SUBARU NEWS AND REVIEWS OVER THE YEARS 

Read Subaru News, Magazine Reviews, Links, Comments and more from calender year 2009
Tribeca, Outback, Legacy, Forester, Impreza, WRX, STI,  Baja, Hybrid, Diesel, Concept Cars..

Sales tax deduction- save your P.O. for Washington State, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Tennessee.
Keep your car PO and other receipts. See your tax people for legal advice.

January 1, 2009 Subaru's 2008 year in review
a few high and low points according to me, all subject to hindsight and revision
- good- 09 Forester- everything about it-
- good- Subaru is one of only a few companies with steady sales volume for the year. Thanks to the redesigned Forester for being the right car at the right time.
- good- 09 WRX comes out swinging with more power, suspension and body upgrades. But summer tires? Even SoA was confused and put out incorrect window stickers at first.
- and bad- 08 STI sells well but with 0% and $5000 dealer bonus cash (through 1/2/09 only). Will SoA upgrade the STI in the near future? Hope so...
- bad- no word on a diesel or anything else that might get 30++ mpg.
- and good- gas prices go back down (and people quickly forget)
- good- Subaru WRX does well at the X Games in LA
- and bad- Fuji pulls out of the WRC but SoA will still help sponsor US drivers
- good- 09 Forester is Motor Trend SUV of the year
- good- advertising, Subaru goes back to it's roots with a Love Your Subaru ad campaign. Now where's Paul Hogan- his stories were reasons to love your Subaru.
- good- Crash tests results. The Tribeca, Legacy, Forester, and Impreza all get Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS.org).
- bad- just plain silly for changing the name of the basic Outback model 3 years in a row (2007 Outback Basic > 2008 Outback > 2009 Outback 2.5i).
- good - only a few recalls and fixes over the last 12 months.
- bad- a car company nibbles at Fuji, buying another piece of the company
- and good- the company is Toyota- couldn't ask for a better partner. Subaru and Toyota are even working on a 2 door together, maybe in 2012?
- overall- 2008 was a decent year for a well run company that makes quality, sometimes even interesting cars, and also offers funny little things like optional footwell and puddle lights etc.  Cars with a human touch.
- and finally .. a tip of the hat for the hard working folks at Fuji who lost jobs..
comments or add your own?

General Subaru and Fuji news, comments and links in 2009
Model specific news, reports, reviews, articles etc are below
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4/28 current rebates and lease programs scheduled to end Thursday 4/30 now extended through Monday 5/4
4/27 09 model availabilty - Subaru still shipping 09 Outback, Forester, Legacy through May. 09 Imprezas should be available through the summer.
4/27 GM had a minority stake in Subaru until selling in 2006 to Toyota. Now GM set to close or sell Saturn, Hummer, Saab, and now Pontiac, lay off 21,000 people, shut 2,641 dealers (from 6,246 to 3,605) by year end ... leaving Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and Chevy.
I always liked Oldsmobile myself but that shows my age.
4/21 Earth Day is April 22 since 1970. That's 39 years.
What can you do? Try to avoid short trips since a cold engine pollutes more than a warm one. Improve fuel economy by accellerating gently, especially when the engine is cold. Good maintenance- a clean air filter and spark plugs, and correctly inflated tires all help the car run more effciently and saves gas.
Make Art- if you're in Indiana, SIA (Subaru of Indiana Automotive) wants art made out of recycled stuff for an exhibit May 1-15 for the 5th anniversary of their zero landfill status. Pieces should be submitted by 5:00pm April 30. Art info here
What is Subaru doing for the environment? Making clean burning cars in a clean factory in a wildlife habitat.
1. PZEV Outback, Legacy and Forester. The EPA says a PZEV is the cleanest running gas car (not hybrid) on today's market based on emissions testing for carbon-containing compounds, oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter, and other tailpipe outflow.
So, what is PZEV? This is a brief summary...
a. A charcoal cannister catches unburned gas left in the engine when it's turned off so it doesn't just evaporate.
b. Fuel injectors that close tighter when they're not in use.
c. A finer mesh in the catalytic converter, as well as optimized placement of its precious metal.
d. The engine's brain is set to run hot at start up to help the catalytic converter heat up so it starts working faster.
2. Zero-Landfill Nothing goes to the landfill. Since May, 2004 when SIA  (Subaru of Indiana Automotive, in Indiana where they build Outback, Legacy, Tribeca and Camry- yes, the Toyota Camry) became the first car assembly plant to be Zero-Landfill, nothing from the manufacturing process is sent to the landfill. This May 2 is the 5th Anniversary of achieving Zero Landfill status.
3. Wildlife and animals-  In 2003 SIA becomes the first car assembly plant to be designated as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. 800 acres serve as a home for deer, rabbits, geese, beavers, coyote, snapping turtles, frogs, hawks, herons, eagles.
In 2009- Subaru sponsors ASPCA's April Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month. After donating ~$1m this past January to the ASPCA in the  Share the Love Event (ran nlate 2008), Subaru will now support three 'Go Orange for Animals' festivals as part of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. The festivals include mobile adoptions and pet care advice in 3 cities-  New York Union Square Park 4/7/09,  Austin Zilker Park 4/18/09, and LA Venice Beach, 4/25/09.
The sponsorship also provides brightly decorated Subarus. Additional events this April include ASPCA Mission: Orange, a campaign to improve animal welfare and education by partnering with regional animal welfare and community organizations in  Austin, Charleston, New York, Philadelphia, Spokane, Tampa  More on ASPCAApril.org.
4/16 'Subaru Defies Gravity. How the Japanese carmaker is managing to hold on to sales... Who says you have to be big or global or green to survive?
But how is Subaru doing it? It has no hybrid or electric car. Its fuel efficiency is nothing special, and Subarus are definitely not the darlings of Hollywood stars. The company sells only 600,000 vehicles a year worldwide, making it maybe the 20th largest automaker...
Its major markets are Japan and then the U.S., with 187,699 sales here last year, outselling only Mitsubishi, Suzuki , and Porsche. But those 2008 sales were a notch above the year before, and first-quarter 2009 sales are a notch above, too. Subaru is proof that you don't have to be huge to hold your own...
All Subarus sold in the U.S. are all-wheel-drive, but as for looks, they're plain -even dull- family type wagons and sedans. The exceptions are the WRX and STI models. They look plain, too - all the better not to provoke the police - but these models are for the "fast and furious" crowd who like 'em hot.
So why the success? Well, Subarus have good quality; they are always recommended by Consumer Reports. They were early into the all-wheel-drive market. Also, the Subaru engine, called a "boxer" design, is unusual--imagine a V engine turned on its side.
But there's more to the company's success, especially now. "We're fortunate. Our customer is a financially secure customer," says Executive Vice President Tom Doll. But, then, Subarus aren't expensive. They run between $20,000 to $30,000 for the most part, maybe closer to $40,000 for a just few models. Personally, I think there are people who want all-wheel-drive, but don't like the size, the gas-guzzler label, the macho looks of the other SUVs and crossovers. The Subaru crowd is terribly loyal, too, and you hardly ever hear a bad word about them...
I must admit I have a soft spot for Subaru. I once was in an accident with a Subaru wagon. Entirely my fault, a one-car accident. The Subaru was totaled, but my only injury was a tiny scratch on the palm of one hand. I figure I owe my life to Subaru.
While Japanese cars are particularly popular in California, Subaru's big regional markets are the Northeast, New England and the Pacific Northwest.
Why? Traction. The all-wheel drive is good for snow-covered roads, especially hilly snow-covered roads. That's where Subaru made its mark. Even the American headquarters is in New Jersey, not the West Coast with the other Japanese automakers.
Subaru's sales hang around that 180,000 mark, but if they don't go down, they don't go up much, either...
Subaru is the car-making arm of Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan. At one time, Nissan owned a 20% share; then General Motors owned it but nothing came of that, either. Now Toyota owns one-sixth of Fuji. The Subaru plant in Indiana is shared with Toyota, which stepped in after Subaru's first partner, Isuzu, gave up and quit the U.S. market.
Alas, Subaru's design efforts to break out into new sales territory have been, well, strange. There was a sports car, the SVX--seriously weird looking. There was the Baja, a wagon with a pickup back-end. And last, the Tribeca, the top-of the-line model, named after a Manhattan neighborhood, with an odd-looking front end and interior. It's been redone to look almost "normal" now, and is still on the market. Now Subaru has just shown bigger versions of its Legacy sedan and new Outback wagon, just as everyone else seems to be interested in talking about smaller vehicles.
There's no guarantee Subaru's sales will stay ahead in the maelstrom. And despite strong sales, profits are waning because of the strength of the Japanese yen and other spending. Still, Subaru seem better-off than many of its peers. Even the U.S. inventories are low, a 58-day supply of Subarus at dealers as of April 1, according to Automotive News, compared with 65 days for Toyota, 92 days for Honda and 122 days for GM.

