SUBARU NEWS AND REVIEWS FROM CALENDAR YEAR 2013 Archive Page

Archive Page for Subaru News, Magazine Reviews, Links  from calendar year 2013
Includes Tribeca, Outback, Legacy, Forester, Impreza, WRX, STI,  BRZ, XV Crosstrek,  Hybrid, Concept Cars, Baja, SVX...

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11/7 on distracted driving and young drivers without a geographical sense of where they because when they were young they watched a video screen instead of looking out the window
"It's 8:10 a.m., first period at King's High School in Shoreline (Washington State), and the subject of the day's drivers' education class is the brain.
"Driving is boring," says instructor Matthew St. Pierre in a firm wake-up voice strong enough to command the attention of 23 sophomores. "So you end up doing other things: talking on the cellphone, texting, singing to the radio." The problem, says St. Pierre, is you can't do these things and drive safely. "Multitasking is a myth," he says.
As an instructor with Swerve Driving School, which has a contract with King's High School, St. Pierre, 30, has seen the future of driving in America — and it is distracted, often by electronic devices that compete for new drivers' attention.
The essential challenge for teaching teen drivers today, he says, is getting them to understand the limits of the human brain. As an example of how distracted the brain can be, St. Pierre shows his students a short video of two teams passing a basketball and asks the class to count the number of passes the team in white makes. At the end of the video, the class calls out the correct answer — 13. St. Pierre asks, "How many of you saw the dancing bear?" The class is dumbfounded — what dancing bear? When he replays the video, it's clear: a person in a bear costume moonwalking in the middle of the video. Lesson: You can't see what you're not looking for.
Another multitasking lesson involves giving students two tasks, first separately and then together — such as repeatedly writing a phrase and counting to a certain number. He times them to show how much longer it took to complete the dual task and how many more errors were made.
St. Pierre also advocates "commentary driving," asking students to describe out loud objects they see on the road, especially as they approach intersections. "This keeps them alert and forces them to concentrate," he says.
Scott Walmsley, owner of Driver Education Services Seattle in the Fremont neighborhood and a driving instructor since 1995, says many teens who have grown up constantly connected to an electronic device find it harder to concentrate on driving.
The trend that concerns him even more than texting is what he calls "being extremely geographically challenged." Unlike teens in previous generations, who grew up looking out the car window as their parents drove, Walmsley says today's teen passengers are so fixed to electronic screens that they barely lift their heads to see where they are going.
"Not knowing their way around — that's a huge problem," says Walmsley. "I know kids who have lived in Ballard for 16 years and can't find their way to the Ballard Bridge." He advises his students to ride in the front seat and notice where they're going when they're not driving. Another technique is to let them find their own way. "As the lessons go on, I step down the level of assistance," he says.
"By the fifth lesson, I might just tell the student to drive to the Space Needle, Northgate, Husky Stadium, downtown or some other well-known location," he says. "I want them to at least be able to point the car in the right direction."
A former graphic designer, Walmsley, 60, teaches teens to drive using a combination of humorous Power Point slides, videos and an arcade-style video game he created by connecting two Logitech steering wheels to a PlayStation 3 console. He also recommends Fastlane Street Racing to his students, an app that helps them with steering. New drivers in Washington must pass a course from a state-certified driving school, where they get a minimum of 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of driving in a school car equipped with an instructor brake..." read the entire article

6/6 everyone loves a Subaru but love hurts
I assume the owner will save the article so when he goes to trade the Subaru in
"Sometime Sunday night, likely when he was watching “The Voice” at a loud volume in his home, a brown bear tore the right driver’s mirror from his Subaru, smashed its right tail light and rear window, ripped off the back windshield wiper, left muddy claw marks on the remaining widows, and shoved the entire vehicle about 8 inches in the gravel driveway.
“It would have been a lot more exciting if I had woke up and caught him in the act,” Sterling resident Norm Israelson said. He could have been sleeping when it happened, too, he said. He is not sure.
Jeff Selinger, Kenai area wildlife biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, visited the Israelson at his home to collect samples. He said May is the time of year when bears are beginning to leave their dens and Kenai Peninsula residents should begin bear-proofing their homes and traveling in the wilderness safely...." read the entire article


6/5 Volvo V60 all wheel drive station wagon expected in 2014
The 60 series Volvo is critical to the company's global prospects. Fortunately, 2012 saw Volvo break even for the first time in a long while, ending a river of red ink the company had been generating since Ford's divestment in the middle of the previous decade. The sole survivor of the Scandinavian automobile industry is back to trying to turn a profit. Part of the plan is releasing the V60 "sports wagon" in America early next year.
Normally, the announcement of the pending import of a station wagon as a profit making spearhead in America would be met with ridicule.
Simply put, station wagons are a very niche type in America, save for the cult followings of two companies—Subaru and Volvo. Both have extensive experience making and marketing wagons to their appreciative buying audience.
Already a big seller for Volvo in Europe, the V60 wagon stands to sell well here to the country's dedicated Volvo buyers, for whom a wagon carries no stigma.
For those fans who dislike the "Outback-ish" suspension height of the XC60, the V60 will offer a very modern European look and road feel to their prospective wagon. The V60 will offer all of the drive train goodness of the company's popular S60 sedan. It is expected that like the S60, the wagon will offer a base 2.5L turbocharged 5 cylinder FWD model making 250 BHP, equivalent to the S60's "T5" offering. In all likelihood, there will also be two optional "T6" AWD models using 3.0L turbocharged 6 cylinder engines making either 300 or 325 BHP...." read the entire article


5/31 Subarapture! Is Subaru so hot you might not be able to get one?
With crash tests results like IIHS's recent Forester test and articles like this from Jalopnik and the Wall St Journal fanning the flames, its no surprise.
"Americans want Subarus. They want them hard. They want to be inside Subarus. Sales were up 25% year-over-year in April and the company now thinks they'll hit their 2016 goal of 380,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. this fiscal year.
As The Wall Street Journal points out, this could mean problems for the company as they may not be able to produce enough vehicles to meet demand.
Specifically, the Japanese-built 2014 Subaru Forester is already down to a 16-day supply and that's before the busy summer months.
If you want one I'd get in line now." read the original article

5/30 Subaru grows, adds a new port-
A few years ago 2 ports of entry was enough, then they added Richmond Ca. as their 3rd. Now the 4th port of entry is coming soon.
"Subaru has chosen Georgia as its gateway into the Southeastern U.S., and will soon start importing five of its models through the Port of Brunswick.
“It is significant that Brunswick is Subaru’s first port of entry in the Southeastern U.S.,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “The efficiency of service from the GPA and our partners in auto processing, as well as Brunswick’s speed to important markets, makes Georgia the smart choice for roll-on/roll-off cargo.” 
Subaru National Transportation Manager Larry Strug said the deepwater port at Brunswick will serve two zones in Subaru’s national distribution network. The zones cover an area from North Carolina to Florida. Other import terminals include Vancouver, Wash., Richmond, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. 
The Japanese-based carmaker announced at a national dealer meeting that it will move 15,000 vehicles through Georgia annually. Models include the Forester, Crosstrek, Impreza, WRX STI and BRZ. Shipments are set to begin in mid-July, carried by shipping line NYK. 
An assembly plant in Lafayette, Ind., produces the Legacy, Outback and Tribeca models sold in the U.S. 
Strug said the company looked at other ports, but settled on Brunswick.
“We liked what we saw. We liked what we heard from other manufacturers,” he said. “We’re very much about quality. We’re very much about ensuring that our customers have a little different vehicle." the original article

5/29 Click and Clack on dealer vs. independent shop doing service work
"Dear Tom and Ray: I have a 2005 Subaru WRX STI with 106,000 miles, and it is time to replace the timing belt. The Subaru dealer will do the job for $1,800, but I found an independent garage that will do the job for $650. The difference is that the dealer would use genuine Subaru parts. The independent mechanic says his parts come from Japan and are just as good as the genuine parts. Should I spend the extra money for the genuine parts, or can I save my money? I would like the car to last another five years, but my finances aren’t that great right now. Please help! Thank you. —Bill
TOM: We normally would use genuine parts in a situation like this, because on this job, the difference in our cost for the parts probably is $100. But I wouldn’t be afraid to use good aftermarket parts on a car with more than 100,000 miles on it. They’d probably be fine. In fact, sometimes they’re the exact same parts.
RAY: But since the difference in the parts price is small, there has to be something else to explain why the dealer’s price is triple the independent mechanic’s.
TOM: Like, he’s got a bigger boat he’s trying to pay off.
RAY: Could be. But it also could be that these two shops have different definitions of the term “timing belt change.”
TOM: For instance, when we replace a timing belt, we always replace the water pump, too. Why? Because the water pump is run by the timing belt. And if the water pump were to seize up a week after you got the timing belt replaced, you’d need, what? Another new timing belt. And wouldn’t that tick you off?
RAY: When the timing belt is already off, most of the labor to change the water pump is already done. So you’re not adding much more than the cost of the part: the water pump itself. And with 100,000 miles on a car, you’d be crazy not to put in a new water pump while you have access to it.
TOM: On a car like this, that has double overhead cams, we’d also take off all the sprockets and replace all four cam seals while the belt is off. Why? First of all, they’re as old as the belt, and you have easy access to them while the timing belt is off. And second, if one of them leaks two months from now, the customer’s going to try to blame us. So we avoid that potential conflict by making it part of the job.
RAY: If we were doing a job like this, on your car the price probably would be somewhere around $1,200. So the Subaru dealer may be charging too much, but the other guy may be charging too little — because he’s not doing enough.
TOM: So, get a better accounting from each of these shops as to exactly what it proposes to do. I’m guessing the dealer plans to do all the stuff we usually do. But check. And you need to find out what, exactly, the other guy plans to do for $650. You also can ask him to give you a price with a new water pump, four new cam seals, a crank seal and genuine parts (if you’re curious).
RAY: Then you can make a fair comparison of the prices and decide whether the real difference in cost is large enough to stay away from the dealer. It very well may be, but you can’t know that unless you’re comparing apples to apples. Or cam seals to cam seals." read the original article


5/24 the driver of the orange Crosstrek that went off the Skagit River Bridge
"Bryce Kenning saw a puff of smoke and suddenly the north section of the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River vanished in front of him. "I was going 60 mph. It was like an explosion, but I didn't hear anything. I slammed on my brakes, but it didn't matter," Kenning said. "My car launched into the air and I landed nose down on top of the bridge deck in the river. The airbags went off."
Kenning was one of three people in two vehicles that crashed into the river with the dramatic collapse of the Skagit River Bridge on Thursday night. No one was killed. Kenning, 20, was headed north on I-5 at about 7 p.m. for his usual Thursday hockey game with friends in Bellingham. The Mount Vernon High School graduate and University of British Columbia sophomore played this past season with the Bellingham Blazers junior hockey club.
Kenning's bright orange Subaru Crosstrek slammed against a fallen bridge truss, keeping the car from completely submerging in the frigid river.
"I tried to open my door, but all I did was let water in up to my waist. I panicked and that's when I thought I was a goner," Kenning said. "In a last-ditch effort, I kicked open the passenger door, which wasn't all the way in the water, and I was able to climb on top of the car.
"I didn't think to turn the engine off and my windshield wipers were going. I thought about swimming to the bank because I didn't know if the car would sink, but the river was so cold and moving so fast. I was freezing, but I stayed put."
A foot one direction or the other, Kenning said, and his car might have been squashed from above by the collapsed trusses. "It was an act of God that no one else was driving north at that moment," he said. "The whole thing is a miracle." When he got on top of his car, Kenning looked over to see Dan Sligh of Oak Harbor and his wife, who had been traveling southbound. They were still alive in their pickup truck. Their camper trailer was smashed to bits and the pieces were floating down the river.
"The guy was bleeding, but he asked me if I was OK and he kept talking about his wife being in shock," Kenning said. "At that point, some first responders had arrived and called down from the top of the bridge. I waited about 45 minutes for the sheriff's deputies to get me to shore."
Bystanders cheered as Kenning was pulled out of the river and put in an ambulance. He was taken to United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley.
Meanwhile, Kenning's friends recognized his distinctive orange car. A friend's mother called Kenning's mom, Sheila Kenning, at home near Conway.
A nurse, Sheila Kenning drove as fast as she could through the extra traffic, mistakenly heading to Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon. An ambulance driver at that hospital's emergency room said her son had been taken to United General. "On the way, I talked to God like I never had before," she said
In spite of the goose egg-sized bump on his head, Bryce Kenning did not have a concussion or any internal injuries. "I had whiplash from falling 50 feet, but I was OK," he said. "My cellphone was in the drink, so at that point, I just didn't want my family and friends to panic." It was a good hour before Sheila Kenning arrived in Sedro-Woolley.
"I told Bryce that he scared me to death, but it was such a delightful joy to see him again," Sheila Kenning said.
The young man's father, Barrie Kenning, and his sister, Claire Kenning, 15, were working out at the Everett YMCA. Claire got a text message from a friend.
"They thought Bryce's car was in the river. I tried to keep cool, and my dad told me it would be one in a million chance that it was Bryce," Claire said. "I was praying the whole time we drove north from Everett to the hospital."
After Bryce Kenning was released from the hospital close to midnight Thursday, the family went home. They stayed up most of the night talking and even watched an episode of "The Office" to take the edge off.
"I thought about how I was in the luckiest place in the middle of a bad scenario," Bryce Kenning said. "I'm so glad no one died." the original article


5/23  Crosstrek is one of  the three cars that went into the Skagit River when the I-5 bridge collapsed. Everyone is ok.
The bridge crossing the Skagit River in Burlington, Wa, (just north of Mt Vernon), collapsed sending 3 vehicles into the river. I-5 is the main North-South interstate and a very busy highway. The Skagit River Bridge carries around 70,000-75,000 cars daily.  It fell after one of the girders was struck by an semi.  There are a few other bridges nearby but they're street bridges not intended to carry the volume the Skagit Bridge did. 3 cars went into the water, thankfully everyone is ok.
One of the cars was a tangerine orange Crosstrek. There's some body damage in addition to being dumped in the river. The driver was rescued from the top of the car. The local dealer in the area is Skagit Subaru.

That's an orange Crosstrek in the Skagit River. The roof and right side roof rail is damaged and the side airbag is deployed against the driver's window.

5/21 he's lucky
A Dixfield teenager who was riding on a car roof Thursday afternoon on Thad White Road was pinned under the car when it rolled into a drainage ditch, police said.
Firefighters from Mexico, Rumford and Dixfield lifted the rear of the car and held it up, allowing Med-Care Ambulance crewmen to retrieve the injured boy, Rumford fire Deputy Chief Richard Coulombe said.
The teen, whose injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, was taken by Med-Care to Rumford Hospital, Mexico police Lt. Roy Hodsdon said at the scene.
Citing pending charges, Hodsdon declined to identify the injured teen, the Canton driver of the 1997 Subaru Legacy station wagon or two teen passengers from Peru and Dixfield.
The accident happened at about 4:30 p.m. on a dirt road that parallels the Webb River. Hodsdon said a 15-year-old boy from Canton, who was learning to drive, backed the car toward a curve, got into the soft shoulder on the outside of the curve and flipped the car over. It fell about 8 feet, landing upside down, pinning a leg of the teen who was riding on the roof, Hodsdon said.
Coulombe said they had enough manpower between the three fire departments to lift the rear of the car high enough to free the pinned teen. Hodsdon said the boy, who had scrapes and bruises, escaped serious injury. “Soft mud kind of cushioned the fall into the water in the brook,” the lieutenant said. “I talked to the ambulance crew and they said he was conscious and breathing. It could have been worse.” read the entire article

5/18 This is a good time to get a new Outback. The current supply of Crosstreks is good but the other Impreza 5 doors can be harder to find. 2014 Foresters are selling as they arrive, especially with the recent great IIHS crash test results.
The 14 Outbacks are expected in July (late June?) so its time for 13s to go- dealers currently have a good selection available (popular models always go first) and 0% financing for 48 months, oac.
The supply of Impreza 5 doors is tight as the sales of  the (Impreza) Crosstrek grow. For example, last month (April), 4692 Imprezas were purchased - that's all 4 and 5 door Impreza models including the Sport- versus 4433 Crosstreks. So Crosstreks are clearly gaining and thats where Subaru sees growth.
On the 2014 Imprezas due late summer, I would like to see roof rails added to the 2.0i Premium and Limited 5 door models, the Sport model dropped, and the  Crosstrek acknowledged as an Impreza (which it is). This would simplify the currently confusing model line-up and increase the popularity of all the 5 doors.
The 2014 Foresters are currently in short supply. Subaru will be shipping more to dealers but they're selling quickly. The recent IIHS crash test results created a wave of interest from people new to the model.

5/12 Subaru buyers stick with Subaru according to KBB.com.
As Subaru sales soar year after year and is thought of as the current "It" brand, a lot of buyers are new to the company. They come to Subaru for a number of reasons, but ultimately they weren't loyal to their previous car's brand and Subaru's job will be to keep them coming back even if their tendency is to consider
The KBB.com article on owner/shopper loyalty. "As current Subaru owners prepare to off-load their current vehicle, it is easy to reconsider the brand as it offers a diverse lineup, including models that not only appeal to the everyday shopper like the all-new 2014 Forester, but also a sportier option like the BRZ," said Akshay Anand , Kelley Blue Book Insights analyst.  "With Subaru's first-ever hybrid vehicle arriving at dealerships in Q4 2013, the 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid is expected to help the brand retain even more shoppers as its portfolio expands into hybrid technology."
Holding its ground as the No. 1 brand in terms of shopper loyalty for six consecutive quarters, Toyota held 53.6 percent its owners' interest in Q1 2013.
Toyota 53.6%, Honda 50.8%, Subaru 49.9%, Ford 49.3%, Lexus 46.3%, Hyundai 46.3%, Kia 43.4%, Chevy 42.9%, Audi 41.6%, Porsche 40.2%
"Toyota's esteemed stance as the leading automaker in KBB.com shopper loyalty continues into Q1 2013 with help from the recently redesigned 2013 RAV4," said Anand.  "For those shoppers interested in a full-size sedan, Toyota also saw a surge of shopper interest to its redesigned 2013 Avalon, showcasing the brand's positive response from consumers with its updated styling and features."
While Hyundai and Kia garnered tremendous success during the past few years, these brands dropped in shopper loyalty among KBB.com's new-car audience, which can be attributed to the lack of redesigns or refreshes in the last year from both Korean companies from key models.  Hyundai continued its slow fall from No. 4 in Q4 2012 to No. 6 in Q1 2013, while Kia dropped from the No. 4 spot between Q4 2011 and Q2 2012 to the No. 7 position in Q1 2013. 
"Huyundai is expected to regain shopper loyalty when the brand's best-selling Sonata is updated for 2014," said Anand.  "Not only will the redesigned Sonata help it compete better with its rivals, but it also will catch the eye of new-car shoppers with its fuel economy and affordability."
Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence examines shopper loyalty while consumers are still in the shopping phase.  For this analysis, shopper loyalty is defined as owners of the brand who are currently shopping the same brand for their next new vehicle.  This includes data from consumers who view a trade-in page or private party page, in addition to a new-car page on Kelley Blue Book 's KBB.com. " see the original article


5/11 SIA expansion plans announced - build Imprezas in Lafayette in 2016. Which leaves open the question of the slow selling Tribeca, what will replace it, and will it also be built at SIA along side the Outback, Legacy, and the Camry which is currently built under contract.
Fuji Heavy Industries announced Wednesday May 8th it is expanding its Lafayette Subaru factory by adding 900 workers and investing $400 million in the plant.
Starting in 2016, Subaru of Indiana Automotive will build the Impreza.
The Subaru Legacy, Outback and Tribeca SUV are all made at the Lafayette plant – as well as the Toyota Camry under a contract with the Toyota Motor Corp.
The 900 new jobs will add to the current tally of about 3,600 employees. More than 600 workers were added in the past four years.
Subaru spokesman Yoshiaki Tabei said the target date for starting production of the Impreza is the end of 2016. The company plans to expand the plant's production capacity by approximately 100,000 vehicles annually. The company will grow its campus by more than 500,000 square feet. The campus sits on 832 acres. New paint and body assembly equipment will be installed. Construction will begin in the fall and should be completed by 2016.

5/9 Small crossover sales chart for April 2013.
Only Subaru has two cars on the list. The CRV is #1, the Forester is #6 with 9366 for month and the Crosstrek is already #11 after only 9 months.

