Media Platforms Design TeamIt’s pretty hard to beat a minivan for conveying a large family through the vagaries of life. These vehicles are roomy, practical, versatile and fit in parking spaces and garages. But there’s little to be done to disguise the fact that they are four-wheeled boxes. So for those who want a little more, well, cool, there are practical, similarly priced alternatives: all-wheel-drive sport wagons, which are fast becoming the iPods of people movers.You might say Subaru created the species a decade ago with the high-riding Outback wagon. With its blend of hauling capability and fun-to-drive verve in a parking-garage-friendly package, the Outback was and remains a hit. Now almost every maker is putting its own spin on Subaru’s formula. The most recent is Ford’s Freestyle. Since Subaru totally redesigned the Outback for ‘05, we decided to see how the latest of the first and first of the latest stack up against one another.Ford FreestyleMedia Platforms Design TeamMuch like the Chrysler Pacifica, the Freestyle stands right on the line between minivan and SUV. It’s big, roomy and tall, with an interior that is 37 percent larger than the Outback’s. Since it’s bigger and heavier than the Outback, it’s less nimble and harder to park in tight spots. It also feels rather anemic compared to the Subaru. Our well-equipped AWD Limited version of the Freestyle gives away over 600 pounds and 47 hp to the Outback. And you feel it from the driver’s seat. The Freestyle’s around-town acceleration is best described as adequate. The only available transmission is a CVT (continuously variable transmission), a design known for its smooth but lackadaisical performance. Stopping was no problem for the Freestyle, besting the lighter Subaru. The Freestyle also had more grip on the road than its rival, thanks in part to having a more level ride even when being flung through our pylon course.The Ford’s cabin is awash in hard and cheap-looking plastic, but it is cavernous. The Freestyle offers seating for seven. With the second- and third-row seats down, it can swallow 85.2 cu. ft. of stuff–within spitting distance of a small minivan. If you care more about hauling and less about haulin’, the Freestyle is a solid choice.Subaru OutbackMedia Platforms Design TeamForget what you might remember about those early, bare-bones Outbacks. Today’s version has grown so much that Subaru has classified it as a light truck rather than a passenger car (taking advantage of some favorable fuel-economy regulations along the way). Regardless of semantics, the Outback offers nearly luxury-car refinement. Our 3.0 R L.L.Bean Edition came with an elegant interior, complete with soft leather, fine woodgrain and brushed aluminum. Despite the trimmings, the latest Outback remains true to Subaru’s utilitarian roots. In fact, the Outback has gained ground clearance, suspension travel and a reasonable dose of power. The 3.0-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder puts enough power through Subaru’s seamless all-wheel-drive system for the car to feel quick and nimble. The suspension and beefy tires devour bumps and potholes. But there’s also a lot of body roll, which hurt the car’s performance on the track.As a viable minivan alternative, the Outback comes up a bit short, literally: It has no third-row seat and, with the rear seats folded, there is only 61.8 cu. ft. of cargo space. But if you don’t need all that a minivan offers–you’re a family of five or fewer that likes to venture off the map–the Outback is the place to be. border=“0” cellspacing=“0” cellpadding=“5”>FREESTYLEOUTBACK $30,245$33,720Price–BaseAs Tested $32,195$32,953 203-hp/207-lb.-ft. 3.0-liter V6, CVTPowertrain 250-hp/219-lb.-ft. 3.0-liter H6, 5A Pirelli P6 225/60R18Tires Bridgestone Potenza RE 92 225/55R17 4280 lb.Weight 3660 lb.Suspension MacPherson strutF MacPherson strut MultilinkR Multilink Disc/Disc, ABSBrakes Disc/Disc, ABS Acceleration16.59 sec. @ 84.73 mph1/4-mile1 15.92 sec. @ 88.39 mph 3.52 sec.0-30 mph 3.15 sec. 8.87 sec.0-60 mph 7.87 sec. 6.45 sec.40-70 mph 5.78 sec.Braking2125.73 ft.60-0 mph 134.27 ft. 31.73 ft.30-0 mph 32.55 ft. 44.14 mphSlalom3 43.34 mph 53.64 mphDbl. Lane Change 52.82 mph 0.75 gLateral Acceleration 0.77 gSound Levels451 dBA@ Idle 44.9 dBA 77.5 dBA@ Full throttle 77.5 dBA 71.8 dBA@ 60 mph 71.5 dBAFuel Economy19 city/24 hwyEPA 19 city/25 hwy 21.3 mpgPM test loop 23.1 mpg

  1. Best ET, trap speed may be from different runs. 2. Best stop, hot or cold. 3. Best speed through eight cones, 75 ft. apart. Index of transient response. 4. Average of two readings.Ben StewartBen is a lifelong enthusiast of anything with wheels. He has been contributing to Popular Mechanics for nearly 20 years and lives in Venice with an eclectic collection of vintage pickup trucks, muscle cars, and motorcycles scattered in various garages around SoCal.