2010 calendar year news about... Hybrids, Concept car news
Fuel economy issues
Safety crash tests, safety ratings, recalls
Subaru and Toyota
Advertising news
Sales news
HYBRID, ALTERNATE FUEL and CONCEPT CAR news in 2010
edited for length, content
11/27
the Impreza concept
car at the LA car show is a clue to Subaru's
future look
'future
cars to have similar design to the Impreza Unveiled last week at
the LA Auto Show, the Subaru Impreza Design Concept is set to inspire more
than just the one compact car. In fact, according to Subaru’s top designer
Osamu Namba, the vehicle foreshadows a design language that will shape
all future Subaru models. The “Confidence in Motion” design language displayed
in the concept will more directly flow through to the Impreza, but Namba
says to expect many of the cues to be reflected in the future generation
of models, with design traits like the front grille and headlights sure
to become staples of Subaru’s new vehicles.
In
an interview with AutoCar, Namba admitted that in the past there were design
“inconsistencies” at Subaru, and the goal is now to bring all models in
line, so you’ll know a Subaru when you see one. New Subaru models are also
expected to get a lower and wider stance from now on, while taller models
like the Tribeca and Outback will be varied somewhat. As for the WRX and
STI, they will continue to also differentiate themselves from the rest
of the lineup, with aggressive race-inspired features.' the
article
11/6 something new, something
hidden, something secret, something COOL? A concept to be unveiled
at the LA car show November 17th. is it the Subatoy coupe, or a tease
of the redesigned 2012 Impreza, a tuner ready WRX, perhaps (dare I even
say) a diesel or hybrid concept
'Tokyo, November 2, 2010
- Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, announced
today the establishment of a new global brand statement, "Confidence in
Motion", as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the Subaru brand.
"Confidence" reflects Subaru's
attitude toward engineering excellence and the trust generated among drivers
by following through on its commitment to provide both enjoyment and peace
of mind. "in Motion" expresses Subaru's resolve to continue innovating
to meet customer expectations in a world of constant change.
Subaru will proactively
address global environmental issues and the demands of ever-maturing automobile
use. Subaru believes automobiles should be more than just a means of simple
transportations. They should also be a source of enjoyment, and enjoyment
rests on a foundation of peace of mind. These two inseparable values are
central to the Subaru experience. As customer expectations are diversifying,
Subaru will foresee these needs with independent thinking and continue
to offer enjoyment and peace of mind without losing sight of the essence
of what an automobile should be.
"Confidence in Motion" expresses
Subaru's aim to continue evolving in order to offer even more customers
new ways to enrich their lives through a uniquely satisfying Subaru experience.
From now on, "Confidence
in Motion" will be at the center of all Subaru activities. As the first
step, FHI will exhibit a concept car embodying the new brand statement
at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, USA (press
days on November 17 and 18, open to the public from November 19 to 28).
A press briefing with FHI President & CEO Ikuo Mori is scheduled for
Wednesday, November 17 at 12:20 (PST) at the Subaru booth.'
8/26 Have you been waiting for a Subaru Hybrid? This might not be what you had in mind... Start with a wrecked Subaru Baja, mix in a Toyota Prius, and in the obviously capable hands of Steve at used Prius parts specialist autobeyours.com in Scottsburg Indiana, an odd love child is born. Like in a bad Japanese Gozilla vs Mothra monster movie, is this the mythical 'Bajius'? The whole story photos
4/14 diesel not really
dead is that faint heartbeat or a mechanical pump? With Mazda
announcing their plans for their diesel in 2012 at the NY auto show earlier
this month, Subaru again keeps their diesel diehards hope on life
support. A few back in 2008, Subaru said we'd have a diesel this
year (2010) but that speech is long forgotten (did it even happen), replaced
by hybrid talking points about 2012. Subaru's 2.0L diesel is available
around the world, but not in North America. Why not, what's wrong with
us? It's expensive to make a diesel engine and diesel fuel is more expensive
here than in other parts of the world so there's less saving for the consumer,
US emissions are strict, and how much of a market is there for a diesel
anyway? Diesel's reputation here isn't great- think 1970s GM, smoking
MBs, and noisy oversize trucks clattering away next to you at at stop lights.
Forget it, that's old school diesel. New diesels are really quiet, clean
burning, efficient and zippy. And yes VW and Audi do well with them.
But can Subaru afford both hybrid and diesel? Note- Toyota doesn't have
diesel here, they're all about hybrid and when you're partnered up with
the hybrid leader, why fight it? But would enough Subaru buyers pay the
premium for a diesel anyway? Which will get better MPG going forward, diesel
or hybrid? Basically, if you have to pick one technology, hybrid or diesel,
which one has the better long term future for improvements as well as marketing?
Tough questions, but I'd bet on hybrid. Though tomorrow or next year I
might change that.
Here's a recent article
that keeps the hope of US diesel enthusiasts hanging on and the rumor mill
churning. And Subaru never wants to quash or confirm rumors or online chat
keeps them in the news - its all good advertising.
"Subaru is open to the possibility
of selling diesel-equipped vehicles in the U.S., but according to Subaru
Executive Vice President Tom Doll, several things will have to happen first.
In an interview with Ward’s Automotive, Doll commented on emissions regulations
and the price of diesel fuel.
“The emissions requirements
in the U.S. are significant. And given the price of diesel fuel, where
it is right now, it really does not pay to bring the vehicle into the U.S.
,” he said, then giving hope to diesel-lovers by also stating that, “We’re
trying to see what happens. As the market sorts itself out, we’ll get ready,
and then look at bringing the car (here).”
Currently Subaru sells its
2.0-liter 4-cylinder boxer diesel in Europe where it makes 145-hp and 258
ft-lbs of torque and gets around 34/41 mpg (city/highway) in vehicles like
he Forrester 2.0D.
Two other factors will play
an important role in Subaru’s decision. The first is what other automakers
are doing, with VW recently announcing its new mid-size sedan (which will
replace the Passat) will be offered as a diesel. Not to mention confirmation
that Mazda will also bring a diesel model to the U.S. Another factor will
be economies of scale. Subaru has long played a niche role in the North
American marketplace, but has seen considerable growth in sales over the
past year. If that growth continues and Subaru can see fit to offer the
2.0D diesel engine in models ranging from the Legacy, to Outback to Forrester,
then a more sound business case could be made for the engine." the
article
3/30 Toyota sells hybrid
technology to Subaru, Mazda, Nissan .. it's expensive to develop hybrids
so smaller car companies are falling in behind Toyota as the need and demand
for better gas mileage cars increases.
'Mazda took another step
toward independent product development March 29, agreeing to lease hybrid
drivetrain technology from fellow Japanese auto maker Toyota Motor Corp.
instead of longtime U.S. partner Ford Motor Co.
The deal gives Mazda access
to the electric powertrain system used in the third-generation Prius, which
was launched last year and is the world’s most popular hybrid vehicle..
For Toyota, the deal also
pushes its hybrid technology closer to becoming a global standard. Leasing
it to other companies is not only a cash stream for the world’s biggest
auto company, it’s also a potent way to guarantee volume for its suppliers,
which drives down cost.
Subaru also has been developing
its own hybrid drivetrain based on technology from Toyota Motor.. Toyota
also supplies the hybrid system used in the Nissan Altima hybrid sedan.'
the
article
1/12 Detroit Auto Show
The
Hybrid
Tourer Concept was there and and Thomas Doll said Subaru hopes to have
something like the Tourer out in 2012.
STI SE and WRX Limited
should be available starting March
FUEL
Economy in 2010: ratings, issues, news, EPA and CAFE' news etc
edited for length, content
top
5/21 EPA looks beyond
the app 34mpg 2016 model year fuel economy requirement, plans for 2017-2025
'Automakers joined federal
policymakers at the White House today (5/21/10) to launch the next
phase of coordinated NHTSA and EPA regulations to address fuel economy
and greenhouse gas emissions through 2025. The new rules would be for 2017model
year and on and would also expand to include medium- and heavy-duty trucks
for the first time, beginning with model year 2014 and running through
2018. The agencies hope to finalize the truck rules by 2012.
Passenger car regulations
are currently in place. Starting with 2012 model year vehicles, automakers
are required to improve fleet-wide economy and reduce fleet-wide greenhouse
gas emissions by approximately 5% every year.
NHTSA has established fuel
economy standards that strengthen each year reaching an estimated 35.5
mpg for the combined industry wide fleet for the 2016 model year.
|
SAFETY CRASH TESTS safety news, including recalls etc in 2010 edited for length, content top |
12/26 NHTSA wants to hear
from you...
The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration received more than 40,000 complaints through Dec.
14, four times the usual volume, a research firm said. Toyota's high-profile
recalls helped trigger the increase. Driver complaints to federal highway
safety regulators soared this year, spurred by a slew of Toyota Motor Corp.
recalls and a rush by other automakers to announce fix-it campaigns that
focused the public's attention on auto defects.
The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration received more than 40,000 complaints through Dec.
14, according to an analysis by automotive research firm Edmunds.com. That's
four times the volume of recent years."People are now more aware that there
is an agency called NHTSA and that you can complain to it. Complaints are
a good thing," said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for
Auto Safety...
Toyota, long considered
one of the most reliable brands, was the subject of more than a quarter
of the complaints. Its ratio of complaints to 100,000 vehicles sold jumped
to nearly 87 so far in 2010 from 37 a year earlier....
Nissan Motor Co. had the
second-worst ratio, at nearly 62 complaints per 100,000 vehicles sold;
Volkswagen was third at nearly 58. The industry average was 47 complaints
per 100,000 vehicles sold, up from fewer than 30 in 2009.
NHTSA is hearing from people
such as Mark Cox of Leesburg, Va. He filed a complaint after his 2003 Subaru
Legacy sedan and his 2004 Nissan Quest minivan both failed routine state
safety inspections because of clouded headlight lenses....
NHTSA said it had received
more than 64,000 complaints in 2010, compared with about 35,000 in recent
years. (To arrive at its total, Edmunds tossed out duplicate complaints
from the same individual and complaints that had other inconsistencies.)
The agency reviews every
complaint, looking for patterns that might determine whether an investigation
is warranted, NHTSA spokesman Eric Bolton said. "Safety is the top priority
of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and information
from consumers is a vital tool the agency uses to identify defects," he
said. Bolton urged drivers experiencing problems with a vehicle to file
a complaint, either online at http://www.nhtsa.gov
or through the agency's auto safety hotline at (888) 327-4236. Because
of the volume of complaints, the agency contacts a driver only when more
information is required, he said...
.. Although higher than
in recent years, the volume of complaints is still tiny considering that
there are about 250 million vehicles on U.S. roads, said Ditlow of the
Center for Auto Safety. The volume of complaints was higher during President
Carter's administration, Ditlow said, but subsequent administrations were
less interested in auto safety, and the number of complaints declined as
NHTSA's prominence faded. "What we are seeing once again is an administration
and agency that are saying, 'We welcome your complaints. Tell us what is
wrong with your car.' And it is saying we will take action," he said.'
read
the entire article
12/23 the wrong
tires. Most Subarus come with decent all season tires, but three
of them don't. The Impreza WRX, STI and Legacy GT are sold with performance
tires that aren't meant for everyday driving on wet or snowy roads. Maybe
it helps to market the performance aspect of these models but many folks
who buy these all wheel drive cars then spend money on tires so they drive
safely in wintery weather. Subaru all wheel drive is great but the
right tires are essential. Here's a video from TFLcar.com worth watching
before you buy a WRX, STI or GT..
"... what about racing
two All-Wheel-Drive cars with the same horsepower in the snow? The catch?
One car has snow tires while the other one has summer tires. Can you guess
what happens when we pit the 2011 all-wheel-drive Mercedes R350 against
the 2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT in the snow?..' http://www.tflcar.com/2010/12/mashed-up-match-up-awd-snow-vs-summer-tire-shoot-out-in-the-rocky-mountians-.html
12/22 Subaru scores on
IIHS Top Safety Picks for 2011 models. IIHS put 66 cars
on the 2011 model Top Safety Pick list and every Subaru except WRX made
it. Subaru is the only company with winners in each category they have
a vehicle- small car, midsize car, small SUV, midsize SUV.
"Sixty-six vehicles earn
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award for
2011, including 40 cars, 25 SUVs, and a minivan. Top Safety Pick recognizes
vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover,
and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. Winners also
must have available electronic stability control, a crash avoidance feature
that significantly reduces crash risk. The ratings help consumers pick
vehicles that offer a higher level of protection than federal safety standards
require.
Last year the Institute
toughened criteria for Top Safety Pick by adding a requirement that all
qualifiers must earn a good rating for performance in a roof strength test
to assess protection in a rollover crash. The move sharply narrowed the
initial field of 2010 winners. At the beginning of the 2010 model year,
only 27 vehicles qualified for the award, but the number grew to 58 as
auto manufacturers reworked existing designs and introduced new models.
Now another 10 vehicles join the winners' list for 2011. Two discontinued
models drop off.
Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi
each have 9 winners for 2011. Next in line with 8 awards apiece are General
Motors, Ford/Lincoln, and Toyota/Lexus/Scion. Subaru is the only manufacturer
with a winner in all the vehicle classes in which it competes. Subaru earns
5 awards for 2011...
"Safety is a priority among
this crop of winners," Lund says. "From the start these manufacturers set
out to design vehicles that would earn Top Safety Pick, even though we've
made it harder to win..."
> Subaru's Top Safety
Picks: Small Car category- Impreza sedan and hatchback (except WRX);
Midsize Car category- Subaru Legacy and Outback, Small SUV category - Forester;
Midsize SUV category- Tribeca. the
full press release with all Top Safety Picks
12/8 EDR, aka black boxes but correctly known as Event Data Recorders. The big unsecret. Ok, so Subarus have had them for years. Toyotas also does as was widely reported during the recent acceleration scare. The big question is what does it record, how long does it store it, and how does one access it. EDRs will be required in 2013 models. I'd only be concerned if a car has a long memory like my girlfriend :). Links NHTSA, IIHS
12/5 safety- regulated
and soon required by NHTSA- better rear view ...but what about
all those high-butt sedans? more back-up cameras?
