HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US FOR BIG EURO LUXURY WITH A NEW FOUND ELECTRIC PUNCH, THE BMW 745E... PAT GOSS ON THE PRICE OF PUTTING OFF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE... STEPHANIE HART TRAVELS IN COMFORT WITH HER CAR ALONG FOR THE RIDE... AND IT'S A NEW DESIGN FOR THE ONE WAGON AMERICANS STILL LOVE, THE SUBARU OUTBACK...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

MAN 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS, AND TOOLS TO HELP.

MAN 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

MAN 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

John: WHILE FULLY-ELECTRIC VEHICLES STILL MAKE UP A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF NEW CAR SALES, THE OPTIONS FOR PLUGGING IN ARE ACTUALLY GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE PLUG-IN HYBRIDS ARE SHOWING UP IN SHEET METAL JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS, INCLUDING IN SOME OF OUR FAVORITE CARS, LIKE THE BMW 7-SERIES.

* BMW'S 7-SERIES FLAGSHIP SEDAN IS MIDWAY THROUGH ITS 6TH GENERATION, AND HAS RECEIVED MANY UPDATES; INCLUDING A NEW POWERTRAIN, ALONG WITH A NEW NAME FOR THIS PLUG-IN HYBRID VERSION, NOW KNOWN AS THE "2020 BMW 745E XDRIVE IPERFORMANCE."

WELL TECHNICALLY, IT'S NOT A "NEW" ENGINE AS IT NOW ADDS THE BATTERY POWER TO THE 7-SERIES' STANDARD INLINE-6.

PRIOR TO THIS, BMW MATED THE ELECTRICS TO IT'S 2.0 LITER TURBO-4.

NOW, IT IS A DE-TUNED VERSION OF THE I6 TURBO, RATED AT 280 HORSEPOWER, COMPARED TO THE BASE 740'S 335; BUT OF COURSE, THE ELECTRIC ASSIST MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR IT, WITH TOTAL OUTPUT OF 389 HORSEPOWER AND 443 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

NOTHING OVERLY EXOTIC FROM THAT POINT, JUST THE EXPECTED HYBRID HARDWARE INCORPORATED INTO THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND THE REST OF THE XDRIVE ALL-WHEEL DRIVETRAIN.

THERE IS A LARGER BATTERY TO GO ALONG WITH IT, NOW AT 12.0 KWH; ENABLING AN EV-ONLY RANGE OF 16 MILES.

CERTAINLY, NOT AS MUCH AS WE'VE SEEN IN SOME PHEVS, BUT TYPICAL FOR MOST LARGE, LUXURY PLUG-IN HYBRIDS.

THE REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE COMES FROM THE TURBO-6, AS ONCE THOSE EV MILES ARE EXHAUSTED; THIS "7" NOW BEHAVES JUST LIKE A HYBRID VERSION OF THE BASE 6-CYLINDER CAR; WHEREAS BEFORE, YOU WERE STUCK WITH AN UNDERPOWERED 4-CYLINDER.

WE EXPECTED IT TO DO WONDERS AT THE TRACK AS WELL, AND INDEED IT DELIVERED.

YOU CAN FEEL A STRONG SURGE OF ELECTRIC TORQUE ASSIST RIGHT AWAY OFF THE LINE, BUT IT QUICKLY GIVES WAY TO THE ONLY SLIGHTLY LESS IMPRESSIVE INLINE-6 TURBO TORQUE.

SIXTY MILES PER HOUR ARRIVED IN JUST 4.8 SECONDS.

EVEN WITHOUT LAUNCH CONTROL, XDRIVE SEEMED TUNED FOR THE TRACK, DELIVERING THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF GRIP; ALLOWING JUST A LITTLE SLIP TO GET THINGS SPINNING AND UP TO SPEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

AUTOMATIC SHIFTS WERE QUICK AND SEAMLESSLY SMOOTH, AS THE 745E FLOATED DOWN THE TRACK LIKE THE TRUE LARGE LUXURY VESSEL THAT IT IS.

