THERE is a music theory that no matter what your youth culture, country gets us all in the end.

For me it was Northern Soul and until the arthritis kicks in. Country, like soul, is mournful. No one ever scored with country tune hit touchdown goal thing celebrating the cow leaving for another poke type chap and living happily ever after.

In soul your person is always leaving, hitting on the neighbour's daughter or downtrodden and out of work.

Therefore you see, I don't identify the Subaru Outback with these poor specimens.

It's Mad Max.

Obviously the company won't be happy when I stick an automatic crossbow on the roof and taking the bonnet off may annoy but you get the raggedy man is dead meat.

It isn't wearing Tina Turner's bloomers but this is one of the six cars I would choose in post-apocalyptic Britain. The other five being family hatchbacks with all the pulling power of a one-eye with a Mohican suggesting your daughter may like a road kill pizza with his mates on the side.

We are looking at the £31,495 2.5-litre SE Premium Lineatronic here, automatic to you, one of only two trim levels. The Archers on the move. Ambridge taxi.

Subaru continues to promote the Outback as the original 'crossover', as it was one of the first vehicles that took an ordinary estate car in the shape of the Legacy and gave it a rural appeal.

It has many attributes but not least of all as an all-wheel drive suitable for farm, country and towing. By the way, because it is a Subaru, given the evidence, it could be good for around for 300,000 miles. That is a sensible purchase, said a tight-fisted rural type.

This is a refreshing range; two engines, one diesel, one petrol and not a lot of trim decisions. It's tough enough working through the vagueness of the single farm payment.

This is a comfortable cabin, it looks for all the world like Subaru have been scrounging seats from Volvo. Sadly they have not and while the diver has lumbers well supported, the co-pilot is far from cosseted.Inside changes to the latest model are a new instrument pack and a model-dependent infotainment touchscreen. New trim and upholstery materials complete the visual changes.

The Outback remains more or less mechanically as before, tweaks to the car's ride, handling and steering have resulted in a sharper and more engaging driving experience. Subaru has also boosted the car's safety features with an optional forward-looking camera system.

The 2.5 diesel is not what you would call quick but 10.2 seconds to 62mph is very reasonable for a big car. Expect the diesl to return 48mpg and post 145g/km emissions.

There are a lot of features aimed at making this car as capable off the road as it is on. In this sense the Outback is a truly versatile machine which feels as though it could tackle nearly anything you throw at it, for hundreds and thousands of miles.

It boasts 200mm of ground clearance and this is the primary reason Subaru claims SUV versatility combined with a refined, sporty drive. It certainly does the job of tackling rough terrain.

Other key features include rear vehicle detection ,blind spot monitoring, front and side view camera.

Keyless entry and push button start are backed by6.5-inch and 8.0-inch multi-function colour touchscreens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It's a smooth operator, not as accomplished on the motorways some but aimed at a purpose. Countryside handling is excellent. You won't become the ditch finder general in an Outback, especially with the fool-proof Lineatronic gearbox.

Accommodation is immense and practical with plenty of storage.The 2019 model is a huge leap forward and reflects the improving appeal and quality of the Subaru range.

Let's get ourselves off to The Bull and see if they have any decent strong stuff to go with the folk night. I'll be walking there, by the way. And riding a sheep back.