The U.S. Department of Transportation
today (12/3/10) proposed a new safety regulation to help eliminate blind
zones behind vehicles that can hide the presence of pedestrians, especially
young children and the elderly. The proposed rule was required by Congress
as part of the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007.
Two-year old Cameron Gulbransen, for whom the Act is named, was killed
when his father accidentally backed over him in the family’s driveway.
"There is no more tragic
accident than for a parent or caregiver to back out of a garage or driveway
and kill or injure an undetected child playing behind the vehicle," said
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "The changes we are proposing today
will help drivers see into those blind zones directly behind vehicles to
make sure it is safe to back up."
The proposal, issued by
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), would expand
the required field of view for all passenger cars, pickup trucks, minivans,
buses and low-speed vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of up to
10,000 pounds so that drivers can see directly behind the vehicle when
the vehicle’s transmission is in reverse. NHTSA believes automobile manufacturers
will install rear mounted video cameras and in-vehicle displays to meet
the proposed standards. To meet the requirements of the proposed rule,
ten percent of new vehicles must comply by Sept. 2012, 40 percent by Sept.
2013 and 100 percent by Sept. 2014.'
read
the proposed rule on NHTSA. PDF
of the rule
10/6 Safety- crash
test results using the new stricter tests released. For the 2011
Crash Test reults, there is a new total Overall Vehicle Rating, and new
tests include side pole and barrier impacts, and a new female crash test
dummy, all scored using the familiar 1-5 Star Rating system. Because of
the new tests, ratings for 2011 and newer vehicles should not be compared
to previous ratings.
For model year 2011, NHTSA
will rate 24 passenger cars, 20 SUVs, 2 vans and 9 pickups under the new
ratings system
Outback
and Legacy
are both tested and each gets an Overall Vehicle Rating of 4 Stars
in these new stricter government crash tests.
Only 2 cars tested got the
Top Overall Vehicle 5 Star rating, the BMW 5 Series 4 DR RWD and the Hyundai
Sonata (later release).
Most other cars tested got
Overall Vehicle Rating of 4 Stars, like the Honda Pilot, Chevy Malibu and
Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Ford Taurus and Fiesta, Toyota Sienna, Kia Sorento, Audi
A4, S4, Cadiallac Escalade...
The only car with an Overall
rating of 3 Stars is the Camry, and only getting 2 Stars is the Nissan
Versa. Read the NHTSA
press release
9/27 Subaru makes
safe cars. The crash testing people at the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety, IIHS.org, think Subarus are Top Safety Picks. To earn Top
Safety Pick for 2010 a vehicle must have good ratings in all four Institute
tests. In addition, the winning vehicles must offer electronic stability
control.
Every 2010 Subaru made their
list of Top Safety Pick, except the WRX.
And all 2011s currently
available continue as Top Safety Picks, including the 2011 Outback, Legacy,
and Impreza (except WRX). The 2011 Tribeca and Forester aren't out yet.
Heres the Top
Safety Pick list
4/8 Safety ratings and
crash tests to get stricter for 2011 models with fewer models getting
5 star rating.
Because so many cars currently
get 5 stars, especially for front impact tests, the results are no loner
a real help to differentiate models.
There will be a new overall
star rating that summarizes the front, side and rollover crashes in additon
to the 5star ratings. Top selling models will tested first at a rate of
30-40 per year.
Tests will be done with
a new 97lb female-size dummy in addition to the larger male dummy used
now.
A new Pole side impact test
will have the car sliding into a 10" diameter pole at 20 mph, hitting by
the driver’s door behind the windshield pillar (aka A pillar).
Starting with the 2011 models,
20% of a company's cars need to meet the stricter rules, going up to 100%
for the 2014 models.
NHTSA started using the
5 star ratings in 1994my, side impact tests were added for the 1997my,
rollover tests based on car height and width were added for the 2001my
with acual rollover tests for the 2004my.
2/28 Consumer Reports
annual April car issue is available. There's a lot to read about choosing
new and used cars so pick it up at your local newstand. It's always good
information.
Japanese cars always tend
to score well with CR but Ford and GM seem to be better represented than
in previous years. CR suspended recommendations of recalled Toyotas and
noted those with an *.
> Recommended cars cover
the spectrum of manufacturers and prices. Top cars are: small SUV-
Subaru Forester; small sedan- Hyundai Elantra SE; sporty car- VW
GTI; family sedan- Nissan Altima; sports sedan- Infiniti G37;
family hauler- Mazda5; truck- Chevy Silverado 1500; green car- Prius; family
SUV Chevy Traverse; and the best overall car is the Lexus LS 460L.
Most Subarus are recommended
except the Impreza WRX. Read magazine page 7, and the best/worst ratings
summary on page 26.
> Top car companies based
on CR reliability scores only: #1Honda, #2 Toyota, 3 Mitsubishi,
4 Hyundai, 5 Porsche, 6 Subaru... read the magazine pg 16.
> The top car companies
based on a combination of CR reliability scores and road tests etc. Top
score is 100: #1 is Honda and Subaru. Both got the highest score of 77
(out of 100). Toyota got 74, Hyundai 73, Nissan 72, VW 72, Mazda
71, Mercedes 69 down to Chrylser with 46. (read magazine page 15).
Buy the annual CR April
car issue at your local bookstore or subscribe online
3/10 safety- not just
Toyota uses electronics. All car companies use electronic components,
microprocessors and computers. Its a fact of modern life. Toyotas recent
problems will bring greater attention to and focus on safety redundancies.
Here's a recent article
'Japanese carmakers are
considering following Toyota's lead in adopting a brake override system
that would potentially address all sources of unintended acceleration,
including driver error. The system cuts engine power when the accelerator
and brake pedals are applied at the same time.
Nissan Motor is the only
Japanese carmaker that has a function on nearly all of its cars that prioritises
the brakes when both pedals are depressed. Among Japan's eight carmakers,
Mazda said it would add the system to all future models "as soon as possible"
starting this year.
Morgan Stanley auto analyst
Noriaki Hirakata wrote in a recent report that the cost of installing a
brake override system was about $50 a vehicle, adding that it could come
down if more brands adopt it.
Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi,
Subaru, and Daihatsu all said they were considering adopting the system.
The timing and scope of the roll-out were still under study, they said.
"I think (it) could eventually become a standard feature, just like airbags
or anti-lock brake systems," said Daihatsu spokesman Haruki Mori.
Unintended acceleration
in Toyota and Lexus vehicles -- at the heart of the automaker's recalls
-- has been linked with at least five U.S. crash deaths since 2007. The
causes of many cases of unintended acceleration are unknown, and are often
blamed on driver error.
U.S. Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood has said that safety regulators may require allnew cars to have
braking systems that tell the engine to return to idle when both accelerator
and brake pedals are depressed.' the
article
Subaru
and Toyota news in 2010
edited for length, content
11/30 Subaru sells a Toyota in Japan. Subaru has unveiled today on its home market the Subaru Trezia to compete with the Honda Fit. The Trezia is based on Toyota's Verso. The Subaru Trezia will be available with a 1.3-liter and a 1.5-litre engine and with a choice between a CVT automatic transmission and a manual gearbox. The Subaru Trezia will be sold with both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive and in four trim levels: i, iL, iS and TYPE EURO. Unfortunately, the official press release regarding the new Subaru Trezia is available in Japanese only, which we're not very good at. The Subaru Trezia will have all the modern safety systems, including SRS airbags, together with a panoramic sun roof, HID and LED lights. The Subaru Trezia price starts at 1,360,000 YEN and goes up to 1,979,250 YEN. Although at this point, the Subaru Trezia is only available in Japan, it could make it way into the European and USA markets too. the article
7/29 SubieOta, MotorTrend
looks deep into the glass ball, makes predictions on the SubieOta sport
coupe due in 2012/13. With images.
'Sitting on a revised Legacy
platform with the Impreza's rear suspension and horizontally opposed
2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, we can expect Subaru's version of the FT-86
to look not that much different than its Toyota twin. In contrast to the
Toyota's incorporation of a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter boxer, which
is said to feature a redesigned head unit and be good for around 200 horsepower,
the Subaru rendition is rumored to employ a slightly modified version of
the current 2.0-liter turbo, pumping out around 260 horsepower. Obviously
both cars will also get the Impreza's six-speed manual gearbox....
But don't expect too many
differences in the bodywork between the two. Both carmakers will use identical
body panels, but differentiate their car's look using unique grilles, bumpers,
and wheels. According to one insider, testing of the Subaru - and Toyota
- has already started at the Nurburgring in Germany, carried out not by
Toyota engineers but by Subaru's test drivers, which makes a lot of sense.
After all, the bulk of the underpinnings are from the Subaru parts bin,
so Subie testers would be the ones to conduct the shakedowns. One source
suggested that the Subaru might get a four-wheel-drive version, but this
was ruled out simply because the basic theory of both Toyota and Subaru
was to build sporty, rear-wheel-drive coupes using the best engineering
from Subaru and the best marketing techniques and quality control from
Toyota.' the
article and images
5/6 how loyal are you?
customers are still loyal to Toyota. Subaru ranks well for customer devotion.
Toyota's customer loyalty faded slightly in the first quarter after a spate
of safety recalls, but its loyalty numbers were still the strongest in
the industry, auto information site Edmunds.com said Tuesday.
During the first three months
of the year, nearly 58% of Toyota trade-ins resulted in the purchase of
a new Toyota, Edmunds said. That was down 4% from the same quarter a year
ago but still higher than other brands.
Ford's loyalty rate was
second-highest, at nearly 56%. Hyundai, Honda, Subaru, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz
were the only other brands that had a loyalty rates of 50% or higher, Edmunds
said. Mercury had the lowest loyalty, at 14 percent.
3/30 Toyota sells hybrid
technology to Subaru, Mazda, Nissan .. it's expensive to develop hybrids
so smaller car companies are falling in behind Toyota as the need and demand
for better gas mileage cars increases.
'Mazda took another step
toward independent product development March 29, agreeing to lease hybrid
drivetrain technology from fellow Japanese auto maker Toyota Motor Corp.
instead of longtime U.S. partner Ford Motor Co.
The deal gives Mazda access
to the electric powertrain system used in the third-generation Prius, which
was launched last year and is the world’s most popular hybrid vehicle..
For Toyota, the deal also
pushes its hybrid technology closer to becoming a global standard. Leasing
it to other companies is not only a cash stream for the world’s biggest
auto company, it’s also a potent way to guarantee volume for its suppliers,
which drives down cost.
Subaru also has been developing
its own hybrid drivetrain based on technology from Toyota Motor.. Toyota
also supplies the hybrid system used in the Nissan Altima hybrid sedan.'
the
article
3/10 safety- not just
Toyota uses electronics. All car companies use electronic components,
microprocessors and computers. Its a fact of modern life. Toyotas recent
problems will bring greater attention to and focus on safety redundancies.
Here's a recent article
'Japanese carmakers are
considering following Toyota's lead in adopting a brake override system
that would potentially address all sources of unintended acceleration,
including driver error. The system cuts engine power when the accelerator
and brake pedals are applied at the same time.
Nissan Motor is the only
Japanese carmaker that has a function on nearly all of its cars that prioritises
the brakes when both pedals are depressed. Among Japan's eight carmakers,
Mazda said it would add the system to all future models "as soon as possible"
starting this year.
Morgan Stanley auto analyst
Noriaki Hirakata wrote in a recent report that the cost of installing a
brake override system was about $50 a vehicle, adding that it could come
down if more brands adopt it.
Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi,
Subaru, and Daihatsu all said they were considering adopting the system.
The timing and scope of the roll-out were still under study, they said.
"I think (it) could eventually become a standard feature, just like airbags
or anti-lock brake systems," said Daihatsu spokesman Haruki Mori.
Unintended acceleration
in Toyota and Lexus vehicles -- at the heart of the automaker's recalls
-- has been linked with at least five U.S. crash deaths since 2007. The
causes of many cases of unintended acceleration are unknown, and are often
blamed on driver error.
U.S. Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood has said that safety regulators may require allnew cars to have
braking systems that tell the engine to return to idle when both accelerator
and brake pedals are depressed.' the
article
3/9 Subaru and Toyota:
In a move to strengthen their relationship, Toyota will dispatch an executive
to Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.
Mitsuru Takada, 54, will
assume the post of corporate senior vice president at Fuji Heavy on April
1, and his title at Toyota will change from managing officer to adviser
the same day, Toyota said Tuesday. This will mark Toyota's first time dispatching
one of its current executives to Fuji Heavy.
Takada represented Toyota
when it formed a tie-up with Fuji Heavy in 2005 and when Toyota raised
its Fuji Heavy stake from 8.7 per cent to 16.5 per cent in 2008.
He became general manager
of Toyota's corporate planning division in 2004 and then managing officer
in charge of corporate planning in 2008. And since 2009, he has been a
Tokyo-based public relations executive for the automaker."
1/26 Toyota goes all
the way - recall the cars, stop sales, shut factories
This is the right time
to compare Legacy-Camry, Forester - Rav4, Impreza - Corolla/Matrix,
Outback, Tribeca to Highlander.
1/30 updates- a fix
for the sticking gas pedal will be shipped in the coming week.
Honda Motor Co. meantime
is recalling 140,000 2007-2008 Fit hatchbacks because of a bad window switch,
after a child died when fire broke out in a car last year.
1/29 updates-
the recall now includes
Europe, China etc. 'Consumer Reports has temporarily suspended its "recommended"
status for eight Toyota vehicle models and one Pontiac model that may have
accelerator pedals that can stick and cause unintended acceleration.
We are also advising used-car
buyers to avoid purchasing any of the affected vehicles until this issue
is resolved.' CR
website
Toyota, known for building
some of the best cars around, is taking the drastic step of not only recalling
2,300,000 cars but also halting new sales of 8 very popular cars and trucks
and actually shutting down the factories that make them for a week because
the gas pedal can stick causing unintended acceleration. The US government
requested this action.
The sticking throttle only
involves cars with accelerator pedal from component supplier CTS of Elkhart,
Ind, Toyota says, and is separate from the Toyota/Lexus recall to stop
floor mats from sliding up over the pedal.