All I can think is that virtue--building a good, unpretentious car with a reasonable price tag and high quality--is still rewarded in the auto world. And that can't be bad.' the article

4/11 Nitrogen in tires? Some car and tire dealers are offering Nitrogen as an alternative to inflating tires with normal outside air. Nitrogen maintains tire pressure better than normal air which leaks out over time, and is less sensitive to cold outside temperatures. As a result, it minimizes the Tire Pressure Monitoring light coming on, can improve economy, increase tire life, and might be safer because properly inflated tires are less likely to blow-out when driven at high speeds for a long distance, or on hot roads. The downside to Nitrogen is that you might have to pay for it (but air is free).
4/1  Wa. State Sales Tax increase-  RTA (Regional Transit Authority) sales tax increases from .005% to .009% in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. More info
3/29 Last days for new 2008 model special finance rates- end March 31
3/22 Subaru gives a car to Ronald McDonald House ... a new 2009 Outback 2.5i SE to the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) of Southern New Jersey in Camden...  It will be used to transport RMH families of children being treated for critical illnesses or traumatic injuries. The vehicle will also be used by RMH staff to support day-to-day operations.
This continues a long relationship between Subaru Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey. In 1998, Subaru donated a vehicle to RMH as part of Subaru's 30th Anniversary initiative "30 Cars for 30 Causes."
"This new vehicle is a blessing and we can't thank Subaru enough for its incredible generosity" said Ann Thomas, exec. director.
RMH also received a grant from Subaru to enhance computer equipment and capabilities available to the families that stay there -- primarily so that siblings can keep up with school work. In addition, for the past two years, a group of Subaru employees have volunteered at RMH as part of Subaru's annual Martin Luther King Day of Service activities..
3/20 Eastside Subaru in Kirkland closes...  part of Rainier Automotive Group.. 'Its Web site makes no mention of any problems... the inventory at Eastside Subaru in Kirkland has also vanished. The problem is apparently crumbling financing in this free-fall economy, and the dealerships squabbling with the auto companies about how things should be done. Since Subaru and most other auto manufacturer own all the cars that are for sale at dealerships, they can yank them off a dealer's lot when they want to. If new financing gets worked out, the cars come back.'
3/18 More top executive changes at SoA- this makes for all new management team. (see more management changes, news dated 3/12)
Thomas Doll has been promoted to chief operating officer (COO). Doll, 53, has served as executive VP and CFO for the past 15 years, he  started with SoA in 1982, and has worked in Treasury, business, strategic planning, budgeting, accounting and financial reporting.
Tim Colbeck,45, is promoted from VP, sales to senior VP, sales and also assumes responsibility for vehicle logistical planning. Additionally, Tim Mahoney, 52, senior vice president and CMO assumes responsibility for Customer Relations and Loyalty.

3/13 2009 Subaru North American Freeskiing Championship -  the second to last stop on the 2009 Freeskiing World Tour, the Subaru North American Freeskiing Championships is back in South Lake Tahoe's Sierra Nevadas after a 1 year break. The third stop of the 2009 Freeskiing World Tour (FWT) is once again at Kirkwood Mountain Resort for the 12th Annual Subaru North American Freeskiing Championships (NAFC). Freeskiing’s elite from around the world will compete in the Sierra snows March 18-22 for the NAFC title and $20,000 purse. Freeskiing World Tour
3/12 New top people at SoA and SIA
Subaru of America chairman, president and CEO since 2007, Tomohiko Ikeda will return to parent company Fuji to become corporate Senior VP . He will be replaced by Yoshio Hasanuma on April 16, 2009 who has been with Fuji for more than 30 years. Before his current role as senior VP of Subaru Global Marketing, Hasanuma was corporate VP Subaru of Japan sales and marketing, among other jobs.
At SIA (Subaru of Indiana Automotive), SoA's factory in Layette, President/CEO Masahiro Kasai will return to Japan to become chief general manager of FHI’s Subaru manufacturing division and chief general manager of the company’s Gunma plant where the Impreza and Forester is built. Kasai will be succeeded at SIA by Motokiyo Nomura, who currently serves as chief general manager of Subaru’s cost planning and management division and general manager of the Subaru purchasing division. (more management changes, see news dated 3/18)
3/7 Subaru dealer closes - Eastside Subaru in Kirkland, Wa has stopped selling new Subarus. Their service dept remains open as of this writing. This could be temporary and they might reopen. Nationally Subaru is doing well, has a hit with the redesigned Forester, a new Legacy and Outback is due later this summer, and financing is easy to qualify for and sales are up for the year. Individual businesses can always experience difficulties.
2/27 new Payment Calculator
2/27 Consumer Reports Annual Car Issue  '... The best vehicles are built by Honda, Subaru, and Toyota.. They make well-rounded cars that excel across the board, getting very good scores in our road tests and high marks in reliability from subscribers in our Annual Auto Survey...  A Japanese nameplate doesn't guarantee that a car is reliable or scores well in our testing...  Among domestic automakers, Ford continues to improve in reliability, and some of its cars now rival the best from Japan...'
Top Picks - Best overall vehicle Lexus LS 460; Family sedan Honda Accord; Upscale sedan Infiniti G37; Small SUV Toyota RAV4; Midsize SUV Toyota Highlander; Minivan Toyota Sienna; Small car Hyundai Elantra SE; Full-size pickup Chevrolet Avalanche; Green car Toyota Prius.'
Top Car Brands are 1. Honda, 2. Subaru, 3. Toyota, 4. Mazda, and 5th place is a 4 way tie with Mercedes, Nissan, VW, and BMW.
Buy the April issue, or online Consumer Reports
2/26 PZEV, Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, 90% cleaner exhaust '... Subaru is a bit of an anomaly in the automotive industry. For one thing, Fuji Heavy Industries also manufactures aircraft, wind turbines, weed whackers, industrial engines among other things. Snowmobile and ATV giant Polaris uses Fuji engines, and Boeing is supplied by Fuji with 777 and 787 jumbo jet wing and fuselage bits and pieces...
As for Subaru products, no one else - other than Porsche - uses a horizontally opposed (boxer) engine and, with the exception of Audi, Subaru is the only company that fits all-wheel drive to each of its models.
Subaru also has a habit of quietly utilizing engineering that is both unconventional and useful...
How about Subaru's “hill-holder”, now called 'incline assist' in the manual transmission Forester and Impreza? This is an excellent for drivers who have trouble getting under way while stopped on a hill. True, the hill-holder idea was patented by Studebaker way back in the 1930s...
The latest engineering goody by Subaru is its Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle system. Found in Legacy and Outbacks (also Forester), PZEV reduces tailpipe emissions through the use of a super efficient charcoal air filtration system, redesigned fuel injectors, a reprogrammed Electronic Control Model, and a beefed-up catalytic converter. Slightly advanced ignition also promptly heats up the catalytic converter, further reducing the amount of unburned gases escaping through the system during cold starts.
You could probably argue all this is as much fine-tuning as it is new technology. But either way, the results, says Subaru, give PZEV models almost a 90% cleaner exhaust than most new gasoline-fuelled vehicles and are just a whisker away from a zero-emissions rating.
And this is without sacrificing performance or fuel economy... ' the article

2/15 Flops Are Forever -  Automotive Flops of the Last 25 Years - Are these future, low production collectibles?
Bad cars come and go, but flops are forever, from Car and Driver.
On Subaru's SVX  '... Ah, the Italians. When in doubt..  design something beautiful. If you can’t be bothered to come up with anything beautiful, it continues, then at least design something desperately weird and pawn it off on someone else... The SVX was intended to be the car on which the “new” Subaru would be built, a revolutionary achievement that banished all thoughts of the marque’s often quirky past.. Unfortunately tech wizardry wasn’t enough to overcome awkward styling and a high (almost $25,000 in 1992) price, and sales never took off. The SVX was a good car dragged down into floptastic floppiness by the hubris of its maker. ..'
Read more on interesting cars that ended up failing - the Chevy SSR, GMC Envoy, Lincoln Blackwood, Jaguar X, Chrysler’s TC Maserati, Sterling, Chrysler Crossfire... the article

2/8 Email issues.  Many dealers use Cobalt's 'Lead Manager' CRM program for customer email. Microsoft's Hotmail, Live and MSN.com are bouncing emails back to dealers. The emails are not getting to the recipients. If you are a customer using @Hotmail.com, Live.com or MSN.com and expecting an email from a dealer, you might want to contact the dealer by phone.

2/5 Subaru in China. Subaru sold 19,000 acrs in China in 2008, which is +105%, and hopes for sales of 25,000 in 2009 which would be +31%. The goal is to sell 35,000 in 2010. Growth is mostly the Forester, which is more than 80% of the total, the balance from Legacy, then Impreza, and Tribeca.

1/30 Best of the Best Used Cars, an overview from Consumer Reports. Features cars with several or more years of better than average reliability, mostly from Japan, that are generally worth buying. Includes the Subaru Forester, Outback, Impreza, Legacy, Baja, along with models from Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Acura, Lexus, Mazda etc and a few Lincolns, BMW, Buick, Porsche, Volvo and Pontiac. read the article

1/26 PZEV emissions and the return of science over politics - President Obama starts the process to overturn the Bush December 2007 EPA decision preventing states from having regulations stricter than Federal. There are 17 states using the cleaner burning PZEV (aka California spec) standards. The states are California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massacusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.  Subaru has been shipping PZEV cars to states requiring them.
Says the President .. " The federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.. the days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts; we will be guided by them."

1/25 Fewer new cars on lots as dealers watch inventory. With a huge 504 current Subaru model, color and emission combinations in the 2009 line, dealers are watching inventory carefully to reduce flooring (financing) expenses. Consumers may not find as many new cars available on lots. Dealers can locate or factory order cars if necessary though additional charges may apply.
How many color and model combinations does one car company need? Counting model, color and emission possibilities, there are 504 total: Outback 117, Legacy 103, Forester 81 (99 if you include early Premiums with no All Weather Pkg), Impreza sedan 60, Impreza wagon 91, Tribeca 62.
For perspective, the total sales in 2008 was 187,699 ÷ 504 models = 372.42 cars per possible combination.
December 2008 sales total was 17,287 ÷  504, or 34.30 cars per possible combination.

The top seller in December 2008 was the Forester with 6,499 which means 80.24 cars per possible Forester combination, the lowest was the Tribeca at 705 ÷ 62 combinations is 11.37 per possible model/color combination.  Thus no dealer can possibly stock more than a small selection, and note that this count doesn't even include the many possible extra options combinations!

What are your thoughts, how many models or colors are needed? Comment here

1/23 How many dealers?  Ford has 3,700 dealers after 300 went out of business in 2008, Chrysler lost 287 leaving app 3,300 dealers, and GM has about 6,375 dealers after 400 closed their doors in 08. Subaru has app 600 dealers in the US, and 93 in Canada.

1/20 President Barack Obama!
President Obama doesn't drive a Subaru. He leased a 2005 Chrysler 300C Hemi in 2004 and traded it for a Ford Escape Hybrid in 2007. The Hemi was bought by Tim O'Boyle who has been trying to sell it on eBay with a $1,000,000 'buy it now' price but due to a series of auction stops-and-starts, it's still for sale. Yes, you can buy it. Check out obamas300c.com.

