Subaru Outback LPG special test: day 3 Montpellier - Clermont-Ferrand

We continue with the test of the Subaru Outback LPG, on our third day of travelling towards the French capital. Today we covered about 450 km, between Montpellier and the city of Clermont-Ferrand, so that tomorrow we can head straight to Paris to keep up with everything and tell you all the news from the show.

Among the most notable aspects of the route was the variety of roads, as we drove through several villages, French national roads (which I am starting to enjoy) and also motorway, where we could see the differences with Spanish ones, especially in speed limits and speed cameras. In France the motorway speed limit is 130 km/h and 110 km/h when it is raining, and fixed speed cameras are signposted just like in Spain, but even at night they have a reflective marker so we can see them. Not to mention the condition of the road, new and very well maintained asphalt.

Day 2: Montpellier > Clermont-Ferrand

Again at around 10 in the morning we left Montpellier, on our way to see some villages in the area that are an almost obligatory stop on our route, since yesterday we arrived in Montpellier at night with no time to see much. The first stop was an Auchan (Alcampo in Spain) where we refuelled with LPG. Our tank holds 53 litres of gas and on yesterday’s route we achieved a consumption of 8.6 litres of gas per 100 km. At 0.64 €/litre, that is a very economical consumption for the distance we cover.

After filling the tank we went to La Grande-Motte, a typical coastal and tourist town where at this time of year there are hardly any tourists left, but which is curious for the architecture of its buildings and its streets, as well as the marina with luxury yachts and a very pleasant seafront promenade. We then headed to Sète, all along the coast, and arrived shortly before midday at this town, which is characterised by the various canals that run through it.

After lunch in Sète we set off for Clermont-Ferrand, but as usual by toll-free roads, so we drove through villages on national roads, very well maintained national roads where the maximum speed is between 90 and 110 km/h. Most drivers cruise at an average of 120 km/h on them, and among vineyards we stopped to check how the Outback’s traction works, undoubtedly a typically French landscape. Afterwards we took a stretch of motorway and along the way we stopped at Sévérac du Château, a medieval village, curious because it has a castle on the hilltop from which the whole valley can be seen. Around 9 o’clock we arrived in Clermont-Ferrand.

Driving impressions

From our drive through different villages, the comfort of the automatic gearbox stands out, which is a great help in urban traffic and works quite smoothly. Today we took advantage of a stretch of the route through different villages with vineyards nearby to turn onto one of the rural tracks that give access to the various houses, to see how the Outback’s traction works.

The traction system engages automatically when it detects that a wheel is losing grip, and in addition it has a generous ground clearance, more than other SUVs. It also has a plastic underbody protection panel, but it is not very strong. For driving on somewhat difficult dirt tracks or low-grip surfaces the Outback can be a good ally, as well as for rural areas where it maintains ride comfort at all times.

On the motorway it performs quite well, but a little more power is missed on uphill sections. As for standard equipment, which is practically complete, it has cruise control but not a speed limiter, an option that is always appreciated.

Tomorrow we will continue with another day of the route in the Subaru Outback LPG.

Photos | HM test team