OUR BEST QUARTER MILE TIME, 13.3 SECONDS AT 105 MILES PER HOUR.

THE STEERING FELT A LITTLE SLOW, AND THERE WERE NOTICEABLE AMOUNTS OF BOTH UNDERSTEER AND BODY ROLL, BUT THEN WE TOOK A QUICK GLANCE DOWN AT THE SPEEDOMETER, AND REALIZED WE WERE HAULING THROUGH OUR LOW SPEED CONE COURSE AT CLOSE TO 50 MILES PER HOUR.

THIS IS ONE AGILE LARGE SEDAN.

A 112 FOOT AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE FROM 60 IS FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE FOR SUCH A HEAVY CAR TOO, AND THE "7" BRACED FOR IMPACT BY PARTIALLY ROLLING UP THE WINDOWS WHEN WE INITIATED PANIC STOPS.

BEING A PHEV, SOME MIGHT FIND THE GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS JUST AS IMPORTANT; AND THE 745E COMES IN WITH A 22-COMBINED RATING, WITH 56-COMBINED FOR THE MPGES.

WE AVERAGED 23.2 MILES PER GALLON.

BY COMPARISON, THE LAST 7-SERIES WE TESTED WAS OF AN 8-CYLINDER VARIETY, AND OUR AVERAGE WAS 20.8 MILES PER GALLON.

ITS ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 9.4 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, AND 4.1 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS, IS WELL BETTER THAN AVERAGE.

THIS 745E ALSO SHOWCASES THE MANY CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE 7-SERIES LINEUP FOR 2020.

MOST EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF THE A-PILLARS HAS BEEN REVISED, INCLUDING A NEW HOOD, HEADLIGHTS, AND FRONT BUMPER; NEW FRONT FENDERS AS WELL, WHICH IS WHERE YOU'LL FIND THE CHARGE PORT FOR THE 745E, ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE.

AND, IS IT JUST US, OR DO BMW'S TWIN GRILLES SEEM TO BE GETTING TALLER AND TALLER?

IT MAY BE A PEDESTRIAN CRASH THING, BUT WE'RE NOT ENAMORED WITH IT.

REAR TOUCHES ARE RELATIVELY MINOR, UPDATED TRIM FOR THE BUMPER, AND REVISED TAIL LIGHTS.

INSIDE, SCREENS GET MODERNIZED, AS DOES THE IDRIVE CONTROL SYSTEM TO IDRIVE7.

THERE ARE A FEW NEW OPTIONS FOR THE NAPPA LEATHER INTERIOR, AS WELL AS FOR BOTH WOOD AND METAL TRIMS.

SOUND DEADENING HAS BEEN INCREASED, PRIMARILY FOR THE COMFORT OF REAR SEAT PASSENGERS; THOUGH NOTHING CHANGES ABOUT THE IMMENSE AMOUNT OF LEGROOM BACK HERE.

745E PRICING STARTS AT $96,545, WHICH IS ABOUT 10-GRAND OVER THE BASE 6-CYLINDER 7-SERIES, BUT MUCH LESS THAN THE V8 AND V12 OPTIONS.

SO, WHERE DOES THE 2020 BMW 745E XDRIVE IPERFORMANCE FIT IN?

WELL...WHETHER, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ITS PLACE IN THE BMW LINEUP, OR THE LUXURY SEDAN SEGMENT IN GENERAL, THE ANSWER IS THE SAME.

IT'S A NO COMPROMISE WAY TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY WITHOUT LOSING ANY OF THE LUXURY EXPERIENCE YOU CAME FOR, WITH THE ADDED BENEFIT OF A LITTLE ADDED PERFORMANCE.

THE ULTIMATE IN FUEL ECONOMY?

CERTAINLY NOT, BUT EVERY JOURNEY IS COMPRISED OF LOTS OF SMALL STEPS.

* OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO A SMALL CITY IN LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA THAT'S MAKING A HEAVY HAULING COMMITMENT TO A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT!

