The Cars Guide in today's Melbourne Herald Sun has rated the Subaru Outback as the best in class against 14 other vehicles.

In its cover story, the Herald Sun's Cars Guide says: "There is a clear-cut champion in the compact four-wheel drive-class.

"It is the Subaru Outback, which does easily the best job for the majority of shoppers who want the size, comfort and command driving position of a soft-roader but don't plan to do much of the rough-and-tough weekend work in the bush.

"The Outback is a high-riding and tougher-looking Subaru Liberty wagon, which means it is a new-age station wagon for people who are convinced that four-wheel-drives are the best bet for the 21st century."

It gives the Outback 18 out of possible 20 points.

The Herald Sun rates the Forester equal second with the Nissan X-Trail. Both get 17 out of 20.

It says: "The Forester, like the Outback, was developed for rougher roads than the regular all-paw Subaru family wagons."

The Herald Sun adds: "The Forester looks like it will work off the bitumen and it does, provided you recognize its limits."

Other competitors listed by the Herald Sun include Toyota RAV-4 (16/20), Mazda Tribute (15/20) and Honda CR-V (15/20).

For the full story, see the Cars Guide in today's edition of the Melbourne Herald Sun.