.0R-B is a great car in many respects and will eat up kilometre after kilometre of asphalt in comfort, offering good levels of engine power with class-leading safety, just for good measure. Bravo Subaru, bravo.