Small crossover sales, through April 2013
model	April 2013	April 2012	YTD April 13
Honda CR-V	26,519	23,627	91,893
Ford Escape	25,826	16,986	98,809
Chevrolet Equinox	20,965	18,282	79,834
Toyota RAV4	18,541	15,196	59,954
Nissan Rogue	11,904	8563	46,200
Subaru Forester	9366	5666	22,540
GMC Terrain	7964	7839	34,770
Mazda CX-5	6262	3521	24,073
Jeep Patriot	5792	5261	24,789
Jeep Compass	4465	3616	16,468
Subaru XV Crosstrek	4433	N/A	15,143
Hyundai Tucson	3733	3909	14,743
Kia Sportage	2845	3277	10,281
Volkswagen Tiguan	2488	2333	10,439
Nissan Juke	2445	2887	11,551
Mini Countryman/Paceman	1959	1533	6,967
from automobilemag.com

5/6  A busy Costco tends to bring out the aggression in shoppers, food samplers,  and drivers looking for a parking spot
 ... here a normally calm Subaru driver writes about obtuse drivers clogging a lane waiting for a parking spot
"Driving a 1998 Subaru wagon with 205 thousand miles on it doesn’t put me in a hurry to get anywhere.  I find keeping a lackadaisical throttle foot to be an effective survival technique designed to milk every remaining mile out my noble Japanese steed.   It’s also indicative of my thrift-artist financial situation, which as it stands requires I shop religiously at Costco as if it were a giant welfare box store.
If I need groceries, I go to Costco.  If I need a shirt, I go to Costco.  If I need tires, I go to Discount Tire; Costco’s nitrogen-filled tires scare me.  But that doesn’t affect my general complacency when tooling around a Costco parking lot to find a vacant space, nor does it negate my outrage at the affront to my dignity that took place there recently. 
As I’ve established, Costco is a pillar of my life.  You know the Kirkland Signature brand of everything Costco sells?  That’s a product of my hometown - Kirkland, Washington; I practically invented that crap myself. 
Still, I don’t roll into a Costco parking lot expecting to be treated as royalty, much less find a parking space anywhere near the front entrance....
But I’m used to these lost souls stopping their cars directly in the flow of traffic, sometimes with their blinkers on, waiting patiently for another shopper to unload two months’ worth of groceries into their vehicle.  It doesn’t bother me at all – I just drive around.
And then one day it happened.  Never, ever in my tenure as a Costco Gold Star member have I seen the parking space sloppy-seconds maneuver performed in tandem by a duo of able-bodied shoppers.  But there it was, splayed out before my front bumper:  Two cars, facing the same direction, each waiting for a parking spot on opposite sides of the aisle. 
They were completely blocking the lot’s entryway traffic in both directions. The calm inside me began to bend, rapidly losing its elasticity.  I couldn’t back up to avoid the obstruction.  A line of cars had formed behind me.  A minute passed… a minute and a half.  It was already too much.  What in the hell were the rest of us supposed to do?  We were being held hostage by these louts!
I tooted my horn just long enough to emphasize a moderate degree of frustration.  The lady holding up the left of the blockade turned on her blinker and pointed out her window to identify the spot she was waiting for, as if all of us had mistakenly assumed she was stopping up rush-hour traffic back to the Costco gas station for no good reason.
I don’t do road rage. What happened next was going to be a vigilante display of social justice that couldn’t be stopped or reasoned with. Any man worth his Costco card knows the corners of his car like a cat knows its whiskers extend to the width of its body.  By the looks of the terrible scene, there would be just enough room to squeeze my Subaru between the vulture lady’s car on the right and the rear bumper of the vehicle being loaded with a Kirkland Signature bounty on the left.  Whether my roof-rack would clear the underside of the open hatch was up for grabs.  Cats don’t have whiskers on top of their heads.
I inched through the opening, making sure to alleviate the uncomfortable tension of the pass by pointing through my windshield, clearly identifying where I intended to go.  And it was done.  Someone with a car that could easily be totaled from a minor fender bender had taken a stand against a bully, one who thought putting every Costco shopper in the greater downtown Seattle area behind her own convenience was her right for paying a $55 membership fee.
She might not have learned a lesson from my livid close quarters roll-by, but at the very least her arrogance was challenged by that of another.  If she didn’t appreciate the gesture I hope she stopped to wonder why." the entire article


4/22 on the nature of CVTs from the Chicago Tribune
"Q: We have a 2013 Subaru Outback with an automatic CVT transmission. At about 3,500 miles, the transmission began lurching or hunting, as the dealer called it, particularly at speeds under 25-30 MPH. When you step on the gas, as when getting on an expressway or turning into traffic, the car seems to lose power and does not accelerate like it should. The dealer said Subaru is aware of the problem, and the fix is to have the transmission re-flashed. We had this done, but the problem remains. S.D., St. John, Ind.
A: We have not seen any pattern failures from our research although we have seen other people complain that the CVT (continuously variable transmission) seems to lurch, particularly when cold. For the most part, the complaints come from first time CVT owners who are unaccustomed to the transmission's behavior. It is weird since engine speed and transmission speed don't always seem to be in harmony, but that is the nature of the beast." the original article

4/22 ongoing expectations of Lafayette's expansion
"Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the Japanese maker of Subaru cars, intends to end a shortage of its vehicles at U.S. dealerships soon by expanding capacity in the country, its largest market. The carmaker produces Outback wagons, Legacy sedans and Tribeca sport-utility vehicles in Indiana at its plant in Lafayette, where it also makes Camry sedans for Toyota Motor Corp. under contract.
“We are finalizing plans to strengthen U.S. production,” CEO Yasuyuki Yoshinaga told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday. He said the Tokyo-based carmaker will probably announce the plan next month when it reports annual earnings. The statement confirmed previous reports about Subaru expanding output.
Fuji Heavy, which boosted U.S. sales 20% to a record last year, plans to increase annual global deliveries to 850,000 by March 2016, based on plans to increase capacity in the United States. The Lafayette plant opened in 1989, initially as a joint venture with truckmaker Isuzu Motors Ltd. The factory can produce a maximum of 310,000 vehicles annually, based on state air-pollution limits, according to the carmaker. About 3,600 people work at the plant.
“Our dealers in the U.S. are waiting for an answer on when this situation of not having enough cars will be solved, so we hope to provide an answer soon,” Yoshinaga said. Fuji Heavy shares have gained 62 percent this year, compared with a 27-percent advance for the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average." the original article

4/19 Subaru expands in Indiana with a new parts warehouse
"Prologis, the leading global owner, operator and developer of industrial real estate, today announced it has signed a new build-to-suit agreement with Subaru of America (SOA) for a 715,000 square foot distribution center. 
The new facility, which will support SOA's sales growth, will be located in the Northwest Indianapolis submarket at Prologis Park Lebanon, proximate to major freeways and the Indianapolis International Airport. The state-of-the-art, cross-dock facility will be utilized as a regional parts distribution center.
"We are pleased to support the ongoing success of Subaru," said Jim McGill, senior vice president, Prologis. "The record low supply of large industrial facilities continues to drive build-to-suit solutions in many markets around the country, including Indianapolis. With occupancies rising for the past two years, Indianapolis remains a compelling regional market."
Gary Palanjian, vice president of parts and service for SOA, said: "Subaru has been setting sales records for the past five years and we are structuring our operations to reflect that. This new facility allows us to better serve our retailers as well as support our growing operations at our manufacturing plant in Lafayette, Ind." the original article

4/14 if you're financing a Subaru, chances are its through Chase Bank
Auto shows are all about product, but auto finance is never far beneath the surface.
Here are a few quick comments on auto finance from executives at the New York auto show last week.
Subaru: No captive? No problem
Tom Doll, president of Subaru of America Inc., said he's happy with Chase Auto Finance, which provides private-label loans and leases for Subaru dealers, instead of a captive finance company.
"They're great partners," he said. Through April, he said, Subaru is offering lease deals on some Impreza and Legacy models, but Subaru incentives are typically among the industry's lowest. "The offers are pretty generous for us," he said.
Doll acknowledged that Subaru lease penetration is also below average. Subaru's average lease penetration for 2012 was 9.8 percent compared with an industry average for nonluxury brands of 15.5 percent, says ALG Inc. Doll said Subaru customers tend to keep their cars a long time and "drive the hell out of them." That's part of an outdoorsy, active lifestyle, he said, adding: "Our people want to own." read the entire article

4/11 10 best April Fools jokes, from 4/1/13
including the AWD Twin Turbo Convertible two seater Diesel Hybrid BRZ for sale in 2015 (see 4/1 below), and the self washing Crosstrek from England
http://blogs.driving.ca/2013/04/02/10-best-car-related-april-fools-jokes/


3/24 a new design look for Subaru? I heard that before with the 3 section aircraft-heritage front grill designed by Andreas Zapatinas (Alfa Romeo) on the 06 Impreza and Tribeca.  That look survived for 2 years. The 2014 Forester XT has partly incorporated this new design in the form of the (non-functioning)  front bumper gills.
'Subaru will gradually adopt the angular face of the Viziv concept crossover shown at the Geneva auto show across its lineup, the brand's global design chief says.
Subaru's current front end, dominated by a hexagonal grille and wraparound headlights, is too tame, global design chief Osamu Namba says. Going forward, models will take their styling cues from the Viziv.
The concept's front has aggressively incised bracket-shaped headlights that fuse with the lower fog lights to cut an angular jaw shape.
Elements of the look are likely to appear on a new performance concept car that will debut at next week's New York auto show.
The look is unmistakable, and that's what Namba wants. "Up until now, it wasn't enough," Namba says of Subaru's traditionally staid front impression. "From here out, we want people to look at the headlamps and think 'Ah, Subaru.'" The new styling points have crept into the redesigned Forester crossover, which debuted in November. But Namba says they will gradually work their way across Subaru's lineup. "We've just started the change," Namba says.
Subaru will keep the hexagonal grille, Namba says. But he wants to pump up the profile for a sharper, more technological look.' read the original article
Viziv concept- the start of a new look for Subaru?

3/13 Subaru's warranty in the UK is now 5 year/100,000 miles.  It would be good if the US powertrain warranty was extended to 5 years or 100,000 miles from the current 5 years or 60,000 miles. The warranty on Certified pre-owned is 7 year or 100,000 miles. 
"Even though Subaru is experiencing record sales around the globe, things are much different for the Japanese automaker in the UK. Sales are falling in the UK and they had to recently drop the WRX, WRX STI and Impreza starting in 2013. We reported here in December that a spokesman for Subaru confirmed that there isn’t enough demand for the cars in the UK, so they will be axed from the UK line-up. Now the Japanese automaker has decided to drop their ETCo aftercare package and replace it with a new 5 year, 100,000 mile warranty instead of the previous 3 year 60,000 mile plan." read the orginal article


3/9 remember to turn your clocks forward


3/3 Consumer Report's April 2013 Annual Auto Issue is now available.
Ratings, best cars to buy and worst cars to avoid reliability lists, miscellaneous comparisons. All good information. Buy the April issue at your local store or subscribe online

2/15 one view of Subaru's near future- its mostly Outback, Forester, Impreza/Crosstrek, and WRX/STI 5 doors. And Legacy/Impreza/WRX/STI sedans. Oh, and the rear wheel drive BRZ, and almost 5+2 Tribeca.  So Subaru is still essentially a SUV/hatchback company as much as ever. Through the 1990s, there was the Legacy wagon and it game-changing  Outback version, there were Impreza hatchbacks, and in 98, the mini-square Forester. There were also various coupes and sedans, but it was mostly the wagons that sold. According to the article below, there are still no plans for an entry level car or new separate luxury brand, and the coming hybrid and BRZ are expected to be low volume cars, and the Tribeca stays because its better than nothing. 
While the stated 2013 sales goal is 365,000 cars, the unspoken one is 400,000+.
But beyond the next year or two, will the current line-up and all-wheel-drive emphasis continue to carry Subaru's hunger for growth? Will Subaru be able to compete with Hyundai, Nissan, Mazda etc or will Subaru settle in to improve and refine the models instead of seeking major growth- J.D. Power's recent 2013 dependability survey of 2010s put Subaru in the middle of the pack. It would be a smart niche move for Subaru to buck the trend of mega-SUV as family hauler when they finally drop the Tribeca and go with an awd mini-van family mover that gets decent economy. But I wouldn't be surprised to see a larger 7 passenger Outback replace the Tribeca now that the 14 Forester is growing.
From Wards Auto "Subaru expects the ’14 Forester cross/utility vehicle, plus a handful of other new products, to drive U.S. sales to at least 365,000 units this year, an 8% gain from 336,441 in 2012.
“Hopefully we’re underestimating (our target),” Ken Lin, director-product management, tells WardsAuto at a recent media event here. “If the market is strong and Forester launches strong, we could (surpass it).”
The goal is within reach if Subaru can maintain its current momentum in the U.S., where it has posted sales gains for five consecutive years, including during the height of the recession.
The Forester, one of the most critical products in Subaru’s U.S. lineup, is completely revamped for ’14, with a redesigned exterior and interior and a new 250-hp direct-injected turbocharged horizontally opposed 4-cyl. engine.
But there are other models in Subaru’s lineup, as well as some untapped potential, that could fuel growth this year. The recently launched Subaru BRZ sports car, the result of a collaboration with Toyota, has been well received and created buzz around the brand. The 2-seater is powered by a 200-hp 2.0L normally aspirated flat-4 engine, a 2013 Ward’s 10 Best Engines winner.
But in the sports-car segment, excitement over a new model can fade quickly if an auto maker stands pat, Lin says, hinting an update may be in the works. “That segment has to have something fresh to keep the interest level high,” he says. “It will be important for us to manage the lifecycle of that product.”
Lin declines to say whether the BRZ will receive a turbocharged engine, a matter of speculation among enthusiasts. Current turbocharged Subaru engines won’t fit in the BRZ’s engine bay, but officials aren’t ruling out a solution down the road.
Although the BRZ has sold only 4,144 units since going on sale in the U.S. last May, Lin says the volume is as projected. The BRZ’s twin, the Scion FR-S, has posted 11,417 deliveries to date. “The plan was for (Toyota) to outsell us,” he says. “They have many more dealerships and they wanted to sell more of the product. This wasn’t a car that we desperately needed. But it was a great engineering exercise, and we manufacture and build it. So from a manufacturing standpoint, it’s also good for the company.”
The joint product-development program likely was a onetime collaboration with Toyota, Lin says, though he leaves the door open for future tie-ups. However, it is highly unlikely Subaru will turn to Toyota for assistance in developing an entry-level car, Lin says. Some critics have suggested Subaru needs such a model to bring lower-income customers into its showrooms. “We see a lot of brands that go down-market to the entry buyer, but we’re smaller and have to be very strategic on where we focus our resources,” he says. “(Entry-level) cars themselves don’t cost that much less to build, but you have to charge thousands less to be competitive so it doesn’t make a lot of sense for us at this point.”
While the BRZ’s volume was expected, the same cannot be said for the Tribeca CUV. Last year’s sales slid 25.6% to just 2,075 units, and in January only 159 were delivered, according to WardsAuto data. Lin says the Forester may be eating into demand for the Tribeca, which also is hampered by capacity constraints at the Lafayette, IN, assembly plant. Lackluster sales ultimately could lead to its demise, he admits, although there are no plans to end production.
“Tribeca maybe isn’t the most competitive in its segment,” Lin says. “Maybe it’s a little bit too small and the fuel economy a little bit lacking, but it still offers three rows, so for young families it’s still useful.” A larger 3-row CUV ultimately could be in Subaru’s future, he says.
More upscale versions of current models also may be something the auto maker will consider, though Subaru has no intention of taking on the segment heavyweights. “Luxury is certainly one of the opportunities with profit potential,” Lin says. “We could do touring-editions of products but would not be competing with BMW or Mercedes. There is no move to create another brand.”
Later this year, Subaru will launch a hybrid-electric vehicle into the market, but details have not been revealed. Lin will say only that the model will utilize a nickel-metal-hydride battery, not a lithium-ion pack, an indication the vehicle likely will be a conventional HEV, not a plug-in. “Li-ion (batteries) are out there, but look at Boeing,” Lin says, referring to fire issues associated with Li-ion batteries on the new 787 jetliner. “I think at least for our first attempt (at a hybrid), we’re keeping it pretty simple.” The hybrid isn’t expected to boost sales significantly, he adds, noting the vehicle will be offered to appease Subaru loyalists, who view themselves as environmentalists."  read the original article.


2/13 JD Power studies the number of problems owners of 2010 model year cars had within the past 12 months.
#1 with the fewest problems is Lexus with only 71 problems per 100 2010 models. Subaru is #15 with 132 problems per 100 2010 models sold, below Cadillac with 128 problems and above BMW with 133.
The J.D Power and Associates vehicle dependability study, now in its 24th year, measures problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles (those that were introduced for the 2010 model year). Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The 2013 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 37,000 original owners of 2010 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded between October and December 2012.
In good news for car owners, the study found that overall, cars are becoming more reliable. Overall, the cars experienced an average of 126 problems per hundred vehicles. That was a decline from 132 the previous model year and the lowest average since J.D. Power launched the study in 1989.
Powers also reported that new models, either redesigned or brand new, can be just as reliable as an older model. And the dependability of  three-year-old models is at an all-time high which means used cars can be a good alternative to brand new.
The number of problems people experience with their cars has important implications for the auto industry. J.D. Power found that 54% of the owners who had no problems with their vehicles stay with the same brand when they purchase their next car. Brand loyalty slips to 41% when people experience three or more problems with their vehicles.

The ranking: #1 Lexus 71, #2 Porsche 94, #3 Lincoln 112, #4 Toyota 112, #5 Mercedes-Benz 115, #6 Buick 118,  #7 Honda 119, #8 Acura 120, #9 Ram 122,  #10 Suzuki 122, #11 Mazda 124,  #12 Chevrolet 125,  Industry Average 128,  #13 Ford 127,  #14 Cadillac 128, #15 Subaru 132,  BMW 133, GMC 134,  Scion 135, Nissan 137,  Infiniti 137, Kia 140, Hyundai 141, Audi 147, Volvo 149, Mini 150, Chrysler 153, Jaguar 164, Volkswagen 174,  Jeep 178,  Mitsubishi 178, Dodge 190, Land Rover 220
read the entire JD Powers press release

2/9 Kiplingers is a financial newsletter and website, offering advice on a multitude of topics. Recently they reviewed cars and Subaru got 6 awards.
Outback named “Best in Class” in the wagons category; BRZ wins “Most Fuel-Efficient” award in sports car category; Forester 2.5X recognized for “Best Resale” among small crossovers; Forester awarded “Worth a Look” recognition for small crossovers; Impreza awarded “Worth a Look” recognition for cars under $20,000
Legacy awarded “Worth a Look” recognition for cars priced $20,000 to $25,000
Kiplinger’s evaluated 2013 models by price and category and ranked them for value, performance and safety. The magazine names top models in ten categories, including picks for Best in Class and Best New Models. Kiplinger’s also highlights five additional vehicles in each category as Worth a Look, indicating they scored high enough to be in contention for the top awards. Kiplingers,  Subaru's press release.

2/7 Is Subaru HQ too small?
"Subaru of America Inc., which has its national headquarters in Cherry Hill, is considering leaving the township, though the mayor says he's working to prevent that.
The auto company, based at its Route 70 location since 1986, has indicated to the township that it may move to consolidate operations at a larger facility.
While company officials said they have made no decisions, Cherry Hill is confronting the possibility of losing the business — and the $440,210 in property taxes it paid last year.
About 300 employees work at Subaru headquarters, a seven-story, 115,000-square-foot building. It wouldn't be big enough, however, to hold the 900 employees the company hopes to have at a new facility, according to township officials. As a result, "they're very seriously looking at leaving Cherry Hill," township spokeswoman Bridget Palmer said Tuesday. "It's something we're concerned about."
A Subaru spokesman said the company hasn't decided to leave Cherry Hill but is considering its options. "We are tentatively looking at other locations to suit our growing business," said Michael McHale, Subaru's director of corporate communications. The company's sales have doubled during the last five years, and "we're at a point where we're adding people and operations to the business," McHale said. He would not comment on other sites that the company may be considering and said that even if Subaru moves, "it could easily be in the Cherry Hill area." "We do plan to stay local," he said.
A subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan, Subaru came to South Jersey through a pair of Philadelphia entrepreneurs. In 1968, Malcolm Bricklin and Harvey Lamm became the company's first U.S. distributors.
A 1993 Inquirer story described the two this way: "In 1968, Harvey Lamm and Malcolm Bricklin were living in the same apartment house on City Avenue. Lamm was a 32-year-old college dropout working in his father's furniture and appliance store, and hating it a lot. Bricklin was fresh from a failed franchising scheme in Florida. They met and struck up an acquaintance.
"Presently they heard about an opportunity to import a weird-looking little two-cylinder Japanese car called the Subaru. They scraped together half of the $25,000 they needed to become the exclusive importers . . ." The company located in Pennsauken, today the site of an operations center with 200 employees. Bricklin left the firm in its infancy; Lamm left as its chief executive in 1990." the original article
2/1 Interest rates announced for February. Legacy 0% now includes 48 months. Final month for 2012 model rates.

