Outback

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Subaru is recalling 74,000 2010 Outback and Legacy models built between February 16, 2009 and April 12, 2010. It seems that a bundle of wires located behind the steering wheel can develop stress cracks and eventually break. If this happens, some vehicle functions with controls on the steering wheel - such as the horn, cruise and radio controls, paddle shifters and even the driver's airbag - could fail.

Owners of a 2010 Subaru Outback or Legacy equipped with a CVT transmission may need to make an unscheduled visit to their Subaru dealer due to a new recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall of 29,443 Legacy and Outback models for a crack that can occur in the CVT cooler hose that could result in a fluid leak. The only vehicles affected by the recall are the ones built between July 31 and December 1, 2009.

Four 2010 model year vehicles have just been awarded Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Subaru's Outback and Legacy, the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler's Sebring. Top Safety Picks are given to those vehicles that come equipped with electronic stability control and receive front, side, and rear crash test ratings of 'Good' in IIHS testing.

The Legacy has boasted a 'Good' rating for a few years now, while the all-new Outback takes the cake on its first try. The Sebring and Avenger continue their runs of 'Good' form in their current generations.

Subaru's new-for-2010 Outback ought to silence a few critics who contend that all-wheel drive sucks up too much fuel to be a worthwhile purchase for most consumers. According to the Japanese automaker, the tip-toe all-weather wagon has studied up for the EPA test, netting 29 miles-per-gallon on the highway. That's smaller front-driver territory from many automakers, albeit with a big dash of Subaru load-lugging capacity.

Yesterday, Subaru unveiled its new Legacy sedan, a vehicle that is pivotal not just in its own right, but because it also forms the basis for the softroader stiltswagon seen here. It only makes sense that Subaru chose to unveil its new Outback here this morning, as the very first model debuted here in the Big Apple some 15 years ago.

Following up on our earlier story about the 2010 Subaru Legacy's impending rumored debut at the New York Auto Show, a handful of renderings have surfaced from a variety of sources giving us a glimpse of what we might see in the Big Apple.