Holden Commodore Tourer v Subaru Outback v Volkswagen Passat Alltrack 2018 Comparison

The in-betweeners

Station wagons are the forgotten orphans of the modern Australian automotive landscape. Their place has pretty much been taken by SUVs.

But there are a few in-betweeners who try and deliver the traditional station wagon on-road vibe while also embracing the new-wave popularity of SUVs by adding a smidge of off-road ability.

The newest arrival in this sub-segment is the Holden Calais-V Tourer, the first all-wheel drive wagon from the Commodore family since the Adventra and a member of the first-ever imported Commodore range.

The logical opponent for the Tourer is the most popular in-betweener of them all, the Subaru Outback. And to complete a hard-fought three-way battle we’ve added in the latest Volkswagen Passat Alltrack Wolfsburg Edition.

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Why are we comparing them?

The Calais-V Tourer is the trigger for this comparison because it’s brand new to the market. It’s the second most expensive model in the entire Commodore family line-up, topped only by the Commodore VXR hatchback, which also boasts the same 235kW/381Nm 3.6-litre V6 engine and Twinster all-wheel drive system.

The Tourer is trying to snuffle into the market space dominated by the Subaru Outback, which in fifth generation form has been around since late 2014 and went through its most recent minor update last February. Appropriately, we’re sampling the top-spec 3.6R, which is powered by a 191kW/361Nm flat-six engine.

This is the second generation Passat Alltrack and it has been on-sale in Australia since early 2016. The Wolfsburg Edition first appeared in early 2017 and was updated for 2018. Like the standard Alltrack, the Wolfsburg is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that makes 140kW and 400Nm.

All three vehicles are based on passenger cars (although the Liberty wagon is no longer sold here by Subaru), have five seats, a bumped up ride height and light-duty all-wheel drive systems. The Holden and VW are built in Germany and the Subaru in Japan.

We’ve got two naturally-aspirated sixes taking on a four-cylinder turbo-diesel; The Commodore has the most powerful engine, the Subaru the thirstiest. The VW’s engine is the torquiest and by far the most fuel efficient, which also means it has the best fuel range because tank sizes are similar.

The Commodore’s engine mates to a nine-speed torque converter auto and a clever twin-clutch adaptive AWD system that can run as a front-driver or up to 50:50 front-rear split. The Subaru uses a CVT with six artificial steps that make it feel more like a traditional auto. It’s Active Torque Split AWD system uses a multi-plate centre clutch pack with a nominal 60:40 front:rear split. The VW has a six-speed dual clutch, while its 4MOTION AWD system is a Haldex electro-hydraulic coupling that turns only the front wheels unless grip is lost.

The Commodore is the longest and widest while the Subaru is the highest, something indicative of its 213mm ground clearance. That’s more than double the Calais (105mm) and better than the VW (174mm). Remember that for later.

Other measures like kerb weight, braked towing capacity, turning circle and luggage capacity with and without rear seats folded are very close. The only real surprise is the Calais has the least boot space even though it is almost 5.0m long.

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Who will they appeal to?

These are family cars with a mild injection of steroids. Two parents and two tall kids will comfortably fit in any of them. The Calais has the most rear-seat legroom, which probably explains why its lost a little luggage space. The Outback has theatre-style seating which delivers the best view from the second row.

The Passat fits somewhere between the two, but bests them both in terms of refinement and perceived quality. It is the quietest and most luxurious car to ride in.

All three have sizable boots and both the VW and Subaru have full-size spares under the floor. The Calais makes do with a space-saver. That’s a no-no when it comes off-roaders.

The Passat’s 2200kg braked towing capacity tops the Calais narrowly (2100kg) and the Subaru more substantially (1800kg). But you wouldn’t be hooking your double–bogey off-road caravan to any of them and heading out back of Bourke.

How much do they cost?

The Subaru is the cheapest at $49,140, the Calais-V is $53,990 and the Wolfsburg $54,990 (plus on-road costs of course). They are also close when it comes to features. All have key current demands such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and a suite of driver assist systems. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are included, as is leather seat trim.

The Passat gets a few things the others miss out on through. It’s the only one with rear-side airbags, adaptive shock absorbers, tri-zone climate control, 14-way adjustable power front seats (eight-way for the other two) and an active instrument panel that allows the set-up to be modified. It has 19-inch alloys when the other two have 18s. Fuel economy is aided by an idle-stop system.

The Calais-V’s exclusives include adaptive LED Matrix headlights (the others have normal LEDs), a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof, a Head Up display, bolster adjustment for the driver’s seat and heating for the rear seats.