According to Toyota, the
accelerator pedal can become stuck when mechanisms get worn. It's uncommon
and develops gradually over time, Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said. The
pedal may become harder to press and become slower to return when released.
In the worst cases, it may become stuck in a partially depressed position.
The cars in the recall/stop
sale are the 2007-2010 Camry (the #1 selling car in the US), 2009-2010
Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2009-2010 Rav4, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2005-2010
Avalon, 2008-2010 Sequoia, and 2010 Highlander. The 09-10 Pontiac Vibe
is included because its based on the Corolla and built at the now closed
GM/Toyota plant in Fremont, Ca.
The stop sale does not include
the Camry hybrid, Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner,
FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser or Lexus or Scion.
Toyota will also stop production
for a week starting February 1st at 5 Toyota plants including the
Camry line at Subaru's SIA plant in Indiana. Also temporarily shutdown
will be plants in Canada, Texas, Kentucky and engine plants in Alabama
and West Virginia.
The official Toyota
press release, for help call Toyota Customer Service 800-331-4331.
top
|
ADVERTISING and SPONSORSHIP news in 2010 edited for length, content . |
12/27- advertising- Baby
Driver ad one of the years best according to Time magazine.
'Minneapolis advertising
agency Carmichael Lynch struck a winning chord with the editors of Time
magazine, who picked the company's heartwarming ad for Subaru as one of
its top 10 TV commercials of the year.
In it, a 5-year-old girl
is settling into the driver's seat as her father warns her to stay off
the freeways and not to text. As he hands over the keys, we see that he's
really been talking to his teenage daughter, who gently says, "Thanks,
Dad" and backs out of the driveway.
Randy Hughes, Carmichael
Lynch's group creative director for Subaru, said the commercial featured
a father and his two daughters, and not a trio of actors. The casting agent
found the family in California, and Hughes said the agency decided to "chance
it with real people."
While the advertising industry
hands out plenty of awards, "they're not ones your Mom knows about," said
Hughes, who worked on the campaign with chief creative officer Jim Nelson.
"Telling your mom you were honored by Time magazine, it means something."
And how did Hughes' mom
react? "She started crying."' read
the article
> Time says 'Subaru's entry
into the annals of awwwwww was a fine one. A 5-year-old girl is buckling
up in the driver's seat of a Subaru, as her dad warns her to stay off the
freeways- "You're not ready for those yet" - and to leave her phone in
her bag: "I don't want you texting." Finally, he hands her the keys. "Thanks,
Dad," says the daughter, whom we now see is a teenage girl ready to hit
the road. All parents fear the moment they realize their 5-year-old is
gone forever. But they'll still smile when watching this ad' Time
magazine article
12/14 Subaru
supports good writing. 6th AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in
Science Books.
'The prizes were established
in 2005 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, with
sponsorship from Subaru, to celebrate outstanding science writing and illustration
for children and young adults.
The prize winners in each
category will receive $1,500 and a plaque during the AAAS' annual meeting
in Washington in February. There'll be other announcements as well: AAAS
and Subaru will award $5,000 worth of science books to public schools in
the District of Columbia, the Kids' Choice Award will be revealed, and
Subaru will kick off a book donation program.
> Young adult science books.
Winner "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Sklooty. Skloot's
highly acclaimed book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American
woman with cervical cancer who had a sample of her tumor removed in 1951.
Neither she nor her family knew that the sample was used to give rise to
the immortal HeLa cell line, the first successful tissue culture. The HeLa
cells have played a vital role in a wide range of medical research projects.
Skloot focuses on the science and the ethics of the HeLa saga, as well
as the personal story of Lacks (who died just months after her diagnosis)
and her family.
Other young-adult finalists
include: "The Case for Pluto," by Alan Boyle (who wrote this article) ;
"The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love and the
History of the World From the Periodic Table of Elements," by Sam Kean;
"Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discovery, Deductions and Debates,"
by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw.
> Children's science picture
books. Winner "Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge," by Joanna Cole,
illustrated by Bruce Degen.. Ms. Friz uses hippos, sunbeam slides and "microscope
goggles" to explain the greenhouse effect, carbon footprints and other
complexities of climate science in a way that elementary and secondary-school
students will understand.
Other finalists include:
"Bones: Skeletons and How They Work," by Steve Jenkins; "Lizards," by Nic
Bishop; "Why Do Elephants Need the Sun?" by Robert E. Wells;
> Middle-grade science books.
Winner "The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe," by
Loree Griffin Burns, illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz. This beautifully
illustrated book describes the organization of an artificial beehive and
how beekeepers care for their bees and extract honey from the hives.."
Other finalists include:
"Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot," by Sy Montgomery,
photo by Nic Bishop; "The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story
of Medical Sleuthing," by Suzanne Jurmain; "The Story of Snow: The Science
of Winter's Wonder," by Mark Cassini with John Nelson;
> Hands-on science books.
Winner "The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science: 50 Experiments for
Daring Young Scientists," by Sean Connolly. It's intended for upper elementary
and/or middle-school students. Each of the experiments is rated on a 1-to-5
scale, with 5 being the most potentially hazardous. No scientific apparatus
is necessary.
Other finalists include:
"Insect Detective," by Steve Voake, illustrations by Charlotte Voake;
"Nature Science Experiments: What's Hopping in a Dust Bunny," by Sudipta
Bardhan-Quallen with illustrations by Edward Miller; "You Are the Earth:
Know Your World So You Can Help Make It Better," by David Suzuki and Kathy
Vanderlinden.
read
the entire article by Alan Boyle who wrote "The Case for Pluto", a
finalist in the Young Adult section above
11/9 Impreza 5 door is
in Robert Downey's new movie 'Due Date'.
In the new Warner Bros./Legendary
Pictures production, Robert Downey Jr plays a character that is in a race
against time to get home for the birth of his child, using a Subaru Impreza.
The comedy, directed by Todd Phillips, follows father-to-be Peter Highman
(Downey Jr) as he tries to make his way home in time for his wife’s due
date.
Highman therefore starts
a road trip with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis – the
Hangover), with the duo taking their hilarious road trip in a Paprika Red
Pearl Impreza hatchback. The car, however ends up totaled.
“The AWD hatchback copes
admirably with all that the duo can throw at it before its role in the
movie ends dramatically, when, with the troublesome Tremblay at the wheel,
it is inadvertently launched from a motorway flyover and lands on its roof
on the road below (a seriously stern crash test for any car),” a Subaru
statement reads.' read the
article.
11/8 advertising, Share
the Love v3 Subaru again launches a now apparently regular annual
'Share the Love' event where $250 is contributed for each car sold to the
buyer's choice of charity. 2 new charites for 2010, Ocean Conservancy
and Big Brothers Big Sisters, join ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity,
Meals On Wheels. Gone is National Wildlife Federation, and the Boys &
Girls Clubs of America.
This is the 3rd Share the
Love event and in the previous 2 years, Subaru has donated $1m to each
charity. No, it isn't tax deductible because you didn't pay it. The
Share the Love Event is from November 20, 2010 - January 3, 2011. photos
2010
Share the Love Event
10/30 advertising Subaru
Forester ' Hockey Mom' commercial
The Pogues' 'If I Should
Fall From Grace With God' is the soundtrack for an extremely busy mother,
who is shown corralling her hockey-playing triplets in the new Subaru Forester
commercial. The song is the title track from the band's 1988 album of the
same name, the third and most popular collection of their unique blend
of folk, punk rock and traditional Irish music. article by Matthew
Wilkening
10/26 advertising
- more on the Mediocrity ad campaign
'Welcome to a campaign that
proudly heralds and displays an ordinary product--except this time, those
presenting it admit, with a wink, that this is a promotion built on much
ado about nothing.
The spots - both on TV and
the web -are for a new car model that isn't at all that new, the 2011 Mediocrity,
just another boxy four-door sedan standardly equipped. In one spot, for
example, a Mediocrity designer explains that instead of breaking the mold,
he and his colleagues gathered the broken pieces of the old mold and put
it back together..
.. Beyond broadcast and
online commercials directed by Baker Smith of harvest, the expansive campaign
from Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis, includes an agency produced website
via Exopolis (www.2011mediocrity.com) with online games and tongue in cheek
purchase options. A Facebook page, Twitter feed, and YouTube channel played
an integral role. The Carmichael Lynch media team was also able to partner
with automotive sites such as AutoTrader, Cars Direct and Edmunds to integrate
spotlight pages and reviews into their sites. These sites would then reveal
those pages to sedan shoppers. Those logging onto the Mediocrity website
see the host URL as being that of Subaru. And those who are seeking a higher
level in a sedan than Mediocrity can push a little orange button (which
reads "Click here to feel something more"), leading them out of the campaign
ruse over to the Subaru Legacy.
As for the strategic rationale
behind the humorous decoy Mediocrity campaign, Randy Hughes, Carmichael
Lynch group creative director/senior partner, explained, "We did clinics
with the new Subaru Legacy. Owners were passionate about the Legacy and
couldn't imagine getting another make... We realized these non-Subaru owners
were sleepwalking through the car-shopping experience..
Hughes added that the agency
didn't want to keep the ruse up too long when people explored the 2011
Mediocrity site. "Some pundits said 'you blew it. We knew it was you guys.'
But the point is that we didn't want to have the sponsor behind this -Subaru
- remain that big a secret. We wanted to get attention and then link quickly
to the Subaru Legacy..
However there's a method
to the madness. The goal was to have the Legacy stand out from the crowded
mid-sized sedan category and to attain a higher profile in the car buying
conversation. The campaign has yielded a 65 percent increase in traffic
to Subaru.com/legacy. Thus far there have been 253,000-plus total site
visits, thousands of comments, retweets, etc., and more than 180,000 video
views on YouTube.
Hughes noted that
the agency naturally gravitated to director Smith given "his taste level,
handling of humor and a body of work marked by great production values."..
The Carmichael Lynch creative team included Hughes, executive creative
director Jim Nelson, group creative director/art director Brock Davis,
group creative director/writer Matt Elhardt, sr. digital designer Joe Kral,
director of integrated production Joe Grundhoefer, director of digital
production Pete Mertz, sr. integrated producer Freddie Richards, sr. digital
producer Jennifer Helm and sr. project manager Jennifer Abbey..' read
the article
10/15 advertising The
book 'Where Suckers Moon', written in 1994, is a candid look inside Subaru
and their ad campaigns. The author had amazing inside access and today
this book would never get written, and now Subaru would probably love to
pretend that it hadn't been. But it did get written and is a great
read for Subaru enthuisiasts. Subaru has certainly moved on from the 1990s
with mostly better planning (no one hits a home run every time), certainly
better cars, and advertising that while a bit saccharin and very emo-centric,
is effective and at least entertaining. Ok, some of the ads are totally
sappy and pull the heart-strings. Its obvious. Some yank at your stomach
like the Get
More Gs WRX campaign. But at least we're talking about the ads,
about the new fake car, we're talking about how we feel about the ads.
That means they working! On that level anyway. Read on...
"I don’t know what you get
out of the current Subaru Legacy ad campaign (the fake 'Mediocrity'
car) , but what I get out of it is: “The Subaru Legacy is so banal,
and sucks so unrepentantly hard, that we had to put extra crap on an old
Kia Optima to create an alternative you wouldn’t automatically prefer.”
This is not the first time Subaru has pointed a shotgun at its own feet,
nor is it likely to be the last.
Where The Suckers Moon is,
primarily, a story about advertising, but along the way we get a true sense
of Subaru itself: a company stumbling from failure to failure, forever
being rescued by market conditions, outrageously misinformed buyer perception,
and completely random factors. It’s simply a company that is too lucky
to fail, no matter how hard it tries.
Although it was originally
just another one of the infamous Malcolm Bricklin’s get-poor-quick schemes,
Subaru of America found itself an unwitting beneficiary of circumstances
beyond its control. An early adoption of part-time 4WD, done at the suggestion
of the Japanese Post Office, made the little “DL” and “GL” the darlings
of the Northeastern ski set and those who wished to emulate them. Later
on, the Voluntary Restraint Agreement meant that every Japanese car that
could find its way onto a boat would eventually be sold at a healthy profit
somewhere....
... Time and again, Subaru
reveals itself to be the most hilariously incompetent of Japanese automakers..
... At one point in the
book, the author cannot restrain himself any longer and states a simple
fact: Subarus are primarily sold to people who cannot afford (or, in the
VRA era, cannot get) a Honda or Toyota. While that was entirely true in
the early Nineties, we are now familiar with Subaru as the people who bring
you the WRX, STi, and Legacy GT, to say nothing of the Outback and Forester
which actually keep the lights burning at the stars-and-swoosh dealerships.
Still, as we take a look
at the way in which Subaru continually manages to snatch defeat from the
jaws of victory (look at the STi and current Outback for some great examples)
it’s worth noting that reality as described in Where The Suckers Moon hasn’t
completely disappeared. It’s worth a read for any number of reasons. And
for those of you pointing to Subaru’s current sales success as a refutation
of everything I’ve said above… well, perhaps you’re right, but I’d recommend
checking Rothenberg’s work out anyway. TTAC readers have recommended it
no less than four times in the comments section. Consider this a fifth
thumbs-up." read
this whole article.
10/13 advertising-
about
the 'Mediocrity' car campaign
'When Harvest Films was
approached by agency Carmichael Lynch to launch a multiplatform campaign
"Mediocrity" for client Subaru, it was clear the experience would be anything
but ordinary. The Mediocrity launch is a playful send-up of automotive
advertising and a reflection of how the average consumer perceives car
shopping.
The expansive campaign includes
television and online commercials directed by Harvest Films' Baker Smith,
and the agency produced website via Exoplis with online games and tongue-in-cheek
purchase options. "We did clinics with the new Subaru Legacy," explained
Randy Hughes, Carmichael Lynch GCD/Senior Partner. "Owners were passionate
about the Legacy and couldn't imagine getting another make.
