Some things elicit strong reactions: A Rush Limbaugh riff, the Dixie Chicks on George W. Bush, Wilton High School students on either side of the Iraq war.

Some things don't: Reruns of That '70's Show, draft actuarial reports, the 2007 Subaru Outback L.L. Bean edition.

And therein lies the difference between writer and owner. For the writer, exciting is good copy. The owner knows the merits of boring. Boring is not breaking down in the middle of your commute. Boring is not having the mechanic's kids going to Princeton on your dime. Boring is staying on the road, tracking straight and true towards home as a Nor'easter smothers the road around you with a foot-thick blanket of snow.

Boring is sensible. Boring is safe. Boring, for lack of a better word, is good.

And why not? Virtue should have its rewards.

Subaru has been virtuous in many ways over the years. One probably sees more rainbow decals on Subarus than on any other brand of car for a reason. I wish not discriminating against people were always so normal it was boring.

But it's not, just as good intentions don't always lead to good cars. The ubiquity of the Subaru Outback on Fairfield County roads, however, argues strongly for a competence well suited to the often unhappily exciting Northeast weather. Subarus didn't find their way into every third garage in town because of their prestige. They've everywhere because they do the job.

That's a thrill.

Subaru didn't enter the American market till 1971. It distinguished itself from other Japanese models by offering all-wheel-drive across all its lines along with a look that could very kindly be described as quirky. My cousin had a Subaru when I was in college. I less kindly then thought of it as butt ugly.

On the other hand, I'd borrow it whenever the weather seemed headed towards challenging. That all-wheel-drive was quite the advantage back when few outside of American Motors with Jeep and the Eagle, pick-up trucks, International Harvester's Scout and very few others offered the ability to have four drive wheels keeping you on the road.

There was another plus to Subaru then. My cousin was, again to be kind, frugal. Subaru's motto, as I recall, was "Inexpensive. And built to stay that way." Subarus had far more extras than other cars for the price. For my cousin, that was perfect.

Some things have changed. Subaru now offers a full line-up of cars, and, as the $34,829 bottom line on my 2007 Subaru Outback 3.0 R L.L. Bean Wagon with navigation system can attest, inexpensive is not really a suitable description any longer. Indeed, Subaru has gone upscale in a way unimaginable nearly three decades ago.

Some things have stayed the same though, like Subaru's commitment to safety. As Subaru proudly, and rightly so, will tell you, it is the only brand with the highest crash test ratings for every model. In addition, every car it sells is still equipped with all-wheel-drive to help avoid having to verify those crash test ratings yourself.

My 2007 Subaru Outback 3.0 R L.L. Bean Wagon with Navigation system lives up to that legacy [pun intended]. Subaru announced in February that that the 2007 Subaru Legacy and Outback earned the highest rating in the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] New Car Assessment Program [NCAP] crash tests. The Subaru Legacy and Outback received five stars in both the frontal and side-impact crash tests for all seating positions.

"Subaru customers have come to expect the highest level of safety in their vehicles," said Thomas J. Doll, executive vice president, Subaru of America, Inc. "Both the Legacy and Outback continue to deliver the highest levels of active and passive safety as evidenced by their recent five star performances in the NHTSA NCAP tests."

The Outback is of course descended from the Legacy. At least this Outback is. There is also a smaller Outback Sport based on the Impreza.

In a sense, the Outback was a crossover SUV before there were crossover SUVs. Billed as a sport utility wagon to fill a hole in Subaru's lineup when SUVs took off, its popularity kept it alive. Subaru essentially took the Legacy, the wagon in this case, jacked up so it had enough ground clearance to acquit itself well offroad [the 2007 has 8.4 inches of ground clearance] and came up with something that handled like a car because it was one, but had the capability to do almost anything normal people did in their SUVs.

But time may have put the Outback in a bind. Many crossovers – including some from Subaru - now offer the same combination of comfort and utility the Outback is known for, sometimes at a better price and with more space. Its immediate market segment has very few competitors. Audi's gone, leaving Volvo, and perhaps Mercedes and BMW if you want to consider those wagons as competition. What the future holds for the Outback will be interesting to behold.

For today, though, the Outback wagon lives up its original vision. It is a car that will do pretty much all that your neighbor's SUV will, but without the space and bulk. It seats four comfortably, though you can fit three kids in back if you need to. It offers the flexibility and cargo space of a well-designed wagon in a premium setting that looks good outside as well as in.

Handling and performance are pretty good in the L.L. Bean edition wagon. The regularly aspirated 3.0-liter boxer six engine puts out 245 horsepower and 215 lb.-ft. of torque. This is ample power, and it's available across a broad enough band of the torque curve, though the five-speed automatic transmission with SportShift is best described as sedate. Mileage is an EPA-estimated 19 city, 26 highway.

The symmetrical all-wheel-drive system in the L.L. Bean edition is one of four different types featured across the Outback line. It uses variable torque distribution to send more power to the rear wheels, enhancing the Outback's handling, but adjusts this to meet road conditions. The L.L. Bean edition also has vehicle dynamics control, an advanced stability control to manage the system and help even the least experienced of drivers avoid the excitement of going off the road into a snowdrift.

That handling is very good. On the highway or on back roads, the Outback's handling is crisp and authoritative. Steering feedback is good, steering on center. This is certainly more fun to drive than most SUVS.

Ride comfort is also good, maintaining road feel while absorbing the worst of the bumps. Over some rough terrain in Weston, the Outback never became kidney jarring or felt like it was being pushed to its limits.

Inside, the first feature one noticed was the standard huge panoramic dual power moonroofs. It let the sun shine in on a clean, easy to understand instrument cluster and gauges. Seats were supportive and comfortable, with more than enough space in front. Fit and finish seemed very good.

The L.L. Bean Edition is the top of the line luxury version and was equipped consistent with that, and with its base price of $33,495. Included in that base were the touch-screen GPS navigation system, front, side impact and side curtain airbags, dual zone automatic climate control, heated leather front seats, the AM/FM/6-CD in-dash changer, cruise control and all that. Options were all-weather floor mats [$65], a security system upgrade with Mirror Dimming/Compass Homelink upgrade [$196] and XM satellite radio [$456]. Destination was $625, adding up to that $34,829 sticker.

For that, you get in the 2007 Subaru Outback 3.0 R L.L. Bean wagon a capable upscale station wagon that will get you home safely through just about any weather. That's the kind of boring I can live with.