1/16 Subaru parent Fuji profits drop, will cut board bonuses, executive pay 10% ..  'Fuji's Subaru brand was one of just two brands that posted U.S. sales gains last year (the other was Mini Cooper), and is now the latest Japanese carmaker warning of full-year losses. Fuji CEO Ikuo Mori said today he now expects a 9 billion yen ($89.1 million) operating loss for the fiscal year ending March 31. The revision erases an earlier forecast for operating profit of $227.7 million.
Mori now aims to slash capital expenditures more than 20%, cut executive pay 10% and eliminate board member bonuses. He also scrapped a plan to build a factory in Japan and may boost overseas production to ease the pain of a skyrocketing yen.
The Subaru parent is chopping its outlook just weeks after Toyota said it would post its first operating loss since 1938. Nissan is dialing down production again amid Japanese media reports that it will post a full-year operating loss.
Subaru is getting hit hard by tumbling sales worldwide and a yen that has soared 18% higher against the dollar since August. The high yen makes overseas earnings worth less when sent home. About 62% of all Subarus sold in the US are imported...' the article

1/13 You think Subaru owners are slow drivers? Well, ok maybe most are, but not all.... The car that gets the most speeding tickets with 463% over average is the Hummer H2/3 which isn't surprising because once they get that bulk moving who wants to even think about slowing down. But 5 of the top 10 cars stopped for speeding are Scions, Solara and the Matrix, all Toyotas and mostly 4 cylinders.
In life's slow lane, GM has a traffic jam behind it with 8 of the 10 cars least likely to be pulled over.
And where is our Subaru, best known for utilitarian rigs most often seen sloshing through rain or snow or on back country roads?
The Outback is #8 on the list of cars most likely to see those flashing lights in the rear view mirror. That's the Outback, it's not even the WRX.
Here is the list: Hummer 463%, Scion tc 460%, Scion XB 403%, Mercedes Benz CLK63 AMG 397%, Toyota Solara 306%
Mercedes Benz CLS63 AMG 276%, Scion XA 275%, Subaru Outback 266%, Audi A4 264%, Toyota Matrix 264%
Jaguar XJ 11%, Chevrolet Suburban, 16%, Chevrolet Tahoe 21%, Chevrolet C/K-3500/2500 28%, Buick Park Avenue 32%
Mazda 6 sedan 34%, Buick Rainier 37%, Oldsmobile Silhouette 37%, Buick Lucerne sedan 40%, GMC Sierra C1500 40%
Violations per 100,000 miles driven, expressed as percent of average. The article

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Subaru Tribeca news and reviews

2009 4/23 Tribeca review from Canada '.. Yes, it has three rows of seats that can be fully loaded up with bodies on a short term basis, but passengers should be shorter..  The driving position is typically European, meaning that when you adjust for comfortable leg position, you find yourself sitting at arms length from the wheel... The seats themselves are bodily contoured, supportively firm and comfortably upholstered, except for the person in the centre of the middle row who basically has to sit on a padded armrest... Flip rear seats forward to create a flat load floor to the back of the front seats .. .. It all adds up to a utility vehicle that does a lot of things, but Tribeca doesn’t do all those things well. It does the things for which Subarus are renowned very well – the smooth drivetrain and all-year footing – but like most compact utility vehicles, it gets by in areas of space utilization and economy..' the article 4/18 Tribeca  2009 is the final year for the 5 passenger model. All 2010 Tribecas will be 7 passengers. 3/16 Bluetooth  Factory Bluetooth is available only on Impreza and Forester with Navigation, not on Outback, Tribeca or Legacy. top

Subaru Outback news and reviews

2009 4/29 2010 Outback and Legacy prices and model packages announced. Some prices went up, other prices went down. The Outback 2.5i increased $700 but the Limited went down $300! The new larger engine 3.6L Outback now starts $1100 less than the 3.0L version in 09.  The 10 Legacy 2.5i dropped $800, and the 10 and 09 Legacy 2.5i Limited are the same price. The new 6 speed GT Limited goes up $1100 and the Legacy 3.6L Limited drops $1570. For all 2010 models, Subaru is now offering factory Option Packages, aka model ugrades. Some of the features standard on prevous years may now be part of a Option Package. For example, the All Weather Package is Option Package #02 on the 2010 Outback Premium but it was standard on the 2009 SE model (which the Premium replaces) so not all 10 Outback Premiums will have the All Weather Pkg. 4/9 2010 Outback and Legacy shown at NY Auto Show.  It was supposed to only be the Legacy but Subaru released Outback details and photos early!  As is the Legacy, the 10 Outback is wider, taller, with more seat legroom, framed windows, updated 2.5L 4 cylinder engine with 6 speed manual or CVT automatic, 3.6L engine from the Tribeca with 5 speed automatic. Outback turbo is gone and the Legacy GT turbo is manual only. Early info and SoA photos Outbackand Legacy 4/7 New Outback and Legacy options- end of model year 'Value option packages'  available with 50% off dealer invoice cost. Good deals on some nice upgrades. Available on cars arriving in May. 3/19 Accessory price changes, Outback and Legacy  Security upgrade installed price drops, and iPod installed price increases 3/16 Bluetooth  Factory Bluetooth is available only on Impreza and Forester with Navigation, not on Outback, Tribeca or Legacy. 3/13 Interest rate drop effective 3/17-31 only, new lower rates for all new 09 Legacy, and Outback 2.5i, 2.5i SE (9DA/B, 9DC/D) 3/9 Outback review  '...The end of the sport-utility era is upon us. It's now time to explore outside of the box and delve into the world of wagons. The most common perception of Subaru is that its cars are owned by individuals who knit their own sweaters, live within 50 miles of the Canadian border and require all-wheel drive. Well, two out of three are incorrect.  If there was a brewing winter storm outside and I had to get to the emergency room fast, I would want to take a Subaru. Simply put, these cars chew up powder as quickly as a snow blower.  The Outback is essentially a Legacy on stilts. It is actually classified as the world's first sport utility wagon. Along with the extra ground clearance, the Legacy-on-stilts is equipped with an upgraded heavy-duty suspension. Although off-roading is certainly possible, I'm confident few owners will be fording rivers... Bang for the buck is where the Outback shines. Taking a look at the competitors, the Audi A4 Avant and the BMW 328 wagon, both equipped with all-wheel drive and navigation systems, exceed $40,000. And they are less powerful. Although a major fault of many Japanese vehicles is component quality, especially on the interiors, Subaru has exceeded the mark...  ... The Outback has a high-quality feel, while fit and finish are top notch. There are no squeaks or rattles, and the interior has a handsome design. And I can attest to Subarus being able to take a wallop -- a friend put over 60,000 hard miles on the clock after one year of ownership and the interior held up considerably well... Clearly, the firm is doing something right.. I have noticed an increasing number of Subarus in the New York area. Perhaps they have migrated from closer to the Canadian border. ' from thesteeet  top

Subaru Legacy news and reviews

2009 Legacy 4/29 2010 Outback and Legacy prices and model packages announced. Some prices went up, other prices went down. The Outback 2.5i increased $700 but the Limited went down $300! The new larger engine 3.6L Outback now starts $1100 less than the 3.0L version in 09.  The 10 Legacy 2.5i dropped $800, and the 10 and 09 Legacy 2.5i Limited are the same price. The new 6 speed GT Limited goes up $1100 and the Legacy 3.6L Limited drops $1570. For all 2010 models, Subaru is now offering factory Option Packages, aka model ugrades. Some of the features standard on prevous years may now be part of a Option Package. For example, the All Weather Package is Option Package #02 on the 2010 Outback Premium but it was standard on the 2009 SE model (which the Premium replaces) so not all 10 Outback Premiums will have the All Weather Pkg. 4/9 2010 Outback and Legacy shown at NY Auto Show.  It was supposed to only be the Legacy but Subaru released Outback details and photos early!  As is the Legacy, the 10 Outback is wider, taller, with more seat legroom, framed windows, updated 2.5L 4 cylinder engine with 6 speed manual or CVT automatic, 3.6L engine from the Tribeca with 5 speed automatic. Outback turbo is gone and the Legacy GT turbo is manual only. Early info and SoA photos Outbackand Legacy 4/7 New Outback and Legacy options- end of model year 'Value option packages'  available with 50% off dealer invoice cost. Good deals on some nice upgrades. Available on cars arriving in May. 3/31 It's official 2010 Legacy information released. Redesigned 2010 midsize sedan is all new- larger with more interior and rear seat legroom, framed windows, 2.5L 4 cylinder with new 6 speed manual or Lineartronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) automatic transmission. The 3.6L 6 cylinder from the Tribeca replaces the 3.0L, and the GT has a larger turbo with more power and torque and est 0-60 time under 6 seconds.  3/28 2009 Legacy GT turbo vs. an old hemi Barracuda?  '... 1982 and I'm folded in the back seat of my friend Tracy's Plymouth Barracuda.. The 'Cuda's exhaust is reverberating up and down the canyon like distance cannon fire as it leaves the flimsy glass pack duel mufflers that do little to silence the monster Hemi engine's roar.. Fast forward some 27 years and I'm older, heavier, and I can't help but recall my friend Tracy who passed away so many years ago as I'm once again flying up I-70, but this time in a ruby red Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT. Tracy's 'Cuda had massive Craiger wheels with an aftermarket Hurst shifter, and air suspension he could raise and lower by going to the local gas station and filling up the car with free air... The Legacy has an automatic with paddle shifters, 17-inch alloy wheels with tire pressure monitors, all wheel drive, and the Subaru SI- Drive which lets the driver change the dynamic handling and performance characteristics of the car. The 'Cuda could take about anything on the road in a straight line, but Lord help you if you had to go around a curve at anything resembling a brisk walk. The Legacy is fast, and perhaps even furious, in both a straight line and especially when the road turns twisty. Both cars give their owners an effortless sense of speed, but the 'Cuda kicks you in the groin to let you know that it is the bad boy in town while the Legacy is way too sublte and way too refined for such childlike behavior. It just goes about its business with a cool and understated ease.. Unlike the 'Cuda, the Subaru only gets better as the weather turns nasty. However also unlike the 'Cuda, I'm not sure I'll remember the Legacy 20 plus years from now. The styling of the car goes from exciting at the front to bland and mundane at the rear. The 'Cuda's was an in your face bad ass beast that took no prisoners... Is the Legacy 2.5 GT Limited the spiritual successor to the mighty 'Cuda? Of course not. But does it offer many of the same thrills with none of the drawbacks? You bet---and best of all it even has a functional hood scoop that I'm sure would have made my friend Tracy smile...'  the  article 3/20 Legacy PZEV review  'My first question when I picked up this Subaru was "What the heck is PZEV?" ..  its special equipment such as a charcoal canister so no fuel vapours can escape from the engine when shut off. The catalytic exhaust uses a finer mesh to lower exhaust emissions by up to 90 per cent of what a regular new car puts out. In Canada, you are more likely to hear the term Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle, or SULEV, for the same thing.... I find that I always enjoy driving a Subaru. And as a World Rally Championship-winning company that was one of the first two automakers (Audi was the other) to even offer all-wheel-drive cars for sale, it should come as no surprise when I tell you that this car is fun to drive. Plus, it's reasonably miserly on fuel, too...  had enough traction so that acceleration, cornering and stopping were no big deal. In one situation, I was able to totally miss someone else with no-season tires who totally misjudged stopping distances. Another plus for the Legacy is ride quality. The ice is melting and making some roads a bit on the rough side due to the emerging potholes and the way the ice is melting. Legacy takes these bumps in its stride. All but the most severe are heard when the tires hit them, but they aren't felt to any degree inside. Getting around town, in and out of parking lots or just doing day-to-day driving in the Legacy is relaxing.."  the article 3/19 Accessory price changes, Outback and Legacy  Security upgrade installed price drops, and iPod installed price increases 3/16 Bluetooth  Factory Bluetooth is available only on Impreza and Forester with Navigation, not on Outback, Tribeca or Legacy. 3/13 Interest rate drop effective 3/17-31 only, new lower rates for all new 09 Legacy, and Outback 2.5i, 2.5i SE (9DA/B, 9DC/D) 2/6/09 Discontinued accessory on Legacy. Rocker panel chrome trim is no longer available on the Legacy. It's still standard on the white and black specB and 3.0R Limited models, and may be available as a part from your dealer, based on supply. Parts #s: White #E2610AG0000WH, black # E2610AG000VH. 1/11/09 Legacy 2010 concept car. The coming redesigned 2010 Legacy available later this year will probably take some styling cues from the concept car displayed at the Detroit auto show but don't expect it to be as stylized. The concept car has the 3.6L in it, hopefully it will make it to the production version. More info at the NY Auto Show in April.