1/19 Subaru and Pang Da join to sell Subarus in China.  No mention of how this might affect or improve Subaru's ongoing desire to build cars in China, a move which has been stymied due to Toyota's minority stockholder position in Fuji.
'Chinese auto dealer Pang Da Automobile Trade Co and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd have agreed to set up an 8.25 billion yen ($92.3 million) company handling sales of Subaru cars in China, the Chinese auto dealer said on Friday. Fuji Heavy, which owns Subaru, will hold 60 percent of the sales company, with Pang Da holding 40 percent, Pang Da said in a stock exchange filing. The agreement, which is still subject to Chinese regulatory approval, will make Pang Da the exclusive distributor for Subaru cars in China..' the original article

1/11 Researching cars online
Of course this website has a ton of good information, but there are many many other sites. What are people researching? Here are 3 Top 10 lists for 2012 car searches. Subaru made the list on Autoweek.com and CR (twice), but not on KBB (this says something about the users, the websites, and the cars).
On Autoweek.com, the most researched cars were the Ford Mustang, Toyota Prius, Chevy Corvette, Kia Optima, Ford Escape, Jeep Grand Cherokee, BMW 3 series, Honda Accord, Subaru Impreza, and Dodge Charger
According to Consumer Reports, the top new cars people researched include 2 Subarus. They are Subaru Forester, Toyota Highlander, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Acura MDX, Subaru Outback, and Nissan Altima.
According to the Seattle Times (1.11.12), there are no Subarus in the top 10 most researched new cars for 2012 on KBB.com. The list is Honda CRV, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, Ford F150, Hyundai Sonata, Ford Escape, Nissan Altima, and Mazda3

1/8 New finance rates announced from January 8-31. No changes from December, all interest rates remain the same. Click for the NW area current interest rate page

1/5 more cars coming from Subaru's eventually-someday-will-be-expanded Lafayette plant.
They've been talking about it for years. And it's going to be years before the cars arrive from a larger factory. In the meantime, Fuji's job is to redirect cars from slow selling areas (UK, Korea, China) to hot selling areas like the US! Bring them here!
"Subaru is reportedly planning an expansion of its Lafayette, Indiana, plant that will significantly boost the automaker’s United States production capacity amid record demand.
According to Japan’s Nikkei business daily (via Automotive News), Subaru is planning to invest $230 million to increase output by 30 percent at its Indiana factory – the company’s only U.S. production facility. On an annual basis, the plant is currently capable of producing 170,000 Subaru vehicles and 100,000 units of major Subaru stakeholder Toyota’s Camry sedan.
Although Subaru has declined to comment on the Nikkei report, its parent company Fuji Heavy Industries acknowledged last month that it was actively studying a possible expansion to the Indiana plant to support booming sales.
Through the first 11 months of 2012, Subaru’s U.S. volume increased by 28 percent to a record 299,788 units, thanks in part to an 184 percent upswing in Impreza sales. Should the Indiana plant expansion become a reality, Subaru could potentially produce the Impreza as well as the new Forester in the U.S. for the first time – as both vehicles are currently built in Japan, the move would allow the company to increase its profits by sidestepping the strong yen." read the orignal article

1/4 A good article on why Subaru is the state car of... 
"The Subaru wagon is the official car of Maine,” boldly declares Dave Getchell, Jr., associate publisher of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors. Dave can be forgiven his enthusiastic overstatement because five of the nine people in his Rockland office drive Subarus and he himself races a sporty little Subaru WRX in road rallies.
One might also get the impression that the Subaru is the most popular car in Maine on any given trip to Sugarloaf, Saddleback, or Sunday River ski resorts, Common Ground Fair, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s, the parking lots of any number of environmental organizations or institutions of higher learning in Maine, or, for that matter, the offices of Down East.
Our own family owns two Subarus at the moment. We drive a 2010 Impreza sedan, and daughter Nora, an environmental educator who needs the all-wheel drive to reach her cabin atop a mountain in New Hampshire, drives an almost identical 2008 model. As Maine natives who have owned five Subarus over the years, we understand that the Subaru is a supremely sensible car for Maine — all-wheel drive (AWD) for mud and snow, comfortable ride, decent gas mileage, relatively affordable, hatchback, roof rack, just load the kids and gear and go.
Subaru, of course, is not the most popular vehicle in Maine, where there are 1.2 million registered cars and trucks. That would be the Ford F-150 pickup (34,144 ) followed by the Toyota Camry ( 24,369 ). But the 53,000 Subarus registered in Vacationland (that’s all models combined) make Maine one of the best markets per capita for Subarus in the country, second only to mountainous Vermont.
“Maine is a great market for Subarus, as are the states of the Northeast and Northwest,” says Jeff Walters, vice president for field operations at Subaru of America in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “People in Maine are a little smarter and got it earlier. We just wish there were more people there.”
That’s because, while Subaru has captured only 2.5 percent of the total U.S. new car market, it has close to 9 percent of the Maine market. There is, of course, a pretty simple explanation for the popularity of Subarus in Maine — traction. For many years, Subaru was the only vehicle with AWD you could buy if you didn’t want to drive a truck. But the loyalty to Subaru takes a little longer to explain...
.... “People like Subarus as a daily driving car because they are extremely reliable,” adds Dave Getchell. “At four degrees below zero, you know it’s going to go.”
Bill Hager knows all about that vaunted Subaru reliability. We went to the University of Southern Maine together back in the 1970s and Bill worked at Portland International Jetport for thirty-two years until he was downsized and outsourced in 2003. That year he invested $6,200 in a 1996 Subaru Legacy station wagon with 86,000 miles on it working for a courier service delivering packages all over New England. Today that workhorse Legacy has 637,000 miles on it....
“One of the reasons Subarus are so long-lived, dependable, and reliable,” explains master Subaru mechanic Chip Levine, “is that they’ve always used the horizontally-opposed four-stroke boxer engine. They’ve had one style engine for more than twenty years.”....
It was Chip who delivered the bad news that we had purchased the wrong Subaru back in 1999 when we lease-purchased a brand new Subaru Outback from a local dealer. Chip warned us that the head gaskets tended to blow out at about sixty thousand miles on the 1995 to 1999 Outbacks with 2.5 liter engines.
Chip was also the David who went up against the Subaru Goliath a few years back when he was sued in succession by Subaru of New England, Subaru of America, and automaker Fuji Heavy Industries. “The only valid point they had was that Subaru is a registered trademark,” says Chip, who changed the name of his business to Chip’s Service Center under duress, but he also learned in the litigious proceedings that he could use “Subaru” as an adjective to describe who he is — a “Factory Trained Subaru Technician.”
When I asked Chip who his best customers were, I got a surprising answer. “Lesbians,” he said unhesitantly. “A lot of the cars we work on have rainbow decals on them.”
“I drive a Subaru specifically because they market it to the LGBT community,” explains Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine, the state’s leading advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people.
Who knew Subaru has been marketing its cars through gay media since 1996? In fact, the company has won a number of awards from human rights groups for its enlightened approach to inclusive marketing....
Every motorized vehicle ever made, of course, has its admirers and adherents, its own demographics and devotees, but in Maine, where roads frost and heave, turn to ice and back to mud, the sensible AWD Subaru holds a special place in the hearts of those of us who just want to get there and back with a minimum of drama." click to read this entire article

Can Subaru possibly have 1,209 models?
Impreza- there are 189 possible Impreza model, transmission, trim and color combinations.
Crosstrek- there are 48 possible Crosstrek model, transmission, trim and color combinations
WRX/STI- there are 96 possible WRX and STI model, trim and color combinations
Forester- there are 136 possible Forester model, engine, transmission, trim and color combinations
Outback- there are 448 possible Outback model, engine, transmission, trim and color combinations, including PZEVs
Legacy- there are 240 possible Legacy model, engine, transmission, trim and color combinations, including PZEVs
Tribeca- there are 24 possible Tribeca model, trim and color combinations
BRZ- here are 28 possible BRZ model, transmission, trim and color combinations

Subaru stuff. Subaru Pleiades logo is cooked onto bread by the Subaru toaster! The toaster was a dealer sales manager bonus give-away, and wasn't for sale.

click for more photos of the toaster and other Subaru stuff over the years

Forester news and reviews 2013 calendar year news click for  archived news from 2012 articles edited for length, content top

