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Subaru is guilty of some omissions and underachievement in the 2010 Outback but managed to make the wagon so appealing to drive, even to ride in as a passenger, that the goofs don't seem to matter.
Remarkably, Subie has made the redesigned '10 Outback much roomier inside, but only slightly bigger outside, and only about 30 pounds heavier. The optional six-cylinder engine is more powerful but uses less fuel and burns regular instead of the '09's premium.

PHOTOS/AUDIO: Subaru Outback with Healey's comments
It's also $1,100 less in similarly equipped 2010 models, and the six is available in a lower-level version now that's $4,100 cheaper than the lowest-price six-cylinder model in '09. "A steal," Subaru modestly notes.

On the other hand, the four-cylinder model is no more powerful and costs $700 more. The four-cylinder/automatic transmission model now gets better mileage, but the manual's is slightly worse than the '09's.

An ultralow-polluting PZEV (partial zero emissions vehicle) version of the four-cylinder models is $300 more. It's available in all areas but might be a special-order item in states where PZEVs aren't required by law.

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Driving feel and comfortable accommodations were bright spots in the well-equipped, six-cylinder preproduction test car that would be priced about $34,000.

The Outback midsize wagon is mechanically similar to the Legacy sedan, which will be evaluated in a future Test Drive.

Here's what stood out in the Outback tester:

•Leather seats were firm but not hard. Supportive but not lumpy from the poorly executed lumbar supports so common in other brands.

And it was easy to arrange a just-so driving position, which is a separate issue from how good the seats themselves feel.

•The flat-six, 3.6-liter engine is rated 256 horsepower, up 11 hp from the '09's 3-liter. More important for most American driving, the 247 pounds-feet of torque is a gain of 32 lbs.-ft., or 15%. Translated: enough low-speed power (torque) to suit U.S. slug-along driving and enough high-speed power (horsepower) for safe merging and passing, as well as fun. It's linked to a five-speed automatic at a time six-speeds are common but no big deal. The transmission shifted very well, never leaving you pining for a six-speed.

•Brakes came on quickly when summoned, but nobody would think them touchy.

•Steering worked well, stayed straight-ahead without nagging little adjustments, and responded promptly and proportionally when you asked. You can't say that about a lot of cars nowadays, it is our unhappy duty to report.

The always-on all-wheel drive sent some front-end-at-work feel through the wheel, and people might find that foreign if they're unused to real AWD.

•Front seats are adult-size — and now so is the back. Stretching the wheelbase nearly 3 inches opened generous rear leg and knee space. And the 2 inches of added width translates directly into extra shoulder and hip room front and rear. Big difference: The car no longer feels like a coat that's one size to small.

•Suspension was stiff enough for vigorous cornering but gave no hint of harshness over bumps.

•Even the steering wheel itself felt just right (though marred by Subaru's cheesy-looking six-star logo in the center).

But the Outback lacks amenities you might expect. Some are perhaps inconsequential, depending on your priorities. Shortcomings:

•Side mirrors don't fold. You're vulnerable in tight parking spots. Subie's mulling a change but unclear when, if at all.

•Tailgate offers no power option. And it didn't pop up and help you lift it, as do those even on some cheaper vehicles. The Outback makes you struggle when your arms are full. In some ZIP codes, no power gate is a deal-breaker because it's considered low-brow to manually lift and lower the gate. Honest.

•Handy-tech seems behind the times. There is, for example, no one-touch starter button. Too expensive, Subie says. Nor proximity sensors to let you lock and unlock the doors without using a remote button. The optional rearview camera was only so-so in these days of crisp video. The navigation system was more awkward to program than some and a moment late giving what sometimes were confusing instructions.

•Sunroof is conventional size, allowing Subie to use the same components as on the Legacy. No more huge panorama roof as it had in last year's model.

•Safety belt for the middle rear seating slot hangs from the ceiling, not an uncommon arrangement in the industry, but it complicates the rear-seat fold-down process. Mounting directly to the seat is preferable, though it makes the seat heavier, because it needs to be more robust, and more expensive.

•Valuable gauge space on the instrument panel is wasted on a dial to tell you the instant fuel economy. It's not marked with numbers, and the needle jukes up and down so much in normal driving that it's useless.

If you keep an eye on the gauge to tailor your driving for best mileage, you're looking down instead of at the road. Recipe for rear-ending somebody. Better the space went for an oil pressure gauge, and the instant mpg reading was limited to the trip computer, which is placed up and away where the driver sees it while eyeing the road.