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Subaru Forester news and reviews

2009 4/24 Performance - Forester XTI concept, WRX and STI with SPT mods... 'Subaru invited us out to the track to sample some of its Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) components, fitted to the company's Forester XTI show car, as well as the Impreza WRX and STI models. While we applaud any manufacturer that engineers a line of factory-approved aftermarket parts, we hand out additional kudos to the few who welcome us to a local racing circuit to put them to the fire. What add-ons did Subaru bring to Willow Springs, and how did they perform on the track? Come with us to find out... Subaru brought four cars to the Streets of Willow Springs race track.. two Impreza WRX models (one stock and one modified), and two Impreza WRX STI models (one stock and one modified)...  also brought out its one-of-a-kind Forester XTI concept for its track debut. That's right, the SEMA show car custom-fitted with full STI running gear...' Forester XTI - 'As a one-off concept, we were understandably apprehensive about tossing this particular Forester into the corners at speed. To our amazement, however, it handled the circuit like a true champ..  Now, we want to see it in the showroom.' WRX- 'The stock five-speed transmission feels great until you try the short throw set-up... While the short throw shifter and new exhaust was welcomed, we think the chassis-bracing modifications were a bit out of order – our money would focus on calming the struts, sways, and springs first, along with a new set of brake pads...' STI - '..The stock STI was immediately a noticeable improvement over both WRX models... This STI was fitted with the short-throw shifter and stainless exhaust. Both are must-have items.. Under the skin, the modified STI was equipped with chassis braces and new springs, lowering the ride height and firming things up.  On the race circuit, this STI was clearly top dog. It was incredibly stable in the corners... Again, the tires and brake pads were the weak links, but those are both easy aftermarket fixes.' read the article 4/22 10 Best crossovers from Forbes includes Forester, Rav, CRV, Edge, Lexus RX, Jeep, Buick Enclave. Forester is #10.  '..These vehicles combine car-like handling and SUV-worthy cargo space...  they might be smart to spend on a crossover. These autos--built on a car platform with SUV-like traits--offer drivers car-like handling and high gas mileage but don't sacrifice space...' the article 4/6 End of the Forester model year. Forester special orders finished - no more special orders on Foresters will accepted for 2009 models, and Outback and Legacy special order availability expected to end soon. 3/30 Forester XT review  '...Living in the Pacific Northwest, it seems like every other house has a Subaru Outback or Forester parked outside. Subaru vehicles and my family go way back. ..  I eagerly anticipated my week in the 2009 Subaru Forster XT. The new-for-2009 Forester has a much more modern shape than the angular vehicle it replaces, and has grown up by gaining more space, becoming more of a crossover than just a tall wagon...  Last summer Autosavant’s Chris Haak had the opportunity to review a 2009 Subaru Forester X Premium equipped with a 170 HP 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission. He found power to be merely adequate, with a too-soft suspension and handling that wallows. The Forester XT adds a turbocharger to that 2.5 liter four, for a rating of 224 HP and 226 lb-ft torque, and gains a functional hood scoop and dual exhaust. While the extra 54 HP do help to move the Forester off the line more quickly, the engine seems to be better suited to performance off the line than performance when the car is already traveling 50 or 60 MPH. Climbing into the driver’s seat (which was upholstered with a sturdy-looking yet comfortable cloth), I was impressed with the view out. I found that visibility out of the Forester was probably the best of any vehicle I’ve reviewed for Autosavant.  Each of the pillars was relatively thin, and all of the windows were large...  A heavy snow started falling shortly after the Forester was dropped off, and during my commute there was snow accumulating rapidly on the interstate and side streets. As expected, the Subaru handled the snow with aplomb.. While the bulk of this review makes it sound like I found a lot of faults with the Forester XT, it really is a thoughtfully-designed, well assembled SUV. To its credit, the Forster drives and handles very much like a car, with none of the jostling, easily-upset traditional-SUV-suspension I experienced in the Kia Sorrento or the Jeep Compass. The Forester’s interior is spacious, ergonomically configured, and is well-assembled from nice-looking materials. Its turbocharged, horizontally-opposed four cylinder engine puts it a step ahead of its four-cylinder competition in terms of performance. I enjoyed driving the Forester XT for a week, and would recommend it without hesitation. While there are a lot of vehicles in this class, the Forester XT is comfortable, fun, spacious, and easy to drive; the same cannot be said about much of its competition...' from autosavant 3/21  Forester review  'Revamped Forester gives big boost to Subaru...  Subaru redesigned the Forester for 2009, giving it a new interior and more boldly styled exterior and a new chassis and suspension. The 2.5-liter engine and the 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual transmissions are largely carryovers, but Subaru modified the engine to provide a broader torque curve for better performance... The Forester rides on a wheelbase almost 4 inches longer than the previous model, which translates into noticeably more interior room and better ride quality... With the 2009 model, Subaru made side curtain airbags, rollover sensors and a stability control system standard on all Forester models.  Motor Trend magazine was impressed enough with the Forester to select it as its 2009 Sport Utility of the Year. The magazine's editors noted their selection of the Forester "is not a reaction to prices at the pump, but a renewed appreciation for the value of the dollar and a thoughtfully designed, well-executed vehicle."  .. A more important selection is occurring for Subaru: The Forester is popular with buyers, resulting in a 101 percent sales increase for February... The Forester had a couple of annoying rattles when driving over stud-chewed freeway sections. Most liked features: Starting at about $20,900, including destination and with all-wheel drive, the Subaru offers excellent value for the dollar." the article 3/14 Free Forester for top animal groomer. Animal Planet TV kicks off the 2nd season of its reality competition series Groomer Has It. 12 dog groomers compete in a test of desire, creativity and affinity for animals as they shave, shear and shampoo their way through challenges that will crown only one "Groomer of the Year." It begins Saturday, April 11.  The grand-prize winner will receive a prizes including a new Subaru Forester (!), plus $50,000 cash, a mobil grooming studio etc and the title 'Groomer of the Year', and worth $145,000! 3/14 Forester and Impreza Kiplinger's Personal Finance chooses two 2009 Subarus in the magazine's 2009 Car Buyer's Guide. The new 09 Forester 2.5X has been designated "Best New Crossover" in the Small Crossover category and the 09 Impreza 2.5i has been named "Best in Class" in the "Wagons and Minivans" category. "Best in Class" and "Best New" winners are chosen on a basis of performance, value, safety, power, fuel efficiency, exterior design, interior room and cargo space...  the buyer's guide cited the Impreza's standard All-Wheel Drive and safety features, as well as strong resale value and "impressive" cargo room. The Forester was lauded for its affordability and All-Wheel Drive, as well as size and ground clearance increases over its popular predecessor. Alluding to the new model's go-anywhere nature, the guide pointed out that "it performs even better on snowy roads and muddy driveways."... Kiplinger 3/8 Forester vs Rav4 - Behind the Scenes of Consumer Reports Top Picks 2009 (April issue)  ".. One of the highlights of Consumer Reports' Annual Auto Issue is the Top Picks list. These are the cars we think are the best choices in a particular category. We don’t cover every vehicle group, but we do feature a broad spectrum of the vehicles that most people buy. Although the criteria for selecting a Top Pick is fairly simple on the surface – the car ranks at or near the top of the Ratings, average or better reliability, easily available electronic stability control (ESC) – there are some nuances.  One interesting choice involves our 2009 Pick for Small SUV. When we tested the redesigned 2009 Subaru Forester, it did very well. The turbocharged 2.5XT even outscored the RAV4 V6 and the basic Forester 2.5X outscored the four-cylinder RAV4 at the time. We also tested a group of several manual transmission vehicles including a Forester with a stick; it’s one of the very few small SUVs that offers one. It also scored well. (See the Forester and RAV4 model overview pages, with reviews and ratings, available to online subscribers.) So, why isn’t the Forester our Top Pick for small SUVs? Two reasons: The RAV4 got a new 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine for 2009. When we retested the RAV4 for the upcoming May issue, we found that it was improved. It just barely outscored the equivalent four-cylinder, automatic-transmission Forester. While the turbocharged and manual-transmission Foresters each outscore the RAV4, those versions sell in comparatively low numbers. The vast majority of Foresters and RAV4s sold are basic, non-turbo, four-cylinder, automatic-transmission versions.  It boiled down to this: we wanted the Top Pick to apply to the biggest number of buyers out there. In the end, the 2009 RAV4 four-cylinder narrowly out pointed the Subaru equivalent, becoming our Top Pick."  Buy Consumer Reports April issue or available online 3/5 Forester Reverse Assist Sensor price new lower (yes lower) installed price on the reverse assist sensors (back-up beepers). 3/1 Forester in the Witness Protection Program?  '.. Only a conscious attempt to keep things hush-hush and avoid any unwarranted attention can explain this roomy crossover wagon's utter anonymity in a class of nifty vehicles where style rules. Meet the 2009 Subaru Forester, official vehicle of the Witness Protection Program. Subaru has to be low-profiling it for a reason. How else to explain the fact that every time I tried to find the roomy and comfortable Forester in a parking lot, I overlooked it at least once, mistaking it for a Mitsubishi.  Try to form a mental image of a Mitsubishi crossover. Go ahead, try. I've got time. The Forester - standard all-wheel drive, spacious and practical interior notwithstanding - is such automotive wallpaper that I repeatedly mistook it for a vehicle of which I have no mental image. That's blandness raised to an art form... Despite its chameleon tendency to disappear into the background, the new Forester has a number of virtues, including good fuel economy and standard all-wheel drive and all the headroom of the Montana skies... At 179.5 inches long, the Forester is 3.5 inches shorter than a Rogue and 12.9 inches shorter than a Journey, but its 107.6 cubic feet of passenger room is considerably greater than either of those larger vehicles offer. The Forester's passenger space dwarfs the Vibe and Matrix. In addition to its exceptional headroom, the Forester provides plenty of legroom for front and rear passengers. Front shoulder room is excellent, but the backseat's three-person capacity should be limited to petite passengers or short trips. The interior of the Forester I tested featured cloth upholstery and a variety of nice-looking trim materials. The big, clear gauges are exceptionally attractive, lit in two shades of blue that are bright without becoming distracting at night. I had a hard time getting the manually adjustable driver's seat set to a position that was comfortable on long drives, however. The Forester is a roomy, fuel-efficient and practical vehicle. It lacks the quirky, look-at-me-charm of earlier Subarus, but its anonymity will appeal to some drivers...' the article 2/24 Turbo Boost Guage.  New accessory. Fits all 08/08 Impreza turbos, and 09 Forester turbo. Displays engine vacuum as inHG and PSI. The dial is red lit when the car is on. Available port installed, or as a part. 2/11 2009 Forester wins MotorWeek's Best Small Utility award. Forester is a 'multi-purpose vehicle that's in tune with the times'. The Forester was selected for the MotorWeek 2009 Driver’s Choice Award for Best Small Utility. MotorWeek, a TV show by Maryland Public TV, chose vehicles based on performance, technology, practicality and value. The Forester is a 'multi-purpose vehicle that's in tune with the times.'' Winners in other categories are the Mazda6, Honda Fit and Pilot, Cadillac CTS, Nissan GTR, Audi A5, Jetta TDI.. more here 1/30 Best of the Best Used Cars, an overview from Consumer Reports. Features cars with several or more years of better than average reliability, mostly from Japan, that are generally worth buying. Includes the Subaru Forester, Outback, Impreza, Legacy, Baja, along with models from Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Acura, Lexus, Mazda etc and a few Lincolns, BMW, Buick, Porsche, Volvo and Pontiac. read the article   top