WITH THE HELP OF OZINGA ENERGY, AND THE SOUTH SHORES CLEAN CITIES COALITION, HOBART, POPULATION 30,000, RECENTLY INSTALLED COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS FUELING PUMPS AND BUILT A NEW VEHICLE MAINTENANCE GARAGE TO SUPPORT ITS GROWING FLEET OF CNG POWERED TRUCKS.

OZINGA ENERGY ITSELF IS NO STRANGER ON GOING GREEN WITH CNG.

Nathan Onchuck: WE ARE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF CONVERTING MANY OF OUR READY-MIX CONCRETE MIXERS OVER TO COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS.

AND AS OF THIS YEAR ALL OF OUR FUELING STATIONS ARE PUMPING RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS FROM A LANDFILL.

John: OZINGA ENERGY'S OWN GARY, INDIANA PLANT DISPLACES 165,000 DIESEL GALLONS WITH CNG ANNUALLY.

ITS GOAL FOR 2025?

REPLACE 800,000 DIESEL GALLONS WITH CNG.

ON TOP OF THAT, CONTINUE TO INSPIRE OTHER FLEETS AND CITIES LIKE HOBART TO SEE THE CLEANER LIGHT OF CNG.

* AMTRAK'S AUTO TRAIN IS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN THE UNITED STATES.

IT TAKES PASSENGERS AND THEIR VEHICLES FROM LORTON, VIRGINIA TO SANFORD, FLORIDA IN ONE 16 HOUR OVERNIGHT TRIP.

NOW, THIS TIME OF YEAR, AS THE TEMPERATURES DROP, IT'S AN ESPECIALLY POPULAR WAY FOR SNOWBIRDS TO TRAVEL TO THE SUNSHINE STATE.

SO, COME ALONG AS FYI REPORTER STEPHANIE HART CLIMBS ABOARD TO RIDE THE RAILS WITH THE AUTO TRAIN.

* Stephanie Hart: "IT'S NOT THE DESTINATION, IT'S THE JOURNEY."

OR SO THEY SAY, WELL...WE'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT.

OUR MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV WAS LOADED ONTO THE AUTO TRAIN BOUND FOR FLORIDA.

FULLY LOADED, AMTRAK'S DAILY AUTO TRAIN CAN CARRY 600 PASSENGERS AND 300 VEHICLES.

Larry Chestler: IF YOU ADD UP ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE USING THE AUTO TRAIN INSTEAD OF DRIVING ALONG INTERSTATE 95, EACH YEAR WE ARE SAVING OVER 95 MILLION MILES OF ROAD TRIPS UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST.

THAT'S A TREMENDOUS REDUCTION IN CONGESTION AND ALSO ABOUT AN 11% REDUCTION IN C02.

Stephanie: HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE AVOIDING TRAFFIC TIE-UPS.

BUT AT WHAT COST TO YOU?

ABOUT $700.00 FOR ONE ROUNDTRIP COACH TICKET, INCLUDING A VEHICLE.

A ROUNDTRIP SLEEPER CAR TICKET, INCLUDING A VEHICLE, STARTS AT ABOUT $1,300.00 Diane Mezzanotte: I'VE JUST ALWAYS LOVED RIDING ON THE TRAIN.

THERE IS A RHYTHM TO IT.

YOU GET TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND YOU SEE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THAT YOU DON'T SEE WHEN YOU'RE ON THE HIGHWAYS.

AND I ALSO LIKE EATING IN THE DINING CAR AND MEETING OTHER PEOPLE.

Stephanie: WORKING UP AN APPETITE IS PRETTY EASY.

THIS TRIP IS ABOUT 16 HOURS, SO BE SURE TO BRING A LOT OF THINGS TO KEEP YOU BUSY.

Tom Carhuff: HIGHLANDS DWELLER.

WHAT COULD THAT BE?

Stephanie: GNOME?

