About.com:
2007 Subaru Outback 2.5XT Road Test
photo: © Jeff James
Late last year I had the good fortune to spend a week behind the wheel of a 2007 Subaru Outback 2.5 XT. I live in Northern Colorado, so the Outback’s combination of AWD, turbocharged-performance and all-around utility made it an impressive traveling companion during the time I spent with it, allowing me to cart kids, groceries and metal shelving over paved and unpaved roads with ease.
Aside from a somewhat pricey sticker and some cramped second-row seating for taller adults, there isn’t much not to like. The 2.5-liter turbocharged engine used in the Outback is a slightly detuned version of the one employed in the tire-shredding WRX STI, Subaru’s rally-bred sports sedan. Power like this helped plaster a grin on my face whenever an onramp, offramp or opportunity to merge with traffic arose.
For all the details of why I liked the Outback so much, check out the newly-posted full review (and related photo gallery) over at the About.com SUVs site, hosted by my colleague Jason Fogelson. (Source: About.com) – [Jeff James]
Please help us spread the word about Left Lane Drivers of America, a grassroots effort to remove the congestion from the left lanes of our multi-lane highways and freeways.
For more info, please go to http://www.leftlanedrivers.org
P.S. You have our permission to use any of the pictures or copy on our website. Thanks!
Slow Drivers – Move Over!
Grassroots campaign prods slowpokes out of left lanes
Enough with slow drivers in the left lane! “As traffic gets increasingly congested, it’s time for citizens to reclaim the left lane,†says J.A. Tosti, spokesman for Left Lane Drivers of America, a grassroots effort to get slower traffic to move right. “More and more these days, you find slow drivers in the left lane, causing no end of headache and frustration to those of us who have places to go and people to see. Some of these offenders are timid and tentative, some are completely oblivious to what’s going on around them, and some are self-appointed ‘hall monitors’ regulating what they alone have determined to be proper driving speeds. Whatever be the case, it’s time for us to trumpet the message, ‘If you’re not a Left Lane Driver, get out of the left lane!’â€
In order to actually help slower drivers move right, Left Lane Drivers of America offers copyrighted windshield decals which boldly and prominently display their unified sentiment in the offending driver’s rearview mirror. The decal, which reads “MOVE OVER†also has a large arrow showing them where to go. The words and arrow display backwards on the windshield so that they read properly when seen in the mirror (go to http://www.leftlanedrivers.org to see picture). According to Tosti, “Although the message minces no words, the idea here is not to be rude or pushy but to offer slow drivers a gentle prod, reminding them of the need to either pick up the pace or make room for those who choose to drive a bit faster.â€
In fact, slow drivers do need to move over. In many states, the left lane is supposed to be the passing lane and slower drivers can be cited for obstructing traffic. Those who stake out permanent positions for themselves in the left lane tend to provoke those wanting to drive faster, often giving them no other choice but the dangerous strategy of passing on the right in order to get ahead. Slow drivers can easily become slow moving safety hazards.
Bottom Line: Moving over is a matter of courtesy. It is a matter of safety. It is a matter of doing one’s part to help traffic flow smoothly. And it is the law in many states: “Stay to the right except to passâ€. Left Lane Drivers of America is doing something positive to help improve traffic flow on today’s overcrowded, pressure-packed freeways. Their “Move Over†message has the potential of helping reduce instances of road rage, hazardous driving and untimely, often deadly accidents.
A Fantastic write up, I will be sure to save this in my Diigo account. Have a great evening.