Subaru Impreza news and reviews

2009 4/24 Performance - Forester XTI concept, WRX and STI with SPT mods... 'Subaru invited us out to the track to sample some of its Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) components, fitted to the company's Forester XTI show car, as well as the Impreza WRX and STI models. While we applaud any manufacturer that engineers a line of factory-approved aftermarket parts, we hand out additional kudos to the few who welcome us to a local racing circuit to put them to the fire. What add-ons did Subaru bring to Willow Springs, and how did they perform on the track? Come with us to find out... Subaru brought four cars to the Streets of Willow Springs race track.. two Impreza WRX models (one stock and one modified), and two Impreza WRX STI models (one stock and one modified)...  also brought out its one-of-a-kind Forester XTI concept for its track debut. That's right, the SEMA show car custom-fitted with full STI running gear...' Forester XTI - 'As a one-off concept, we were understandably apprehensive about tossing this particular Forester into the corners at speed. To our amazement, however, it handled the circuit like a true champ..  Now, we want to see it in the showroom.' WRX- 'The stock five-speed transmission feels great until you try the short throw set-up... While the short throw shifter and new exhaust was welcomed, we think the chassis-bracing modifications were a bit out of order – our money would focus on calming the struts, sways, and springs first, along with a new set of brake pads...' STI - '..The stock STI was immediately a noticeable improvement over both WRX models... This STI was fitted with the short-throw shifter and stainless exhaust. Both are must-have items.. Under the skin, the modified STI was equipped with chassis braces and new springs, lowering the ride height and firming things up.  On the race circuit, this STI was clearly top dog. It was incredibly stable in the corners... Again, the tires and brake pads were the weak links, but those are both easy aftermarket fixes.' read the article 4/17 2002-2007 WRX is one of 12 Hot Rides-  Suggested pre-owned cars, a variety of styles and price ranges. Includes Focus SVT, Infinity G35, BMW M coupe, Mini, Lexus LS 430, Honda Prelude, Miata, Boxster, Chrysler 300C, Corvette, and the 02-07 WRX.  About the WRX - "For those searching for a used WRX, the good news is that the cars are very reliable. That said, make sure that any car you consider hasn't been beated within an inch of its life, as the WRX tends to bring out the animal in most drivers...  Find a good car, and you'll end up with an excellent handling sedan or wagon with tremendous traction and a ton of character for not a lot of cash."  Check out Automoble magazine May 2009 issue and online 4/13 WOW!  Rally Drivers Pastrana, Mirra and Block autographing together in Seattle, April 16, Thursday 5-6:30pm only WRX American Rally Champs Travis Pastrana and Ken Block plus X Games star Dave Mirra make a rare public appearance together in Seattle this Thursday, April 16 before their competition at the Olympus Rally in Aberdeen, WA. They'll be at the new Carter Subaru in Ballard, 5201 Leary Ave. NW, Seattle, from 5:00-6:30pm to meet fans and enthusiasts. Friday 4/17 update - app 200 people came to the event. Pastrana, Mirra and Block were there for a few hours signing and mingling.  4/4 Impreza GT review  'While the past few months have been brutally tough on new-vehicle sales, Subaru is one of the few manufacturers holding its own — for the first two months of the year, sales were actually up 4percent over the same period in 2008. Well, up to a point. Our test car, the new-for-2009 Impreza 2.5 GT, is sort of an Impreza for grown-ups who still want some of the performance of the slightly gaudy Impreza WRX, but in a more conservative package. The Impreza 2.5 GT does indeed have the base WRX's plucky turbocharged 224-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder, but it also comes with a sticker price I am unable to explain: $28,143, including shipping and a $453 "XM satellite radio kit," which still required a subscription. Yes, the car has all-wheel-drive, and plenty of safety features, including antilock disc brakes, stability control and side and side-curtain airbags, plus fog lights and a power sunroof and heated front seats... But this is still a pretty small car — rear-seat leg room is marginal for two adults, and three adults will be hoping for a very short trip — and the interior trim, all vinyl and hard plastic, looks and feels economy-car. And for more than $28,000, an automatic transmission should have more than four speeds, shouldn't it? ...In fact, even with the four-speed automatic, the 2.5 GT accelerates nicely, but I'd be tempted to drop down to the non-turbocharged, 170-horsepower version of this engine and save some money — the base Impreza starts at around $18,000. For 2.5 GT money, I'd slide over to the Subaru Legacy, which is larger and roomier, but still gets the same fuel mileage. Handling is reasonably nimble, steering is precise, and the ride is supple. For its size, the Impreza drives bigger, and that is a compliment. Aside from the optimistic pricing and downmarket interior trim, the Impreza 2.5 GT gets the job done in a pleasant, efficient manner...' the full article 3/26 Subaru reinvents itself, boxer engines, and the Impreza GT-  '... Subaru has finessed the consumer preference pendulum better than any vehicle manufacturer. Every time it appeared as if the Japanese company was out of sync with the arc, clever manipulation with minimal resources put it back in swing with what its customers wanted. When truck-based sport utility vehicles appeared poised to devour a substantial chunk of the market, Subaru jacked up its Legacy station wagons and sedans and called them Outback SUVs for people who didn't want heavy trucks. When the bloom faded from those machines, Subaru simply used alternative language. The Outbacks became crossover utility vehicles, which of course they had been all along... Throughout, the company continued to champion horizontally-opposed engines and decided to equip all of its vehicles with all-wheel drive...  American motorists have been surrounded by boxer engines for more than half a century. For more than two decades until 1975, millions of Volkswagens, Karmann-Ghias and VW microbuses were powered by boxer engines. The Porsche 911, Boxster and Cayman, along with earlier models, also use horizontally-opposed engines... Early on, Subaru developed a reputation for rugged dependability and foul weather capability. To this day, you can see 1970s-era Subaru wagons chugging around Colorado and other wintry mountain states. Over the years, the company stuck to its formula of producing sedans and wagons, compact and mid-size, along with the occasional spinoff like the boxy Forester and larger Tribeca crossovers. That careful, conservative approach has paid dividends. In the disastrous auto sales year of 2008, Subaru was one of only two manufacturers to register sales increases. Granted, it was only three-tenths of one percent, but other vehicle manufacturers would have been ecstatic with such a showing.  Where other manufacturers can't seem to give wagons away, and often drop existing models, Subaru has a steady parade of customers... But the Subaru that has moved up in recent years is the compact Impreza, which started life as a humble sedan and wagon, but for 2009 comes in 25 different variations. They range from an $18,160 economy four-door all the way to a high-performance, rally-oriented WRX STI with a sticker price of $39,460. Somewhere near the middle of the lineup is the tested Impreza GT, a performance model with a 224-horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine. It is available in either a wagon or four-door notchback sedan. It is obviously oriented toward Subaristas who like performance but with more comfort and ease of operation. Unlike the performance WRX and WRX STI models, which come only with manual gearboxes, the GT comes only with a four-speed automatic transmission, albeit with a manual-shift mode. The tested GT sedan is a bigger car than the previous-generation Impreza. Though still a compact as measured by government standards, it makes maximum use of interior space and its exterior dimensions make it look like a mid-size. Standing next to a Toyota Camry, for example, it looks only slightly smaller. The interior space is particularly noticeable in the back seat, where the outboard passengers enjoy plenty of knee and head room. As with most compact and mid-size cars, however, the center-rear position is a cramped perch, not fit for human habitation. Up front, the tested GT had comfortable and supportive cloth-covered seats with a myriad of manual adjustments. Combined with the standard tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, it offered a decent driving position for almost any sized driver. One lapse in the design: the sun visors do not slide on their support rods and so do a poor job of blocking sunlight from the side. The instrument panel has a swooping design that looks contemporary, but most of the surfaces, whether smooth or pebbled, are hard plastic. With its 224-horsepower engine, the Impreza GT has more than adequate punch around town and on the highway.' the article 3/15 09 WRX races modded by Phoenix Performance will be at the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX for its professional sports car racing debut on March 20 at Sebring International Raceway, in the opening round of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship. Driver Andrew Aquilante raced his way to the Touring 1 class National Championship in SCCA’s 2007 National Championship Runoffs, a drive which earned the then-19-year old the coveted SCCA President’s Cup. He began racing professionally in 2008. “We decided Subaru’s 265 horsepower, 2.5-liter turbocharged, dual overhead cam ‘boxer’ engine and the car’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system, would be a good core package to enter into the World Challenge Touring Car series under the new rules,” said Joe Aquilante, whose company, Phoenix Performance, built the Subaru.. Practice is Wednesday, March 18. Qualifying is Thursday, the race is Friday, March 20, televised by Speed TV at a later date. more 3/14 Forester and Impreza Kiplinger's Personal Finance chooses two 2009 Subarus in the magazine's 2009 Car Buyer's Guide. The new 09 Forester 2.5X has been designated "Best New Crossover" in the Small Crossover category and the 09 Impreza 2.5i has been named "Best in Class" in the "Wagons and Minivans" category. "Best in Class" and "Best New" winners are chosen on a basis of performance, value, safety, power, fuel efficiency, exterior design, interior room and cargo space...  the buyer's guide cited the Impreza's standard All-Wheel Drive and safety features, as well as strong resale value and "impressive" cargo room. The Forester was lauded for its affordability and All-Wheel Drive, as well as size and ground clearance increases over its popular predecessor. Alluding to the new model's go-anywhere nature, the guide pointed out that "it performs even better on snowy roads and muddy driveways."... Kiplinger 3/6 STI vs Evo on ice  '.. Which car is better, faster on snow and ice? And can we fling homologated rally cars sideways with impunity? With summer tires..  