And when non-owners were
asked what they loved about their cars the most common answer was, 'I don't
think about it.' We realized these non-Subaru owners were sleepwalking
through the car-shopping experience. If we could show them a playful sea
of sameness perhaps it would give them a wake up call." read the
article, check out the Mediocrity
ad campaign
10/7 Subaru sniffing around
for super puppies
Subaru of America is looking
for some extra special talent for a 2011 Super Bowl spot. The automaker
will be scouting the filming of Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl in New York
City Oct. 15 and will select five puppies to star in the spot, which will
be shot the same day. The spot will air nationwide just before the Super
Bowl, according to sources close to the process. The commercial is about
a guy from Animal Planet traveling to the Super Bowl (in his Subaru, of
course) with his five puppies and they make several stops along the way.
A Subaru spokesperson declined
to comment.
Cherry Hill, N.J.-based
Subaru was a sponsor of last year's Puppy Bowl, which is aired on Animal
Planet at the same time as the Super Bowl. Known by pet lovers as the furry
alternative to the Super Bowl, puppies compete for the title of MVP --
Most Valuable Puppy. The show is routinely one of Animal Planet's highest-rated
shows of the year, pulling in a collective 7.8 million unique viewers during
a February 2009 marathon and 1.1 million viewers during last year's live
telecast.
The automaker has said that
more than 50% of their car owners have dogs, and it indexes higher than
most carmakers with dog owners.
Last year, the automaker
rolled out a series of spots from Carmichael Lynch featuring all-canine
drivers under the tagline: "Dog tested, dog approved."
Subaru has a long history
of supporting animal welfare organizations such as the ASPCA. The automaker
recently helped dogs and puppies find homes at the Pilots and Paws Gulf
Rescue Flyway on Sept. 18. Dogs are shown "driving" and even parallel parking
their vehicles. The spots premiered during Animal Planet's "Dogs 101" marathon
the Saturday before the Super Bowl and then aired during the telecast of
the sixth annual Puppy Bowl.
Beginning in 2008, the marketer
started running print ads touting its ASPCA partnership that read: "Without
dogs, how would you get rid of that new-car smell?" read
the article
10/1 Advertising.
Want
a plain old boring sedan? Subaru thinks outside the advertising box
again - remember the Skunk? - and introduces a faux sedan, the 2011
'Mediocrity', a pastiche of generic sedans that are on the market.
I wonder what group of snoozemobiles
Subaru advertising and web folks threw into the bubbling cauldron they
drank from before conjuring up this latest idea to market a totally boring
fake car as a counterpoint to the Legacy. While the Legacy may not be one
of the worlds most exciting 4 doors, compared to some everyday snorers,
its a little bit different and a little bit fun, and yes all wheel drive
is cool because you can go places you don't even really want to.
The Mediocrity car company's
Mission Statement is ".. to manufacture the most mainstream mid-size sedan
on the road today... We strive for predictability, unoriginality, and no-frills
utilitarianism... The 2011 Mediocrity will get you from A to B without
anyone ever noticing..."
Specs: Electrical
ignition with spark plugs; leaf spring rear suspension, basic flexibody
construction; 4 drum brakes,
Dimensions: height: medium;
wheelbase: adequate; ground clearance: clears small rocks
Colors: Medium Crumb or
Stale Biscuit, with Brown Gravel or Chimney Soot interiors. (Hey, wait
a minute! don't I recognize Biscuit from the 03 Subaru?)
Options and extras include
a cushioned seat, a floor mat, a hubcap, an odometer, windshield, wicker
chair...
Serious about a snoozemobile?
Subaru wants to Hey wake you up with a strong dose of Legacy reality,
encouraging viewers to click a link for 'something
better'- a 2011 Legacy of course
Check out the 2011
Mediocrity at www.2011Mediocrity.com,
but don't try to buy one.. The Legacy is the recommended cure for
the common sedan..
the Mediocrity snoozemobile-
no nothing
9/30 Subaru like kids,
pets - makes family friendly cars and is a family friendly company
"Subaru, known for its reputation
of building family-friendly vehicles, is continuing to build a reputation
for generous adoption assistance benefits for its employees. Subaru, for
the second year in a row, was ranked #1 in the automotive industry category
on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption's "Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces
in America" list.
This special achievement
marks the fourth consecutive year that Subaru has been honored by the foundation.
The list, categorized by industry and size of business, names Subaru of
America, Inc.:
#1 in the auto industry
category, #2 in the medium-sized company category, #7 out of all companies
in the United States
"Subaru remains extremely
proud to support its employees and our adoption assistance program allows
them to make a special difference in the lives of children," said Thomas
J. Doll, executive vice president and COO, Subaru of America, Inc. "As
a family-focused organization, we are thrilled to provide employees with
the financial assistance necessary to welcome children into their homes."
read
the press release
9/26 Subaru sponsors
Heal The Bay's Coastal Clean Up day in Southern California
'An all-time number
of volunteers today collected more than 100,000 pounds of ocean-bound trash
from local watersheds as part of Heal the Bay's 21st annual Coastal Cleanup
Day.
Despite blazing heat throughout
the region, participants scoured Southland beaches, inland waterways, regional
parks and urban neighborhoods. Some 14,131 volunteers mobilized from 9
a.m. to noon at 65 sites throughout the county, covering 101 miles.
..Sites covered the entire
county this year, from Tujunga to Long Beach, Compton to Malibu. SCUBA
dive teams canvassed under the Santa Monica and Redondo Beach piers, while
a flotilla of kayakers removed trash from Marina del Rey.
Among the unusual items
found this year: three bowling balls cut in half at Coyote Creek Trail
(Cerritos); a vibrator discovered in Lake Machado (Ken Malloy Regional
Park); goatskin hide and mummified cat (Tujunga Wash); a submerged gas-burning
stove (Redondo Pier dive site); several crack pipes (Santa Monica, Venice
and Malibu); and a floating bag of marshmallows (Marina del Rey kayak site)
.. Coastal Cleanup Day sponsor
Subaru hosted special test drive and sweepstakes events throughout the
county to benefit Heal the Bay and raise awareness about the cleanup.'
the press
release and photos
9/20 Actors wanted- Have
a Subaru, are you green, think you can act? Let the world know!
Audition in SF, closes 10/12/2010
'We are looking for all
types of active Subaru car owners who live an environmentally and socially
"green" lifestyle. This person can drive any model or make of a Subaru.
We want to hear about your "green" character story and your commitment
to living a "greener lifestyle". Want to know about your story of
taking environmental and social responsibility to "live green" and embracing
the greater good of protecting our planet. We want to know how your
Subaru directly helps in that effort.
Auditions: Start week of
September 20, 2010; Shoot Date: October 13; Location: San Francisco;
Pay: approx. $600.00 + residuals.
Please note there is NO
pay for the audition… only if chosen for the shoot. Please forward
this to anyone you may know that fits the specs or may be interested….thank
you!'
the link
8/23 Animals - 1 good,
and 1 not too smart- 'Pilots N Paws' to transport animals from Gulf Coast.
Subaru is a sponsor
of Pilots n Paws
'There are literally hundreds,
perhaps thousands of animals who need to move out of the New Orleans/Gulf
Coast area. These are perfectly healthy animals who through no fault of
their own have ended up in a shelter. Many had families who loved them
and are direct victims of the oil spill disaster. Their owners have lost
their jobs, their homes, have no income and are barely surviving. They
are turning their animals over to various shelters and rescue groups to
at least give their pets a chance at finding someone to care for them.
On September 18 with the
19th as a back-up weather date.. we are asking for pilot volunteers to
work together to move as many of these fully vetted animals to three specific
areas of the country.
The areas are Lakeland,
Florida, D.C. (Warrenton, VA) and Caldwell, N.J. We also have some special
trasnports set up with individual pilots for Chicago, Memphis, Iowa and
possibly Houston.... The receiving areas may be expanded beyond just
these three destinations if we have pilots willing to fly the routes...'
check out Pilots N Paws
website
the bad - get a
cargo/pet barrier, pet carrier, or at least a leash attached to the cargo
hooks
'Many pet owners let their
pooch go along for the ride in their cars... Witnesses say a Subaru wagon
barreled through a red light, hit another car, and flipped over. "It appears
the driver of the Outback that violated the traffic signal was distracted
by the small dog that was on his lap," said Omaha Police Officer Adam Rokes.
The driver in that wreck was injured and the dog in his lap killed....
"If you have the dog in
the back seat and you come to a stop, the dog is still traveling 50 miles
per hour until it hits something," said Sgt. Gutierrez.' the
article
8/9- advertising-
continuing with the Love theme, Subaru TV ad shows Dad nervously watching
his daughter drive. Here's a pretty accurate review for USA Today
"Subaru goes for the heartstrings
in a new TV ad aimed at playing on parental angst about letting their kids
get behind the wheel on their own for the first time.
Pretty smart. Watching
the ad, it's hard not to share in the dread of any parent who ever handed
the keys to a son or daughter for their first solo journey when they still
aren't old enough to vote. In an interesting twist: the actors playing
the dad and his daughter -- age six and as a teenager -- are a real-life
family from Malibu, Calif.
Subaru calls spot "Baby
Driver." When it was shown at a dealers meeting recently, there wasn't
a dry eye in the house. How it plays out: The spot begins with a little
girl aged six, sitting in the driver's seat of a Subaru Legacy with her
father speaking to her through the passenger side window. She smiles patiently
as her father gives her the "safety talk." As he hands her the keys, we
realize that all along its been a 16-year-old waiting for her first ride
alone whose Dad still sees her as his "little girl."
"Most parents dread that
moment when their children first take the wheel alone. It's momentous,"
said Kevin Mayer, director of marketing communications, Subaru of America,
Inc. "We talked about this with our agency, Carmichael Lynch and we loved
the idea of building a story around that moment through the eyes of the
father."
For the actor playing the
concerned father, Andy Lyons, art is imitating life. "As father to both
the girls, portraying those complex emotions on-screen was not a stretch
for me. Having my first daughter, Lanna reach driving age and knowing that
my second, Georgie, will be there all too soon, I understand the anxiety
of handing over the keys for the first time."
The spot is aimed at portraying
Subaru as the brand that will reassure parents when their teens start driving.
Subaru just recorded its highest July sales ever, so whatever the brand
is doing appears to be working." the article
7/31 advertising -
The 2010 Subaru lot To Love Event runs August 3-31 with banners,
window stickers, balloons etc. Various taglines include things like
' 95% of all Subarus built in the last 10 years are still on the road',
'2010 IIHS top safety picks for all models', 'highest predicted resale
value in the industry', 'Subaru was the first automotive plant in the US
to achieve zero landfill status'....
window sticker from the
Lot to Love, 8/3-31, 2010
7/26 advertising- "We've
got a bridge, and we've got a gorge- it's time to jump into it!"
Subaru sponsors Bridge Day.
Jump off a bridge at the
31st Annual Bridge Day Festival in West Virginia October 16, 2010
'This festival, the state's
largest, is all about living. Our setting, the New River Gorge, is one
of the world’s oldest places, and BASE jumping is one of the world's most
cutting edge sports. Above the famous white water rafting on the New River,
jumpers, rappelers, and thousands of onlookers gather for the state's biggest
party of the year'. Bridge
Day
6/11 What women buy, a
study of registrations by truecar.com.
Subaru is #4 with 43.2%
of cars sold registered in a woman's name, though no one Subaru model was
in the top 10.
'TrueCar’s study was based
on over 13 million actual vehicle registrations, covering the last two
years.. In looking at the gender of the name on the registration alone,
and not driver or decision maker, the data shows that more men than women
– at a rate of 64% to 36% – register vehicles in the US, even though females
make up 51% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Some of the key findings of the TrueCar.com study include...
The brand with the highest
percentage of female registrations was Kia (45.8%), followed by Suzuki
(44.2%) and Mini (43.9%). There were 10 total makes with female ratio
of over 42%, including Subaru, Hyundai and Volvo, which are all brands
known for safety and/or value.
> The top models women buy
(more women than men buy): VW Beetle 56.1%, Nissan Rogue 53.5%, Hyundai
Tucson 53%, VW EOS 53%, Volvo S40 sedan 51.9%, Honda CRV 51.3%, Kia Sportage
50.5%, Toyota Rav4 50.4%, Nissan Sentra 50.1%.
> The top brands women choose
are: Kia 45.8%, Suzuki 44.2%, Mini 43.9%, Subaru 43.2%,
Nissan 43.1%,, Hyundai 43.0%, Honda 42.8%, Volvo 42.4%, Lexus
42.3% , Mitsubishi 41.5%, Mercury 41.4%, Mazda 40.9%, VW 40.2%,
Toyota 39.6%'. by Truecar.com
5/31 advertising- new
'Badge of Ownership' program. Have a Subaru, get a badge. Subaru
marketing is hard at work coming up with new ways for you to show Love
and spread enthusiasm for Subaru.
To enhance the experience
and welcome new owners, Subaru will send a welcome packet with a guide
to owner benefits booklet with company contact info, various websites etc.
Hopefully they'll also include your dealer and salesperson contact info
since that's always the first place to go for specific questions about
operating the new car, or for service, comments, help, advice etc.
Plus you can request a
free 'Badge of Ownership'
check my webpage www.cars101.com/subaru/badgeofownership.html
Request a free Badge
of Ownership to put on the car to show and help spread the Love. If you
currently have a Subaru, you can get one too. Its a small round badge
that you adhere anyplace but typically car logos, names, and emblems are
put on the back of the car or the sides just in front of the doors.
The Badge will indicate what number Subaru this is that you have owned
(my 2nd Subaru, 3rd etc), and off on the side of the badge you can attach
your choice of 12 currently available emblems or symbols indicating your
sport, hobby, or lifestyle etc. You can choose more than one emblem, and
yes, you have to have a Subaru to get the badge (you'll need the VIN).
The emblem choices are (see image)
Snow Sports, Outdoor Sports,
Biking, Mechanical, Animals, Performance, Lesbian/Gay, High Mile, Gardening,
Love, Environment, and Music/Art.
Here's the website BadgeofOwnership.com
to order your badge. It takes 4-6 weeks to arrive.