m

6/1 Forester review in July Consumer Reports The Forester rated 88 points out of 100!  Worth noting is the new the new Tesla S electric sports car, also reviewed, got an astounding 99 out of 100 points. Its a well balanced article on the Forester 2.5 Premium. Overall, they like the car through its not perfect, and they appreciate that it has continued its functional, boxy roots, keeping the utility in the Sport Utility. And its good they had a 2.5L, that's the engine more buyers will prefer over the sportier, and more expensive, and less fuel efficient 2.0XT turbos. But then CR buys its own testing products unlike most other magazines and car reviewers that depend on the manufacturer to supply it for free. Here is a brief survey of a few of the good and bad comments. This is an article to read completely if the Forester is on the short list. One the positive side, comments include "the Forester has undergone its own redesign for 2014, and its lofty road-test score of 88 has left it alone at the summit with its competition far below. What's it's secret? Sticking to the basics... resisted the contemporary trend of making SUVs look like sports coupes with descending rooflines and curvaceous bodies, instead focusing on the fundamentals with a space-efficient design, large windows and big square doors...  one of the roomiest rear seats... quicker acceleration as well as class-leading 26 mpg overall.... if you're looking for a small SUV that's very functional and fuel efficient, the Forester is hard to beat... it would be hard to improve on the Forester's driving position... big windows and thin roof pillars contribute to outstanding visibility... controls are basic but simple to operate... " Not so positive comments include "the ride which used to be calm and cushy is now rather firm and jittery.... not as agile as, say, the Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5 or Toyota Rav4... the interior was modestly upgraded but remains quite austere, with a few cheap-looking touches... electronics and infotainment connectivity are a little behind the curve, especially in the areas of wireless phone pairing and audio streaming... even on smooth roads, passengers experienced a small, incessant jitter that some of us found annoying. If you put a premium on ride comfort, consider a Honda CR-V instead... as is typical for this class, cabin noise is fairly pronounced...." The article comments on the CVT without noting the CVT's disappointing, in my opinion at least, Low Mode. Again, its a good article to read completely if you're considering a Forester- buy the magazine at your local bookstore. Also reviewed, the Tesla S, Lincoln MKZ, Toyota Avalon, car batteries, and aftermarket car keyfobs and remotes. The Tesla S is not only stunning and stylish in person, but according to the article, is a pretty fantastic vehicle. Other full reviews and ratings summaries in this July issue include kitchens (counter-tops, floors, refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers etc), air conditioners, airlines, garden weed wackers,  TVs, Galaxy cell phone etc. 5/25 about Consumer Reports review of the Forester coming in the July print issue and now available for online subscribers Another review that doesn't address the 2.5 CVT's low mode with its lack of driver control for safety and performance. from USA Today "The magazine says the "2014 Subaru Forester earned the top spot against a very competitive small SUV class – easily outpointing other recent redesigns including the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5." It's the second award for Forester lately. The car also was the only small SUV to pass a particularly challenging front-offset crash test performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Consumer Reports says that the new Forester's not stylish, but that's good: "Subaru continues to put function in front of form....Forester resists the contemporary trend toward making SUVs look more like sports coupes, instead focusing on the fundamentals with a space-efficient design, large windows, and big square doors. The result is the easiest access and the best view out of almost any vehicle. It also has one of the roomiest rear seats in the class, with copious amounts of head and leg room." Jake Fisher, head of the magazine's auto test center, says, "The Forester is hard to beat." In its tests, Consumer Reports registered 26 mpg overall and 35 mpg on the highway, and noted: "While the CVT is an annoyance in many other vehicles, it's largely unobtrusive in the Forester. Ratio changes are quick and responsive and engine noise is only noticeable during hard acceleration." CVT is a reference to continuously variable-ratio automatic transmission, a design used more and more because it generally delivers better mpg. The redesign "is not without trade-offs. The ride used to be calm and cushy, but now is rather firm and jittery. Handling is responsive and very secure, but CR's engineers found that the Forester isn't as agile as the Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, or Toyota RAV4. And Subaru's in-car infotainment technology is behind the curve," the publication reports. The model bought and tested by the publication was a Forester 2.5i Premium, $26,814. That is "a good value that included heated front seats, a big sunroof, a backup camera, and a power driver's seat," Consumer Reports says. Even though it is a new design, and those usually have more problems than normal, CR says it forecasts "above-average reliability" and so gives the 2014 Forester a "recommended' rating" read the original article 5/20 more on the IIHS' Forester crash test results "Only two of 13 small SUVs performed well in front-end crash tests done by an insurance industry group, with several popular models faring poorly in the evaluations. Subaru's 2014 Forester was the only vehicle to get the top "good" rating in the results released Thursday. The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was rated as "acceptable." But fast-selling models such as the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Jeep Wrangler received only "marginal" or "poor" ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Small and midsize SUVs, which get decent gas mileage and have the cargo and passenger space of larger SUVs, are among the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. auto market. Sales grew 50 percent from 2005 to last year, when U.S. consumers bought more than 2.5 million of them, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. The IIHS ratings are influential because many auto shoppers find them while researching vehicles on the Internet. The group says its crash tests and ratings are designed to get automakers to improve the crashworthiness of their vehicles. The ratings are for the institute's "small overlap" crash test that covers only 25 percent of a vehicle's front end. The test was added to the IIHS evaluations last year, with the institute aiming to push automakers into bolstering the crash resistance of their vehicles. The group's tests are more stringent than the U.S. government's full-width front crash test. The institute says that in many vehicles, a crash affecting one-quarter of the front end misses the main structures designed to absorb the impact of a crash. Yet such crashes account for nearly a quarter of the collisions that cause serious or fatal injuries to people in the front seats, IIHS said. The new Ford Escape, the top-selling small SUV so far this year, got a "poor" overall rating, while Honda's CR-V, the No. 2 seller, got a "marginal" rating. Toyota's RAV-4, another big seller, hasn't done the testing yet because Toyota asked for a delay to improve the vehicle's structure, the IIHS said. Other SUVs getting "poor" ratings were the Jeep Patriot, Buick Encore, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscson, the institute said. The BMW X1, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan and Jeep Wrangler two-door all got "marginal" ratings..... ...The Forester and Outlander Sport each received the IIHS' coveted "Top Safety Pick Plus" award because they performed well in multiple tests including the small offset crash. Many of the other SUVs, including the Escape and CR-V, won "Top Safety Pick" designations, but didn't get the "plus" due to their performance in the small offset tests. Only 20 vehicles across all car segments have received the IIHS "Top Safety Pick Plus" award. "With the redesigned Forester, Subaru's engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded," Joe Nolan, the institute's vice president of vehicle research, said in a statement. "This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection." All SUVs tested, except the Forester, were 2012 or 2013 models. The institute said tests of 2012 models were valid because no significant design changes were made between model years...." read the entire article 5/19 John and Phil's Subaru in Corvallis, Oregon sold, reopened as Subaru Corvallis, at the same address 5/15 safety- the 2014 Forester gets top crash test rating from the IIHS in all five tests- Front moderate overlap, Side, Rollover, Rear and the new Front small overlap. The IIHS rates vehicles as Good, Acceptable,  Marginal, and Poor. Of the vehicles tested in all 5 crashes, Front moderate overlap, Side, Rollover, Rear and the new Front small overlap, only the 2014 Subaru Forester was rated Good in all tests. The 2nd best rated was the Mitsubishi Outlander with Good on all except the Front small overlap with a rating of Acceptable. BMW X1, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX5, VW Tiguan, Buick Encore, Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Patriot, Kia Sportage all were also rated Good on all except the Front small overlap but they all received a lower safety rating of Marginal. The Nissan Rogue received a good rating in 3 or 5 test, Acceptable in the rollover test, and Marginal in the Front small overlap test. Be sure to check out the IIHS press release with video of the crash test. > The IIHS report, "The 2014 Subaru Forester is the first vehicle to ace every aspect of the challenging small overlap front crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Forester, the only one of 13 small SUVs to earn an overall rating of good in the test, and the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, which earns acceptable, are the latest vehicles to qualify for the Institute's recently inaugurated top honor, Top Safety Pick+. Each of the other 11 SUVs earns either a poor or marginal rating. "With the redesigned Forester, Subaru's engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded," says Joe Nolan, the Institute's vice president for vehicle research. "This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection for people in these kinds of serious frontal crashes." This is not the first time that the Forester has stood out in a new IIHS crash test. When the Institute first rated small SUVs for side protection in 2003, the Subaru model performed the best and was one of only two to earn good ratings. IIHS added the small overlap test to its lineup of vehicle safety evaluations last year. It replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle's front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. A 50th percentile male Hybrid III dummy is belted in the driver seat. Most vehicles today are designed to do well in the government's full-width front crash test and in the Institute's moderate overlap front test, but that is no guarantee of good performance in a small overlap crash. In a 2009 IIHS study of vehicles with good ratings for frontal crash protection, small overlap crashes accounted for nearly a quarter of the frontal crashes involving serious or fatal injury to front seat occupants. In many vehicles the impact at a 25 percent overlap misses the primary structures designed to manage crash energy. That increases the risk of severe damage to or collapse of the occupant compartment structure. Also, vehicles tend to rotate and slide sideways during this type of collision, and that can move the driver's head outboard, away from the protection of the frontal airbag. Those difficulties were apparent in the small SUV group. Two-thirds of the vehicles had poor ratings for structure, and about half of them were poor or marginal for restraints and kinematics, meaning the dummy's movements weren't well-controlled to prevent contact with hard surfaces. In one example of poor structure, the front pillar of the Nissan Rogue's door frame was pushed far inside the occupant compartment and after the crash was almost touching the driver seat. The Jeep Patriot was among the worst for restraints and kinematics. The dummy's head slid off the frontal airbag as the steering wheel moved 8 inches up and nearly 6 inches to the right. The side curtain airbag didn't deploy, and the safety belt allowed the dummy's head and torso to move too far forward. In contrast, the Forester had good ratings for structure, restraints and kinematics, and all four injury measures on the dummy. The airbags worked as intended, and the space around the dummy was well-maintained. The Outlander Sport was acceptable for structure and restraints and kinematics and also had good injury measures." the IIHS press release with video, the list of small SUV safety ratings. The IIHS rating page for the 2014 Forester > The 2013 Outback was rated Good in the Front moderate overlap, Side, Rollover, Rear, and Acceptable in the Front small overlap test. the 2013 Outback test page  5/10 Forester carpeted floor mats have been recalled. Subaru is looking for a new supplier and the 2014 Forester replacement carpeted floor mats should be available in June. In the meantime, rubber floor mats are now available. 5/7  Do new cars, burn oil, do new Subarus burn oil...  from thetruthaboutcars.com  "Jim writes: Dear Sajeev: I hope you are well. I have a 2011 Subaru Forester (silver/5 speed) which has been great since purchase. I have travelled 19K to date and change oil every 6 months or 7,500 miles. I have one somewhat troubling matter, however: I’ve added a quart of synthetic oil prior to each 6 month/7,500 mile oil change. Is this to be expected? My friendly local Subaru dealer says that “all cars” will use oil over a 6 month period. I’ve stopped in every 1200 miles the past 6 months and verified that it is using some oil. However, my silver 1990 535i 5 speed with 250K did not use any oil when I drove it daily for many years. It is now in retirement. The local bmw guys tell me that the m30 engine was the best ever built by the Munich folks. I keep my cars for a long time and would prefer to address this now, prior to the warranty expiration date. Thanks and best wishes, Sajeev answers:  Supposedly many (all?) late model vehicles come with a caveat about oil consumption in their owner’s manuals.  Just for fun, I looked at my only late model vehicle’s owner’s manual and the 2011 Ford Ranger (modern Duratec or ancient Cologne V6) doesn’t have a penchant for oil consumption. So anyway…  We’ve discussed Subaru’s oil concerns several times before in this series, but I doubt they have relevance here.  So I’m not surprised to read your problem. Do I know any details off hand? Nope. Luckily, we have Google searches and the NASIOC. Do more searches there and you’ll see my point. Odds are your dealer isn’t lying: the Subaru Boxer engine (especially the turbocharged ones) can burn oil, so be okay with it.  Kinda like Mazda RX-8 owners! Ditto the V-10 powered BMW M5 and M6. These whips prove that certain engines are designed for performance, consequences be damned. Unhappy with my answer? Sell the Subie and buy a normal car with owners that’d call for blood if their machines started sucking down oil…and they’d get that blood, too. To wit, a quote from an interesting article I Googled: “Do cars today consume more oil than in the past? Not according to John Ryder, a master automotive technician and Philadelphia-area manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Approved Auto Repair Network.  Ryder agrees that manufacturers now commonly insist it’s normal for a vehicle to use up to a quart of oil per 1,000 miles. But in real-world experience, he says, such consumption is rare. “You see it in a super small percentage of cars,” Ryder says.”  Read the original article 4/25- the Forester floor mats are now an official recall. Due to improper material used in the backing on the carpeted floor mats included with all models, the mats can curl when exposed to heat, possibly interfering with the gas, brake or clutch pedals. This affects all 2014 Foresters sold before 4/22/13. Owners will be notified. Replacement mats will be provided when available starting May 2013. Recall #WQH-44. Rubber mats are now available for purchase from Subaru dealers.  4/23 Forester replacement carpeted floor mats expected in early May. 4/16 2014 Forester carpeted floor mats that are included with the car are on hold. You can buy a new Forester but the carpeted mats that come with the car should be removed, they should not them in the car. Replacement carpeted mats will be available, no date announced. No specific reason has been offered other than Subaru 'has detected a potential quality problem with carpeted floor mats' and they might curl and not lie flat. Rubber floor mats are now available and are fine to use. 4/10 2014 Forester brochures now at dealers. 29pgs   4/5 more Forester accessories available, port installed MSRP: rubber floor mats $72,  moonroof air deflector $122, upgraded speakers by Kicker $333 4/3 Navigation map upgrade available. You can download the latest Q3 2012 data from Nokia/Navteq for $149.99 + tax If you have factory navigation (excluding Forester with Tom-Tom) on a 2012-2013 Forester, Impreza, and WRX/STI, 2013 Legacy, Outback, BRZ, and Crosstrek, 2014 Forester, you can purchase the latest mapset  Q3 2012 from Navteq for 149.99 + tax. You need the original SD card that came with the navigation, and a windows computer with a SD-HC card reader. Be sure to remove the SD card from the navigation only after the pushing and confirming the Remove SD button in the Info screen. You will need a registered account with the download website, where you'll also get all the details and info, at https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal The windows computer will need a copy of the toolbox. Its at https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal/downloads Questions, support, SD card questions https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal/support or call Navteq at 888-628-6277 3/19 Canadian 2014 Forester 2.5L models have paddle shifters except the base 2.5 model. In the US only the 2.0XT turbo models have paddle shifters. 3/16 Consumer Reports buys a new 2014 Forester 'The Subaru Forester is one of the most researched cars on the Consumer Reports website. Consequently, buying the first redesigned-for-2014 Forester that we could get our hands on was a top priority. And it just arrived at our Auto Test Center. Our Forester is the most popular trim: a Premium model with the continuously variable transmission. Since we live where it gets cold, we added the $500 all-weather package, which includes heated front seats and mirrors. Not like we had much choice, anyway; basically every Forester Premium sold around here brings these heated accoutrements. Our Forester also has various add-ons, like a $272 self-dimming mirror, a $75 cargo tray, and $147 splash guards. The sticker came to $26,814—pretty much right in the sweet spot for small SUVs nowadays. Just how vital is the Forester to Subaru? One sign is my email inbox, which has several "The 2014 Forester Is Here!" messages from local Subaru dealers. With all the excitement, you'd think the Forester was a SRT Viper or something. Another sign: a local dealer is already offering the Forester for $500 under invoice. That's crazy for a car that is still warm from being driven off the transport truck. Then again, you can't throw a stone in New England without hitting a Subaru dealer, so competition fuels the deals.' the original article 3/6 Outback or Forester vs Mini All-4 "There is no apparent end to the spousal debate over replacing one of two aging workhorses in our family fleet. But a freak snowstorm and a rash act of fiscal austerity may have tipped the argument in my favor. Mary Anne, my wife, is a romantic. She wants another Mini Cooper—“something cute and fun,” albeit a larger model than the front-wheel-drive, two-door 2001 hatchback we now use at the house in Northern Virginia. She has her eyes, and seemingly her heart, set on an all-wheel-drive, four-door 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman S All4 wagon. I want another Subaru, something along the lines of the Outback Limited wagon that got us through several rough winters in New York’s Hudson Valley. I’m hot for the 2014 edition of the Subaru Forester wagon that goes on sale late this spring. I find my logic sterling and view hers as faulty. And a bad decision on fiscal austerity, now owned by no one, may have tipped the argument in my favor. We somehow arrived at the conclusion that it made no sense to pay an annual fee of nearly $1,000 to have the large circular driveway at our New York home plowed after snowfalls. We figured we could do it ourselves — until a freak winter storm left nearly four inches of wet, heavy snow packed in the driveway. Luckily, well before the storm, we chose to move the Outback wagon to Virginia for the winter. On returning here for a “house check,” we drove up clean, well-plowed local roads to turn into a driveway that resembled a wild winter wonderland. But the Outback, equipped with a 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder engine (165 horsepower, 166 foot-pounds of torque) and a symmetrical all-wheel-drive system, got us in and out of the driveway easily. That performance greatly impressed Mary Anne, so I pressed what appeared to be my lobbying advantage. “The new Forester wagon does even better,” I said. “They’ve fixed the rear suspension and everything. The ride is more comfortable. You’ll love it.” She retorted: “That All-Four Countryman comes with all-wheel drive. It moves better on the highway. And it’s a lot prettier.” Subaru, unfortunately, routinely leaves me defenseless in the matter of automotive styling. The company’s design and engineering mind-set is practicality. It has no concept of “pretty” or “cute.” But I told Mary Anne that the new Forester has “some” style to it, including a surprisingly attractive and comfortable interior. She knocked that one back across the table with a dismissive, derisive “Some?” I retreated to hard points, mentioning that the new Forester came with an improved 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder engine — gasoline direct injection (that always sounds knowledgeable), 170 horsepower, 174 foot-pounds of torque, a bit more horsepower and torque than our Outback. “And it gets better fuel economy,” I said (24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway). Not to be outflanked with “facts,” she went to her iPad and pulled up numbers for the 2013 Mini Countryman S All4 —1.6-liter in-line four-cylinder engine, 181 horsepower, 177 foot-pounds of torque, 25 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway. “But it requires premium gasoline and the new Forester doesn’t,” I said. “And don’t forget how much money we spent fixing your Mini [nearly $6,000 in “routine” repairs in the past three years] compared with what we spent on the Outback [barely $2,000 in the same period].” She replied: “We really only use the Outback when we’re in Cornwall.” I couldn’t let that one go. “It snows all the time in Cornwall,” I said. “It hardly snows at all in Northern Virginia.” Which gave her an opportunity to pounce: “Is that why you canceled the plowing contract here?” the original article 3/1 2014 Forester special finance rates available- 1.90%-24-36-48 mos, 2.90% 60-62-72 mos, oac 2/25 2014 Foresters starting to trickle in to dealers.  "Introducing the 2014" brochures now available with model information and comparisons to competitive models 2/20 see two 2014 Foresters at Seattle's Northwest Flower and Garden Show 2/20-24. There's a Burnished Bronze and Jasmine Green 2.5 Touring and they're open to sit in. Jasmine Green shown 2/17 See the 2014 Forester at the large Northwest Flower and Garden Show 2/20-24 1/29  Forester review "Six years is the standard life span for a new car design, but the current Subaru Forester, which went on sale in early 2008, is being ushered off stage one year early. This is despite the fact that the departing Forester has sold much better than its gawky, wagonlike predecessors and even in its last year accounted for nearly a quarter of the brand's volume. The new Forester, wisely, does little to threaten that success, instead largely building on the previous car's strengths, the better to face the fleet of big-name competitors in this ever-more-popular segment. Current owners will instantly recognize this as a Forester. The largest dimensional change is in length, which grows by 1.4 inches. Better packaging helps make for an even roomier back seat, and Subaru engineers have made the car even more family friendly with easier ingress and egress and simpler child-seat installation. The previous Forester offered excellent outward visibility, and -- defying widespread industry trends -- the new version is actually improved. On our drive outside of Tucson, we gazed at southern Arizona's rocky brown tableau through huge side windows. Slimmer A-pillars and a raised seat height make for a great forward view as well, and backing up is easier with a rearview camera (standard in all but the base model)....  One area that was ripe for improvement was fuel economy. Subaru has finally junked the old Forester's mileage-sapping four-speed automatic transmission. Unfortunately, as in the Legacy, Outback, and Impreza, it was replaced with a CVT. A stick shift (now a six-speed) is still available with the standard 2.5-liter engine on base and Premium trim levels, but the vast majority of Foresters will be equipped with the automatic. Paired with the 2.5-liter -- a 170-hp unit that was introduced in the outgoing car last year -- it makes for droning acceleration. At least that acceleration is somewhat quicker, with the factory-measured 0-to-60-mph time down from 9.9 to 9.3 seconds. Moreover, fuel economy has jumped from 21/27 mpg city/highway to a top-of-the-class 24/32 mpg -- and that's with all-wheel drive, which is standard. The turbocharged Forester XT, meanwhile, has a new 2.0-liter unit that puts out 250 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The 2.0-liter is based on the BRZ engine and will appear next in the new Impreza WRX. The turbo comes only with the CVT, but with so much additional muscle available from only 2000 rpm, the engine spends very little time hanging at the top of the rev range, and the CVT becomes almost a nonissue.... Electronics are elsewhere employed in a new navigation unit, which unfortunately incorporates the audio system and is a pain to use. Subaru's EyeSight system -- with adaptive cruise, precollision braking, and lane-departure warning -- is an option on Touring models only. That new top-spec model takes the Forester's price as high as $33,820, but buyers will be reassured to know that there's plenty of good value to be found toward the lower end of the spectrum, with the base 2.5i starting at $22,820. Value is an integral part of the Forester equation, along with practicality and usability. This early renewal enhances those strengths and should fortify the Forester against the buzz saw of competition..."  read the entire article 1/27 Forester XT turbo review "The Forester does quite a bit of heavy lifting for Subaru. What was once a plucky little all-wheel-drive utility box has matured into a competitive crossover that accounts for a quarter of the company's total sales in the US. With those numbers continuing to swell even in the third generation's twilight hours, engineers and designers found themselves in the unenviable position of being asked to fix what ain't broke. Rather than reinvent the company's workhorse from the ground up, as we say in our first look at the CUV, Subaru honed the Forester to offer better fuel efficiency, more usable space and a more refined drive. In doing so, the automaker hopes to toe that delicate line between luring in new devotees to the cult of Pleiades and keeping the brand's longtime fans smiling. While the fourth-generation Forester may have lost some of its trademark pluckiness in the pursuit of a more mainstream existence, there's no denying this is a more sorted vehicle than its predecessors. Make no mistake, the 2014 Forester is keen to carve out a larger chunk of the ever-plumping CUV market for itself, and for the first time in its history, it has the muscle to do so. The 2014 Subaru Forester is larger in every direction compared to the 2013 model, but familiar proportions help keep the new generation from looking engorged. Taken on its own, the Japanese CUV looks fairly compact, but with its tall ride height and more capacious greenhouse, the model can't help but appear beefier than competitors like the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5. Both the base Forester and the XT now feature more squared-off styling front and rear, and the result is a more masculine mini SUV.... ...If the Forester shows its new girth anywhere, it's in profile. The new generation is 1.5 inches longer than the outgoing model, complete with an extra inch of wheelbase. There's also an additional 1.4 inches of total height, thanks in part to a larger greenhouse. Designers shifted the A-pillar forward slightly for greater visibility and larger door openings, and under a close eye, the CUV can't help but appear a bit bubble-headed. We appreciate the new roof-to-belly doors that cover the vehicle's sills, however. Anyone who's come away from a previous-generation Forester with mud or snowy slush on their pant legs will agree the design change is a good one. Inside, the 2014 Forester doesn't exactly offer buyers any great leap forward in comfort or convenience, though a number of small changes help make the cabin a nicer place to spend time. Those start with larger door openings all around, which help make jumping behind the wheel or wrangling children into the back seat easier. Up front, designers have ditched the old square cup holders for round units, and the seat warmer controls have finally migrated to a usable position on the center console. We can't say thank you enough for that last maneuver. With an extra 0.4 inches of vehicle width and redesigned, scalloped door panels, occupants get an extra 1.3 inches of shoulder room, too, which helps make the Forester feel larger inside than it actually is. But it's the back seat that's received the most attention. Subaru has worked to make the 2014 Forester more kid friendly than its old counterpart, with tricks like a transmission tunnel that's nearly three inches lower than before. ...  Most importantly, the 2014 model delivers an extra 3.7 inches of rear legroom over the 2013 Forester, effectively making the back seat genuinely usable for adults and children alike for the first time in the model's history..." read the entire article 1/26 2014 Forester review "The compact crossover class is one of the most competitive with a slew of excellent choices for car shoppers. Subaru's redesigned Forester won't make things any easier. The 2014 Subaru Forester may look only slightly different on the outside, but inside, underneath the hood and just about everywhere else, it's a significantly improved SUV. Subaru has gone to great lengths to make sure the Forester is still a capable off-road  or at least "off-pavement" vehicle — but it shines in everyday driving, too. At a national introduction hosted by Subaru in Arizona, I tested both the standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder that most shoppers will choose as well as the significantly more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in XT models. The Forester will go on sale in March. The engine Subaru expects nearly 95 percent of Forester buyers to opt for is a 170-horsepower four-cylinder teamed to a continuously variable automatic transmission. Doesn't sound like a powerhouse, does it? But the top-sellers in the class aren't far removed. The Honda CR-V, new Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape and Mazda's CX-5 get 185, 176, 173 and 155 hp, respectively.   Look at torque figures, though, and the Forester's 174 pounds-feet of torque compares well against the same group at 163, 172, 184 and 150 pounds-feet, respectively. In the real world, when merging onto the highway, passing and accelerating from a dead stop, I put the Forester on par with the CR-V and Escape. Its one fault in these areas is the high level of noise during hard acceleration, which is partly due to the CVT. Once up to speed, though, the Forester is remarkably quiet. Most of today's Subaru vehicles, including the outgoing Forester, allow too much road and wind noise into the cabin. Subaru says this Forester is the quietest vehicle it's ever made, and impressive aerodynamics helps the seemingly boxy SUV's fuel economy, too. Considering how tall the cabin is — with lots of tall windows — the noise level is even more impressive while still delivering terrific visibility. The one advantage Subaru clearly has over the competition is its standard all-wheel-drive system. That's not just because of how much less a Forester costs than all-wheel-drive versions of the competition — they come standard with front-wheel drive — but just how capable the system is itself... Of course, all-wheel-drive systems generally hurt fuel economy, but Subaru has done wonders with the 2.5-liter's efficiency. It's rated 24/32 mpg city/highway and 27 mpg combined.  Those are excellent numbers even against front-wheel-drive competitors. The combined rating tops the CR-V, the Escape 1.6 and the four-cylinder Chevy Equinox at 26 mpg. Only the underpowered CX-5 outshines the field at 29 mpg combined. Highway mileage is right in line with the CR-V's 31 mpg, RAV4's 31 mpg, Escape's 33 mpg, CX-5's 32 mpg and Equinox's 32 mpg.... The Forester XT is a different beast crafted for drivers who want more speed in their little crossover. Its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder puts out 250 hp and 254 pounds-feet of torque... To show off its speed, Subaru put the XT on a challenging racetrack for part of the evaluation. While it handled the circuit well, it was the open road where the XT felt really quick. Subaru says the zero-to-60 time is in the low 6-second range, which is about the same as a base Porsche Cayenne.... Whether it's worth the added price and fuel-economy hit — 23/28 mpg and 25 mpg combined — is another question. We observed 25.8 mpg on our full drive and just 20 mpg after the first leg of unpaved driving. An area Subaru has failed in for many years is interior design and refinement.... other editors at Cars.com find fault with the quality of glossy plastics and hard dashboards.  Even they should be impressed with the new Forester's cabin. The dashboard's design is simple and has just a few pieces of the silver plastic many despise. The gauges are traditionally laid out; there are large buttons and knobs for the standard stereo and climate controls, and even the dashboard materials are softer to the touch than before. Drivers and front passengers will appreciate the front seats. The optional leather seats I tested throughout my six-hour drive were incredibly comfortable. I routinely get a sore back after an hour-plus in many test cars, so the pain-free day stood out.  I also sat in a Forester outfitted with cloth seats, which are standard. They were definitely firmer but were still nice and wide across the seat's back and bottom..." read the entire article 1/24 2014 Forester orders accepted, and factory option prices and packages announced! Foresters for dealer inventory are expected to slowly start arriving in late February or March. Want something specific? Order it. Factory orders placed in January will be for May delivery (or April), and orders placed in February will for June delivery (possibly May). Place your order now. This is the best time to get a 2013- there's 0% financing, a decent selection, and excellent deals still available. 1/22 2014 Forester color codes announced 1/18 2014 Forester prices and option packages released, and features list updated. Options and prices not released yet, and orders not yet available though they should be soon. As long expected, the car should start arriving mid to late February. Prices increased on all models but with new features that was to be expected. Destination increased $30 to $825 Notably missing is the popular alloy wheel/roof rack value package on the base 2.5X models. The top selling Premium price increase is only $230 including the new CVT and destination. The Premium with manual transmission gets standard All Weather Package but loses the power moonroof.  The Limited and Touring models get new power rear gate, and Touring model comes standard with Navigation. Aha smartphone audio integration is standard with navigation. Research all the 2014 Forester specs and prices here is a chart to compare 2014 and 2013 Forester MSRP prices. MSRP prices include destination. All 2014s have upgrades and features not on the 13s, especially Touring and XT models. If you want s 13, now is the time to get it model 2014 2013 . model 2014 2013 2.5i, manual $22,820 $22,090 . 2.5i Limited CVT $28,820 $27,790 2.5i CVT $23,820 $23,290 . 2.5i Touring CVT $30,820 $29,190 2.5i Premium, manual $24,320 $25,090 . 2.0 XT Premium, CVT $28,820 $28,090 2.5i Premium. CVT $25,820 $25,590 . 2.0XT Touring, CVT $33,820 $30,790 Important Forester Note- Some (all?) Canadian 2014 Forester 2.5X CVT transmission models apparently have Paddle Shifters which for some reason is a feature US models don't have.  While many people won't use them, paddle shifters, or other similar controls like the Sportshift on previous transmissions, give the driver the ability to manually control the CVT transmission for safety and performance reasons, and because it's fun and involves the driver.  This very important feature is missing on all U.S. 2.5X models. Will U.S. bloggers and magazine car reviewers take note of this? For years, Canadians have come to U.S to buy new or lightly used Subarus because they're less expensive. Perhaps Americans will now go north to buy Canada spec 2.5X Foresters because they have a better, more flexible CVT setup. Here's a link for the 2014 Canadian Foresters. Scroll down to the 'selected features' list.  1/2 puddle light recall on various models sold before January 2012 Optional puddle lights (small outside lights under each door that illuminate the ground) may short circuit when exposed to saltwater, which could lead to overheating and possible fire. Models involved have the optional puddle lights and are the 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback, 2009-2012 Foresters sold before January 2012, and 2006-2012 Tribecas sold before January 2012. Reportedly around 54000 cars in the US and over 633,000 cars worldwide could be involved. According to online reports, the problem has been known for years with various fixes failing to solve it. The latest repair will be new wiring with a fuse. Recall #WQE-41 the official recall notice

XV Crosstrek  news and reviews 2013 calendar year news check 2012 news articles edited for length, content