the Evo X and STI slide around in comic slow motion, like props in a Buster Keaton movie (look it up, youngsters). The extra wear on the Evo's Bridgestones show up in the numbers: 0-40 mph in 30.1 seconds versus 16.1 seconds for the STI. Neither can reach 60 mph before running out of test surface. The Evo brakes 40-0 mph in 428 feet, the STI takes 391. The Mitsu's summer-tire figure eight takes 76.5 seconds at 0.10g average, and the Subie needs 71.4 seconds at 0.21 g. That's no misprint With new winter tires '..sub-10-second 0-60-mph times for each. The cars are even up to 30 mph, then the STI pulls ahead and beats the Evo by 0.3 second to 60, but then the Evo regains a 0.3-second lead by 80 mph. Braking from 60 mph takes 292 feet in the Evo, 274 in the STI-more than two and a half times typical dry-pavement distance,  1st place STI - With better balance and lighter weight, the STI beats the Evo on snow in every measure except the figure eight. 2nd place EVO X - The Ice Drift King! Evo is more fun on ice than its rival, and its heavily bolstered Recaros really hold you in place.  Tires -  performance is always tire limited, and those limits really drop in the snow, which is why you need winter tires. Their rubber chemistry allows them to remain pliable and grippy at temperatures that harden summer and all-season tires. Their tread pattern is designed to shed packed snow and includes loads of tiny jagged cut lines, or "sipes," that provide extra gripping edges and help wick water away from the contact patch (snow and ice melt briefly under pressure, even at sub-freezing temperatures). Our ContiWinterContact TS810 S tires (one of two brands TireRack offers in the Evo/STI tire size) will be replaced with a new ExtremeWinterContact model next season, featuring a better compound and a new tread pattern. A handling block on the outer shoulder improves dry grip while the center section's more sharply angled grooves shed snow better and provide more gripping edges. Expect to pay $200-$225 each plus $120 each for wheels if you want bolt-on-off convenience. Go easy in the dry, and they should last at least four winters...' frommotortrend 2/23 STI Cat-Back Exhaust System- the 2008 and 2009 STI's Cat Back exhaust has been moved back to May / June 2009. 2/20 For Sale By Owner - Impreza World Rally Car #1   'A piece of motorsport history is up for grabs via Prodrive's new carsales site. Subaru's first-ever Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) is on sale for an asking price of £85,000 ($121,813). That might seem like a lot for a stripped-out, heavily used track/rally stage-only Subaru Impreza, but with the McRae/Grist names on the window and the actual racing heritage of this car, it's likely a fair price.  The chassis number indicates just how special the car is: PRO-WRC-97-001. In addition to being raced by Colin McRae, Pierro Liatti and Kenneth Erikkson also piloted the car through gravel, tarmac and mud. The car was sold to a Prodrive customer in 1998, but has since been restored to original condition by Ireland's McKinstry Motorsport, complete with 1997 Rally Finland livery.  A range of other cars including seven former works Impreza WRC cars and 17 Prodrive Impreza Group N cars are also on sale on the site, ranging in price from £50,000 ($72,050) for a 2005 Prodrive Impreza Group N to nearly £350,000 ($504,000) for an early 2008 specification Impreza WRC.  Subaru's exit from World Rally racing may even drive up the value of these cars, since they may not be made again, and certainly won't be in the near term.' the article 2/9 Autographs- Rally driver Travis Pastrana signs autographs at the Chicago auto show Feb 14-15  ..Subaru will have a custom yellow STI designed for factory rally driver Travis Pastrana at the Chicago Auto Show, February 13-22. Subaru worked with Pastrana to build a special #199 STI to honor his 3rd consecutive Rally America National Championship.  Features include SPT front strut tower and lower chassis braces, STI short shifter, Goodrich 18" tires on custom black Work Evolution wheels, custom yellow paint and graphics, carbon fiber hood and rear wing, Sport Mesh Grille, front chin spoiler and the exhaust finishers. Upholstery is custom blue Alcantara with Pastrana’s traditional yellow piping and “199 Pastrana”  yellow logos, yellow stitching on the steering wheel, shifter, and parking brake boot.  Inside is carbon fiber patterned trim and rally map light. The audio system is an Eclipse AVN6620 Navigation/DVD stereo with Kicker amps and speakers, and an Xbox 360 under the front passenger seat with custom yellow controllers. Pastrana began driving for the Subaru-backed Vermont SportsCar rally team in 2004. He won 9 X Games Gold Medals, two for X Games Rally competition.  In August 2006 Pastrana won the gold medal in the first rally car competition at the X Games and was signed to lead the new Subaru Rally Team USA in 2006. Pastrana secured his third consecutive Rally America National Championship driver's title with a win at the 2008 Rally Colorado round of the championship.  2/2 Impreza's optional Carrier Base Kit, fixed position roof rack, is a dealer part only beginning with cars arriving at dealers late February 09. The 2009 Impreza Roof Carrier Base Kit can no longer be factory ordered, it is only available from dealer parts departments, except on the Outback Sport where it's standard. Carrier Base Kit is part # E3610FG500, list price $229.95 2/1 WRX review  '.. Getting it right in the car business is no easy thing. Cars are emotional..  Making the right car for the right customer at the right price -- the price at which that customer will buy and feel good about buying -- is, thus, something of a magic trick.  In the case of its 2009 Impreza WRX sedan with navigation, Subaru is to be congratulated for pulling one off.  The Impreza, on sale since the early 1990s, has always been an ugly duckling. But its appearance was a quirk that sold, especially when Subaru hopped it up with WRX performance in its later years Early WRXs lacked aids and creature comforts such as navigation and premium sound systems.  But they were wonderfully fast and nimble -- probably the best performance cars you could get for the money...  Still, Subaru thought it could do more to improve the Impreza WRX's appeal. So, last year, the company brought out a softer version, more mainstream in external design and, unfortunately, more mainstream in performance... But changing the car from a hot, hard runner into something more akin to the performance of a Toyota Corolla economy trotter turned off both driving enthusiasts and image wimps.  But it looks like Subaru got it exactly right for 2009. External appearance is quirky with attitude -- ugly for people who regard mainstream family sedan styling as the epitome of automotive design, but edgy enough to attract those who value funk. The front end looks like a triple-lipped bug with an air-intake slit below the front bumper, another above the bumper and a functional air scoop atop the hood.. Viewed from the front in conjunction with the triple-lipped face, the look is delightfully menacing, sort of like the WRX is smiling in preparation for consuming something lower in the food chain.  But all of that would have been for naught had Subaru not reinstalled the WRX's performance DNA, its original hot-rod genome. Equipped with a flat four-cylinder, 2.5-liter, turbocharged, 265-horsepower engine and a suspension to handle it all, this baby can run!  The 310-mile run here from my house in Northern Virginia was a total joy, even with the complication of intermittent snow and ice on mountain roads. The all-wheel-drive system in the Impreza WRX handled the mess with ease. Straightaway runs on dry roads were nothing short of exhilarating. A WRX with decent looks, a comfortable interior and genuine WRX performance, available at a base price below $25,000 -- yeah, Subaru has a winner here..' from Warren Brown 1/27/09 New Impreza accessories  Chrome Sport Grill - dark gray frame around black mesh with horizontal chrome bar for all 09/08 Imprezas available. STI Coil Springs for 09/08 STIs stiffen ride and lower height by 10mm 1/15/2009  Impreza 2.5GT review  '.. this isn’t a simple case of badge replacement. In response to increased WRX buyers from new demographics (namely, more women), Subaru has created the 2.5GT as a more sophisticated version of the Impreza. Available in both four- and five-door versions, the 2.5GT comes exclusively with a four-speed automatic transmission and amenities such as the Impreza Premium and All-weather packages come standard.. 2.5GT’s composed, comfortable ride. Judging by the distinct lack of engine sound you’d think it underpowered, but acceleration is brisk thanks to the punch afforded by the available midrange torque.. Familiar to any Subaru fan, the Impreza 2.5GT inherits its 2.5-liter turbocharged and intercooled horizontal four-cylinder engine from the outgoing Impreza WRX, which produces 224 horsepower and 226 lb-ft of torque. A four-speed automatic with manual gear selection is the only transmission available.. 2.5GT comes standard with the 2.5i model’s Premium package, a host of driver-friendly features such as a 10-speaker six-disc in-dash CD changer with auxiliary audio input, fog lights, steering wheel cruise and audio controls and power moonroof are included on the base 2.5GT. The included All-weather package adds dual-mode heated front seats, automatic climate control, a windshield wiper de-icer and heated exterior mirrors for cold winter mornings...' the article 1/10/2009 WRX review, how fast is ugly?  '.. the exterior’s a big mess. Still. Viewed from the side, it’s a Corolla with big wheels. From the front, it’s the ugliest WRX yet, even if it now sports the STI’s grill. That’s truly a remarkable achievement. However, I’m reserving the bulk of my venom for the ghastly rear. Our particular tester is the sedan (as opposed to the much better wagon) and all I see a Toyota Echo with twin pipes. Blech! The interior is no better. In fact, it’s a big step back compared to the 2005 - 2007 flying-vagina model. Sure, the gauges do an expensive-car sweep when you turn the key. And instead of illegible-in-sunlight orange, everything on the WRX’s dash now glows red. But everything’s made from cheaper stuff, which in my STI review I perspicaciously referred to as “crap.”.. I particularly dislike that the doors are no longer (partially) covered in fabric. Instead, your left elbow rests against the type of crummy plastic you’ll find lining a 737. Awful to the touch. The seats have less bolstering (but do have heaters) and the steering wheel doesn’t adjust up far enough to even consider driving tricks like left foot braking. Heel and toe’s more difficult, too. Caution! You’re about to enter the all spin zone! When the WRX’ tachometer crests 4,000 rpm, something miraculous occurs. Oh. My. Lord. It’s fast. Freakishly, worryingly, shockingly fast. Ten years ago I would have sworn it was running nitrous. How fast?.. The 2009 WRX hits 60 mph from zero in 4.7 seconds. And here’s the kicker: it costs about $25k. Let’s put that in perspective. In 2002, just six years ago, a Ferrari Maranello 575M (the one with the much-admired HVAC controls) stickered for around $225k. The Fezza hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. You want new cars? A Porsche 997 costs $75k0 and hits 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. A Cayman S? $60k/5.1 seconds. BMW 335i? $42k/5.2 seconds (though some claim 4.8– which is still slower). M3 sedan? $53k/4.7 seconds. The new Mustang GT and new 370Z are both well over 300 hp machines that cost $5k more and can “only” hit 60 mph in 5-flat... ..the Subaru is really, seriously ugly. But here’s the thing: once that big turbo fully spools and starts puking power into the transmission, you realize how little all the other stuff else matters. My advice? Get the wagon, and start looking for rich guys to humiliate...' article   top