[LAUGHS] Tom: OKAY, WE WILL TRY IT.

GNOME.

* Stephanie: I'M AWFUL AT CROSSWORD PUZZLES BY THE WAY.

Tom: SO AM I. Stephanie: I'M SO BAD.

Tom: BUT YOU NEED SOMETHING TO DO.

Stephanie: IT'S TRUE.

THANKFULLY, THERE'S FREE WI-FI ON THE TRAIN SO YOU CAN EVEN STREAM MOVIES.

ONE OF THE BEST PARTS ABOUT THE RIDE FOR MANY PASSENGERS IS THIS DINING CAR.

FOLKS GET A CHOICE OF FOUR ENTREES, A SMALL SIDE SALAD AND A DINNER ROLL PLUS...THERE'S EVEN DESSERT.

* Stephanie: WOW, YOU CAN SEE THE CARAMEL OOZING OUT OF IT.

* AH, AND IT'S WARM, SWEET, SALTY, WARM, YUMMY GOODNESS.

[LAUGHS] FULL, AN HOUR LATER IN THE COACH CAR...

I QUICKLY FOUND OUT, THE COACH SEATS RECLINE SURPRISINGLY WELL AND THERE'S A LOT OF LEG ROOM.

ONCE DAY TURNS INTO NIGHT, THESE ROOMS TRANSFORM INTO BEDROOMS, SO THE TWO LOUNGE CHAIRS YOU SEE HERE, THOSE FOLD DOWN AND COME TOGETHER, JUST LIKE THIS.

YOU DO NEED A LITTLE MANPOWER BUT YOU GET THE IDEA" AND THEN, YOU GRAB THIS LEVER HERE AND VOILA, ANOTHER BED SO ESSENTIALLY YOU HAVE A BUNK BED SITUATION GOING ON HERE.

YOU CAN FIT TWO ADULTS IN THIS ROOM.

GRANTED, IT IS PRETTY CRAMPED, BUT PRACTICAL.

SO, YOU ASSEMBLE THE BED JUST LIKE THIS.

THERE'S A MATTRESS HERE THAT MAKES IT MORE COMFORTABLE WHEN YOU'RE SLEEPING.

THEY HAVE BLANKETS HERE.

THEY HAVE PILLOWS.

THEY HAVE SHEETS PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A COMFORTABLE NIGHT'S SLEEP.

IT'S NOT HARD TO SET UP, BUT A TRAIN ATTENDANT WILL DO IT FOR YOU IF YOU CAN'T DO IT YOURSELF.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE: YOU MUST BUY THE PREMIUM SUPERLINER BEDROOM IN ORDER TO HAVE YOUR OWN BATHROOM AND SHOWER.

OTHERWISE, THERE ARE RESTROOMS AND SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE TRAIN.

OVERNIGHT EXPECT IT TO BE BUMPY AND NOISEY.

BRING EAR PLUGS.

AND DON'T OVER PACK.

LEAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN YOUR CAR.

IN THE MORNING, WE WOKE UP IN THE SUNSHINE STATE, TO NATURE AT ITS FINEST.

THE WATER SCENES WERE ESPECIALLY FANTASTIC!

AFTER ONLY A SHORT WAIT FOR OUR CAR TO BE UNLOADED IN SANFORD, WE WERE BACK IN OUR OUTLANDER AND HEADED FOR THE BEACH!

WITH OUR MANY THANKS TO ALL ON BOARD THE AMTRAK AUTO TRAIN.

* John: IT'S EASY TO PUT THINGS OFF, BUT THERE'S USUALLY A PRICE TO PAY.

LET'S FIND OUT HOW MUCH DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE Pat Goss: EVERY TIME YOU PUT OFF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR YOU MAY BE SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR UNWANTED CIRCUMSTANCES FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY CREATE A MORE EXPENSIVE PROBLEM BY NOT TAKING CARE OF AN INEXPENSIVE PROBLEM NOW.

CASE AND POINT ABS BRAKES.