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CROSSTREK HYBRID IS BELOW 5/23  Crosstrek is one of  the three cars that went into the Skagit River when the I-5 bridge collapsed. Everyone is ok. The bridge crossing the Skagit River in Burlington, Wa, (just north of Mt Vernon), collapsed sending 3 vehicles into the river. I-5 is the main North-South interstate and a very busy highway. The Skagit River Bridge carries around 70,000-75,000 cars daily.  It fell after one of the girders was struck by an semi.  There are a few other bridges nearby but they're street bridges not intended to carry the volume the Skagit Bridge did. 3 cars went into the water, thankfully everyone is ok. One of the cars was a tangerine orange Crosstrek. There's some body damage in addition to being dumped in the river. The driver was rescued from the top of the car. The local dealer in the area is Skagit Subaru. That's an orange Crosstrek in the Skagit River. The roof and right side roof rail is damaged and the side airbag is deployed against the driver's window.   4/29 orders close early on Wednesday 5/1 for all 2013 BRZ, Impreza, Crosstrek and Tribeca If there's something specific you want, these are the final days to special order it. 4/9 Crosstrek review from Edmunds.com "The Frumpy Solution to Eccentric Problems. Subaru's 2013 XV Crosstrek rides a very fine line. It is, most certainly, a Swiss army knife of the automotive world: a jack of all trades. But being a jack of all trades runs the obvious risk of being master of none. This may or may not be the case with the XV Crosstrek. The Crosstrek, after all, does solve some eccentric problems. For example, should you be in the perilous circumstance of finding conventional crossover SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 or Ford Escape too macho and the standard Subaru Impreza too vanilla, it's possible that the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek is, in fact, your ideal car. What Is It?  The Crosstrek replaces the Outback Sport in Subaru's lineup of pumped-up spin-offs. It is, however, a more capable off-roader than the Outback Sport, which died with the last-generation Impreza. The XV sits some 4.1 inches taller than the standard 2013 Impreza thanks to a lifted suspension and taller tires. Combined with genuinely fat fender flares and a big fender gap, the look is a combination of bravado and utility, with a little Birkenstock thrown in for balance. Also, it doesn't hurt that the wheels match the body color on our black test car. Though Subaru does a better job concealing the platform's roots than in past examples, the XV Crosstrek is all Impreza hatchback underneath. Its powertrain options are the same, too. There's one engine available: a 2.0-liter flat four-cylinder good for 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. Limited models like our tester come only with the continuously variable transmission (CVT), but a five-speed manual is available on Premium trims..... A survey of the XV's specs reveals the full extent of its utility. There's a significant 8.7 inches of ground clearance, which might not mean much until one realizes that the 3.5-inch-taller 2013 Toyota RAV4 offers only 6.3 inches.... With this knowledge we headed for our local Subaru proving grounds in the Santa Monica Mountains to test whether the XV's hardware could deliver.... ...The XV produced a 26.5-mpg average during more than 1,000 test miles. With EPA ratings of 25 city/33 highway and 28 combined mpg, our numbers are marginally off the mark. Measured against its rivals in the real world, however, the XV can easily compete. Our past tests of the 2013 RAV4 and 2012 CR-V produced 23.6 and 27.7 mpg, respectively. By utilizing the same design and materials, the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek is all Impreza inside.... There are heated leather seats and automatic climate control on Limited models like our tester. The 4.3-inch LCD screen displays navigation and audio information as well as the rearview camera display. Nobody will accuse the XV of being luxurious, but it's also not cheap. Materials and controls feel decent and (on our long-term Subaru Impreza, at least) seem to last. The 60/40-split rear seats fold nearly flat, though cargo space is considerably less than full-fledged crossovers. At 51.9 cubic feet, the XV's total cargo area can't measure up to the RAV4's class-leading 73.4 cubes. Still, it is no less useful than other compact five-doors from Japan or Korea. Whether the Impreza-based XV will sufficiently substitute for a RAV4 or CR-V depends on two factors: how badly you need the extra space they provide, and how badly you want the added visibility their height provides. Because in every other way (including off-road ability) this funky Subaru gets the job done. It's not hard to be more interesting than a standard Impreza. And it's not a big ask to be more macho than a RAV4 or CR-V. So even though the XV finds itself in the largely unoccupied space between compact five-doors and crossover SUVs, it will, no doubt, be the perfect solution for many.' read the entire article 4/3 Navigation map upgrade available. You can download the latest Q3 2012 data from Nokia/Navteq for $149.99 + tax If you have factory navigation (excluding Forester with Tom-Tom) on a 2012-2013 Forester, Impreza, and WRX/STI, 2013 Legacy, Outback, BRZ, and Crosstrek, 2014 Forester, you can purchase the latest mapset  Q3 2012 from Navteq for 149.99 + tax. You need the original SD card that came with the navigation, and a windows computer with a SD-HC card reader. Be sure to remove the SD card from the navigation only after the pushing and confirming the Remove SD button in the Info screen. You will need a registered account with the download website, where you'll also get all the details and info, at https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal The windows computer will need a copy of the toolbox. Its at https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal/downloads Questions, support, SD card questions https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal/support or call Navteq at 888-628-6277 3/29-April 7- Hybrid- see Subaru's first hybrid, a Crosstrek, at the New York Int'l Auto Show, March 29 - April 7 2/22 recall- remote engine start transmitters. The transmitters on 2010-2012 Outback and 2012-2013 Impreza and Crosstrek might have a loose internal battery clip that when dropped sends a signal to start the car.  If this happens the engine can run for 15 minutes, turn off, and restart. This cycle could repeat until the car is out of gas and in a garage this could lead to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. The transmitters will be replaced. Recall #WQF-42 2/4 Crosstrek review "What is it? An elevated Impreza with a rakish roofline, a rear hatch and sporty trim. How much? The entry-level model, inexplicably called the Premium, starts at $22,805 with a manual transmission. The fancier Limited with an automatic is $25,305, but adding a sunroof and navigation system would increase that by $2,000. Prices include the $810 destination charge. What makes it run? A 2-liter flat 4 (148 horsepower) and either a 5-speed manual or a continuously variable automatic transmission; all-wheel drive is standard. Is it thirsty? Not for all-wheel drive. The Crosstrek automatic is rated at 25 m.p.g. city and 33 highway, the manual at 23/30. Alternatives: BMW X1, $35,395; Mini Countryman All4, $28,000; Nissan Juke AWD, $22,730. Anyone who lives where an eight-inch dump of snow doesn’t raise a frost-covered eyebrow knows that all-wheel drive isn’t enough: if you want to get through deep snow you need ground clearance, too. That is the point of the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek, which is basically a modified Impreza compact hatchback operating at, well, a higher level. While the Impreza has 5.7 inches of ground clearance, the Crosstrek has 8.7 inches. That’s nearly as much as the Chevrolet Tahoe, a conventional S.U.V. Those extra three inches seriously reduce the chance of bogging down in deep snow, whether on an unplowed road or while clambering over the mounds left by snowplows in front of side roads and driveways. The Crosstrek isn’t intended for serious off-roading, but its higher stance gives it a better chance of handling rutted, rough roads without damaging the parts down under. While the XV is based on the Impreza, it has a different body style with jaunty, assertive styling. The biggest mechanical changes, Subaru says, involve borrowing some components from the Forester S.U.V. for the higher-riding suspension. The Crosstrek’s cabin is virtually identical to the Impreza’s in appearance and dimensions. The interior has an economy-car look but is practical and comfortable enough for four adults — assuming nobody is much over six feet tall or feels entitled to stretch-out legroom. Subaru says there’s 22 cubic feet of space behind the back seat. Plop that seat down and you create a huge 52-cubic-foot cargo hold. I spent about a week with a Limited with the continuously variable transmission, followed by a Premium with the manual. The manual allows more involvement, but there are two downsides. One is a mileage rating that’s 2 m.p.g. lower in town and 3 lower on the highway. The other is noise. At highway speeds the engine — working hard just to maintain 70 m.p.h. — adds to the already considerable racket from the road and the wind. Life is quieter with the variable automatic, which allows the engine speed to drop considerably, reducing the racket. And the C.V.T. comes with some underhood soundproofing that isn’t in the manual. A spokesman said that soundproofing would be made available for installation on the manual Crosstrek. Of course, you pay a price in performance for the good fuel economy. Acceleration is just acceptable, at best, with either the manual or the variable automatic. The testers at Consumer Reports clocked a C.V.T. model at a leisurely 9.7 seconds from a stop to 60 miles per hour. While the manual shifter is slightly notchy, the C.V.T. works well. And because the transmission lets the engine operate at peak efficiency most of the time, it’s a big factor in fuel efficiency. The Crosstrek makes up for its casual approach to velocity with an energetic demeanor on a two-lane road. Despite the high ride height, the Subaru changes direction quickly and the body lean is nicely controlled. It is also possible, by lifting off the gas in the middle of a quick turn, to get the tail to move slightly to the outside, helping to change direction. On rough surfaces, the ride can be a bit jolting. One question for potential buyers is whether the Crosstrek is worth its price premium over the Impreza. For the budget-minded who don’t need the extra ground clearance, yet want all-wheel drive and good fuel economy, the cheapest Impreza with a manual transmission is about $3,600 less than the entry-level Crosstrek. But that’s a misleading comparison because the Crosstrek has a lot more standard equipment. The closest apples-to-apples comparison would be the XV Crosstrek Premium with the Impreza Sport Limited, which has similar upscale features like heated seats. Those two models are each just under $24,000. Buying the XV Crosstrek also means a slight loss in fuel economy. The Impreza hatchback with the automatic is rated at 2 m.p.g. more in town and 3 more on the highway. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the Impreza would consume $100 less in gasoline in a year, based on 15,000 miles of driving with a fuel price of $3.36 a gallon. The Crosstrek comes with all of the important safety features, including electronic stability control. It is rated a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its performance in front and side-impact crash tests and for roof strength. A thoroughly likable and practical crossover, the XV Crosstrek is impressive not for its speed but for its ability to adapt to driving conditions, whether meandering along a mountain road or slogging through deep snow. And wherever it travels, it goes easy on the finances." the original article 2/3 Crosstrek review "The 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek is just about the perfect vehicle for Pacific Northwest singles and families on a budget. The new compact crossover by Subaru is small enough for easy city driving but offers a surprisingly large amount of interior room and cargo space. Because it's a Subaru, all versions come standard with all-wheel-drive, which increases traction for slippery and off-road conditions. And although it is basically an Impreza five-foor hatchback, ground clearance has been increased three inches for better trail and countryside driving. The cost is very reasonable, too, with the base Premium model starting at around $22,000 and our fully-loaded Limited test model coming in at under $28,000. And the mileage isn't bad, either, with the Continuously Variable Transmission-equipped version EPA rated at 25 miles per gallon in the city and 33 on the highway. But we say "just about perfect" because some potential buyers might have problems with the CVT. It is a little noisy off the line and under heavy acceleration, which is not unusual for the new breed of shiftless transmissions that maximize mileage. On the other hand, it is much more responsive than most CVTs and comes with a manual shift mode for even more control. Those buyers uncomfortable with the CVT can get a five-speed manual transmission in the base model, but not in the Limited version. Mileage is reduce to 23 city and 30 highway, however. Although we noticed the CVT noise the first time we drove our test Crosstrek, we quickly found it easy to ignore, especially because the upgraded stereo was so good. And the numerous comfort features in the Limited also helped ease the pain, especially the heated leather seats, which were supportive enough for long drives. The navigation system's 4.3-inch display screen was a little small by today's standards, but the view from the rear view camera just fine. And the sunroof let in plenty of light. Subaru says the Crosstrek is a different model from the normal Impreza and has taken a number of steps to set the two of them apart. The additional height is immediately noticeable, as is the protective cladding under the front, sides and rear. And the unique black and silver alloy wheels are also attention grabbers — purposeful bordering on ugly, but distinctive nevertheless. The company went down this path once before. The last generation Outback was essentially a lifted Legacy wagon with cladding and special wheels. Subaru kept insisting it was really a different model, even though it did not actually become one until the current generation. The Crosstrek's additional ride height was appreciated both on and off the road. Visibility was greatly increased over the regular Impreza, which is much more of a car than the Crosstrek. And we had no qualms going over the poorly maintained streets in our part of town, including the steep unpaved ones that double as our off road test tracks in a pinch. Although the flat four is only rated at 148 horsepower, the CVT made surprisingly efficient use of it, allowing quick accelerations from dead stops and safe freeway merges. The ride was sportier than we expected, aided by the well-controlled suspension that is upgraded from the normal Impreza. As Subaru owners know, the company's vehicles are not the most sophisticated in the world. Despite the leather seats, the interior in our test model had a lot of plastic and less-than-expensive feeling control knobs. But everything worked like it was supposed to, and plastic is easier to clean than fabric. And so is leather, which is another excuse for considering the Limited version, even if it only comes with a CVT." the original article 1/17 Crosstrek Impreza looks just right "Subaru has this down to a science. Take one of its cars, jack it up a couple of inches, add some plastic body cladding, a roof rack and, Voila…soft-roader. The Impreza hatchback is the latest to get this treatment, and while it’s a little more involved, that really is basically the gist of its transformation into the $22,805 XV Crosstrek. But I can’t help wonder if the process wasn’t done the other way around. While the design of the Impreza is a little bit on the awkward side, it looks just right as a high rider. And the XV Crosstrek is definitely that. The little 5-door has 8.7-inches of ground clearance, more even than a Jeep Grand Cherokee, although it sits lower and is easier to get into than a conventional compact crossover. Chunky wheels with a blocky spoke design combined with unique front and rear bumpers help give it the appearance of a space buggy, especially when finished in its signature Tangerine Orange Pearl paint. The interior is identical to the Impreza’s, which means plain, but appointed with excellent visibility and lots of room for the compact class. The main difference is a standard rubber cargo tray for hauling mucky gear in the back. Not too much of it, though, as the 2.0-liter flat-four-cylinder engine only has 148 hp. All-wheel-drive and a five-speed manual transmission are standard, but with the CVT automatic the vast majority of buyers will choose, the XV Crosstrek is a little slow getting up to speed on the highway. The tradeoff is that once you are there it delivers 33 mpg, which Subaru says is best in class for all-wheel-drive crossovers, even if the XV Crosstrek barely qualifies as one. Unlike many cars today that come up short on real world fuel economy, I saw as much as 35 mpg on a couple of runs. One of them took me to a snow-covered dirt road where, even on all-season tires, the XV Crosstrek kept me out of the woods. The Vehicle Dynamics Control is not subtle about saving your sorry self, the system loudly rat-tat-tatting individual brakes to keep the car going straight whenever you start getting out of line. Treat it like the buzzer in a game of Operation and it can be a very good lesson in vehicle dynamics. Slippery surfaces or not, the XV Crosstrek’s suspension does a great job in the rough stuff, soaking up the deepest ruts with nary a shock to the spine, but is a little bouncier than ideal on paved roads. As with many “gearless” CVT transmissions, the XV Crosstrek has a manual mode and paddles behind the steering wheel that allow you to use it like a virtual six-speed. Normally very silly, this feature actually comes in handy off-road by giving you more direct control over the power delivery and some engine braking when heading downhill. As a slightly more extreme alternative to the Impreza, the XV Crosstrek offers a nice package. But don’t waste its time unless you plan to get a little dirty now and then, or at least live where the snow gets deep. Subaru didn’t go to the trouble of making it for the likes of you." read the complete article. 1/13 Crosstrek and Legacy review. The Crosstrek is cool, capable, slow and steady... "I've been excited (but not so surprised) to see a wide collection of Subaru's new XV Crosstreks — the jacked-up, brightly colored, Mountain Lifestyle-friendly version of the Impreza — appear in Colorado since the vehicle's launch last year. As you can get one with a base price of below $23,000. But I discovered that the car's inherent coolness also requires a bit of patience when you're actually rolling your way up our mountain passes, as that lift in suspension and the optional blazing orange paint job is still centered around a four-cylinder Boxer engine making just 148 horsepower. On a recent re-test of the vehicle on dry roads, I swung up and over nearby Berthoud Pass and, despite a built-in natural high and a glowing feeling that I was rocking an Impreza WRX STI race car, I actually spent much of the run to the summit in second gear, eking out all of the power the car had just to keep rolling. True-blue Subie oldsters know the feeling, and I guess they love that kind of thing — especially when you have to do the trip in a foot of fresh snow. That's where the Crosstrek's 8.7 inches of clearance and its bulletproof continuous all-wheel drive system will leave giant SUVs and their monster engines in the dust, like a bright-orange character from a Dr. Seuss book. And the Subaru devotees will certainly clamor around your Crosstrek, bewitched by its macho-futuristic extra bits — the rubberized corner bumper points, the air-flow wedges under the back bumper and the cool silver-outlined wheels. It's also an IIHS Top Safety Pick. Throw a gear box on the top rails and you've got a super-stylized weekend machine that will get up to 30 highway mpg, respond ruggedly to summertime camping trails and … do the full slow-and-steady routine. Meanwhile, the much-improved 2013 Legacy has absolutely no problem charging up the passes AND sticking to the snow, though its standard, non-Outback sedan shape makes it a little bit more of a rarity up here. The trade-off for not being able to load up quite as many cubic feet of outdoor equipment is an automobile that's more agile, more sporty and considerably less bulky than the ever-expanding Outback." read the entire article with the rest of the article on the Legacy 1/1/13 Crosstrek reviewed in the February Consumer Reports.  As is common with most Crosstrek reviews by auto writers, they appreciate the capability of the car, its ground clearance, all wheel drive, and handling, and bemoan the 2.0L and CVTs weak acceleration though the resulting fuel economy is a strong point. They also comment on the generally noisy ride. In the same February issue they compare 3 mid-size sedans, the 2013 Subaru Legacy, Honda Accord, and Chevy Malibu. Disappointingly the Legacy, while a recommended model, comes out last, 3rd, in the bunch, with the 2013 Legacy upgrades improving emergency handling but reducing ride comfort. The Honda Accord, always a great car, comes out on top. Also in the February issue, they list some of the the best and worst cars for the money, they review the Huyndai Santa Fe Sport,  various snow blowers, TV sound bars, handsfree soap dispensers, washers and dryers,  tablets and laptops, and much more. Its always a good resource and worth subscribing to in-print or online.