Baja news and reviews

Subaru halted production of the Baja sport-utility truck in mid-April 2006

SVX, Loyale, 360, Brat etc and all other models including non-US market  models news and reviews 4/14 SVX event in Reading, Pa. Have an SVX? Meet with fellow SVXers and see some other Subarus on display. The 10th annual Reading SVX Meet is this Thursday 4/16 through Saturday 4/18. Details here 2/15 Flops Are Forever -  Automotive Flops of the Last 25 Years - Are these future, low production collectibles? Bad cars come and go, but flops are forever, from Car and Driver. On Subaru's SVX  '... Ah, the Italians. When in doubt..  design something beautiful. If you can’t be bothered to come up with anything beautiful, it continues, then at least design something desperately weird and pawn it off on someone else... The SVX was intended to be the car on which the “new” Subaru would be built, a revolutionary achievement that banished all thoughts of the marque’s often quirky past.. Unfortunately tech wizardry wasn’t enough to overcome awkward styling and a high (almost $25,000 in 1992) price, and sales never took off. The SVX was a good car dragged down into floptastic floppiness by the hubris of its maker. ..'  Read more on interesting cars that ended up failing - the Chevy SSR, GMC Envoy, Lincoln Blackwood, Jaguar X, Chrysler’s TC Maserati, Sterling, Chrysler Crossfire... the article

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2009 Diesel, Hybrids, Concept car news Fuel economy issues Safety crash tests, safety ratings, recalls Subaru and Toyota  Advertising news Sales news