HERE, WE HAVE AN ABS CONTROLLER, THESE THINGS HAVE FLUID IN THEM LIKE DOWN IN HERE, THIS IS ALL FULL OF FLUID ALL THE TIME AND UNLESS THE BRAKES ARE BLED PROPERLY OR FLUSHED PROPERLY YOU WILL WIND UP WITH THIS BRAKE FLUID IN HERE GOING BAD.

TURNS INTO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE GRAY JELLO, AND THE END RESULT OF THAT IS USUALLY EITHER A REBUILD OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ABS PUMP, SO AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS FLUSH THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THE SHOP FLUSHES THE ABS PUMP WHEN THEY'RE FLUSHING THE REST OF THE BRAKES.

THAT'LL PREVENT THESE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS.

HERE, WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A "DUAL LENGTH INTAKE RUNNER."

NOW, THE WAY THIS THING WORKS IS THERE ARE BUTTERFLY VALVES IN HERE...THERE'S AN ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT IS CONTROLLED BY THE CAR'S COMPUTER, AND AT CERTAIN POINTS THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE RANGE BY CHANGING THESE BUTTERFLY VALVES, YOU'LL SMOOTH OUT THE PERFORMANCE GIVE MUCH BETTER POWER AND MAKE THE CAR JUST IN GENERAL RUN BETTER.

WELL, WITHOUT INTAKE SERVICE WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE RODS THAT THESE BUTTERFLIES ARE MOUNTED ON CEASES INTO THE ALUMINUM HOUSING AND THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK.

THE CAR LACKS PERFORMANCE.

POWERS WAY DOWN, MAY IDLE ROUGH DO ALL KINDS OF CRAZY THINGS.

PROBLEM IS THAT IF THIS HAS NEVER BEEN SERVICED IT MAY NOT BE CLEANABLE, YOU MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT LIKE WE DID ON THIS CAR.

VERY EXPENSIVE, SO ROUTINE INTAKE SERVICE IS A RECOMMENDED THING TO DO.

OVER HERE, WE HAVE A HARMONIC BALANCER.

THIS SMOOTHS OUT THE ENGINE.

IT BALANCES THE ENGINE IN OTHER WORDS.

NOW, MANY OF THESE AND SOME OF THEM ARE GOING AWAY NOW, BUT MANY OF THEM, THEY'RE MADE OUT OF THREE PIECES... AN OUTER RING, AND INNER HUB, AND A RUBBER PIECE THAT HOLDS THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER.

SAY, YOU HAVE AN OIL LEAK AND THE OIL GETS DOWN HERE ON THIS RUBBER, IT CAUSES THE RUBBER TO DETERIORATE.

THE TWO PIECES COME APART.

THE ENGINE VIBRATES BADLY AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT A RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE REPAIR THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY HAD YOU TAKEN CARE OF THE OIL LEAK.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: [DOOR CLOSES] THINGS MOVE FAST THESE DAYS.

TO HELP US KEEP UP, HERE'S LAUREN MORRISON WITH THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Lauren Morrison: THE 46TH TOKYO MOTOR SHOW IS ON THE SCENE AND ONCE AGAIN ELECTRIFICATION IS A RECURRING THEME.

BUT BESIDES TWO ELECTRIC MOTORS, NISSAN'S DYNAMIC ARIYA CROSSOVER CONCEPT REVEALS A SLEEK NEW DESIGN DIRECTION FOR THE BRAND.

LEXUS SHOWED THIS LF-30 ELECTRIFIED CONCEPT.

FOUR ELECTRIC MOTORS, ONE IN EACH WHEEL, WILL DRIVE THIS FUTURISTIC VEHICLE WITH AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY.

MITSUBISHI SHOWED THE WILD MI-TECH CONCEPT.

WITH NO ROOF AND NO DOORS...

THIS ALL-WHEEL DRIVE HIGH RIDER IS POWERED BY A PLUG-IN HYBRID DRIVE TRAIN...

