Auto News 5

Quaint though it may sound in this era of instant communication, life at Automobile Magazine very much revolves around the monthly cycle of producing a magazine. During the early part of the month, we plan stories, go on adventures, and generally have a grand ole time while driving as much as possible. By week three and especially week four, however, we buckle down into production mode: writing, proofreading, coffee drinking, and then more proofreading. Exhausted drives home are the norm, leading editors to pine less for a hot engine and more for cool air-conditioning, a good radio, and cozy seats. In other words, we become normal commuters.

I find Subaru's Outback and Legacy products to be quite interesting. There's a base model with a normally aspirated H-4, an H-6 model that's only available with an automatic transmission, and a turbocharged H-4 that's only available with a manual transmission. The turbo-4 produces the most power and costs the most, which is probably perplexing for Subaru shoppers not familiar with the WRX and STI models.