top DIESEL, HYBRID, ALTERNATE FUEL and CONCEPT CAR news in 2009 4/19 Stella electric car. After some years of talk and development, it looks like the Stella electric plug-in car will finally go into prototype test production this summer when 15 cars are made for testing in Japan. More on Subaru Concept cars 1/17 Diesel news, here by mid 2010? The economy and exchange rates are key factors determining how and where the diesel is available. Recently (noted here on Dec 23, 08) Fuji decided not to sell the diesel Impreza in the UK due to poor exhange rates, though both the Forester and Legacy diesels are already available there. So when will a diesel be available here in the US?  '..Fuji president Ikuo Mori says the US is the most important market worldwide .. “We are preparing to launch the engine when the market is ready,” says Mori, “We have no comment on when that would be. The European market is ready now; I’m not sure when the US market will be.”  However, Mori says that regardless of the market condition, the engine will be introduced to the U.S. by midyear in 2010.' ( from dieselforecast) That could easily change of course, there are many factors... 1/11 Legacy 2010 concept car. The coming redesigned 2010 Legacy available later this year will probably take some styling cues from the concept car displayed at the Detroit auto show but don't expect it to be as stylized. The concept car has the 3.6L in it, hopefully it will make it to the production version. top FUEL  Economy in 2009: ratings, issues, news, EPA and CAFE' news etc 3/27 New fuel economy requirements from US Transportation Dept. Cars and light trucks combined will have to meet a U.S. fuel economy average of 27.3 mpg for 2011 models, a 2 mpg increase from the previous year’s level, the Transportation Department said.  Subaru Outback, Forester and Tribeca are classified as light trucks, Impreza and Legacy as cars. Cars must average 30.2 mpg, up from 27.5 currently, light trucks will average 24.1, up from 23.5 mpg for 2010 models.  The December 2007 law called for vehicles to meet a 35 mpg standard by 2020 models, a 40 percent increase from the average in 2008.    top SAFETY CRASH TESTS  safety news, including recalls etc 4/11 Nitrogen in tires? Some car and tire dealers are offering Nitrogen as an alternative to inflating tires with normal outside air. Nitrogen maintains tire pressure better than normal air which leaks out over time, and is less sensitive to cold outside temperatures. As a result, it minimizes the Tire Pressure Monitoring light coming on, can improve economy, increase tire life, and might be safer because properly inflated tires are less likely to blow-out when driven at high speeds for a long distance, or on hot roads. The downside to Nitrogen is that you might have to pay for it (but air is free). 3/24 crash test, new roll-over roof crush strength rating from IIHS.  The Forester, VW Tiguan, Honda Element, and Jeep Patriot get the top 'Good' rating.  .. 'The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is launching a new roof strength rating system to help consumers pick vehicles that will help protect them in rollover crashes. Twelve small SUVs are the first to be put to the test. Only 4 earn the top rating of good. The Volkswagen Tiguan has the strongest rated roof, and the Kia Sportage has the weakest among the 2008-09 models evaluated.  This new rating system is based on Institute research showing that occupants in rollover crashes benefit from stronger roofs. Vehicles rated good must have roofs that are more than twice as strong as minimum federal safety standards require. The Tiguan, Subaru Forester, Honda Element, and Jeep Patriot earn good ratings. The Suzuki Grand Vitara, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, and Mitsubishi Outlander are rated acceptable. Roofs on the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are marginal, and the Kia's is poor.  "We anticipate that our roof strength test will drive improved rollover crash protection the same way our frontal offset and side impact consumer test programs have led to better protection in these kinds of crashes," says Institute president Adrian Lund... ...How roofs are evaluated: In the Institute's roof strength test, a metal plate is pushed against 1 side of a roof at a constant speed. To earn a good rating, the roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle's weight before reaching 5 inches of crush. This is called a strength-to-weight ratio. For an acceptable rating, the minimum required strength-to-weight ratio is 3.25. A marginal rating value is 2.5. Anything lower than that is poor.   ... Cars have been built to meet the same roof crush standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 216, since 1973. The rule was extended in 1994 to include all passenger vehicles up to a gross weight rating of 6,000 pounds. Many SUVs and pickups are heavier, so they're exempt. In 2005, the government proposed an upgrade to cover these larger vehicles and require the roofs on all passenger vehicles to have a strength-to-weight ratio of 2.5. Many vehicles already meet this ratio and would earn only a marginal rating in the Institute's new roof strength test. A final rule is still pending...' more from IIHS.org top Subaru and Toyota news in 2009. 1/21 Toyota is #1 - outsells GM worldwide ending GM’s 77 year run as the world’s largest automaker.  2008 figures: Toyota 8.97 million, GM 8.35 million, Subaru worldwide (Fuji Heavy Industries) 532,482. top Subaru ADVERTISING and SPONSORSHIP  news in 2009 4/26 Subaru is a sponsor for the 2009 Get Out More Tour. The tour will stop at 50+ outdoor specialty retailers to deliver the best tips from the editors of Backpacker and provide real-life outdoor experiences. At each Tour stop, the Get Out More road team hosts an interactive 60 minute seminar...' find a location near you 4/15 advertising- Robert De Niro does Subaru!  The New York Oscar winning actor known for strong roles like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver ('you talkin' to me?'), Vito Corleone in Godfather II, Deer Hunter, Raging Bull  etc is in a Subaru commercial.  Unfortunately it's only for Japan. Hmmm, let me think.. Subaru and DeNiro.. what a combination. Here's an imaginary, ficticious scene from a non-existent Subaru ad I just thought up .. picture tough guy DeNiro in an Outback racing up a rutted, dusty dirt road. He skids to a stop by a small house and dashs inside ... to feed a hungry little puppy! Ok ok, it's silly, never mind. The real commercial has DeNiro exiting a white car, signing a post card and dropping it in a general store's mailbox. The store is Schooley's Mountain General Store in Morris County, New Jersey. I guess we'll never see the commercial here. the article 4/10 advertising, Subaru sponsors Sundance TV channel Eco Trip. Subaru is the sponsor for Sundance Channel's new TV series, Eco Trip: The Real Cost of Living. Premiering on April 21 in celebration of Earth Day, the 8 part show is on the environmental impact of everyday products.  The host will drive a 2009 Forester. There is also a Eco Scavenger Sweepstakes to send 1 winner to the Sundance Resort in Utah. Airs Tuesdays 9pm, check the schedule, more info at Sundancechannel.com/ecotrip. 4/3 Subaru sponsors Dining Out For Life. April 30, 2009.  More than 3,500 restaurants in over 55 cities donate a portion of the proceeds from one special night of dining to licensed AIDs service agencies in their city. Nearly $4 million dollars a year is raised.  It's for a good cause and restaurants like the business. So eat out April 30th, find your city and restaurants here. 3/25 Subaru sponsor ASPCA's April Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month. After donating ~$1m in January to the ASPCA in the  Share the Love Event (late 2008), Subaru will now support three 'Go Orange for Animals' festivals as part of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. The festivals include mobile adoptions and pet care advice in 3 cities-  New York Union Square Park 4/7/09,  Austin Zilker Park 4/18/09, and LA Venice Beach, 4/25/09. The sponsorship also provides brightly decorated Subarus. Additional events this April include ASPCA Mission: Orange, a campaign to improve animal welfare and education by partnering with regional animal welfare and community organizations in  Austin, Charleston, New York, Philadelphia, Spokane, Tampa  More on ASPCAApril.org. 3/17 Subaru is a sponsor of Backpacker magazines 9th Get Out More Tour. Backpacker's Get Out More Road Team will visit specialty outdoor retailers and festivals over a 7-month period to promote the active outdoor lifestyle and teach practical outdoor skills, offering workshops and presentations of trail tips, plus hands-on experiential outdoor excursions to educate consumers about the skills and equipment they need to get out more.  Dates, locations here 3/13 2009 Subaru North American Freeskiing Championship -  the second to last stop on the 2009 Freeskiing World Tour, the Subaru North American Freeskiing Championships is back in South Lake Tahoe's Sierra Nevadas after a 1 year break. The third stop of the 2009 Freeskiing World Tour (FWT) is once again at Kirkwood Mountain Resort for the 12th Annual Subaru North American Freeskiing Championships (NAFC). Freeskiing’s elite from around the world will compete in the Sierra snows March 18-22 for the NAFC title and $20,000 purse. Freeskiing World Tour 2/12 $5 million goes to charity as Subaru buyers Share The Love. At the opening of the Chicago Auto Show, Subaru presented  $5,000,000 raised during the “Share the Love” to the charity. Customers who bought a car Nov 24- Jan 2 chose a charity to receive a $250 donation. The charities were the ASPCA, Meals On Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, National Wildlife Federation, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. They received $1,000,000 each 2/12 2009 AAAS and Subaru Science Book Awards  American Association for the Advancement of Science / Subaru Science Books & Film Prizes help promote science literacy by drawing attention to the importance of good science writing and illustration. 10 authors, one illustrator, and a total of seven books honored.  AAAS and Subaru of America co-sponsor the prizes in four categories: Children's Science Picture Books, Middle Grades Science Books, Hands-on Science/Activity Books, and Young Adult Science Books.  Winners get $1,500 and a plaque at a ceremony Friday, February 13, at the Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago.  THE WINNERS: Children's Science Picture Book- Sisters & Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World by Steve Jenkins , Illus Robin Page; Middle Grades Science Book - How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientist and Kids Explore Global Warming by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch Dawn; Hands-on Science/Activity Book - True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin; Young Adult Science Books- Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys But Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life by Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang 1/14  Subaru buyers swim against the tide  'Subaru's customers are, the company admits, a little oddball. How else do you explain the fact that Subaru of America was the only car company to increase unit sales last year? Subaru buyers tend to be overeducated; they buy less car than they can afford and hang on to it forever. "They pay cash, and then you never see them again," says Tim Mahoney, Subaru of America's chief marketing officer. At least not for an average 7.3 years, when they return like migrating carbirds to buy another one. Recession or not. You know, of course, that Detroit is on its knees. But Stuttgart, Tokyo and Seoul aren't faring particularly well either. Toyota's U.S. sales were off 16% last year. Yet Subaru was positive to the tune of 491 cars. The company sold 187,699 vehicles last year, led by value-driven models like the Forester SUV and Outback wagon and the muscled-up Impreza WRX, a small sedan. That's an increase of just 0.3% over 2007. But in a disastrous year for the industry, it boosted Subaru's market share to 1.92%, from 1.2%. In the auto industry, that's a huge increase — and a higher market share than Cadillac, for instance...' the article from Time 1/3 Subaru = Automotive Marketer Of The Year. 'Dreadful..  this is the first year in maybe forever that has been, for marketers, dreadful. Especially auto marketers. Yet a few bucked the trend. Subaru was one. That is quite an accomplishment for a mid-market brand with a limited vehicle portfolio and marketing clout.  Considering its budget, which is less than some automakers spend on a single vehicle launch, it's surprising that Subaru was able to stay afloat at all--and do it without offering huge discounts.  Actually, the Cherry Hill, N.J. company has always been something of an anomaly in the U.S. car business: standard features like all-wheel-drive and an airplane-style boxer engine make for great rally racers, but tend to focus sales in the snow states.  But the brand, perhaps better known as the wagon of choice for the progressive set, is also in the unusual position of being a non-luxury brand that appeals to those who can afford a Mercedes or BMW.  And this year, the company has also increased sales. Granted, 1% for the year through November (+0.3% for all of 2008) would not be striking in, say, 2002--but this year it is. The company did not see the kind of massive losses that others experienced.  With automotive industry sales down 35% in November, Subaru's minus-8% performance looks damned good--something like a positive 27%. The company also exited November with 1.9% share of the U.S. market--almost an all-time record, according to Kevin Mayer, director of marketing: "So we are nipping at VW and Mazda."  And the most recent launch--the 2009 Forester, won Motor Trend's "SUV of the Year"--saw a 64% increase in sales..' Subaru SALES in 2009 top 4/1 March sales down 3% over March 2008, a small drop compared to other car companies, and the first negative month in some time but SoA is till 2% ahead for the year so far. Total March 09 sales were 16,249 vs 16,685 March 08. The Forester saved the month. Legacy and Outback, with new models to be released in coming months, were down. Forester +47% to 6,802, Legacy 1,554 (-30%), Outback 3,609 (-18%), Impreza 3,725 (down 16%), Tribeca 559 (-46%). While SoA was down 3% for March 09 vs March 08, for comparison Toyota was down 36.8%, GM 35%, Hummer 75% (GM is trying to sell Hummer), Honda down 33%, VW 17%.  3/3 February 2009 sales  total 13,089 cars, which is 182 more cars than the 12,907 sold Feb 08. Forester is still the reason Subaru is doing well, selling 5,978 in Feb 09,  +101% over Feb 08. Impreza -19% to 2,940 for the month. The soon to be redesigned Outback -37% to 2,389 and Legacy -9% to 1,341. Tribeca -58% to 441 (sigh). Canada sales- February 09 totals +8.1% over last February 2/3/09 January 2009 sales up 8%.  12,194 total for January 09 compared to 11,289 for Jan 1008.  Forester up a whopping 115% to 5162 from 2402 in Jan 2008; Outback 2,515 -27% from 3,435; Legacy 1165 -20% from 1451; Impreza 2937 -5% from 3091; Tribeca 415 -54%  from 910 in Jan 2008. The Northwest region (Wa, Or, Id, Mt, North Ca) sold 811 2009 Foresters, compared to 426 in Jan. 2008 - +90% increase and a January record.  South Central US region (Virginia to Florida to Texas) sold 541 in January. Hyundai was also up for the month 14%, but most other car companies were down for January 2009 compared to January 2008:  Nissan -30%, Honda -28%, GM -49%, Toyota -32%, Ford -40%, Chrysler -55%... 2008 total sales up for the year! In a bad year for everyone, SoA's total 2008 sales were actually +0.3% to 187,699 from 187,208 in 07. Not a big increase, only 491 cars, but it shows that quality talks. That's 1.43% of the US market, the most in 26 years. Total sales for the year by model line: Outback 44,262, Legacy 22,614, Tribeca 10,975, Forester 60,748, Impreza 49,098, Baja 2. The northwest region (Wa, Or, Id, Mt, Nothern Ca) dealers retailed 26,000 units or 320 sales per outlet in 2008.  And for reference, here's what other folks did: Mini Cooper sales are also up, a whopping 28.6% to 54,077.  But that's pretty much it for up. Toyota 2,217,662 -15.7% (with 241,405 hybrids for the year); Audi 87760 -6.1%; Honda 1,428,765 -8.2%;  Mercedes 225,128 -11.2% (add in their 24,622 Smart cars and they're only -1.5%); Ford 1,908,806 -20.4%; Acura 144,504 -20%... So Subaru has reason to stand tall, in a bad year, they did well! Worldwide sales totals 2008: Canada 19,892; Europe (Germany, Switzerland, U.K., Benelux, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Sweden) 38,640; Russia 22,006; Au 38,492, China 19,010, Japan 206,743 (top) News related to importing into Canada.  Model reviews from Canada are still in the model sections.

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