I had a serious problem with the power locks though. I locked myself out after my first trip. 
ON THE STICKER...
By: Krisiti Bannen
The 2000 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited Wagon was a rugged yet sturdy car and would be good for transporting your family or hauling your belongings like you would in a sports utility vehicle.
Mechanically speaking, the Subaru Outback Limited Wagon includes: a 2.5 liter horizontally opposed SOHC engine; a five-speed manual transmission with overdrive (our test unit had the optional four-speed auto transmission); and a fully independent, heavy-duty, raised suspension.
And, like all Subaru vehicles, the Outback Limited Wagon had all-wheel drive which made this Wagon that much more useful. (Not to mention sporty too!)
The Subaru Outback Ltd. Wagon had nice pick up whether I drove it up steeper hills or accelerated onto the highway; the pick-up was fast and smooth. I didn’t notice a lot of road noise either.
Some of the standard features were: cruise control; leather trimmed upholstery; AM/FM cassette stereo with weather band, CD player, eight-speakers and in-glass antenna; air conditioning; headlight auto-off with ignition switch; and a cargo area security cover and tray.
The Outback Limited Wagon also comes with power windows with driver’s auto down, power door locks and mirrors.
I had a serious problem with the power locks though. I locked myself out after my first trip.
I got out of the car and left the driver’s door open as I went to the back to open the hatch. However, it was still locked. I went back to the driver’s door, pushed the lock button UP and closed the door. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that pushing the auto-locks "up" actually locks all the doors. That’s the opposite of most cars. Needless to say, the hatch didn’t open and neither did any of the other doors. My keys, purse, and dinner were securely locked inside, much to my dismay and anger. (As it was to Mr. Masters too who had to go and fetch the extra set of keys and rescue me from this dilemma).
What bothered me most was the thought of a parent who might, out of habit, hit the lock up and lock their child in.
The Subaru Legacy Outback Limited Wagon was decent on gas mileage – it claims 22 miles per gallon (mpg) in the City and 27 mpg on the highway.
It was easy to handle in the rain around corners and on quick stops. It comes with a four-channel anti-lock braking system.
As for safety, it had: dual front air bags and front seat side-impact airbags; daytime running lights and halogen fog lights. All three seats in the rear had the 3-point seat belt system. I especially liked that on the center back passenger seat since most of the time that seat never has a shoulder belt. On the Outback Limited Wagon it’s a standard item.
The exterior was a two-tone paint (Winestone pearl/titanium) that was like a deep burgundy with a pearl finish on the lower half of the car. This helped give the car a sporty, more rugged look. Compared to the Subaru Legacy wagon, the Subaru Outback Limited Wagon is much more modern and hardy looking.
The inside was decorated with wood grain-patterned trim; leather seats, wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The Outback Limited Wagon has two moonroofs. I liked how it looked on the car. Although, I found it weird that the front moonroof wouldn’t slide open, it only had a tilt-up feature and the rear had the slide/retract feature.
The dashboard controls were easy to view. I liked where they built the front cupholder into the far right side of the center instrument panel. It gave me easy access and view to the temperature and radio controls. However, it was an open bottom cup holder that allowed condensation to drip below. This is a far too common design and one that really bothers me.
The seats were comfortable in the back and the front. The Subaru Legacy Outback Limited Wagon seats five people. The front bucket seats recline and have height-adjustable head restraints. The three rear seats all had a headrest, which was good for comfort, but made it hard to see through the back window. The seatback had a 60/40 split fold-down back for transporting larger items.
I liked how they’ve created mini-storage spaces built in the lower part of the back seats for the safety belt fasteners. They can be pulled out easily for use, and then returned to the back of the seat to keep the back seat clean and unobstructed.
All Subaru Outback Limited Wagons come with an All Weather Package including: dual-mode heated front seats, heated outside mirrors and front windshield wiper deicer. I usually like the heated seats feature. However, I found myself accidentally hitting the heated seats button many times with my arm since the button was located right on the center console/armrest.
Overall, I found the 2000 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited Wagon to be a nice looking, rugged car that had style and comfort. It performed well and seemed to be a reliable and dependable car to drive. I gave it a 3-tire rating for above average.
Kristi’s Fun Fact:
Subaru is Japanese for "unite."
Subaru of America and L.L. Bean joined together in a multiyear, marketing partnership in February 2000. The partnership created the first-ever automobile partnership for L.L. Bean and the first outfitter relationship for Subaru of America.
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