WRX AND STI NEWS AND REVIEWS IN 2013 2013 calendar year news articles edited for length, content
top click for archived news from 2012
m	2015 WRX/STI concept car news is below 5/26 2015 STI spy video. "Overall, the styling of the car is not as exciting as the concept showcased in New York last month since it appears the production version will adopt a regular sedan body with narrower fenders, taller roof and smaller lower intakes." watch the video on youtube 5/2 WRX Special Edition photo page check out the 2013 tangerine orange WRX Special Edition. There are only 200of them, and 10 STIs 4/30 2013 STI photo page WRX photo page added 5/2 4/22 the 200 WRX and 100 STI sedans are starting to arrive. All are tangerine orange. 4/17 on the current 2.5L WRXs and STIs. They're great muscle cars, both the more affordable WRXs and higher performance STIs. It took multiple versions starting in 2002 with the 2.0L, through the 2008 redesign get it right in 2010. They're well proven, dependable, and work well as daily drivers if you like to drive a car that's fast and sounds like it, sticks tightly to the road like glue and rides like it, and has bulging fenders that are as subtle as Hulk's gamma radiated muscles. As a matter of fact, the only thing missing from the 2010-2013 WRX/STI is Hulk green. This model is ending though, it has to change. To get better fuel economy it needs to become sleeker, use new technology, its bulges will become smooth bumps, and the 2.5L will become a 2.0L that pumps out power when needed but sips gas when not. The next version of the WRX/STI will more refined in all ways, though one trusts Subaru will keep the hard-charging thrashy spirit and attitude while improving the ride, making the car more economical to drive, comfortable, quieter, less plasticy, all while not changing it from the affordable rockets they are. Its an inevitable change, but  I think the current WRX/STI will be a car people lust for 20 years from now (especially 5 door models) when everything has become a combination of battery, electric, fuel cell power, dilithium crystal. And while there's no Hulk green, collectors will look for the 300 tangerine orange Special Editions available this month. Here are two recent articles on the passing of the WRX/STI baton > from TFL.com "Here at TFLcar.com, we define a “modern collectible” as a vehicle with timeless looks, extraordinary performance, and extremely limited availability. A car we choose must be beautifully mechanically and aesthetically, but, above all, must be able to turn heads and create conversation wherever it travels. This last quality is the most illusive and the most difficult for a single automobile to consistently accomplish. But what if we were to find a car with gorgeous lines, unprecedented sport, and a stunning curb presence? What if this model could even boast a manufacturer with a legendary track record for reliability and satisfaction? Could we even find anything close to such a vehicle? Well, the engineers at Subaru, with their 2013 Impreza WRX STI, seem to think so. Essentially a street-legal rally car, the 2013 Subaru Impreza WRX STI does not fail to impress on any level. A small 2.5-liter turbo four cranks out a whopping 305 horsepower delivers power to all four wheels, and speaks to the racing heritage of Subaru Tecnica International (or STI). Appearance-wise, the car is absolutely stunning, with an intimidating hood scoop, flared fenders, and a massive rear wing capable of creating ridiculous downforce for all sorts of high-speed shenanigans..... Though the WRX STI is no limited production vehicle, Subaru has recently announced plans to suspend completely its production in the UK, one of the biggest markets for high-performance cars similar to the STI. This means that the Subaru’s worldwide availability will be severely reduced during the next few years, with the UK-spec examples of the current generation garnering especially high demand. It is these British examples of the WRX STI that will garner great collector followings in the future. Subaru has also announced plans for production of a highly exclusive WRX STI “Special Edition,” an even more track-oriented version of the famed rally car. Only 100 examples of this model will ever be produced, all of which will sport tangerine orange paint, matte-black sport rims, and custom “STI” graphics and pin striping along the side quarter panels. An STI-specific interior also finds its way onto the “Special Edition,” covering all surfaces with a black leather trim accented by orange contrast stitching. These examples of the WRX STI will probably be the most desirable examples for collectors, fetching big money at famous auctions in the future...." read the entire article > and on the next version, with possible spy shots, "Subaru has been busy testing the next-generation WRX STI. Well, it may be the STI. The big wing out back lends some credence to that theory, but it could be that the basic WRX is getting new action in the back section. Time will tell. In either case, spy photographers nabbed a few shots of the heavily camouflaged sedan running around the Nürburgring. Unfortunately, it looks as if Subaru has taken some of the sexy out of the WRX Concept we saw at the New York Auto Show, leaving this car looking more derivative of the current model than a revolution in design. The bold power bulge has disappeared from the vehicle's hood and the lower fascia looks far more demure than the the wild concept. Likewise, the muscular rear fenders have been toned down substantially. The result is a car that looks more like a mildly warmed over version of the current model than a production version of the WRX Concept. Still, engineers and designers may have a long way to go before the finished product hits the market, so we'll reserve final judgement for now. After all, the early BRZ mules were nothing short of a travesty to look at, and we know how that turned out. Hope springs eternal." read the original article with many photos 4/11 WRX and STI Special Editions due to arrive late April. 200 WRX sedans, 100 STIs with  be made, all tangerine orange. I have a WRX available at MSRP $29565 4/3 Navigation map upgrade available. You can download the latest Q3 2012 data from Nokia/Navteq for $149.99 + tax If you have factory navigation (excluding Forester with Tom-Tom) on a 2012-2013 Forester, Impreza, and WRX/STI, 2013 Legacy, Outback, BRZ, and Crosstrek, 2014 Forester, you can purchase the latest mapset  Q3 2012 from Navteq for 149.99 + tax. You need the original SD card that came with the navigation, and a windows computer with a SD-HC card reader. Be sure to remove the SD card from the navigation only after the pushing and confirming the Remove SD button in the Info screen. You will need a registered account with the download website, where you'll also get all the details and info, at https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal The windows computer will need a copy of the toolbox. Its at https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal/downloads Questions, support, SD card questions https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal/support or call Navteq at 888-628-6277 4/1 its the last day to order a 2013 WRX or STI 3/28 2013 WRX and STI order cut-off date is this coming Monday, April 1st. No fooling. If you've been thinking of an order, you have a few final days to place it. 2/1 WRX Special Edition prices have been announced. They're expected in March and are only $500 more than the standard models. The 200 WRX Special Edition sedans are MSRP $28,795 (plus additional options), which is $500 more than the WRX Premium. The 100 STI Special Edition sedans are MSRP  $34,795 (plus additional options), which is $500 more than the STI sedan. All are Tangerine Orange Pearl with Black Wheels, Black fender garnish, Black exterior door mirrors, special exterior side graphics, special edition floor mats, orange stitching on seat/shift boot/interior door panels. WRX Special Edition also have a blackened headliner and interior roof trim STI Special Edition models also have fog Lights and orange stitching on the center console armrest 1/16  On the tangerine orange WRX Special Edition due here in May. In New Zealand its the Crouching Tiger, though theirs gets a power upgrade "This lurid range Subaru can be seen from outer space.  You know those action movies where things seem to have come to a natural ending, and then something unexpected happens and it's all on again? That seems to be what's happening with the Subaru Impreza WRX. We all know the WRX plot is drawing to its natural close: an all-new mainstream Impreza was launched last year and Subaru has made it clear that the next WRX, while still some time away, will be a very different car to the outgoing one. Based on the platform of the Impreza as always, but this time a separate model line with its own design ethos. Not really an Impreza, more a new kind of WRX. In the meantime, the current (and very familiar) Impreza WRX carries on and it's looking a little bit old-school. Still clearly the rally-bred machine, it has a jolting turbo engine with a throbbing boxer thrum in the exhaust, flared "wide body" guards and a five-speed manual gearbox. Yep, just five gears. So why are we still interested? Good question. First, the WRX is still a fantastic car to drive: one of those machines that just feels right in terms of powertrain, steering and chassis balance. A genuine pleasure to drive. Second, you can't escape the sense that it's the last in a line, as the Impreza moves more towards efficiency and sophistication and away from laugh-out-loud performance and handling. Third, Subaru New Zealand keeps sneaking intriguing limited-edition versions onto the market that make the WRX ever-more-desirable. The latest is the Crouching Tiger. You can't miss it, because it's very orange. It's also very rare, with just 10 examples going on sale. Subaru's last limited-edition WRX, the Ace of Spades, was produced in a run of 10 examples as well. In fact, the Crouching Tiger has a lot in common with the Ace of Spades under that orange finish. The 2.5-litre boxer-turbo engine has been tweaked to 211kW (more than the standard WRX's 195kW, a bit less than the STI's 221kW), there's an STI strut brace under the bonnet and STI front springs. Like the Ace of Spades, the Crouching Tiger has privacy glass, a 'WRX' garnish on the front fender and glossy black alloys. However, the orange crusher ups the ante on rear spoiler size. And orangeness of course. The Tiger features orange stitching on the leather seats and 'WRX' logos in the seatbacks in the same lurid colour. If you're thinking the Tiger is simply a brighter version of the Ace of Spades then you're probably on the right track. I can't see anything wrong with that either, as there are only 10 to go around and it's a brilliant package. This particular setup makes for what is arguably the best WRX ever and once you drive it you can't get enough. Sure, it looks a bit old-fashioned now and the interior fit/finish is diabolical compared with the new Impreza, but the WRX still offers a real connection between car and driver. It would make sense to say that the car's drawback is you have to go crazy to really enjoy it, but that's a WRX myth. Sure, this can be a mad machine, but it's also one of those rare cars crammed with feedback and dynamic character even at urban speeds. Like any action star with enduring appeal, the WRX knows how to pace itself." read the original article 1/5 Subaru is on a galloping roll in the US but struggling in the UK where in mid-December they dropped the WRX, STI and Impreza, and in Korea where they're just closing shop altogether. "Subaru is disliked by the South Koreans and can’t even sell their most popular cars to their neighbors across the sea of Japan. Subaru announced Wednesday (12/26/12)  that it will stop selling the 2013 Forester, Outback and Legacy in the Korean market on Dec. 31, 2012. ... Even though the Subaru brand is growing everywhere around the globe, the Korean people refuse to buy Japanese cars. Subaru launched Subaru Korea in 2009 and can’t get the Korean buyers to purchase any of the models it offered: the Legacy, a medium-sized sedan, as well as the Outback and Forester, both medium-sized SUVs. According to Chosun Media, in 2010, Subaru only sold 384 cars, though sales improved slightly in 2011 to 664 and were similar this year with 558 as of last month. But that still does not look likely to be profitable... Chosun says, Mitsubishi is also likely to end its operations in Korea soon. It has been selling the Lancer sedan and two SUVs, the Outlander and Pajero, but as of last month, it has only managed to sell 61 cars this year. The South Koreans are buying cars, and the German brands are experiencing good sales and dominated the market with a combined 70 percent market share. Both Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have been doing well.... The all-new 2014 Subaru Forester, popular Outback SUV and Legacy sedan are selling well globally, but the bitter Japanese/Korean rivalry runs so deep that neither country will export their cars across the Japan sea after 2012. " the entire article

top Subaru Hybrids, Diesels, and Concept cars 2013 calendar year news click for archived news from 2012 articles edited for length, content -

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5/26 2015 STI spy video. "Overall, the styling of the car is not as exciting as the concept showcased in New York last month since it appears the production version will adopt a regular sedan body with narrower fenders, taller roof and smaller lower intakes." watch the video on youtube 4/20 WRX chief designer talks about the WRX concept 'Subaru's design chief Osamu Namba takes a tour of the recently unveiled WRX Concept and explains its styling. Seeing a truly fresh design these days in the automotive industry is pretty much a rare case but Subaru has managed to pull it off with the WRX Concept which hopefully won't lose a lot of its looks once the production version arrives. The company's design boss explains the styling of the vehicle which keeps the WRX design features but in a more attractive package. The muscular look of the car is provided by the flared wheel arches, a large hood scoop, side outlet vents, a quad exhaust setup and 20-inch BBS forged wheels. Carbon fiber was used for making the roof, while the back shows a trunk lid with a built-in spoiler.' the article and video 4/13 about the WRX concept at the New York Auto Show that ended on April 7. See photos from a March 29 article in Australia, by Haitham Razagui. ' Subaru's long-awaited next-generation WRX performance flagship is just months away, with the production version expected to be revealed by the end of this year.  And given the BRZ coupe took seven months to go from production debut to Australian launch, a similar time frame for the WRX points to an arrival in local showrooms around mid-2014. Speaking in New York, Subaru America president and COO Tom Doll said the production version was “close”, and conceded that a November motor show reveal was “possible”, hinting at a potential world premiere at LA motor show. It is also worth noting that the Tokyo motor show will take place at the same time as the North American event this November.  The concept revealed in the Big Apple overnight is just a styling preview, in similar vein to the pumped-up BRZ STI concept from the 2011 motor show, which was tamed down by the time it was unveiled in production form at Tokyo a fortnight later. Like the BRZ show car, the WRX concept is obviously an extreme version of what will end up in showrooms. Strip away the carbon-fibre roof, 20-inch alloy wheels, massive racing brakes, aggressive rear diffuser, tiny door mirrors and air intake-like headlights and it is possible to get a measure of what the showroom STI model might look like. Tame down the chunky flared wheel arches – which at the front lead into huge air vents – and the base WRX starts to materialise.  Whether the production model will retain the four-door concept’s swoopy coupe-like roof line remains to be seen. Apart from confirmation the new WRX will maintain the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive layout of its predecessors, no mechanical details have been announced and Subaru’s global deputy general manager for corporate communications Masashi Uemura declined to comment on technical details. However Mr Doll confirmed the new WRX will share the Impreza platform and be offered with a manual gearbox, while automatics will use a CVT with paddle-shifters.  He also quashed rumours the new WRX would be a hybrid – although he said the electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission of the XV Hybrid also revealed at New York would provide a welcome torque boost.  “It will have a manual transmission because a performance driver likes to be able to shift the car,” he said. “If you put a CVT in it you can have paddle-shifting.” Various rumours about drivetrains have circulated but it looks likely the WRX will use a higher output version of the direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo engine of the latest Forester XT. “In the future I think you can probably guess that with the 2.0-litres that are in the current Impreza, a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is coming,” said Mr Doll. Although Subaru looks set to position the WRX more firmly as a standalone sportscar, further distancing it from the Impreza with which it has long been associated – the Impreza name was dropped from performance models in 2010 – Mr Doll revealed some panels would still be shared. We are trying to strip the WRX and STI brands off and away from the Impreza to try and get their own unique styling and their own unique driving attributes,” he said. “They share some (panels) but we are trying to create, as you can tell by this car here, its own style and its own definition as opposed to taking it from the Impreza model and saying it is just based off the Impreza.” He also confirmed the WRX would not be produced as a hatchback this time around as “performance cars are more defined in the sedan segment”.  But due to the popularity of hot hatches in various markets around the world such as Europe and Australia, it is unclear if Mr Doll was talking in the context of his native North American market. “For the new generation we are moving away from the five-door style,” he said. “Because performance cars are more defined in the sedan segment. Mr Doll said the new WRX will deliver BRZ-like levels of handling and drivability but in a more powerful, all-wheel-drive package.  “We learned with the BRZ that it is not just about 0-60 it is really about drivability, handling and fun and what the BRZ taught us, you are going to see a lot of those positive attributes built into the next generation of our production cars.” The WRX concept’s wheelbase is a significant 115mm longer than the Impreza at 2760mm while the 4520mm body length is 60mm shorter than the Impreza sedan, lending it short overhangs and a purposeful stance to go with its low (1390mm), wide (1890mm) and sleek shape.  Subaru fans will be glad to see the iconic WRX bonnet scoop has been retained – unlike the latest turbo-petrol Forester XV – but it has become even more integrated with the bonnet than on the current model. The concept is painted in a new colour called WR Blue Pearl III that has a metal-flake look but provides a clear link to the classic WRX hue and Subaru’s rallying livery. Flourescent yellow highlights on the badge, fat quad tail-pipes and brake callipers give the concept some sparkle without resorting to the use of chrome.' the original article 4/12 WRX concept car was at the NYIAS New York Int'l Auto Show March 28-April7 The next version is expected to arrive mid-2014 and have a 2.0L turbo like the 2014 Forester 2.0XT.  It's expected to be more refined than the current hard-charging 2.5L WRX and STI models, and get slightly better fuel economy.  The press release" Subaru of America, Inc. today unveiled the SUBARU WRX CONCEPT at the 2013 New York International Auto Show at the Jacob K. Javits Center. The design concept hints at the design language of the next generation WRX. The bold and muscular design emphasizes turbocharged power and AWD grip in a more agile and athletic form. The SUBARU WRX CONCEPT blends the WRX’s famous power and road-holding prowess with an even greater focus on sharp handling, steering and communicative chassis. To further improve handling dynamics, the SUBARU WRX CONCEPT features a carbon-fiber roof to enhance the already low center of gravity and reduce weight. Considerably lower, sleeker and wider, the SUBARU WRX CONCEPT delivers even more street presence than previous generations of WRX. The new grille design is larger and bolder and sets off the classic WRX hood scoop. A pronounced powerbulge provides clearance for the new turbocharged engine and intercooler. A prominent hexagonal grille form and deep lower valences with air intakes are designed to enhance aerodynamics, add downforce and aid engine cooling. The three dimensional mesh pattern of the grille denotes the sporting nature of the SUBARU WRX CONCEPT and sets the Subaru star cluster apart, while the new hawk-eye headlights integrate the Subaru family design heritage. A sharp character line runs from the front corner through to the taillights, intersected by the boldly flared wheel arches emphasizing the Subaru’s AWD system. The compact cabin greenhouse draws attention to the power and solidity of the body and focuses attention to wide stance that provides a visual link between body and chassis. The rear design echoes the hexagonal design motif from the front grille and features a dramatically curved trunk lid that also acts as a rear spoiler. The distinctive wide rear bumper of the SUBARU WRX CONCEPT adds to the powerful street presence of the car and is off-set by large quad tailpipes denoting the powerful turbocharged engine. The aggressive rear diffuser improves vehicles aerodynamics. The all-new SUBARU WRX CONCEPT features a new paint color, “WR Blue Pearl III”, which modernizes the iconic WRX look. Fluorescent Yellow is used as an accent on the WRX badge on the front grille, the brake calipers and the exhaust tip finishers, adding character notes to the design. Filling out the broad fenders are BBS “RI-D” One Piece Forged Duralumin wheels and featuring 245/40ZR20 Dunlop tires with an exclusive tread pattern. Key Dimensions (Overall Length x Width x Height): (178.0in x 74.4in x 54.7in ), Wheelbase: (108.7 in.)" WRX concept car shown at the NYIAS 4/8 comments on the Crosstrek hybrid due late 2013 'Urban hipsters and Portlanders, rejoice: Subaru is finally making a hybrid. It’s called the XV Crosstrek Hybrid and it stands to be the most fuel-efficient, low-emission, all-wheel-drive hybrid crossover in the United States. Unfortunately, Subaru didn’t go with the design of the achingly attractive Hybrid Tourer Concept, instead opting to base its first hybrid on the XV Crosstrek that’s been on sale in the states for the last year. But the gas-electric version loses none of its off-road prowess or interior functionality in the transformation to eco-friendliness. There’s still 8.7 inches of ground clearance for traipsing up rutted macadam trails, symmetrical AWD with active torque splitting and the 13.5 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery mounted in the rear floor eats up a scant 0.7 cubic feet of interior space. Subaru engineers stuck with the tried-and-true 2.0-liter boxer four found in the standard Crosstrek, but sandwiched a 13.4-horsepower electric motor between the engine and the continuously variable transmission. That allows the Crosstrek Hybrid to silently motor along on electric power at low speeds, and a new start-stop feature shuts down the boxer mill when sitting in traffic, further increasing fuel economy.Subaru’s tried-and-true 2.0-liter boxer mates with a new electric motor. Other than de rigeur “hybrid” badges on the outside, some extra sound insulation and a new gauge cluster, the Crosstrek Hybrid is barely distinguishable from its standard sibling. And Subaru claims that the extra motor, battery and material only adds 300 pounds to the overall weight. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but expect a $2,000 to $4,000 premium over the standard model when it goes on sale this fall. Whether that’s worth the minimal boost in fuel economy is up to you — the Hybrid only manages 28 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway, compared to the gasoline-only model’s 25/33.' the original article 4/7 the Outback diesel with CVT is in Australia 'In Subaru’s own admission, this is the most important and significant car of its past decade. This, the diesel automatic version of its large-SUV category player, the Outback, is the first time the company has had a gun big and suitable enough to fight on equal terms with some powerful rivals. “It’s the missing piece in the engine-transmission puzzle that we have longed to bring to the market," says Subaru Australia’s managing director Nick Senior. He says the biggest SUV sector is the "large" class, comprising players such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Territory, Holden Captiva, Toyota Prado and Volkswagen Alltrack. The petrol-diesel split is 45/55 and of the diesel models, a whopping 94 per cent sold have automatic gearboxes. Subaru’s Outback diesel has only a manual gearbox. Until this week. “It’s held us back," says Senior as an understatement. “But we predict the diesel auto model will lift monthly sales from 220 to 350." So though outwardly a variation of the existing Outback, this is a model carrying big expectations....  The continuously-variable transmission (CVT) is a stronger version of that fitted to the petrol-fuelled Forester (which doesn’t get a diesel-auto combo until late 2014). This auto has been heavily modified and enhanced (including an oil cooler) so it offers a seven-speed stepped mode (like a conventional auto) with functions that assist downhill and engine braking.... The CVT adds $2500 to the price of the manual." read the entire article 4/6 Crosstrek hybrid was shown at NY Auto Show. March 29-April 7. Finally, a Subaru hybrid!  After years of rumors and delays, an all new Crosstrek Hybrid, Subaru's first production gas/battery hybrid, will be available late 2013. This is just the start. In the coming years expect Subaru's hybrid technology to advance and be used in more models. More of a 'hybrid assisted' or a mild hybrid. The battery powered 13.4 horsepower motor is used from 0-25 miles per hour, at which point the 2.0L gas engine starts and takes over. Economy- the EPA city/highway combined economy of the hybrid is 28/34/ 31MPG, a small but reasonable improvement over the standard Crosstrek CVT's 25/33 28 MPG rating. Its a Crosstrek 5 door, with active all wheel drive, the same body and size as the normal one with some hybrid-specific enhancements, and 8.7" ground clearance. Cargo volume is only slightly less (1.7cf) due to the battery under the cargo floor. 2 engines:  the 148hp 4 cylinder 2.0L 4 cylinder engine, plus the new 13.4hp electric motor between the gas engine and the CVT transmission Battery powered engine: The battery powered motor is sandwiched between the CVT and the all wheel drive's electronic transfer clutches. Battery for the battery-powered engine: 13.5kW 100v nickle-metal-hydride battery, located under the rear cargo floor. Brake regeneration system recharges the battery when the car is coasting or the driver is braking. Stop/Start: There's an integrated starter/generator for stop/start functions to improve economy . The hybrid will have a smaller and lighter 13.7 gallon fuel tank vs the 15.9 in the standard models, Other aerodynamic changes announced to enhance economy: an 'active front grill shutter system', redesigned 17" alloy wheels, a/c temperature and humidity sensor to lower the a/c power draw. Other changes include more sound insulation, and tweaked suspension and steering to accommodate the increased weight. The hybrid components (engine, battery) weight 209lbs, and with other changes, it comes to around 300lbs total. Click for more info and photos plasma green Crosstrek hybrid introduced at the NY auto show March 28 3/29-April 7- Hybrid- see Subaru's first hybrid, a Crosstrek, at the New York Int'l Auto Show, March 29 - April 7 3/14 more on the Viziv concept car at the Geneva auto show from msn.com "What is it? Viziv may be hard to say, but it's apparently derived from the phrase "Vision for Innovation" — which essentially means the Viziv may provide a few clues to the future design philosophy of the Subaru brand. What's hot? It's really hard to say what's hot and what's not. Clearly it looks dramatic. As with many concepts of this nature, the Subaru crossover is merely a design study, although that could change. What's not? Subaru claims the Viziv represents a direction of new designs and new technologies enhancing the Subaru brand into the future. It's a future-generation crossover concept embodying the brand values of "enjoyment and peace of mind." Be honest, Subaru, you made all that up just now, didn't you? How much and when? This isn't something you can order from your Subaru dealer. Yet. But as with concepts of the past, if enough show-goers and customers provide positive feedback, Subaru might be encouraged to move forward toward production. So if you like it, jump on a flight to Geneva. (Although truth be told, Subaru would probably prefer it if you simply "liked" it on Facebook.) MSN Autos' verdict: If the Viziv is providing clues about a future model, we like the look of those clues. This is exactly what a charismatic brand such as Subaru should be doing." read the original article 3/10 VIZIV diesel hybrid concept at the Geneva auto show March 5-17. the official press release "SUBARU VIZIV CONCEPT" is a future-generation crossover concept that represents the new design direction and technologies that will take the Subaru brand into the future. "VIZIV" is a coined word inspired by the phrase "Vision for Innovation" to express Subaru's future vision of innovation and the future direction of the brand... A future-generation crossover concept providing high efficiency and performance on all road surface conditions and driving environments has been created with a new Subaru design philosophy."Subaru Boxer Diesel Hybrid", as a proposal to the future of Subaru power units, was mounted in the "SUBARU VIZIV CONCEPT". The powertrain is a plug-in hybrid system that combines a 2.0-litre Subaru Boxer diesel engine and high-torque-compatible Lineartronic (CVT) with a front motor that provides both vehicle drive and power generation, and two independent rear motors for vehicle drive only. By achieving solid environmental and road performance with this powertrain, Subaru's "Enjoyment and Peace of Mind" driving experience will be further advanced.... "Independent-rear-motor-driven symmetrical AWD" system which is leading the way to a future generation of Subaru AWD technology has been adopted for the SUBARU VIZIV CONCEPT. Subaru is constantly refining its unique AWD systems according to the development philosophy "Four-wheel management". "Independent-rear-motor-driven symmetrical AWD" system provides fine-tuned control of the four wheels to match the travel environment and road surface conditions. Two motors exclusively developed for rear wheels' drive control the rear right and left drive power freely. Coordinated management system of the front and rear motor controls the division of drive power between the front and rear wheels. It increases Subaru's trademark active safety performance. Turning the steering wheel increases the drive power applied to the rear, creating a handling characteristic that responds nimbly to driver operations. Turning the steering wheel back increases the drive power applied to the front, creating a handling characteristic that emphasizes stability. In stop-and-go city traffic, all wheels are driven by the motors when starting from rest, providing high starting torque and powerful acceleration, but low fuel consumption with quiet ride. By independently controlling the drive power applied to the left and right rear wheels, the rear drive system provides more torque to the outside rear wheel and less to the inside rear wheel when cornering to generate inner-directed yaw momentum on the vehicle and achieve extremely quick and smooth "on-the-rail cornering". Besides helping acceleration and all-terrain performance, this groundbreaking AWD system also uses drive power to help turn the vehicle. Along with its thrilling handling and cornering that responds faithfully to driver operations, it also offers outstanding handling stability that ensures a high level of secure feeling and confident drive..." read the entire press release, and check out the Viziv website http://www.subaru-global.com/special/viziv/index.html - 2/8 At the Geneva auto show- Subaru's first diesel CVT Outback due in Australia, and a new concept car, the Viziv. The diesel CVT is of interest to the many in the US since all previous Subaru diesels have been manuals with very small potential in the US. While there is absolutely nothing to indicate it will ever come to the US, there's growth and thats what Subaru wants. and the coming Forester XT gets a new HD heavy duty) CVT which could be the same as in the diesel. There's always hope. "Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, today announced that it will exhibit the “Subaru Viziv Concept” as a world premiere at the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show. Press day: March 5 and 6; Open to the public from March 7 through 17, 2013. In addition, FHI will introduce the world premiere of the Subaru Outback carrying the Subaru Boxer Diesel with Lineartronic CVT. It will also exhibit the all-new Subaru Forester to make its European show debut. The Subaru press conference is scheduled at 9:15am on March 5th. “Subaru Viziv Concept” represents a direction of new designs and new technologies enhancing the Subaru brand into the future. It is a future-generation crossover concept embodying the brand value of “Enjoyment and Peace of Mind”. The “VIZIV” model name is a coined word inspired by the phrase “Vision for Innovation”. It expresses a future vision for innovation, and a concept car suggesting the brand’s direction." The press release and Subaru's Geneva Viziv concept www.subaru-global.com/ms2013/geneva/ 1/30 the slow budding story of the Subaru hybrid continues. Long expected, now to be shown (finally) at the New York Int'l Auto Show that runs March 29 - April 7 I would think it will be Impreza based, likely a 5 door for the improved aerodynamics. "Believe it or not, Subaru doesn’t have a single hybrid model in its lineup, but according to Kenichi Yamamoto, director of product management and coordination at Subaru of America, things are going to change. This change is set to start in March at the 2013 New York Auto Show, as Suby will unveil its first hybrid model. He made the confirmation in an interview with The Detroit Bureau, when he confirmed that parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, is indeed working on a hybrid model. This move shouldn’t be any surprise to anyone, considering other Japanese companies, like Toyota, Honda and Nissan, already offer plenty of hybrid vehicles. While Yamamoto offered no other details on the hybrid drivetrain, it will most likely be inspired by the drivetrain in the Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept, which was unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. This was a hybrid vehicle that combined a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine with an electric motor..." read the entire article 1/15 Diesel CVT arrives in Australia in March. Nothing in the US "Subaru will bring its first ever diesel automatic model to Australia in March, in the form of the Outback 2.0D auto... Pricing has yet to be announced, but expect a premium of around $2000 to be added to the price tags of the Outback 2.0D manual ($39,990) and the Outback 2.0D Premium manual ($42,990)." read the entire article