On the website is a suggestion
box for future emblems, which is a good idea. Here are a few quick thoughts
and yes there are more but I'm being polite. So, in no particular order,
and having fun, here are a few more possible emblems: photography/cinema
(camera); carpenter/painter (hammer, brush); reading/writing (book, pen);
hunting/fishing (crossed gun, bow, rod); sailing/boating (boats); planes/flying
(plane, parachute); working ($1 paycheck); gym fitness (workout machine),
horse, dog, cat, bird etc; knitting/sewing (needles, thimble); camping/hiking
(tent); jogger (running feet), cooking (pot over crossed fork and knife);
democrat or republican (donkey, elephant); shopping (building with
'Mall' over door); wine/drinking (bottle); space (rocket); sex (ah ...
never mind); computer (laptop with virus); medical (syringe or caduceus);
nothing ( O with a line through it); bored (question mark); and of course
the obvious ones, the Subaru logo, and one with your dealer's name. And
ones Subaru won't make that you have to make yourself- other car brand
logos, body parts, off-color words etc..
5/22 ASPCA Guardian members
qualify for special Subaru pricing on new cars.
"The ASPCA
Guardians are a group of dedicated friends like you who make monthly
gifts that provide a consistent, reliable income stream, allowing us to
focus more resources on our lifesaving programs, and less on raising the
necessary funds." 6 months of Guardian membership is required. Read more
about the ASPCA/Subaru
program
here.
5/19 a summary of Subaru's
success with customers that like to go where and when they want.
One thing won't change:
Subaru's emphasis on the relatively upscale buyer who values freedom and
frugality. Subaru managers think that's a market of up to 60 million buyers—far
larger than the niches of academics, tree huggers, and gays and lesbians
that it's long been associated with...
'... By courting financially
solid buyers with a taste for the quirky, tiny Subaru of America sped through
2009, logging record sales and market share along the way. Last year Subaru
became the 11th most popular U.S. auto brand, up from No. 19 just a year
earlier... It's the growth leader again so far in 2010 - up 41% through
April. For the first time, its unit sales exceed those of such better known
brands as BMW, Lexus, Mazda, and Volkswagen...
Subaru's secret is that
it understands the customers who drive its cars and has gotten smarter
and more aggressive about reaching out to new ones who would feel at home
as part of that clan. The company has the type of customer base that's
particularly attractive to carmakers. The average household income of a
Subaru owner is $88,000, the same as Honda and $10,000 more than Toyota,
says Alexander Edwards, president of market researcher Strategic Vision.
Plus, Subaru buyers are three years younger than the industry average and
a quarter more likely to have a college degree.
They are a thrifty lot,
traditionally buying less car than they can afford. Some 36% pay cash.
Subaru has played to that frugal bent by cutting roughly $1,200 from the
$26,342 average price of its cars in 2007. Those cuts haven't killed profit
margins because the lower prices allowed Subaru to reduce sales incentives
and rebates on its cars substantially. Currently, the company gives about
$1,333 per vehicle in incentives—the lowest level of any major car brand,
says Thomas Doll, chief operating officer. That's almost half the $2,310
in incentives Toyota currently gives its buyers. Much of the automaker's
marketing focuses on cementing its connection to customers. Subaru's research
shows them to be an eco-friendly bunch who value the freedom to go where
they want, when they want. Unlike luxury car buyers, Subaruers are "customers
who are not buying things, but experiences," says Chief Marketing Officer
Tim Mahoney. That meshes nicely with Subaru's all-four-wheel-drive lineup,
showcased by TV ads that star one of its cars caked with road grit, being
applauded by admiring spectators on a suburban Main Street. The tagline:
love. "In their marketing they've been focusing on what creates love between
the owner and the automobile," says Edwards. "The 'share the love' campaign
has been effective. They play up fun, the adventure you can have in a Subaru."
Last year the company sold
a record 216,652 cars in the U.S. It's upping production 40% this year
at its Indiana plant, which also builds cars for Toyota, Fuji's largest
shareholder. The plant is located in an official wildlife preserve with
no waste sent to landfills, in keeping with Subaru's support for causes
such as the American Canoe Assn. and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor
Ethics.
Such brand-building moves
help Subaru win new customers on the cheap. It spends about $154 million
a year on U.S. advertising—$100 million less than the VW brand (which sells
about the same number of vehicles in the U.S.), a fifth of what Hyundai
spends, and a fraction of the $2.2 billion plunked down by GM, the industry
spending leader, according to Kantar Media. "They're kind of the poor man's
Audi," says James Bell, executive market analyst for KBB in Irvine, Calif.
To keep growing, Subaru
would benefit from adding a compact-class car and hybrid to its U.S. line,
says Bell. Subaru and Toyota have said they're working together to develop
a small, sporty car that both will sell. Fuji Heavy President Ikuo Mori
has said the company's first hybrid will arrive in 2012.
One thing won't change:
Subaru's emphasis on the relatively upscale buyer who values freedom and
frugality. Subaru managers think that's a market of up to 60 million buyers—far
larger than the niches of academics, tree huggers, and gays and lesbians
that it's long been associated with. "They are basically adding people
who are Subaru buyers in their hearts, but don't know it," says Edwards
of Strategic Vision. By Subaru's math, with 2.4 million Subarus now on
the road, that leaves 57.6 million customers to go.' the
article
5/15 Subaru advertising
overview from www.brandinsightblog.com
'Winter Storm Slams Into
Washington. Travel Advisory For The Entire Mid Atlantic. Historic Storm
Hits Atlantic Coast.'
Subaru of America loves
headlines like that. Every time a big storm brings traffic to a standstill,
the Subaru brand shines.
You seldom see an all-wheel-drive
Outback wagon or a Forrester stuck in a snowbank. And you won’t see the
company taking government bailout money. While the big three automakers
were buried in losses, Subaru was cruising right along. Overall, U.S. sales
were up 15% in 2009. In July, they posted a record sales month, up 34%
from the previous year. In 2008, despite the lowest incentives in the industry,
Subaru gained market share.
Not bad for a niche brand
with a limited vehicle line up and a miniscule media presence. Subaru’s
entire advertising budget is less than what some automakers spend on a
single vehicle.
Which brings me back to
those dreaded winter storm warnings and an ad I recently spotted in Ski
Magazine:
“Snowstorm Advisory. More
of a calling than a warning.” Subaru. No photo of the car. Just a dramatic,
black and white photo of a lonely road in a blizzard. It’s taken in the
first-person perspective, as if I’m sitting in the front seat. That ad
doesn’t just speak to me. It sings. Hats off to the creative team at Carmichael
Lynch. And a round of applause for the client at Subaru who actually stood
up against the industry convention and agreed to leave the car out altogether.
It takes guts to run a full
page ad in a national magazine without showing the product. And I’m sure
the dealers gripe about it, and say “it’s just a branding ad.”
But it works. It speaks
volumes about the brand, and it touches a highly relevant emotional chord
with anyone who has ever driven through a blizzard to be first on the chairlift.....
... To me, the message is
loud and clear… crummy, snowy roads can’t stop me from doing what I love.
In this ad, it’s benefits
over features, all the way to the bank. Karl Greenberg, editor of Mediapost
said, “Subaru has the kind of brand equity and staunch loyalty you usually
find in luxury marques, which means they can keep their message on product
and brand, not on deals or features.”
Rather than running a headline
that touts the features of a Subaru (ie the “symmetrical all-wheel-drive
system) the ski magazine ad conveys the benefits of that system:
It sells the idea of all
wheel drive. While everyone else is stuck at home, Subaru owners are out
enjoying life. Having fun. Missing nothing. It’s a message of empowerment
wrapped in a warm, wintery blanket. That’s what long term brand advertising
is all about… connecting with specific groups of people in a relevant,
emotional manner, time after time, after time. Until people start feeing
like part of club.
Clearly the top executives
at Subaru get it. They know their market. They’re clear on company values.
And they’ve designed products that align perfectly with the brand, the
message and the medium. You couldn’t place that Subaru ad in The New Yorker
or Parade Magazine, even during a snow storm. It would be out of context
and off target. And when you see it in context of ski magazine, it doesn’t
come across as hype. It’s as authentic as they come. But no brand is perfect,
and Subaru has had its share of flops. For instance, they ran full page
ads featuring the Motor Trend Car Of The Year trophy.
Unfortunately, Subaru drivers
don’t care about automotive awards. In fact, they buy Forresters almost
because of the derogatory comments from industry insiders. Subaru once
tried to build a sports car. The SVX was a classic branding faux paus…
In the mind of the consumer, Subaru means only one thing: Functionality.
No amount of advertising could change that. So it wasn’t a sports car,
and it didn’t look like a Subaru. What the hell was it? It didn’t’ stand
a chance.
Subaru CEO Ikuo Mori recently
admitted that the “up market migration” with the B9 Tribeca hasn’t worked.
Too big and too flashy for
that family of cars. Jim Treece from Automotive news said, “There is nothing
especially wrong with the B9 Tribeca, except that it has utterly nothing
to do with Subaru’s brand.”
Despite its occasional slip-ups,
Subaru enjoys tremendously high brand loyalty. Rally enthusiasts swear
by them and people sell their neighbors on Subaru based on their own brand
stories. And the common theme: The cars are relentlessly practical. Especially
in a snow ' read
the article
5/10 What, a 2011
Outback already? it's all or a good cause. Subaru is a
sponsor of, and has donated a 2011 Outback to, the Southern California
Heal the Bay, "Bring
Back the Beach" auction fundraiser May 20th. Subaru will also give
$50 for each test drive taken by Heal the Bay supporters through May 31,
click
here for the test drive form. Heal the Bay is dedicated to making
S. Ca coastal waters healthy and clean. With the recent oil disaster
in the gulf, protecting our waters is more important than ever.
4/12 Subaru back in the
Rally? The WRX STI spec C will be driven on the Rallye Deutschland
of Production World Rally Championship
4/9 Subaru signs up to
sponsor Pilots'nPaws, an organization and website that provides a meeting
place for those who rescue, shelter or foster animals, and pilots and plane
owners willing to assist with the transportation of the animals.
Nearly 7 out of 10 Subaru
owners have a pet and Subaru knows that pets are part of the family. In
an effort to help find homes for animals in need, Subaru is proud to partner
with Pilots and Paws and looks forward to working with PNP bringing people
and pets together. The
pilotsnpaws.org. website
| 3/1-31, 2010 Love Spring Event. a feel-good event with no specific model focus. The tag line was 'Great Deals On All Models. Now through March 31'. |
 |
3/12 Subaru's loyal
customers serve the company well. "When Russell Levine's lease on his
2006 Subaru Forester was coming to an end, his car hunt was quick. Levine
picked out another Forester SUV, his fourth. Levine, 48, of Huntington
Woods, Mich., was not tempted to try another brand.
"The data speaks for itself.
It's highly rated by independent agencies. The mileage is good," said Levine,
an information technology architect who recently started commuting to a
new job at General Electric's technology center.
Subaru's message of high
safety ratings, fuel economy and resale value is resonating with more drivers,
especially highly educated ones that automakers like to capture.
Last year, Subaru's sales
rose 15.4% even as U.S. auto industry sales fell 21%, the best performance
of any automaker. That helped the Japanese automaker's U.S. market share
grow from 1.4% to 2.1%. That 50% market-share gain is a huge jump for a
niche automotive brand.
Subaru is seen as a quirky
company that appeals as much to drivers who need their cars to haul skis
as it does to engineers and professors looking for a practical vehicle...
James Bell, Kelley Blue
Book executive market analyst, calls Subaru one of the most well-placed
companies in the industry.. Falling auto sales and the credit crisis that
pushed Chrysler and General Motors into bankruptcy reorganization didn't
touch Subaru. "The stars kind of aligned for us," said Tom Doll, COO of
Subaru of America.
Since mid-2008 — as U.S.
auto sales started to dive — Subaru has updated its lineup. It also has
received high safety ratings and praise from magazines such as Consumer
Reports and Motor Trend. Subaru's momentum, however, didn't stop last year.
The company's sales are up 33% through February. Doll said he expects sales
to be higher in 2010 and that Subaru will hang onto a 2%-plus market share
in the U.S.
"Subaru today appeals to
everyone, whereas years ago it really did have a limited audience," Glassman
said. To meet rising demand, Subaru this year plans to hire 200 to 400
employees at its plant in Lafayette, Ind., where the Legacy, Outback and
Tribeca are built...
"Subaru also knows its customers
do research. According to J.D. Power, 68% of Subaru drivers have at least
a four-year college degree, compared with 55% of other new-car buyers.
Subaru customers, Doll said, are "happy with who they are. They could afford
to buy anything. But they prefer to buy a Subaru." the
whole article
2/14 Valentine's Day- get your Subaru True Love Event chocolate heart
2/14 advertising- Subaru ads in the Puppy Bowl. As Subaru says, 'Nearly half of Subaru owners are dog owners. That’s why we’re letting our best friends do the testing'. The ads are designed to reinforce the emotional bond between car and owner. Watch the videos and yes dogs are bad drivers.
2/12 advertising, 2009 Share The Love results . For the 2nd year in a row, Subaru contributed $250 per car sold from 11/21/09-1/4/10 to the buyer's choice of charities. Proving how much Subaru people like animals, the breakdown is ASPCA $1,339,860.66, Meals On Wheels $1,355,376.46, Habitat for Humanity $1,094,917.66, National Wildlife Federation $712,027.86, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America $717,817.36.
2/5 Advertising- Subaru
Puts Dogs in the Driver Seat for New Campaign
'This weekend, the automaker
will roll out a series of spots, created with Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis,
featuring all-canine drivers of the Subaru Forester under the tagline "Dog
tested. Dog approved." Dogs are shown "driving" and even parallel parking
their vehicles to tout Subaru's pup-friendly brand message. The spots will
premiere during Animal Planet's "Dogs 101" marathon Saturday, with airings
planned for Animal Planet's Sunday telecast of its sixth-annual "Puppy
Bowl," National Geographic's "Dog Whisperer" marathon Feb. 15 and
USA's coverage of "The Westminster Dog Show" Feb. 15 and 16. Subaru will
also air different versions of the spots on its YouTube channel and on
several key websites.
Kevin Mayer, the car maker's
director-marketing communications, said about half of Subaru's customers
own a pet, and it indexes higher than most car makers with dog owners...
Beginning in 2008, the marketer
started running print ads touting its ASPCA partnership that read, "Without
dogs, how would you get rid of that new-car smell?"