THEY SAY, CAN RUN ON A VARIETY OF FUELS.

SUZUKI'S HANARE CONCEPT IS AN AUTONOMOUS DRIVING MOBILE ROOM.

NOT EVERYTHING IN TOKYO WAS A CONCEPT THOUGH, THE 2021 TOYOTA MIRAI ARRIVED AFTER DEBUTING HERE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER.

THIS SECOND-GENERATION HYDROGEN FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLE IS SLEEKER, LONGER, AND LOWER THAN ITS PREDECESSOR, WITH A REAR WHEEL DRIVE PLATFORM AND 30% MORE RANGE.

THE 4TH GENERATION HONDA FIT WILL BE HONDA'S FIRST COMPACT OFFERED WITH THE 2-MOTOR HYBRID SYSTEM.

THOUGH, IT'S NOT CLEAR IF IT WILL BE COMING TO THE U.S. MAZDA'S FIRST EV, THE CX-30 TOOK A BOW ON HOME TURF.

THE COMPACT CROSSOVER HAS RX-8 STYLE REAR-HINGED DOORS AND WILL FIT IN THE LINE-UP BETWEEN THE CX-3 AND CX-5.

THE HOME MARKET SUBARU LEVORG "PERFORMANCE WAGON" SHOWS A BOLDER DESIGN DIRECTION THAT COULD SHOW UP IN OUR NEXT WRX SEDAN.

IT RUNS ON A NEW BOXER 1.8 LITER TURBO ENGINE WITH NEXT-GENERATION EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSISTANCE.

THAT'S IT FROM TOKYO AND THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS!

Greg Carloss: SPENDING A YEAR WITH ANY LONG TERMER IS ALL ABOUT LEARNING NEW THINGS THAT WE DON'T DISCOVER IN OUR INITIAL ROAD TESTS.

BUT SOMETIMES, THINGS WE ALREADY KNEW JUST GET REINFORCED.

LIKE THIS 2019 KIA NIRO PHEV; OUR TIME WITH IT IS QUICKLY COMING TO AN END, BUT RECENT OUTINGS HAVE REMINDED US HOW SPACIOUS AND PRACTICAL THIS PLUG-IN IS FOR BOTH CARGO AND PEOPLE; YET...IT DRIVES NIMBLE AND IS EASY TO HANDLE.

THE NIRO PLUG-IN HAS SEEN ITS FAIR SHARE OF WEEKEND ADVENTURES SINCE JOINING OUR LONG TERM FLEET.

NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE IT'S THE MOST EXCITING THING TO DRIVE, BUT IT EXCELS AS A UTILITY VEHICLE.

ITS LONG HAUL COMFORT STILL SHINES AND SHORT TRIPS ARE MOSTLY GASOLINE-FREE.

WE'RE CLOSING IN ON 18,000 MILES IN 11 MONTHS, AND MILEAGE HAS STAYED FAIRLY CONSISTENT, NOW AT AN IMPRESSIVE 59.6 MILES PER GALLON.

MEANWHILE, EXTENDED TIME IN THIS 2019 PORSCHE MACAN S HAS CONFIRMED SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY, THAT IT'S A 911 5-DOOR HATCHBACK WITH SOME ADDED GROUND CLEARANCE.

YEAH OKAY, WE KNOW THAT'S NOT TECHNICALLY TRUE, AS IT SHARES A LOT MORE WITH AUDI'S UTILITIES THAN THE 911, BUT IT SURE FEELS LIKE THEIR ICONIC SPORT COUPE WHEN YOU'RE BEHIND THE WHEEL.

THAT'S DUE IN LARGE PART TO A COMPLETELY REVISED SUSPENSION FOR 2019.

THIS MACAN IS STILL IN ITS FIRST GENERATION THAT DEBUTED FOR 2015...BUT THIS YEAR, THEY UPGRADED SOME STEEL COMPONENTS TO ALUMINUM, TO REDUCE UNSPRUNG MASS, AND ADDED NEW ANTI-ROLL BARS.