top SUBARU SAFETY,  CRASH TESTS, AND RECALLS  2013 calendar year news click for archived news from 2012 articles edited for length, content -

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5/28 The Crosstrek being lifted from the Skagit River Three cars, including this Crosstrek went into the river when the bridge collapsed, and everyone was safe. You can see the front of the Crosstrek crumpled as it was supposed to. more photos 5/15 safety- the 2014 Forester gets top crash test rating from the IIHS in all five tests- Front moderate overlap, Side, Rollover, Rear and the new Front small overlap. The IIHS rates vehicles as Good, Acceptable,  Marginal, and Poor. Of the vehicles tested in all 5 crashes, Front moderate overlap, Side, Rollover, Rear and the new Front small overlap, only the 2014 Subaru Forester was rated Good in all tests. The 2nd best rated was the Mitsubishi Outlander with Good on all except the Front small overlap with a rating of Acceptable. BMW X1, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX5, VW Tiguan, Buick Encore, Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Patriot, Kia Sportage all were also rated Good on all except the Front small overlap but they all received a lower safety rating of Marginal. The Nissan Rogue received a good rating in 3 or 5 test, Acceptable in the rollover test, and Marginal in the Front small overlap test. Be sure to check out the IIHS press release with video of the crash test. > The IIHS report, "The 2014 Subaru Forester is the first vehicle to ace every aspect of the challenging small overlap front crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Forester, the only one of 13 small SUVs to earn an overall rating of good in the test, and the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, which earns acceptable, are the latest vehicles to qualify for the Institute's recently inaugurated top honor, Top Safety Pick+. Each of the other 11 SUVs earns either a poor or marginal rating. "With the redesigned Forester, Subaru's engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded," says Joe Nolan, the Institute's vice president for vehicle research. "This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection for people in these kinds of serious frontal crashes." This is not the first time that the Forester has stood out in a new IIHS crash test. When the Institute first rated small SUVs for side protection in 2003, the Subaru model performed the best and was one of only two to earn good ratings. IIHS added the small overlap test to its lineup of vehicle safety evaluations last year. It replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle's front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. A 50th percentile male Hybrid III dummy is belted in the driver seat. Most vehicles today are designed to do well in the government's full-width front crash test and in the Institute's moderate overlap front test, but that is no guarantee of good performance in a small overlap crash. In a 2009 IIHS study of vehicles with good ratings for frontal crash protection, small overlap crashes accounted for nearly a quarter of the frontal crashes involving serious or fatal injury to front seat occupants. In many vehicles the impact at a 25 percent overlap misses the primary structures designed to manage crash energy. That increases the risk of severe damage to or collapse of the occupant compartment structure. Also, vehicles tend to rotate and slide sideways during this type of collision, and that can move the driver's head outboard, away from the protection of the frontal airbag. Those difficulties were apparent in the small SUV group. Two-thirds of the vehicles had poor ratings for structure, and about half of them were poor or marginal for restraints and kinematics, meaning the dummy's movements weren't well-controlled to prevent contact with hard surfaces. In one example of poor structure, the front pillar of the Nissan Rogue's door frame was pushed far inside the occupant compartment and after the crash was almost touching the driver seat. The Jeep Patriot was among the worst for restraints and kinematics. The dummy's head slid off the frontal airbag as the steering wheel moved 8 inches up and nearly 6 inches to the right. The side curtain airbag didn't deploy, and the safety belt allowed the dummy's head and torso to move too far forward. In contrast, the Forester had good ratings for structure, restraints and kinematics, and all four injury measures on the dummy. The airbags worked as intended, and the space around the dummy was well-maintained. The Outlander Sport was acceptable for structure and restraints and kinematics and also had good injury measures." the IIHS press release with video, the list of small SUV safety ratings. The IIHS rating page for the 2014 Forester > The 2013 Outback was rated Good in the Front moderate overlap, Side, Rollover, Rear, and Acceptable in the Front small overlap test. the 2013 Outback test page  4/16 article on choosing a safe car by Seattle Times columnist Jerry Large "How safe is the car you drive? When I wrote last week about two recent fatal car collisions, that question occurred to me. The only thing that matters more is how you drive. Everyone who drives or rides has to share the road with other people, which can be a problem, because in most crashes, human error is to blame. You never know when you are going to cross paths with someone who is distracted, aggressive, tired or otherwise impaired, or just a generally poor driver. A few days ago, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) released data it gathered in 2011 on distracted driving. It said, “at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cellphones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010.” Other data from the agency found that “more than 3,300 people were killed in 2011 and 387,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.” We can’t do anything about other drivers, but you and I can try to avoid being the person who causes a collision, and we can put ourselves in cars that provide us a reasonable degree of protection. I didn’t think much about safety with the first cars I bought, but 21 years ago, when our son was born, my wife said it was time to get a safer car. We bought a station wagon and it proved to be a smart choice. One evening, my wife was on her way home, driving down Rainier Avenue South in the rain. A drunken driver in a huge boat of a car came flying from the opposite direction, crossed the centerline and slammed into the wagon, totaling both cars. The drunken driver died, but my wife survived. Police and medics who freed her from the wreckage said she would have been dead, too, if she’d been driving most any other car. So now, safety is our first criteria. When I wrote about the recent fatal car crashes, I spoke with Russ Rader of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A few days later I called him again and asked an admittedly unanswerable question: “What’s the safest car a person could buy?” Rader said that the crash tests the Institute does, and those done by the NHTSA, are based on the most common kinds of crashes. They’re a useful guide, but every accident is a mix of more factors than any test could capture. “If you could choose the type of crash you were going to be in,” he said, “you could choose the best vehicle for that, but you can’t.” So use the data to pick a vehicle that does well in multiple circumstances. And that would be? A midsize sedan that does well in all the safety tests, he said, or a newer model SUV or minivan, if they tested well. Yes, size matters. But so do a lot of other features, such as maneuverability and sightlines.  The NHTSA held a symposium in 2011 to get expert opinions on the effect of size and mass on vehicle safety. I read some of the material, and most presenters agreed with Rader that there are way too many variables in a crash to allow for absolute answers about safety. Hitting a tree is different from hitting a smaller car, which is different from hitting a car the same size as yours, which is different from hitting a larger vehicle. The point of impact matters, as does the speed at the time of the collision. But they also noted the vast improvements in car safety, especially over the past two decades. Indeed, car-collision fatalities have been going down since the late 1970s. Car safety is continually improving now because it matters to the companies that make cars, and it matters to them because it matters to buyers. That hasn’t always been the case. A person doesn’t have to be that old to remember when cars didn’t even routinely come with seat belts. Or to remember when Ralph Nader was a young guy who wrote a book titled “Unsafe at Any Speed.” That was back in 1965, when hardly anyone was interested in automobile safety — certainly not manufacturers. Nader and other safety proponents pressured the federal government to address safety. The creation of the NHTSA was a result of that effort and, in 1972, it began informing consumers about car safety. These days, manufacturers compete on safety ratings the way they compete on style or comfort or fuel economy. There are many desires to balance in buying a car. While smaller usually means more fuel efficient, and larger offers more protection, price can sometimes be the driving factor. It’s very individual in the end. I asked Rader what he drives, and his answer was a BMW 3 Series from 2000. He chose it partly based on its safety-test results, but also said it’s time for a newer car. Rader expects crash safety to continue improving, but said the next frontier is avoiding crashes altogether, using a variety of tech-based features such as electronic stability control and lane-departure warnings. Someday self-driving cars may take people out of the equation altogether. Until then, most accidents could be avoided if each of us drove as if lives depended on us. The safest car is the one free of human error." the original article

 
 

