If you wanted the right weather to test the 2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R VDC Limited Wagon, you should have been in Jacksonville in the middle of July.

Heavy rains greeted our first night in the updated all-wheel-drive station wagon, followed by high winds and lightning a few days later.

This is exactly the same weather that big American sports utility vehicles and crossover sports utes were wading through, as well as smaller Audi Allroads and Volvo XC90s. It is also why Subaru came up with a more macho version of its mid-size all-wheel-drive Legacy station wagon in the mid-1990s, calling it the Outback. And when the truck-based SUVs got brawnier, Fuji Heavy Industries hired Crocodile Dundee (actor Paul Hogan) as the celebrity spokesman and added more cladding, bigger mesh-covered foglights, power and ground clearance to the Outback.

Now, as Subaru offers a less macho, more sophisticated-looking 2005 Outback, legendary bicycle racer Lance Armstrong appears in television spots that show the high-tech of the new line under the tag line "Driven By What's Inside."

The campaign seems to be working, since the company set a new sales record in 2003 and wants to sell 204,000 units in 2004, with its Indiana-built wagon aimed right at the European imports in terms of sophistication and design as well.

Like we said, Subaru introduced its Legacy wagon more than a decade ago as an alternative to Toyota and Honda's import mid-size wagons, with the added plus of all-wheel-drive. The more brawny version was designed to compete against the rising popularity of SUVs, called the Outback after the wilder bush regions of Australia. But even when the Legacy line was redesigned for 2000, a 165-horsepower flat four was all that was offered under the hood until 2001's optional 212-hp flat-six.

Now the model has matured once more, with a sleeker look, a wheelbase bump from 104.3 to 105.1 inches, and an overall increase of just under 2 inches. An aluminum hood, front bumper assembly and tailgate leaven the added weight, and a lowered engine position helps the car's center of gravity.

Side by side with the last Outback, the differences are apparent.

The blunter nose, aggressive bumper with big foglights under plastic and ribbed lower body cladding are gone, replaced with a smoother nose, lowered hood, slitted headlights with bumper cutout for the main beams, and a sleeker lower inlet with fake lower brush guard. The new Outback has a wider track and larger wheels and tires on our six-cylinder model, slimmed down body-color side cladding and flared fenders framing five-spoke alloy wheels and Bridgestone Potenza RE 92-A P225/55R-17-inch radials. The roof line looks lower, the roof rack better integrated, while the taillights are bigger, flanking a tailgate with back-up lights integrated into the liftgate and a more streamlined step bumper. The traditional mud flaps are there, and so are the frameless side window glass, but the whole wagon seems crisper in design.

Inside, the same sophistication is seen in the black vinyl-over-tan design with wood and alloy accents that seem more Volvo than Fuji Heavy Industries. The dash sweeps around the driver and passenger with a smoother, integrated look, the center instrument stack angled at the driver. A faux mahogany wood and black leather tilt steering wheel designed by Momo has integrated backlit audio controls framed in pewter plastic. The overlapping 140-mph speedometer/8,000-rpm tach under a slimmer cowl are ringed in more pewter, as are flanking gas and temperature gauges, while the digital odometer/trip meter are lit greenish-white.

The dash center's two air vents flank a flip-up storage door over a digital clock and trip computer. Underneath, more faux pewter trimmed with buff plastic wood looks almost Volvo-ish, framing a superb AM-FM-six-disc CD changer stereo with six speakers over a dual-zone climate control. The five-speed automatic transmission gets a "Sport" option, and can be shifted manually

The tan leather bucket seats are comfortable if a bit flat, with eight-way power adjustments for the driver and four-way for the passenger, plus manual lumbar. More pewter and wood-like trim accents the doors, the only fit and finish boo-boo a loose driver's door handle. The glove box size was good. The long moonroof has two panels, the front glass offering two degrees of tilt, the rear glass section opening to behind the driver's head. Kids and adults loved it open or in moonroof mode, although I didn't like that it requires multiple button-pushing to open or close in stages, an annoyance when it's raining.

The back seats offered great room for two adults, who complimented the upscale color scheme. It also offered great room for three children, all with three-point seat belts. The rear seat backs split and fold to offer an almost flat cargo area, with a removable security cover and 12-volt outlet. But those in the back seat, as well as up front, noted the a/c struggled to cool the cabin on 90-plus-degree days.

The Legacy engine range includes a 2.5-liter, 168-hp four-cylinder boxer engine in the base model; the GT's intercooled/turbocharged 250-hp, 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder boxer, or the 3-liter, 250-hp DOHC six-cylinder boxer in the 3.0R and LL Bean versions. In our Outback H6-3.0 VDC 2001 test, 212 horsepower took us to 60 m.p.h. in 8.5 sec. -- better than the 10.5-second time for the 165-hp Outback we tested years earlier. Our new 4,700-mile-old 3.0R got the same dismal 15-mpg fuel mileage, but a half-second faster to 60 mph with smooth shifts.

Our 3.0 R Outback's Variable Torque Distribution Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive sends power to the wheels that need it. Combined with 8 inches of ground clearance, we had some body roll in turns, but less than expected. If the front end started understeering in a dry turn, a touch of throttle neutralized it. The ride was comfortable and assured, not bouncy over bumpy roads or dirt paths.

The rack-and-pinion steering system has been redesigned for quicker response, and it felt fine. But the brake pedal felt a bit mushy for a 4,700-mile-old car, and while stops were straight, it was only OK in stopping distance.

The base Legacy 2.5i Sedan and Wagon with manual transmission starts at ,995 and ,995, respectively. The top of the-line Outback 3.0 R VDC Limited Wagon had standard eight-way power driver's seat, a rear gate spoiler, remote keyless entry with security system, electronic throttle control, dual-glass power moonroof , leather upholstery, AM-FM-six-disc in-dash CD changer, dual zone automatic climate control system, four-stage heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, windshield wiper de-icer, 17-inch alloy wheels and five-speed automatic transmission for ,395. With destination, it was a hefty ,970, but all-inclusive.

Bottom line -- this is a handsome, more refined and well-built alternative to an SUV, for those who want something lower profile. But I was surprised at the SUV-like gas mileage, and pleased at the overall fit and finish and driving dynamics. Plus, it really can handle some light off-road duty. But as we wrote this, a voluntary recall had been made on some 2005 Legacy and Outback sedan models to address a side-curtain airbag problem.