THE NEW 348 HORSEPOWER TURBO V6 CONTINUES TO DELIVER ITS A WEALTH OF POWER FAIRLY RESPONSIBLY, AS MILEAGE IS UP TO 21.4 MILES PER GALLON OVER OUR INITIAL 4,000 MILES OF DRIVING.

THIS PORSCHE HAS BEEN IN OUR POSSESSION FOR ONLY TWO MONTHS NOW, BUT ALREADY IT HAS BECOME A VERY POPULAR MEMBER OF THE FLEET.

WE'LL CHECK IN THE TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID AND NISSAN ALTIMA, ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: DESPITE THE RAPID SALES GROWTH OF SUVs, THE SUBARU OUTBACK HAS SOLDIERED ON THROUGH FIVE GENERATIONS AS THE ONE STATION WAGON THAT MORE AND MORE AMERICANS LOVE, LITERALLY!

AS EACH REDESIGN HAS GROWN, SO HAS OUTBACK SALES.

IT TRULY HAS BEEN SOMETHING OF A THROWBACK ALL-WHEEL DRIVE PHENOMENON.

SO LET'S SEE IF FANS ARE READY FOR EVEN MORE.

* WELL, AFTER YEARS OF STAKING A CLAIM AS THE WORLD'S FIRST "SPORT UTILITY WAGON," LO-AND-BEHOLD, SUBARU NOW CONSIDERS THE 2020 OUTBACK, A GENUINE SUV.

SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE, STATION WAGON...

DOESN'T REALLY MATTER; WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, THE SUBARU OUTBACK HAS BEEN A MAJOR SUCCESS FOR SUBARU, AND IT'S LIKELY, THE 6TH GENERATION WILL GENERATE MORE OF THE SAME.

SUBARU'S NEW GLOBAL PLATFORM MEANS MORE GROWTH AGAIN, SLIGHTLY.

IT'S ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF LONGER, THOUGH, THE 108.1 INCH WHEELBASE, ALONG WITH HEIGHT, ARE UNCHANGED.

THE LOOK IS A TAD MORE RUGGED THAN BEFORE, WITH WIDER FENDERS AND LARGE HEXAGONAL GRILLE; WHILE BODY CLADDING ON THE SIDES, IS MADE TO RESEMBLE A HIKING BOOT.

HEY, WE DON'T COME UP WITH THIS STUFF, BUT THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT SUBARU OWNERS ARE INTO.

WELL, IF THEY WERE INTO THE OPTIONAL 6-CYLINDER ENGINE, THEY'LL BE DISAPPOINTED, AS IT'S NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

IN ITS PLACE IS THE ASCENT'S 2.4 LITER BOXER-4 TURBO.

AT 260 HORSEPOWER, THERE'S A FEW LESS HORSEPOWER THAN THE 3.6 LITER, BUT THERE'S 30 MORE POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AT 277.

TOWING CAPACITY IS NOW 3,500 POUNDS, THE HIGHEST EVER FOR AN OUTBACK; AND YES, MORE THAN SOME SUVs.

THE BASE 2.5 LITER, GETS UPDATED AS WELL; GAINING 7-HORSEPOWER TO 182; ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, STILL STANDARD.

CURRENT OUTBACK OWNERS WHO TRADE UP WILL NOTICE THAT THIS ONE FEELS BIGGER, AND THAT THE SEATS ARE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE.

THE TURBO WILL FEEL DIFFERENT AS WELL, WITH ITS MORE AGGRESSIVE POWER DELIVERY, AND THE FACT THAT IT SHUTS OFF AT RED LIGHTS MAY TAKE A WHILE TO GET USED TO.

ONE THING THAT WON'T FEEL MUCH DIFFERENT IS THE WAY THE OUTBACK HANDLES.

IT'S STILL SUREFOOTED AND STABLE THROUGH TURNS.

