The car is very well balanced. The AWD and rugged suspension handle what ever you throw at it yet retain a level of ride comfort close to that of a big car without the big boat feel.
Electronic stability control, traction control, ABS, dynamic assist braking should keep you out of trouble but if you are in an accident the car has the full compliment of airbags and crumple zones to protect the occupants.
All of the mid-size cars we drove had great seats if you bought one of the upscale trim packages. The Outback was one of the few with excellent seats in the base model which is what we were interested in buying. Visibility to the rear is excellent!
Several friends have Subarus that have gone over 200,000 miles. The 2009 is the last of the third generation of Legacy based wagons that have carried the name Outback. Some of the systems are dated, like the 4 spd automatic but they are proven.