The doggie outreach is the
latest iteration of the "reverse upfront" integrated-marketing strategy
Subaru started two years ago. The company meets with key media partners
months before the marketplace formally moves to get first crack at key
integrations and sponsorships. Deals with Animal Planet ("Groomer Has It,"
the "Dogs 101" marathon), Syfy (a co-starring role for the WRX in "Eureka")
and History's "Expedition" were inked during that period.
Although many of the partnerships
feature specific Subaru vehicles, Mr. Mayer likes to keep a more holistic
focus on Subaru's marketing. "Most of what we do is really at the brand
level. Forester happens to be the lead vehicle in these [dog] spots, but
it's really about the brand and connecting with the consumer to let me
know we care about their passion points...
Subaru, Hershey and Mars
are all preparing big ad buys for Super Bowl weekend -- but you won't find
them on CBS.
The marketers are the leading
sponsors of this year's sixth annual "Puppy Bowl," airing Sunday at 3 p.m.
EST on Animal Planet." ... read more on adage.com
1/27 Advertising -
Subaru
Free Love Event chocolate heart embossed with the Subaru logo now arriving
at dealers that ordered them, just in time and nicely packaged for a Subaru
Valentine's Day. Makes you smile. Pictures
here
1/25 Advertising- Subaru
'True Love Event'. 1/25-2/14-ish, another 'how do I love
thee' ad campaign, starts late January through mid February (Valentine's
Day-ish). Includes dealer signs and banners etc but best of all,
dealers can purchase and give away little boxes of chocolates with a flip-open
lid where salespeople can put a business card. No other car company
has a box of chocolates for you for Valentine's Day. Don't you just love
Subaru, don't you want to buy one?
1/24 Subaru videos- fun old Subaru videos from youtube
1/13 Forget the Super
Bowl, watch the Puppy
Bowl VI Feb 7th, 3-5pm...
8 million people watched
Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl IV in 2008 and Subaru people do love their animals,
so this is a good match. Not to miss any cat lovers watching, there will
be a Kitty Half Time Show.
'Subaru of America hasn't
advertised in the Super Bowl since 1993 and won't again in 2010. Instead,
the automaker is the car sponsor of the Puppy Bowl, which airs on cable
TV's Animal Planet opposite the Super Bowl on February 7. Subaru
will have at least seven new “low cost” TV commercials arriving during
the Puppy Bowl, Tim Mahoney, the automaker's chief marketing officer, told
Automotive News today at the Detroit auto show. The work, from Carmichael
Lynch in Minneapolis, features dogs as drivers and passengers in funny,
humanlike situations. The ads are part of a new blitz themed “Dog Tested”
and reflect Subaru's nearly year-old sponsorship of the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.' read the
article
1/9/10 Subaru continues
to sponsor Antique Roadshow on PBS. The 2010 season will visit and
appraise antiques and other goodies in San Diego June 12, Billings MT June
26, Miami Beach July 10, Biloxi MS July 24, Des Moines IA August
7, and Wa DC August 21. Want to attend? Applicants selected at random,
online application ends Monday, April 19.
Apply
for tickets, roadshow
website
1/4/2010 advertising-
what's love got to do with it?
'It is just one of a spate
of campaigns focused on love, a sentiment enthralling Madison Avenue in
spite of - or perhaps as an antidote to - a downturn and two wars. Love
is selling cars (“Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru), LensCrafters
eyeglasses (“See what you love, love what you see.”) and Payless shoes
(“I [heart] shoes.”), not to mention long-running campaigns for McDonald’s
(“I’m lovin’ it.”) and Olay (“Love the skin you’re in.”).
How the word for the most
profound of human emotions came to be so popular for peddling consumer
goods has less to do with linguistics than psychology.
“There are left-brain and
right-brain approaches to advertising,” said Linda Kaplan Thaler, chief
executive of the Kaplan Thaler Group, part of the Publicis Groupe. “For
a long time, there was a left-brain approach” that highlighted “rational
reasons and good selling points, but in the last several years studies
have shown that emotional attachments really are a crucial factor in purchasing
decisions.”...
'... In an ad for Subaru
— by Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis, part of the Interpublic Group — a
man drives his Forrester for two days to “Subaru Heaven,” a junkyard where
Subarus are left for parts.
“You don’t just let some
wrecker haul off your 300,000-mile Forrester to who knows where,” says
the driver. “You give that car a chance to live on — one part at a time.”
The commercial is based
on a letter sent by a customer, said Kevin Mayer, director of marketing
communication at Subaru, which introduced the “It’s what makes a Subaru,
a Subaru” campaign in 2007.
“We think of our customers
as experience seekers, and the response they fed back to us over and over
is the love they had for the brand and how the product enables their lifestyles,”
Mr. Mayer said, adding that many Subaru owners are skiers or kayakers traveling
unpredictable roads, and they choose four-wheel-drive vehicles...' the
full article
|
Salespeople, Dealers, Dealer news . |
1/10 Subaru grows from
2.1% in 2009 to 2.3% of the 2010 US car market and the #9 on the top 10
list, outselling direct competitors VW and Mazda (and also BMW, MB,
Mitsubishi, Volvo, Mini, Land Rover, Porsche, Suzuki, Jaguar, Saab, Ferrari,
Maserati, Bentley, Rolls Royce...)
The top 10 car companies
for 2010, with % market share
#1 GM- 2,211,091 cars sold,
19.1% of the US market;
#2 Ford 1,931,534,
16,7%;
#3 Toyota 1,763,595; 15.2%
#4 Honda 1,230,480; 10.6%
#5 Chrysler 1,085,211; 9.4%
#6 Nissan 908,570; 7.8%
#7 Hyundai 538,228; 4.6%
#8 Kia 356,268; 3.1%
#9 Subaru 263,820; 2.3%
of the 2010 US car market;
#10 VW 256,830, 2.2%;
Mazda 229,566, 2.0%; Mercedes
224,944, 1.9%; BMW 220,113, 1.9%; Audi 101,629, 0.9%; Mitsubishi
55,683, 0.5%; Volvo 53,848, 0.5%; Mini 45,644, 0.4%; Land Rover 31,864,
0.3%; Porsche 25,320, 0.2%; Suzuki 23,994, 0.2%; Jaguar 13,340,
0.1%; Saab 5,445; Ferrari 1,547; Maserati 1,897; Bentley 1,430; Rolls Royce
512; subject to change, stats from
the WSJ
1/9 The top Subaru dealers
in the US for 2010. Of over 600 Subarus dealers in the US, these are the
top 50 dealers. All Subaru dealers pay the same for the same car so visit
your local dealer. an unofficial list.
#1 Heuberger Subaru, Colorado
Springs, Co, with 2892 cars for 2010
#2 Van Bortel Subaru, Victor,
NY, 1684 cars in 2010
#3 Shortline Subaru, Aurora,
Co, 1496 cars
#4 Manchester Subaru,
Manchester NH, 1353 cars
#5 Groove Subaru, Englewood,
Colorado, 1346 cars
#6 Colonial Subaru, Danbur,
Ct, 1321
#7 Bill Kolb jr Subaru,
Orangeburg, NY, 1297
#8 Stohlman Subaru,
Herdon, Va, 1271
#9 Carr Subaru, Beaverton,
Or, 1253
#10 Patrick's Subaru, Shrewsbury,
Ma, 1252
#11 Carter Subaru Shoreline,
Shoreline, Wa 1226
#12 Go Subaru Arapahoe,
Englewood Co, 1219
#13 Wentworth Subaru, Portland,
Or 1215
#14 Stevens Creek Subaru,
San Mateo, Ca, 1180
#15 Cityside Subaru,
Belmont, MA, 1172
#16 Continental Subaru,
Anchorage, Ak 1109
#17- tie Irvine Subaru,
Lake Forest, Ca, 1073
#17- tie Liberty Subaru,
Oradell, NJ, 1073
#19 Chaplins Subaru, Bellevue,
Wa, 1065
#20 #1 Cocharan Subaru,
Monroeville, PA, 1053
#21 Lithia Reno Subaru,
Reno, Nv, 1044, cars
#22 Georgetown Subaru, Norwalk,
CT, 1028, cars
#23 Capitol Subaru, San
Jose, Ca, 1024 cars
#24 Baierl Subaru, Pittsburg,
Pa 1014 cars
#25 Goldstein Subaru, Colonie,
NY 1012 cars
#26 Becker Subaru, Allentown,
Pa, 1002 cars
#27 AutoWest Subaru, Roseville,
Ca, 964 cars
#28 Burlington Subaru, Burlington,
Vt- 941 cars
#29 Brunswick Subaru, Brunswick,
OH, 940 cars
#30 John Howard Subaru,
MorganTown, WV, 932
#31 Sommer's Subaru,
Mequon, WI, 926
#32 Northtown Subaru, Amherst,
NY 915
#33-tie Bill Rapp Subaru,
Syracuse, NY 912
#33-tie Flatiron's Subaru,
Boulder, Co 912
#35 Walkers Subaru, Renton,
Wa, 908
#36 Rafferty Subaru, Newtown
Square, PA. 899
#37 Evanston Subaru, Evanston,
IL, 898
#38-tie Bruce Titus Eastside
Subaru, Kirkland, Wa 891
#38-tie Metro West Subaru,
Natick, MA, 891
#40 Patriot Subaru, Saco,
ME, 887
#41 Hannah Subaru, Vancouver,
Wa, 883
#42 Nate Wade Subaru, Salt
Lake City, UT, 873
#43 West Herr Subaru, Orchard
Park, NY, 863
#44 Mike Shaw Subaru,
Thornton, Co, 861
#45 Mid-Hudson Subaru, Wappingers
Falls, NY, 848
#46 Subaru Stamford, Stamford,
Ct, 845
#47 Subaru of Plano, Plano,
Tx, 834
#48 Ramsey Subaru, Urbandale,
IA, 833
#49 Mike Scarff Subaru of
Auburn, Auburn, Wa, 825
#50 Minooka Subaru, Moosic,
PA. 820
1/7/11 The top salespeople
for 2010 calendar year and where they work.
There are lot of hardworking
people at a car dealership - from parts, service, admin/office, to the
people who clean the cars - and it all starts with getting a Subaru from
a salesperson. These are the first people you talk to when considering
a new Subaru, they know the cars, they're job is to help you get the right
one. There are 1000s of Subaru salespeople in the US, here's a list of
the top 50. Its a hard job and these folks have earned the trust of a lot
of buyers but so have the other salespeople not listed here and recognition
is due to all of them because they're the ones that make a Subaru, a Subaru.
And Subaru expects over 90% of a salesperson's customers to respond with
top 'very happy' scores on their new car satisfaction survey.
This is an unofficial list
subject to updates, and doesn't include new car sales to Canada.
#1 Desiree Farey-
#1 salesperson in the US is once again Desiree Farey with 589 cars. She's
at Irvine Subaru, Lake Forest, Ca; Last year she was #1 with 500.
#2 Ferris Reid- #2
salesperson in the US is once again Ferris Reid with 572 cars. He's at
Georgetown Subaru, Norwalk, CT; Last year he was #2 with 462
#3 Craig Parsons, with 398,
is new to the list. He's at Groove Subaru, Englewood, Co.
#4 Jeff Miletta, with 389
cars. He's at Liberty Subaru, Oradell, NJ; Last year he was #3 with 323
#5 Vincent Rizzo with 359
cars. He's at Metric Subaru, Huntington, NY; Last year he was #6 with 302
cars
#6 Theresa Ali, 323 cars.
Van Bortel Subaru, Victor, NY. Last year she was #7 with 287 cars
#7 Margaret Walsh, 303 cars.
New to the list. Van Bortel Subaru, Victor, NY.
#8 Lawrence Fung, 290 cars.
New to the top 25 list. Carlsen Subaru, Redwood City, Ca
#9 Charles Gianakis, 289
cars, Cherry Hill Subaru, Cherry Hill, NJ. Last year he was #3 with 332
#10 Jack Berkowitz, 2823cars.
Manchester Subaru, Manchester NH. Last year he was #12 with 247
#11 Andre Tocci, 279 cars.
Rafferty Subaru, Newtown Square, PA. Last year whe was tied at #21with
215 cars
#12 Mir Masood, 273 cars.
Stevens Creek Subaru, Stevens Creek Ca. Last year he was tied at #14 with
240 cars.
#13 Stephen Appelbe,
267 cars. Manchester Subaru, Manchester, NH; Last year he was #11 with
253 cars.
#14 Vincent Bovenzi, 261
cars. New to the list. Van Bortel Subaru, Victor NY
#15 John Hughes, 253 cars.
New to the list. Sheehy Subaru, Springfield, Va
#16 Karl Lindemuth, 247
cars. Van Bortel Subaru, Victor, NY. Last year he was #5 with 311
#17 Guillermo Wong,
245 cars. Bird Road Subaru, Miami, FL. Last year he was #9 with 257 cars.
#18 Clayton Earle, 244 cars.
New to the list. Liberty Subaru, Oradell, NJ
#19-tie Mark Lidano, 237
cars. Cityside Subaru, Belmont, MA. Last year he was #17 with 221
cars.
#19-tie Julie Schulte, 237
cars. Subaru of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, SD. Last year she was #16 with
223 cars
#21 Jonathan Dimeglio, 235
cars. New to the list. Subaru Stamford. Stamford, CT
#22 Ronald Kula, 231 cars.
New to the list. Brunswick Subaru, Brunswick, OH
#23-tie Abe Baraka, 230
cars. New to the list. Bruce Titus Eastside Subaru. Kirkland, Wa
#23-tie Aleksey Petrushkin,
230 cars. Ramsey Subaru Ramsey, NJ. Last year he was tied at #19
with 216 cars.
#25 Joe Khattar, 229 cars.
Goldstein Subaru of Albany, Colonie, NY
#26 Harold Gosnell, 228
cars, #1 Cochran Subaru, Monroeville, PA.. #27 Michael reed, 226 cars,
Wagner Subaru, Fairborn, OH.
#28 Ronald Hall, 222 cars,
Shortline Subaru, Aurora Co. #29 George Villafane, 221 cars. Loman
Subaru, Parsippany, NJ.