STEERING HAS A BIT MORE FEEL, WITH THE FEEL OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN FAMILIAR; ALONG WITH THE SMOOTH BUT LAZY CVT SENSATION.

IT'S HARD TO MISS THE MUCH LARGER STARLINK TOUCHSCREEN IN THE DASH, NOW 11.6 INCHES AND ORIENTED IN TABLET-STYLE FASHION.

IT'S MUCH LESS DISTRACTING TO OPERATE AT SPEED, AND FAIRLY INTUITIVE TO FIGURE OUT.

BUT IT ALSO MEANS, YOU MUST USE IT FOR MOST HVAC ADJUSTMENTS, AND SUN WORSHIPERS WILL FIND THAT HAVING THE AVAILABLE MOONROOF OPEN CAN MAKE THE DISPLAY HARD TO SEE.

VENTILATED SEATS ARE NOW AN APPROPRIATE PART OF TOURING TRIM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO A LITTLE NOISY.

SOMETHING ONLY CURRENT OWNERS WILL NOTICE, IS THAT THE COMPASS HEADING DISPLAY IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR HAS CHANGED FROM GREEN TO AN ANNOYING RED.

OPEN THE HANDS FREE POWER LIFT-GATE THAT COMES WITH MOST TRIMS, AND YOU'LL FIND AN ADDITIONAL 2.4 CUBIC-FEET OF SPACE FOR A TOTAL OF 32.5 CUBIC-FEET; MORE IMPORTANTLY, SPACE BETWEEN THE WHEEL WELLS IS MUCH WIDER.

FOLD THE SEATBACKS TO GET THE MAXIMUM 75.7 CUBIC-FEET, AND THE WHOLE AREA IS RUGGED AND READY TO BE ABUSED AS ALWAYS.

MANY OWNERS WILL UPGRADE JUST FOR THE ADDED SAFETY FEATURES, AND THEY ARE COMPREHENSIVE, WITH STANDARD EYESIGHT NOW INCLUDING AUTO BRAKING, ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WITH LANE CENTERING.

WE DIDN'T NEED SUCH ASSISTANCE AT THE TEST TRACK, WHERE WE WERE OFF TO A QUICK 0-60 OF 6.3 SECONDS.

POWER BUILDS, AS DOES CVT-INDUCED ENGINE NOISE, AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY DOWN THE TRACK WITH NO DRAMA OR EXCITEMENT TO SPEAK OF; FINISHING THE QUARTER IN 14.9 SECONDS AT 96 MILES PER HOUR.

THROUGH THE CONES, ONLY MILD UNDERSTEER AND MINIMAL BODY ROLL.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR THE 2.4 TURBO ARE 23-CITY, 30-HIGHWAY, AND 26-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A FINE 27.3 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

PRICING IS ONLY UP A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS OVER LAST YEAR, STARTING AT $27,655; XTS WITH THE TURBO ENGINE START WITH THE NEW ONYX EDITION TRIM AT $35,905.

THE 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK DELIVERS EVERYTHING AMERICA'S FAVORITE STATION WAGON ALWAYS HAS, ONLY NOW IT'S WRAPPED IN SUV PACKAGING, OR SUV MARKETING RATHER.

IT'S ALL THE SAME TO US; IT ALREADY OFFERED THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

AND WE'RE GUESSING THE SUBARU FAITHFUL WILL CLAMOR TO HEAD OUT IN THE NEW OUTBACK.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...

WHEN WE START TO SEE HOW FORD'S NO-NEW CAR STRATEGY WORKS WITH THE REDESIGNED FORD ESCAPE.

AND ITS MORE TINKERING TO MAKE THE PORSCHE 911 BETTER THAN EVER.

PAT GOSS HAS CAR CARE ADVICE TO KEEP YOU SAFE.

STEPHANIE HART ON A PROBLEM WE ALL FACE...TRAFFIC JAMS!

PLUS, A BRAND NEW QUICKSPIN, AND A LONG-TERM TEST UPDATE.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[CAR ENGINE REVVING] *