SUBARU ADVERTISING and SPONSORSHIP NEWS IN 2013 articles edited for length, content, subject to change, correction -
top 2013 calendar year news. click for archived news from 2012
-	6/2 June 1-July 1 Subaru Certified Pre-Owned 'Love Strikes Twice' event Love your Subaru when it's new and when its time for another new one, let someone else love it anew. Thus Love Strikes Twice. Certified pre-owned are inspected and have a 7 year or 100,000 mile powertrain warranty (starts when the car is first sold). And special finance rates are available during the Love Me 2x event June 1-July 1 2013. Many 1-2 year old Subarus are available with low miles. These are mostly short term owner 'program cars', ie rental fleet returns and a good way to get a car if you don't need the latest model. The magazine is worth buying and available at your local bookstore or online by subscription at consumerreports.org. 5/13 advertising oops - Subaru Canada ran an ad that was supposed to be humorous but missed the mark "Think transit commuters are unwashed, uncouth bums? Subaru does. And the carmaker doesn’t mind telling them so. In recent Canadian editions of Metro — the free daily distributed at transit stops — Subaru ran a two-page spread spouting just about every negative transit, and transit rider, stereotype you can think of. The ad was brought to our attention by Sabrina Lau Texier, a transportation planner in Vancouver. “While you’re sitting on public transit, just imagine your commute in a new Subaru Impreza,” the copy reads. “No weird smells, no overhearing awful music, and nobody asking you for spare change.” Classy. On the first page are “coupons” for an “odour free ride to work” (nothing but that carcinogenic new car smell), “less chance of being asked for money” (except by Subaru and Exxon), savings on “obligatory transit conversations with coworkers” (down with human interaction!), “free confidence” (for $19,995), and our favorite: “half off arbitrary and inexplicable transit delays.” As opposed to the gridlock-free ride we can expect if we all ditch transit to drive a Subaru to the office — alone, of course, to avoid those unpleasant conversations with co-workers. The ad implies that the Impreza has a better safety rating than transit. Canada had 6.5 traffic fatalities and 500 injuries per 100,000 people in 2010, according to the latest available figures. Think the folks at Subaru don’t know transit ridership is booming, and not because commuters just need to be sold on “symmetrical full-time All-Wheel Drive”? Ads like this one, as Lau Texier puts it, are “a desperate attempt to stay relevant for an industry with declining sales.” Maybe a campaign based on the premise that your target audience is a bunch of losers is not the most winning strategy." the article with a copy of the advertisement 4/21 advertising- the "Backseat" ad now playing on TV. Love has a motor and it's a beating heart and Subaru is pressing on the gas pedal of love. Oh, its good. And no one else does an ad on the lowly backseat. Backseats aren't glamorous or sexy or particularly important other than people have to fit in them. Most buyers only sit in them when they're thinking of buying a car, and then mostly see how the 12year old fits or if the child seat goes in easily. But oh the backseat is now a symbol of Subaru's attention to what gets our attention. Subaru doesn't talk much about its engines and features in their ads, there's not a lot of hard news in their ads because Love has a motor and it's a beating heart, and Subaru is racing. "The backseat. Where most of us sat for the first time. Cut to grandma and have the audience's minds fill in "and for the last time". The place we carry our most precious cargo. Our best friends. And so on. Oh dear, it's a manifesto of sorts, but for back seats. That said, it looks like a really good back seat. SPOT: Subaru “The Backseat Anthem” AGENCY: Carmichael Lynch, Chief Creative Officer: Dave Damman, Exec Creative Director: Randy Hughes, Writer: Sheldon Clay Art Director: Jeff Terwilliger" watch the video 4/18 advertising, and the new Cut The Cord TV ad with Dad saying goodbye to his young girl going to school, then driving his gray Subaru Legacy alongside the school bus. "How Subaru Fell in Love and Never Looked Back. The automaker rides the relentless optimism of its Carmichael Lynch ads to record sales By Tim Nudd Idea: Subaru owners knew it almost before the company did. It was always about love. "If you ask a Subaru owner what they think of their car, more times than not they'll tell you they love it," said Alan Bethke, director of marketing communications for Subaru of America. "It was always in front of us, but never utilized in the marketing." That changed five years ago, when Carmichael Lynch launched work with that simple theme: "Love." In the years since, the ads have told poignant stories across the four thematic pillars—longevity, safety, versatility and adventure—that resonate with the target, defined as doers deeply engaged with life, others and the world. The automaker is particularly adept at father-daughter tales—like "Baby Driver," the Emmy-nominated spot from 2010, and now "Cut the Cord," about a girl's first day of school. The results are impressive. The Japanese company has doubled U.S. sales in five years, and in March had its best U.S. sales month ever. "It's a testament to the great work happening all around the company," said Subaru spokesman Michael McHale, "but notably, I think, in marketing." Copywriting: The writers try to find slice-of-life stories that humanize what those four themes mean to everyday people. Often, the ads are about life stages—in "Cut the Cord," a dad puts his daughter on the school bus for the first time, then drives alongside it to make sure she's OK. "That's a trying moment for anyone," said Carmichael executive creative director Randy Hughes. "He buys the safest car money can buy. And then he has to put his daughter in someone else's hands." The dialogue is minimal—small talk, mostly improvised. (Having the scripts be loose allows more truthful moments to emerge, the agency believes.) "I'm overprotective. That's why I got a Subaru," the dad says in a voiceover. "Love. It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru." The word "Love" appears—the letters stable at first, then cartwheeling joyfully around. It's followed by the Subaru logo and global brand statement, developed in Japan: "Confidence in motion." Filming/art direction: Vince Squibb shot the spot in a day in Long Beach, Calif. He had a meticulous eye for detail, particularly with costuming. "Wardrobing that little girl and playing up her classic look—she has a timeless quality about her that's pretty charming—that was a really good move," said Hughes. The whole campaign has a brightness and warmth, rooted in realism. "These stories make you feel good in some way," said Hughes. "Sometimes they make you want to cry, but in a good way." Talent: The girl has a remarkable presence. "She was so measured. It was amazing," said Hughes. "We're saying, 'Just look a little scared,' and she had a way of doing it that was very natural. We didn't get 100 takes like this one. The little crinkle of her face was just right, and a shock wave goes through the set, and you know you got it." The dad exudes pain and love. "He's a professional," said Hughes. "He's got a suit on, he's got a nice Legacy, he's going to work. But this is an important moment, and he goes with it. And your heart goes out to him as he reacts to her." Sound: The song is "Keep Me in Mind," by Tashaki Miyaki. The lyrics fit perfectly, if obliquely. ("I want to be the one that's on your mind/I want to be the one that's by your side.") "We look for tonality that is part of the emotion we're trying to bring forward," Hughes said, "and then lyrics that help the story get a little bit richer." Media: National broadcast and cable, spot TV buys in key markets, and online" read the article, watch the video 3/15 drink and run in wine country this summer in Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Willamette Valley, Healdsburg, and Kolona BC "Destination Races (www.destinationraces.com) and Subaru of America announced today that Subaru has signed on to be the Presenting Sponsor of the 2013 Wine Country Half Marathon series. The series consists of “boutique” destination running races held in scenic wine regions, complimented by wine, food and entertainment activities. Produced by Destination Races of Sonoma, California, the series began in 2004 with the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon, scheduled in 2013 for Sunday, July 21st. The series includes other US events in Santa Barbara wine country, Saturday, May 11, the Willamette Valley of Oregon, Sunday, September 1, Healdsburg, California, Saturday, October 26 and Northern Virginia, Saturday, June 1. An inaugural Canadian event is slated for Saturday, September 7, in Kelowna, British Columbia. The first three events in the 2013 series have already sold out. “Subaru will play a prominent role in our US events, helping to enhance the experience for our participants, while building brand association and loyalty”, said Matt Dockstader, President of Destination Races. Subaru is also the official vehicle of the Wine Country Half Marathon series and will provide the lead race vehicle and transportation for VIP. Subaru will host various hospitality functions and offer a Grape Stomp competition after the race. Subaru owners receive special benefits, such as a post-race brunch and VIP parking. Tim Tagye, Promotions and Sponsorship Manager for Subaru, sees the partnership as a natural fit. "Destination Races is able to blend a healthy activity with fun, customer-driven wine and food events in popular wine regions. Subaru is all about the active lifestyle, combining fun and functionality, and making our customers feel special." ...." the press release 3/11 Subaru to fund pet car safety restraint research  Subaru today announced a partnership with the Center for Pet Safety, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit research and advocacy organization dedicated to companion animal and consumer safety, to fund testing of pet car safety restraints.  Currently, there are no performance standards or test protocols in the U.S. for pet travel products. Although many manufacturers claim to test their products, without test standards, these claims cannot be substantiated. Together, Subaru and the Center for Pet Safety will create standards for testing restraints, while announcing those that perform best. "The Center for Pet Safety conducted a pilot study which showed that the majority of pet safety restraints currently on the market do not provide acceptable protection in a crash situation," said Michael McHale, Subaru's director of corporate communications. "As many of our owners have dogs, we feel it's our responsibility to help them keep their pets as safe as possible when they journey with us." The Center for Pet Safety conducted rigorous crash testing on commonly available pet safety restraints using realistic, specially designed, crash test dogs, not live animals. A 55-pound crash dummy dog was used to see how the seat belts would hold up in a collision at 30 miles per hour, patterning the same motor vehicle safety standards used to test child seats. Of the four popular dog car harness brands, none held up in the tests. All of them demonstrated that they either could lead to plausibly serious or fatal injuries for not only the canine but driver, too. "We are thrilled to have the support of Subaru as its love for pets is as deep as ours," said Lindsey Wolko, Center for Pet safety's founder and CEO. "We have received requests from all over the world from manufacturers who want guidance on developing a safer harness and, through this partnership, we can finally conduct additional testing to help develop a suitable standard, provide the needed knowledge-base to manufacturers, as well as determine the top performers." The Center for Pet Safety is not affiliated with the pet product industry. The organization uses scientific testing and references Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to study pet products and establish criteria and test protocols to measure whether pet safety products provide the protection claimed by advocates and intended by the manufacturer." The Center for Pet Safety 3/8 advertising- Tim Mahoney, the Subaru marketing wizard who left Subaru for Porsche, Porsche for Subaru, Subaru for VW, now leaves VW for Chevy "Tim Mahoney, Chevrolet's new global marketing chief, knows something about sparking struggling brands and focusing confused marketing. When he returned to Subaru of America in 2006 -- his second stint with the company -- he found a brand that had lost its way. Executives in Japan had upped sticker prices, aspiring to become the Japanese BMW. Marketing consisted of a mishmash of campaigns. A quiet man with a wicked sense of humor, Mr. Mahoney and the team slashed prices and stopped using celebrities in Subaru's advertising. New ads concentrated on the brand -- mixed with a bit of goofiness. Subaru's market share has been surging ever since, and Mr. Mahoney has become a hot commodity. Now 56, he comes to General Motors after a two-year stint at high-flying Volkswagen of America. That was preceded by Subaru and a successful run at Porsche Cars North America. At GM, Mr. Mahoney will be charged with unifying Chevy's splintered global marketing under the newly adopted "Find New Roads" campaign, which GM expects to underpin its largest brand for many years. GM also needs Mr. Mahoney to become a stabilizing force for a Chevy marketing enterprise that has been plagued by executive turnover and criticized as aimless. Mr. Mahoney began his automotive career in 1984 as a marketing-research analyst for Subaru of America. In the mid-1990s, he was part of the team that revived the brand by shifting all of its vehicles to all-wheel drive and giving it more recognition with ads featuring Australian actor Paul "Crocodile Dundee" Hogan and tennis star Martina Navratilova. In 1999, Mr. Mahoney moved to Porsche as head of marketing, overseeing the launch of the Cayenne, Porsche's first SUV. He was a good fit at Porsche. He had lived in Austria and Germany as a student, was fluent in German and embraced Porsche's engineering-driven culture. Subaru called in 2006, seeking help in getting the brand back on track. Mr. Mahoney ditched the celebrity ads that had included Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow. He focused on the tagline "It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru" and the much-copied "Love" campaign, in which owners talked about why they loved their cars. And he kept his innovative approach. While other automakers fought it out during the Super Bowl, Subaru began sponsoring the Animal Planet Puppy Bowl in 2010. "Not one dealer asked us why we weren't in the Super Bowl," Mr. Mahoney said in 2011. With Subaru's sales soaring, he was named chief marketing officer of Volkswagen of America in May 2011.  Mr. Mahoney oversaw the successful launch of the U.S.-built Passat in 2011. Last year, the VW division sold 438,133 units, up 35%, far outpacing the overall market.  At VW, he kept the focus on "the Power of German Engineering" and stuck with offbeat humor in the advertising. A video tease to VW's 2012 Super Bowl commercial featured dogs dressed as characters from "Star Wars" barking out the movie's "Imperial March." At Chevy, Mr. Mahoney will have a much larger scope. Elevating the Chevy brand into a true global player is a central goal of GM CEO Dan Akerson. Last year, he encouraged Joel Ewanick, then GM marketing chief, to execute a massive consolidation of Chevrolet's creative ad agencies from dozens to just one, Detroit's Commonwealth. GM also consolidated its global media-buying duties under London-based Aegis' Carat unit. Mr. Mahoney will handle media buying for all GM brands under his dual role as marketing operations leader. Mr. Mahoney will enter a management structure that is in flux. He'll report to Alan Batey, a high-energy Brit who serves as both head of GM's U.S. sales and interim global chief marketing officer. It's unclear whether Mr. Batey will remain as chief marketing officer, whether someone else will get the job or whether it will go unfilled. Also, Mr. Akerson has said he's considering the appointment of an executive to run Chevy globally, similar to the setup he installed recently when he tapped Bob Ferguson as global VP of Cadillac. Taking on marketing responsibilities for the sprawling brand is a big job. Last year, global Chevy sales hit a record 4.95 million units across 140 countries and represented 54% of GM's global sales. And Chevy is embarking on the busiest vehicle-launch schedule in the brand's 102-year history. It will roll out 13 new or redesigned models in the United States this year, including its next-generation Silverado pickup, and plans another dozen rollouts overseas. It's a challenge even for the most seasoned marketing veteran. Mr. Mahoney on more than one occasion has called himself a dinosaur in the auto advertising and marketing world because he has been at it since 1984. In fact, after joining VW, he expressed surprise that his career had lasted as long as it had: "Chief marketing officer life expectancy is measured like babies in months. I have been doing this since I was 39. I have seen it all."  read the original article 3/7 advertising- more on Lance Armstrong's time with Subaru "Subaru first started bringing the WRX to the U.S. back when I was in high school. God, I wanted one so badly. It had a turbo engine! It had all-wheel-drive! It had a stick shift! It could give BMW and Audi a run for their money at a fraction of the cost! That car was a true game changer. And to sell it, Subaru had a ton of great ads that let the car's performance speak for itself. (They couldn't really sell it on looks, you know.) But at some point, they must have decided they needed a bit of star power to help sell it. Someone who knew all about performance. Someone young and athletic that the kids could look up to. Someone who takes what he wants. The man for the job... um, Lance Armstrong. It's kind of laughable now, but Lance was Subaru's pitchman for many years. Then he switched to Nissan, who dropped him last year after his whole "I used performance-enhancing drugs but spent years lying about it and waging wars against anyone who said I did because I'm a sociopathic asshole" thing..At any rate, the WRX ads with Lance are fun to watch today, even in light of how far he has fallen. And the ad is right -- the car had excellent performance, as many of us know. It may have been the most honest thing Lance was ever part of." watch the WRX video and read the article 3/5- Subaru goes 1960s flower power at the annual Philadelphia Flower show, through March 10, 2013. Here's their 2013 Outback on display, channeling the 1960s with a flower power love theme. Looks like something artist Peter Max would appreciate! Click for more photos 3/4 Subaru Spring Love Event-  advertising through March. Stop by your local dealer to see the new 2014 Forester and pick up a free package of spring planting seeds- basil, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber and oregano, while supplies last. click for photos 2/23  2 skiers drive a Crosstrek across the US, with Champlain College film student producing and editing videos Subaru and Nordica USA will team up to kickoff snowsports season with the XV Crosstrek Run. Two talented free skiers will journey from coast-to-coast hitting major mountain resorts and events along the way, while piloting the all-new Subaru 2013 XV Crosstrek. Digital content will give fans a look into the free skiers lives, their slope side skills, and the versatility and capability of the XV Crosstrek.  http://www.multivu.com/players/English/59476-xv-crosstrek-run/. 2/19 advertising - does Subaru's newest worried father/cute baby daughter TV ad have the the father driving on the wrong side of a school bus? Q. There’s a lovely commercial for Subaru, I believe, that depicts a father putting his daughter on the school bus for the first time. He is concerned about her and drives alongside the bus, only to see her laughing with other children.  The problem is that he is driving along the right side of the bus. I believe that this is illegal throughout the United States, and not just in New York State, where I live. A. Yes, dear reader, the commercial, called “Cut the Cord,” is indeed for Subaru. The spot is part of the “Confidence in motion” campaign for Subaru of America that features drivers saying: “Love. It’s what makes a Subaru a Subaru.” According to Michael McHale, a spokesman at Subaru of America, what the driver does in the commercial “is not an illegal activity” because “you can pass a bus in one lane while you are in the other lane of a four-lane highway.” What you cannot do is “pass a parked bus with its sign out,” he adds, which he learned last year, much to his chagrin, when he was ticketed for doing just that. The creative agency for Subaru of America is Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies." the original article 2/16 advertising. Subaru's 5th Share the Love event was from 11/21/12- 1/2/13 During this 5th Share the Love Event, Subaru again donated $250 to the buyer's choice of five charities, for a total of $5,000,000. The 2012 charities are Alzheimer's Association, The ASPCA- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Make-A-Wish, Meals On Wheels, and the USO. 2/14 Valentine's Day candy cover chocolates in a Subaru heart shaped tin, just for Valentine's Day 2/11 advertising- it's February and time for Subaru's month long 2013 Subaru True Love Event. Subaru's advertising is all about love and nothing says love on Valentine's Day like flowers, diamonds, a new Subaru, and chocolate. Heart shaped tins filled with candy-coated mini chocolates are available at some local dealers just for Valentine's Day 2013. (I have a few if you're in the Shoreline area, please call me at 206 769-7821). 2/5 advertising- growth by focusing on areas where Subaru hasn't sold well or been as popular. But with limited production, does this mean that some regions where Subarus are not as popular get vehicles that would sell much faster in other areas where people are waiting?  "The car market in the U.S. is at its most competitive. Not only are big companies like General Motors and Toyota slugging it out, but in order to survive, small-niche players like Subaru also are trying to push into the mainstream. The Japanese carmaker is popular in Denver, the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. Now Subaru has its sights on Texas and Tennessee. The comedy show Portlandia pokes fun at all things Portland, Oregon's famously liberal city. In one sketch, two characters, both driving Subarus, meet at a four-way stop. "No, you go," they repeatedly urge each other in an absurd standoff of politeness. The fact that they're driving Subarus is part of the joke, but that's not some idle stereotype. Because most Subaru models are all-wheel drive, they're particularly popular in places where the weather can be dicey, like the Northeast or the Pacific Northwest. An Opportunity In Texas. "If you're No. 4 in Portland and you're No. 20 in Texas, probably the opportunity is in Texas," says Michael McHale with Subaru. He says the company had to be more ambitious and rethink the U.S. market. "Sometimes we look at the differences around the country. ... But underlying all of that, there are still basic human truths," McHale says. Not only did the company think about the country differently; it started to sell in a different way by beefing up distribution and dealerships. Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst and director of pricing and industry analysis at edmunds.com, says Subaru had a strange problem: Its cars were almost too good and its customers were too loyal. "I think they have a core, loyal following and you would never want to get rid of that ... but at the same time, they keep their cars for a long time and you can't have people keeping their cars for a decade or more when you want to sell new cars," she says. Success In A Conventional Look. Caldwell says the company tried to expand sales to the middle of the country by making its cars wider, rounder, less boxy, more conventional looking and more fuel efficient. It worked. During the economic downturn, when other car companies' sales were declining, Subaru's increased by a third and it began building more of its cars in the U.S. They don't have to be everything to everyone; they have to be something to someone. It's one of the fastest growing car companies, with its biggest growth markets in Houston, Dallas and Florida. Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, says Subaru can serve as an example for other carmakers looking to grow. "They've kind of taken this slow, systematic approach and just really concentrated on what they needed to do to be competitive in the market," he says. Subaru has solidified its place in the American market, but Fisher says it'll probably never be as big as Toyota or Ford. "I don't think they have to be a Toyota; they don't have to be everyone else. They don't have to be everything to everyone; they have to be something to someone," he says. Subaru's McHale says, "If you're buying a big truck in Texas, keep buying the truck — we're not the brand for you. But if you're looking for an all-wheel-drive vehicle that you can throw the dog in the back, the skis on the roof and go in the mountains on the weekend, I think they have some nice hills in Tennessee, too." McHale says Subaru has conquered Portland, Ore., and Portland, Maine, and now it's on to the Portlands in Texas, Michigan and Tennessee." the original article 1/28 advertising- Subaru returns as a sponsor of the Puppy Bowl IX on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb 3rd on the Animal Planet. Check out the press release with details on Subaru's Super Bowl dog activities and some entertaining advertisments. 1/20 Lance Armstrong did Subaru ads in 2003-2004. Its sad. We all thought he was the guy to look up to, overcoming adversity and winning. But he turned out to be a liar and cheat. The new tag line in 2003 was 'Subaru. Driven By What's Inside'. On February 3, 2003, Lance Armstrong signed with Subaru (for $12m?). He had a relationship with Subaru since the early 1990s on a Subaru sponsored bike team. According to Fred Adcock, Subaru exec VP at the time, "Lance Armstrong is a perfect fit. He's a rugged individualist. He's authentic and passionate about what he believes. He's engineered like no other to perform like no other".  “Lance Armstrong is a hero that everyone can identify with,” says Adcock. “He is an inspiration to millions of Americans.” Subaru used other sport figures, most memorably Martina Navritolova in 2001 for the Forester. Ads using Lance run through early late 2004 or early 2005. more on Subaru advertising 1/6 advertising. Sex sells, but not Subarus. But what about Love, and the award winning Baby Driver TV ads? Here's an article on Subaru advertising in Canada and the US. "Some day the people who run Subaru will grab hold of and then start running hard with this very core idea in marketing: sexy sells. Yes it does. Sexy is everywhere selling everything. Cars, even. But instead of sexy, from Subaru we get: “Subaru named only manufacturer with IIHS Top Safety Picks for all models four years running.” Safety is certainly important and it might move vehicles, but sexy? Nah. Alright, I am impressed to learn that the 2013 Legacy and Outback models (built after August, 2012) won the Top Safety Pick + award from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – meaning both had “good” ratings for occupant protection in at least four of five IIHS evaluations. The trickiest of the five is a new Small Overlap test and it’s a killer to pass and a lifesaver for owners of cars that get a “good” rating: it is intended to measure how a vehicle will do if its front corner collides with another vehicle or, say, a tree or utility pole. Okay, now consider this from Subaru: “Best Mid-size Car in the Automotive Lease Guide Canadian Residual Value Awards.” So Subies hold their value. In fact, ALG says Subaru is the No. 1 mainstream brand for residual value in Canada – better than Honda and Toyota – retaining about 42 per cent of their value after four years, says ALG. Resale values matter, but they won’t get your heart fluttering. If I tell you that the $23,995 2012 Legacy I recently tested will be worth, according to ALG, $13,537.10 in 2016, are you all in, emotionally? Doubt it. Which brings us to reliability. “Subaru,” notes Consumer Reports in its most recent study of predicted reliability, “also improved its standing, with its redesigned Impreza debuting with top marks and none of its models scoring below average.” Subaru is ranked fifth overall (behind Scion, Toyota, Lexus and Mazda) and my Legacy tester is ranked third among family cars (behind the Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid). That safe Legacy with the high value rating is expected to be about 40 per cent more reliable than the average for family cars, says CR. Very nice. But isn’t risk-taking considered sexy? If you buy a Legacy, you’re not taking much of a risk. It’s not likely to break, you’ll be protected in a smash and over time you’re not going to get whacked with outsized depreciation. How sensible. And dull. But not really, not in the driving. Subaru doesn’t play up how interesting and entertaining its cars are to drive, unless you happen to follow rally driving, which on the scale of popular sports, ranks right up there with arm wrestling and barrel jumping. A few triathletes also understand what a Subie can do because they haul around their biking, swimming and running gear from race to race in a reliable, safe and affordable ride – one that, because all-wheel-drive is standard, won’t get stopped by bad roads or rotten weather. Moreover, the “boxer” engine design, with its pistons laid flat in opposition to one another, is just superb for pushing the car’s centre of gravity way, way low down to the ground. A low centre of gravity does all sorts of wonderful things for handling and cornering. And the very base Legacy I tested felt as solid and planted as any mid-size car I’ve driven this year – at least among cars less than $40,000 I know some of you who are familiar with Subie’s boxer four-bangers will say they sound a little clunky and I’d agree. There’s nothing sexy about the sound of the four in a base Legacy. It, in fact, sounds a little like a lawnmower on its last legs. But we all know that Subarus last and last (see above), so durability and reliability are not issues. Unfortunately that engine just does not sing like a high-revving four-cylinder of a more traditional design – such as you get, say, in a Ford Focus. The Legacy’s fuel economy is not particularly brilliant, either: 10.6 litres/100 km in the city, 7.4 on the highway. That’s okay, but not eye-popping. At least regular fuel is all that Subie asks for. The real issue here is, well, there are two fuel economy issues. First, weight. A base Legacy weighs 44 kilograms more than a base Camry (1,485 versus 1,441) and that $23,700 Camry is a front-driver, versus a Subie with its Symmetrical AWD (all-wheel drive). The AWD piece adds weight, complexity and mechanical drag. Not good for saving gas. Last of all, let’s quickly touch on design. The Legacy’s sheetmetal is not sexy and the cabin is equally bland, though perfectly functional. This Subie is roomy inside and has a big trunk, too. Yawn. By now I’m sure you’ve got the picture. Subarus make sense, but the Legacy is not exactly the automotive equivalent of Eva Mendes in a bikini. All that said, Subaru is having a record year for sales in Canada. Sensible does sell. Just imagine what might happen to Subaru sales if the company ever discovered sexy." read the original article 1/2 Last day for the 2012 Share the Love. Each of the 5 charities to get $1m as ion years past,  but with the record number of cars sold, maybe SoA will step up and generously contribute even more this year.

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