#30 Bob Bruggeman, 218 cars.
Kerven Subaru, Butler, PA..
#31-tie Ahmad Rahimzadah,
217 cars. Livermore Subaru, Livermore, Ca. #31-tie Jordan Raport, 217 cars.
Stohlman Subaru, Herndon, VA.
#33 Bradley Davis,
218 cars. Mark Miller Subaru South Towne, Sandy UT. #34 Jamie Cassady,
214 cars. Capitol Subaru, San Jose, CA.
#35 Ken Eby, 211 cars. Carr
Subaru, Portland, Or. #36 James Triplett, 209 cars. John Howard Subaru,
Morgantown, WV.
#37- tie Joan Vaccoro, 208
cars. Loman Subaru, Parippany, NJ. #37-tie Stuart Lesser, 208 cars.
Bill Kolb Jr Subaru, Orangeburg, NY. #37-tie Alicia Piper, 208 cars. AutoWest
Subaru, Roseville, CA.
#40-tie Garrett Spangler,
207 cars. Spangler Subaru, Johnstown, PA. #40-tie Michael Nelson,
207 cars. Cityside Subaru, Belmont, MA. #40-tie Dave Denu, 207 cars. Flatirons
Subaru, Boulder, Co.
#43-tie Donald Jowdy, 206
cars. Colonial Subaru, Danbury CT. #43-tie Glen Dalton. 206 cars,
Cityside Subaru, Belmont. MA.
#45 Jacquilyn Cobey, 205
cars. Wilde Subaru, Waukesha, WI.
#46-tie Vincent Hendri,
204 cars. Glanzmann Subaru, Jenkintown, PA. #46-tie Jason Ryan, 204 cars.
Brunswick Subaru, Brunswick, OH.
#48 Brian Johnson, 203 cars.
Brunswick Subaru, Brunswick, PA.
#49-tie Derek Bogdan, 201
cars. Cityside Subaru, Belmont, MA. #49-tie Kevin Suchora, 201 cars. Boardman
Subaru, Boardman, OH.
12/29 Snow on the ground?
Connecticut dealers encourage test drives
'State (CT) officials
may have urged motorists to stay off the roads Monday, but for some would-be
auto buyers - particularly those in the market for an all-wheel-drive car
or or four-wheel-drive truck - it was the perfect day for a test drive.
What better conditions to
check for fishtailing, skidding or sliding than ice, snow, slush and sand?
"Schedule your test drive today! There's no better weather to try out a
new or pre-owned all wheel drive vehicle!!!" Schaller Auto World posted
on Twitter and Facebook Monday as transportation crews around the state
scraped, plowed and cleared the worst of the blizzard from off the roads.
The New Britain auto dealership
wanted to remind folks it was open and let them know that there's no better
time to test drive an all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle than
after a snow storm, said Nicholas Cercone, Schaller's general manager.
The test track was a "select
route" of streets near the dealership that had been plowed and sanded,
and one "slushy road," Cercone said.
"We've had plenty of takers.
Lots of folks are on vacation or have time off this week.," Cercone said
Monday afternoon.
Customers could test drive
an assortment of AWDs, including Subaru Outbacks, Mitsubishi Outlanders
and Honda Pilots accompanied by a salesperson. However the dealership kept
its sports cars on ice. No test-driving any Honda S2000s or Mitsubishi
Eclipses "We're not letting any of those out," Cercone said. "Safety before
anything." read
the article
12/28 New Subaru dealer opens Frank Subaru, in National City- San Diego, Ca
12/11 Subaru manager recognized
for a job well done.
'The Society for Information
Management (SIM), the premier network for information technology leaders,
recently presented Brian Simmermon, Chief Information Officer, Subaru of
America, Inc. with its fifth annual SIM Leadership award.
Simmermon, who resides in
Blue Anchor, N.J., joined Subaru of America, in 2005 as Chief Information
Officer. Simmermon then performed a company-wide technology assessment
and determined that the business ran a large collection of applications,
many of which duplicated functionality. Establishing the mantra, "Simplicity,
Flexibility, and Cost Effectiveness", he reduced the total number of applications,
moved to a small core set of systems – including Oracle and Siebel - and
brought the range of hardware into a substantially smaller footprint.
Tom Doll, COO for Subaru
of America said, "We are very pleased Brian has been recognized. He has
consistently shown vision and leadership and under his leadership, our
technology group's innovations have helped our sales to grow to record
levels, regardless of the economic circumstances."
Simmermon's technology group's
aggressive business deliverables have helped Subaru to become one of the
most successful brands in the US with the brand reaching record sales in
both 2009 and 2010. rior to Subaru, Simmermon spent two years with direct-to-consumer
giant QVC, Inc where he headed up their Applications Development group.
With international responsibility, Brian managed all design, development
and integration of applications for over 4000 users in this $5.5B company.
His main system was SAP though he also introduced Service Oriented Architecture,
J2EE and other then modern technologies. Prior to QVC, Simmermon was with
the Franklin Mint for 15 years moving from manager Chief Operating Officer,
European Operations and Chief Information Officer. Brian ultimately managed
a staff of 200 people and lived both in the US and the UK during that period.
Simmermon has presented
at numerous conferences and is very active in the technology community.
He sits on the Oracle Customer Advisory Council and has been a keynote
speaker at several Oracle events and is also active as the Chairman of
the CIO Roundtable of the Greater Philadelphia Senior Executive Group (GPSEG)
and has judged for several SIM Leadership awards. He has also presented
at the SIM CIO Forum and Executive IT Summit. Earlier in his career, Simmermon
was also a founding member of The Cavanaugh Group.
Simmermon graduated from
Rowan University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.' read
the entire press
release
11/24 new Subaru dealer opens- Redding Subaru in Redding, California
10/20 New Subaru dealer- Elk Grove Subaru opens in Elk Grove near Sacramento, Ca.
10/2 Really, a wind
turbine? Green gets serious at Byers
Subaru Dublin in Columbus Ohio right near Dayton.
'Columbus' first commercial
wind turbine is under construction and you might be surprised to learn
it's at a car dealership.
Byers Mazda Subaru in Dublin
had the environment in mind when they came up the idea.
"The first reaction I get
is most people don't believe me. They think I'm joking about it, but once
they realize how serious we are about it most people thought it was pretty
cool," said George Kauffman, Vice President of Byers Automotive.
Byers is a 5th-generation family-owned business, whose now also in the
wind generation business. "I really hope it's going to help drastically
cut down on our energy bills from the day it starts and into the future
and it might also lead to other ways we can be a little more green," said
Kauffman.
The 150-foot wind generator
will produce 150,000 kWh a year, enough to power approximately six homes.
Manufactured by Northern Power Systems, the Northwind 100 is optimized
for performance at low wind speeds and begins to generate electricity at
wind speeds as low as seven mph. "For a dealership like this, a 100 kilowatt
machine makes a lot of sense on the amount of power it can produce in a
years time for them based on our average wind speeds," said Mike Mackay,
Project Executive for Renier Construction, general contractor for Byer's
wind turbines...' the
article
9/5 Labor Day is
9/6.
There are many people
at 600+ Subaru dealers working hard to help you and keep you happy.
Subarus are great cars but they don't make themselves, sell themselves
or fix themselves. This is an unofficial count of the top 25 dealers through
August but it's not the name on the building thats important, its the people
inside.
#1 Heuberger, Co; #2 Van
Bortel Subaru, NY; #3 Shortline, Co; #4 Manchester Subaru, NH; #5
Bill Kolb Subaru, NY; Groove Subaru, Co; Colonial Subaru, Ct; Patricks
Subaru, Ma; Stohlman Subaru, Va; Go Subaru Arapahoe, Co; Stevens Creek
Subaru, Ca; Wentworth Subaru, Or; Carter Subaru Shoreline, Wa; ContinentalSubaru
, Ak; Cityside Subaru, Ma; Carr Subaru, Or; Irvine Subaru, Ca; Liberty
Subaru, NJ; #1 Cochran Subaru, Pa; Bairel Subaru, Pa; Lithia Reno Subaru,
Nv; Chaplins Subaru, Wa; Georgetown Subaru, Ct; Becker Subaru, Pa; Goldstein
Subaru, NY; Capitol Subaru, Or;
7/5 Tip of the hat to
the top Subaru salespeople through June 2010
(note this is unofficial,
subject to correction, and there are lots and lots of hardworking people
at dealers that don't generate the volume to be a top producer).
#1 is Desiree Farey at Irvine
Subaru in Irvine, Ca; #2 Reid Ferris, Georgetown Subaru, Ct; #3 Jeff Miletta,
Liberty Subaru, NJ; #4 Vince Rizzo, Metric Subaru, NY; #5 Margaret Walsh,
Van Bortel Subaru, NY; #6 Craig Parsons Groove Subaru, Co; #7 Charles Gianakis,
Subaru of Cherry Hill, NJ; #8 Guillermo Wong, Bird Road Subaru, Fl; #9
Theresa Ali, Van Bortel Subaru, Ca; #10 Jack Berkowitz, Manchester Subaru,
NH; #11 Steve Applebe, Manchester Subaru, NH; #12 Andre Tocci, Rafferty
Subaru, Pa; tied at #13 Mir Massod, Stevens Creek Subaru, Ca, and John
Hughes, Sheehy Subaru, Va; #15 Lawrence Fung, Carlsen Subaru, Ca; #16 Dan
Fisher, Van Bortel Subaru, NY; #17 Jordan Raport, Stohlman Subaru, Va ;
#18 Karl Lindemuth, Van Bortel Subaru, Ca; #19 Bob Bruggeman, Kerven Subaru,
Pa; #20 Jason Ryan, Brunswick Subaru Oh; tied at #21 Clayton Earle, Liberty
Subaru, NJ, and Stuart Lesser, Bill Kolb Subaru, NY; #23 Abe Baraka,
Bruce Titus Eastside Subaru, Wa; #24 James Triplett, John Howard Subaru,
WV; #25 Larry Boro, Ganley Subaru Bedford, Oh.
5/14/10 The top
25 Subaru dealers in the US January-April 2010
with their state and total new car sales.
#1 Heuberger, Co, 782, #2
Van Bortel, NY, 465; #3 Bill Kolb, NY, 428; Manchester, NH, 408; Shortline,
Co, 404; Stevens Creek, Ca, 392; Colonial, Ct, 383; Wentworth, Or,
373; Groove, Co, 382; Stohlman, Va, 373; Carter Shoreline, Wa, 367;
Patricks, Ma, 366; Go Arapaho, Co, 355; Carr, Or, 342; Irvine, Ca, 339;
Continental, Ak, 337; Cityside, Ma, 327; Lithiua Reno, Nv, 312; Cochran,
Pa, 308; Georgetown, Ct, 305; Northtown, NY, 303; Baierl, Pa, 301;
Chaplins, Wa, 299; Burlington, Vt, 295; West Herr, NY, 288; (an
unofficial count, subject to change, correction)
1/11/10 The top
25 Subaru salespeople for 2009. Updated with where they work
#1 salesperson in the US
is Desiree Farey with 500 cars, she's at Irvine Subaru, Lake Forest, Ca;
#2 is right behind her.
Ferris Reid sold 462 cars at Georgetown Subaru, Norwalk, CT;
#3 Charles Gianakis 332
cars, Cherry Hill Subaru, Cherry Hill, NJ (I should hope so- Cherry Hill
is SoA's hometown, since 1986) ;
#4 Jeff Miletta 323 cars,
Liberty Subaru, Oradell, NJ;
#5 Karl Lindemuth 311 cars,
Van Bortel Subaru, Victor, NY;
#6 Vincent Rizzo 302 cars,
Metric Subaru, Huntington, NY; #7 Theresa All 287 cars, Van Bortel
Subaru, Victor, NY; #8 Brian Johnson 260 cars, Brunswick Subaru, Brunswick
Oh; #9 Guillermo Wong 257 cars, Bird Road Subaru, Miami, FL; #10
Joe Dandrea 256 cars, Grand Subaru, Bensenville, IL; #11 Stephen Appelbe
253 cars, Manchester Subaru, Manchester New Hampshire; #12
Jack Berkowitz 247 cars, Manchester Subaru, Manchester New Hampshire; #13
Joseph Dicks 241 cars, Gary Lang Subaru, McHenry, IL; #14 (tie) Dave Denu,
Flatirons Subaru, Boulder Co, and Mir Masood at Stevens Creek Subaru, Stevens
Creek Ca with 240 cars each; #16 Julie Schulte 233 cars, Subaru of Souix
Falls, SD; #17 Mark Lidano 221 cars, Cityside Subaru, Belmont, MA; #18
Donald Jowdy 219 cars, Colonial Subaru, Kingston NY; #19 (tie) Ronald Hall,
Shortline Subaru Aurora Co, and Alesky Petrushin, Ramsey Subaru Ramsey,
NJ, with 216 cars each; #21 (tie) Anton Pankrushin, Star Subaru Bayside
NY, and Andre Tocci, Rafferty Subaru, Newtown Square, PA with 215 cars
each; #23 Glen Dalton 212 cars, Cityside Subaru Belmont, MA; #24
Colin Johnston 211 cars, Liberty Subaru, Oradell, NJ; #25 Joseph Corbett
209 cars, Minooka Subaru, Moosic, PA
Dealer news
8/15 New dealer in Montana-
Kendall Subaru of Missoula takes over from 4 Seasons. The full
list of dealers
8/11 New Subaru dealer
opens in Montgomery Alabama, phone 334-260-2064
2/23 New Subaru dealer
in California, Subaru
of Ontario (check the full list of California
dealers).
Subaru SALES in 2010
top, edited for length, content
2010 calendar year totals: 263,820 a
new record!
up 47,168 cars (+ 22%) over the previous record of 216,652 set just last
year 2009. Subaru now has 2.3% of the US market.