The Outback’s exclusives list is pretty bare, but it and the VW both get an off-road mode with hill descent control, something the Holden misses out on. There’s also SI-Drive which gives you three options for engine and transmission behaviour from Super Sharp (Sport) to Intelligent (Eco).

All three cars get a five-star ANCAP rating, although the VW and Subaru’s ratings are based on 2015 tests, while the Holden is 2017, albeit drawn from a European test of left-hand-drive Opel Insignia.

The Subaru and VW comes with three-year/unlimited-kilometer warranties. The Outback gets just one year of roadside assist and the Passat three. The Holden gets a three year/100,000km warranty and at least one year of roadside assist… usually. In March, it was bumped up to seven years/unlimited kilometers and seven years of roadside assist. That may still be in-place when you read this, or may not, depends on whether Holden wants to pull that lever. Something to negotiate for though.

The Holden is serviced every 12 months/12,000km and over five years that adds up to $1535 worth of capped-price servicing. The Subaru is serviced at 5000km and then every six months or 12,500km. Over seven capped-price services across three years that adds up to $2711.42. The

VW is serviced every 12 months or 15,000km and over five years that capped-price service charge is $3149.

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What do they do well?

The Holden’s spacious cabin, meaty engine, superbly intuitive nine-speed auto and communicative on-road driving behaviour are its primary assets. For a comfortable cruise on blacktop and formed gravel roads, this would be the pick of the entire new generation Commodore range.

The Subaru is a fabulous all-rounder. It is by far the most competent and capable off-road, it’s superior ground clearance and responsive AWD system ensuring it gets across rugged terrain confidently. Its more pliant suspension tune also delivers a more comfortable ride and with light, direct steering makes it nicer to drive on rough roads. The cabin presentation is the most cohesive and high quality we have yet seen in a Subaru.

The VW easily outdoes the other two for cabin class. The materials are the nicest, the active instrument panel is in a techno class of its own and the haptic media screen is another cool feature (although no buttons for radio, which is a bit weird). The front seats offer massive support and this is also the quietest cabin to ride in; there’s even flock lining the pockets to dull rattles. The torque and fuel economy of the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine is a boon, delivering quick overtaking bursts and long hauls between pit stops.

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What could they do better?

The Holden simply does not have the ground clearance to tackle anything but the mildest off-road challenges. This is a pity because the Twinster system is impressive, certainly up there with the Subaru for smarts and way ahead of the Passat, which spun wheels far more than the other two trying to shuttle drive.

The dashboard and instrument panel of the Tourer simply doesn’t live up to the Calais-V tag. It is reminiscent of the Astra small car, embarrassed by the slightly more expensive Alltrack and bested by the cheaper Outback

Our test Tourer also creaked and groaned something horrible and made a shocking scraping noise when the steering column was being adjusted. If that’s an indicative of the build quality of all imported Commodores then that’s a big issue. Let’s hope not.

The Alltrack’s biggest negative is the soggy way the engine and gearbox interact at tip-in throttle. While the two big sixes respond sharply, the VW has a good think and dawdles off the line and then chirps the tyres if the accelerator is hammered. It’s a common problem with VW Group DSG drivetrains and one that spoils an otherwise smooth vehicle.

The Subaru? Well, there’s not that much to poke at here. Generations of tuning have produced a thoroughly competent vehicle that does very little wrong. The engine lacks the grunt of the other two no matter what SI-Drive mode you press, while the multiple layers of controls on the steering wheel is oppressive overkill.

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Which wins, and why?

If you think we’re struggling for gripes about the Outback, you’re right. Sure, it’s not as refined as the VW or as sporting as the Holden, but as an overall package it’s the best of the three.

It is easily the best beyond the blacktop, cruising most confidently on gravel and dealing best with articulation-challenging situations such as spoon drains because of its extra ground clearance and competent all-wheel drive system. On-road its long-legged suspension delivers a comfy ride.

It really does strike a nice balance between a traditional passenger wagon and new-fangled light-duty SUV.

Add in its pricing advantage and it’s no wonder the Outback has so many rusted on fans. Add us to the list.

2018 Holden Calais-V Touring pricing and specifications:
Price: $53,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 235kW/381Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 212g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017)

2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R pricing and specifications:
Price: $49,140 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 191kW/350Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 9.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 230g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2015)

2018 Volkswagen Passat Alltrack Wolfsburg Edition pricing and specifications:
Price: $54,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/400Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 5.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 143g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2015)