Lucky me. I've just spent a week swanning around in Subaru's 3.0R Outback. This off-road version of the Legacy really is a glorious car not only perfect as a mom's taxi but also for the (single) girl who loves space.
These no-nonsense cars, famed for their all-wheel-drive (making them so safe and well behaved over almost any terrain) just keep on getting better.
The colour range is fab (check out the mother-of-pearl shade), the performance second to none and the auto version offers the choice of shifting it to manual and flipping through the gears using stalks on either side of the steering wheel.
The kids went mad for the amazingly large, easy to open, sunroof that certainly allows tons of light to pour into the car. They also begged to be allowed to sit in the boot, quickly working out that one push of a button would drop the rear seats and they could crawl through.
Small things amuse small minds!
Like all the cars in this stable, the Outback is beautifully finished, albeit understated. Cream and black leather with brushed aluminium accents... what more do you actually need?
It's quiet, solid - and reeks of style and country chic. And I have to admit it looked terribly at home parked in front of the riding stables, bales of hay as a backdrop and thoroughbred horses nosing around it.
There's seldom anything to fault on any product from Subaru but I did notice that, after a longish trip to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, my lower back started to ache on the return journey. I actually looked for a lever that would provide more lumbar support but there wasn't one.
That aside, I found the sports wagon beautifully comfortable in city driving and, despite it appearing quite big, it was easy to park, easy to manoeuvre into relatively small spaces.
Visibility is terrific and I love those trademark rimless windows... my eight-year-old says they make the Outback look like a racing car.
The sound system and the automatic air-con are top quality and, if you're concerned about safety, the Outback has eight crash bags. It comes with a 64-litre tank and averages about 14 litres/100km.
Top speed is said to be about 210km/h but have to say I didn't even attempt to push the needle to that far...
It's a car for people passionate about motoring, people who love quality with simplicity, who respond to the adrenalin charge provided so ably and so reliably by Subaru.
A fantastic contender in its category. Yours for R384 000.