Totals By Model in 2010
(compared to 2009): Outback 93,148 (+68%) , Forester 85,080 (+9%),
Impreza 44,395 (-5%), Legacy 38,725 +25%, Tribeca 2472 (-58%)
1/4 December 2010 Sales
26,694 total, up 16% over December 2009.
model sales for the month:
Outback 10,256 +22% over 2009; Legacy 3884 +7% over 2009; Impreza 4259
+17% over 2009; Forester 8068 +12% over 2009; Tribeca 227 +9% over
2009
2010 Canada sales
Subaru Canada In. (SCI)
had record sales for 2010 of 27,805 vcars, a 20.7% gain over the 23,034
vehicles sold in 2009. It was also a record December for SCI with Canadians
purchasing 2,348 vehicles. This annual sales increase helped SCI close
out 2010 as the fastest growing Japanese manufacturer for the third year
in a row. Sales of the Outback led to its best December ever and a new
annual sales record of 6,401 units sold, beating the previous record, set
in 2001, by 48.4%
12/1 November sales total
20,792, a 22% increase over 16,988 in October 2009.
By model, November 2010
Forester 6,260 +27%, Impreza 3,405 +33%, Legacy 3,133 12%, Outback
7,814 20%, Tribeca 180 +2%,
YTD total 237,126 +23%
over 193,578 though October 2009. The total for all of 2009 was 216,652
and Subaru passed that on November 3rd. Outback is the big seller
so far in 2010, up 76% to 82,892. Impreza is down 6% and Tribeca
down 60%. Forester 77,012 +9%, Impreza 40,136 -6%, Legacy 34,841
+27%, Outback 82,892 +76%, Tribeca 2,245 -60%
Other companies: Nissan +27%
71,366, VW up 24%. Subaru is now outselling VW, with October
YTD 237,126 vs.VW 232,963. Audi is also having a record year with
YTD total 91,083. The record for US Audi is 93,506 in 2007.
11/18 How do they do
it? 'Subaru, which makes a habit of beating expectations, has
done it again. For October, Subaru saw its sales jump 25% in a month where
auto sales as a whole rose only 13%. In the year to date, its sales are
up 23% vs. the industry's 11%. With two months still to go, Subaru has
already beaten its own yearly sales record.
Subaru doesn't grow by selling
the deal instead of the car. According to Edmunds.com, its incentives in
October were the second lowest in the industry at $474 per car, representing
1.8% of the sticker price.
After more than two years
of outperformance, Subaru is no longer autodom's best-kept secret. Indeed,
a to-be released study of word-of-mouth referrals by nearly 100,000 people,
conducted by New Jersey-based Keller Fay Group, showed that Subaru got
the highest percentage of favorable mentions of any auto brand and the
fewest negatives - besting BMW.
How does Subaru do it? It
presents no surprises. It is steady, consistent and predictable. It sells
the steak, not the sizzle.
More than most American
subsidiaries of Japanese automakers, Subaru is a mirror of its parent,
which goes by the distinctly unglamorous name of Fuji Heavy Industries.
Fuji Heavy is a no-frills company of engineers. Designers, marketers, and
product planners take a back seat. Its corporate mission statement calls
for the need to first "create advanced technology on an ongoing basis."
Only after that is established does it mention any concern for the customer.
All that technology essentially
gets focused on four car lines with two body styles: four-door and five-door/crossover.
Note the absence of coupes, convertibles, and minivans. Fuji doesn't let
itself get distracted by product niches and it does what it does very well.
(There is a fifth vehicle, Tribeca, that was conceived in a spasm of creativity
a few years ago, but its sales have tailed off to a few hundred a month
and represents less than 1% of sales).
Besides making the same
models year after, Subaru has been run by the same people year after. Its
top executives understand its customers inside and out, they are on a first-name
basis with its 600 or so dealers and they play the long game.
Tom Doll, who is both chief
operating officer and chief financial officer, joined Subaru in 1982 from
Arthur Young and brings an accountant's sensibility to his job. He is realistic,
focused, and detail-oriented. When asked to name the three main appeals
of a Subaru, Doll listed "practical" first and "reliable" second. Only
then did he add "fun to drive."
Chief marketing officer
Tim Mahoney signed on in 1984. After 15 years with the company, he was
lured away by the glamour of a job at Porsche, but soon returned to sensible
Subaru as Doll's right-hand man.
It doesn't hurt that the
chips have been falling Subaru's way. Crossovers are the fastest-growing
segment of the market, so Subaru finds itself in the sweet spot. The strengthening
yen makes Subaru's plant in Lafayette, Indiana, where it makes two of its
best-selling models, all the more valuable. And customers are beginning
to appreciate the benefits of all-wheel drive, which Subaru has made standard
since the 1990s. To be sure, playing a pat hand is not a winning strategy
for the long term. Subaru will be vulnerable when crossovers are replaced
by the next hot thing. As customers seek better fuel economy, it will need
to add small cars to its lineup, and it will be challenging to maintain
its brand identity when it does. And it needs to add some alternative-fuel
vehicles to its lineup to maintain its eco-friendly image.
A turbo-diesel version of
its bestselling Outback crossover would be a natural.
Around Subaru headquarters
in New Jersey, there's a saying that sums up Subaru's appeal: You may date
a Saab (or substitute the sporty, unpractical brand of your choice), but
you marry a Subaru. In a difficult and uncertain economic environment,
owning a Subaru is the equivalent of comfort food. And Subaru's savvy managers
have the recipe down pat.' read
the article
11/2 October sales
22,720 total for another record breaking month, 25% better than 18,169
in October 09!
By model: Outback 8694,
Forester 6631, Impreza 3676, Legacy 3543.
Compare 2010 YTD 216,334
to the 2009 total sales for the year of 216,652, and Subaru will smash
their previous best year record in early November with almost 2 months
still to go.
Other brand totals for October
: Toyota -4.4% to only 145,474 for the month (anounced 11/3), Hyundai
+38% 42,656, Kia +39% to 31,199 vehicles, BMW +13% to 23,222
vehicles, VW +18% 20,084 autos.
10/1 September sales
total 21,432. Another strong showing, +47% from 14,593 last September,
2009 after a huge Clunker fueled August swept away inventory.
Total YTD 193,614, up 22%
over YTD 2009s 158,421, and with 3 months left, closing in fast on last
years record 216,652 total.
This month: Legacy 2,999
+9% 2,762; Impreza 3,678, +55% 2366; Forester 6,449 + 4,839 33%; and the
big gainer is the Outback with 8,154, up 91% from 4268 over last September.
On the other end there were 152 Tribecas purchased, -58% from 358
a year ago.
9/2 August sales and the
'clunker effect'. Subaru had a strong August 2010 with 22,239 cars
sold. Last August (09) Subaru sold 28,683. But that was Cash For Clunkers
and a comparison just isn't fair - its like looking at a person all decked
out for a formal ball- don't they look wonderful and beautiful - and then
seeing them again on a hot Saturday afternoon, sweaty and cranky in their
grubby house painting /gardening outfit. Just not a fair comparison.
So August 2010 is -22% from
2009. The first down month this year (22,239 vs 28,683).
The shining star is the
Outback, up 37% to 8053 vs 5,857 in 09 when when Clunkers quickly wiped
out both remaining 09s and all the 10s that were just starting to arrive.
Outback YTD is up a whopping 96% to 58,230 over 29,755 last year.
On the other end of the
scale, Tribeca is the big loser, -77% this month, 186 vs 797 for the month,
and YTD -65% to 1,737 compared to 4,941 last year. In the Tribeca's defense,
there are almost no 2010s to be bought even if there were more people looking
to buy them. The production priority at SIA must be going into Outbacks.
And overall it's a good
year. So far Subaru is up 20% to 172,182 over 143,828. That's strong.
The totals: Outback 8,053,
Forester 7,234, Impreza 3,801, Legacy 2,965, Tribeca 186
8/3 July sales total 23,983,
a new July record. Subaru sales roll onward. Up 10% over July 09,
and up 30% YTD with 149,943.
By model: Outback
9,030 up 82% for the month (note last July dealers were low on both close-out
09s and new 10s) and up 110% YTD.
Legacy 3,208 up 37% for
the month and up 48% YTD.
Forester 7,503 down 1% for
the months but up 15% YTD.
Impreza 4,002 down 36% for
the month and down 10% YTD, Tribeca 240 down 63% YTD.
Other cars: Toyota 169,224
down 7%, Honda 112,437 down 6%, Ford up 5% at 166,092, Hyundai up
19% to 54,106, Nissan up 14.6% to 82,337. Volvo is now owned by Zhejiang
Geely Holding in China.
7/1 Sales- June totals
21,601, up 16% from 18,620 in June 09. Another stong month.
Volume Winner of the Month
is Forester with 7,607 for the month, up 25% from 6,090 in 09. The
Low Volume Winner of the Month is Tribeca with 175 sold in June, down 78%
from 784 June 09.
June 2010: Legacy sold 3,006,
up 1% over 2,984 in 09; Impreza 4,259 down 16% from 5,041 in 09; Outback
sold 6,554, up a whopping 76% from 3,721 in 2009 when the last of the 09s
were disappearing and the redesigned 10s were in short supply. Forester
7,607, up 25% from 6,090 in 09; Tribeca 175 down 78% from 784 2009
YTD- over all sales total
through Jan-June is 125,960, up 35% over 2009.
YTD by car line model: Outback
up 117% to 41,147; Legacy up 50% 18,993; Forester up 19% 42,935; Impreza
down 3% to 21,574; Tribeca down 62% to 1,311 for the year.
Canada- Subaru Canada Inc.SCI today reported a new record for June with 2,316 units, up 31.4% over last June. YTD is up 32.4%, the sixth consecutive month of growth..
6/2 May sales. total 23,667
car sold, up 35% from 17505 in May 2009. Outback 7,630, up a
whopping 124% from May 2009 but that was the end of the run for the previous
body; Legacy 3,586 +19%; Impreza 4,249 equal to last years 4,241;
Forester 7,976 +29%; Tribeca 226 -66% from May 2009
5/3 April sales- Subaru
is rocking along! The best April in the company's history. Total 23,198,
up 48% over April 2009. All lines are up and selling except for the poor
lonely Tribeca. Outback 7,688, +133%. Legacy 3,851 +50%. Forester
7,627 +28%. Impreza 3,796 +16%. Tribeca only 236 for the month and
down 58% from April 2009. Hopefully the 2011 Tribeca will have some
good changes.The previous best April was 2008 with 16,771 sold. 2010 year
to date is up 41% with 80,692 units sold versus 57,181 units over
the same YTD period last year.
Top 10 cars in the US,
April 2010: Ford F-Series 40,946; Honda Accord 31,766 including 2,455 Crosstours;
Chevrolet Silverado 29,618; Toyota Corolla 27,932; Toyota Camry 27,914;
Honda Civic 25,042; Ford Escape 19,146; Ford Fusion 18,971; Hyundai Sonata
18,536; Honda CR-V 16,661. This is the first time the Sonata is a top 10.
Audi recorded its 2nd best month ever.
Canada 2,640 units, a new record, and +28.8% over April 09. This beats the previous month record September 2009 by 3.8% percent. April also marks the fourth month of sales growth this year, further strengthening Subaru Canada's position as the fastest growing Japanese manufacturer in 2010. Outback 672.
4/1 March 2010 sales totals:
23,785 which breaks the previous March record set in 2006 of 19,049
Outback and Forester are
the leaders, with the Forester slightly ahead. If Outbacks were more
available (like the Forester), it could be reveresed. Tribeca is struggling
but look watch for some news regarding the 2011 model (I hope it grows
a usable 3rd row).
For 3/10: Outback 7,619
cars +111% from 3609 March 09; Forester 8,467 +24% over 6,802 in
2009; Impreza 3,969 +7% from 3,725 in 2009; Legacy 3487 +124% from 1554
3/09; Tribeca 243, -57% from 559 in 3.09
Total YTD for the first
3 months of 2010: 57,494 total, up a strong +38% over 41,532 YTD 2009.
YTD: Outback 19,275, Forester 19,725, Impreza 9,270, Legacy 8,500, Tribeca
674
3/4 February sales 18,098
total sold. Thats +38% over Feb 2009's 13089. for the 2mos YTD Subaru is
+33% over 09 with 33,710 vs 25,282.
Much of the gain goes to
the redesigned Outback, up a whopping 159% over 2009, the Legacy, and and
the continuing success of the Forester. The Impreza is holding it's
own, and the Tribeca is limping toward a hoped for yet unknown 5 year 2011
my redesign
Totals for the month:
Forester 6315 (+6% over 5978 in 2/09), Outback 6189 (+159% over 2389
in 2/09), Impreza 2804 (-5% 2940 from in 2/09), Legacy 2615
(+95% over 1341 in 2/09), Tribeca 175 (-60% from 441 in 2/09)
Toyota's woes have not slowed
them down much since they still have # 2and 3 spot of the top 6 car sales
for the month. Honda had a great month with the Accord at the #1,
top of the list. Accord 22,456; Corolla 16,966; Camry 16,552; Honda Civic
16,471; Ford Fusion 16,459; Nissan Altima 16,198.
2/2 January sales 15,611
total, another record +28% more than Jan 09. The Outback and Legacy
continue to gain ground, Forester and Impreza drop slightly, Tribeca dwindles
leaving one to wonder what (hopefully major) changes are in store for the
5th anniversary Tribeca due this year? Last year the redesigned 2009 Forester
was outselling the 2009 Outback, now its reversed with Outback on top.
For January 2010: Outback
5,467; Legacy 2,448; Forester 4,943 ; Impreza 2497; Tribeca
256;
Canadian sales for
January 2010 1,729, up 45.8% over last January. The previous record was
1202 cars in 2008
1/5/10 Sales- 2010
Ends with a bang. Subaru US sales +15% for the year with a record breaking
216,652 and 2.1% of the US market. The next best year was 2006 with 200,703,
and 09 beat it by 15,949 cars (+8%).
2009 year totals:
Outback 55,356 +25%, Legacy 30,974 +37%, Forester 77,781 +28%, Impreza
46,611 -11%, Tribeca 5,930 -46%,
December 09 total-
23,074 +33% over 17,287 Dec 08. Legacy catches on and Outback is
on fire, both up almost 100% over 12/08.
Totals: Legacy 3620 +98%,
Outback 8376 +105%, Forester 7223 +11%, Tribeca 208 -70%, Impreza
3647 -13%
Subaru Canada finishes
a strong 2009 with a new record total of 23,034 cars for the year.