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Subaru launches 2011 Mediocrity marketing campaign [w/video]

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Subaru

2011 Mediocrity

2011 Mediocrity – Click above to watch videos after the jump

Looks like Subaru is giving the mid-sized sedan segment a good ribbing. The company has unleashed a new viral marketing campaign promoting the 2011 Mediocrity – a four-door that has “figured out a way to blend in more.” Funny, we think we’ve driven a few of those over the past year or two. The company has even gone so far as to rework an aging Kia Optima to stand in as the unfortunate Mediocrity. There are even spy shots, promo videos and complete interviews with designers to try to capture the heart and soul of the world’s most boring personal conveyance.

The whole stunt is aimed at setting the lovely Legacy apart from the rest of the four-door crowd. Is it successful? We’ll leave that for you to decide. We will say that the whole project is plenty funny and embodies the kind of lightheartedness we’ve come to enjoy from Subaru. And, fortunately for Kia, the next-generation Optima looks to be about as far from the Mediocrity as possible. Hit the jump to see the videos for yourself.

[Source: Subaru]

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Subaru launches 2011 Mediocrity marketing campaign [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subaru prices 2011 Forester with new 2.5-liter boxer

Filed under: Crossover, Subaru

Subaru Forester

Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium – Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite packing an all-new, third-generation boxer engine, Subaru is keeping the price of the 2011 Forester within a stone’s throw of last year’s model. Starting next year, the middle child of the Subaru family will carry a price tag of $20,495 for the 2.5X – around $200 more than the 2010 high-rider. More importantly, the 2.5X will pack the company’s all-new 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder engine, complete with chain-driven dual overhead cams, 170 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque. Curiously, those numbers are nearly identical to what the old mill churned out, and the new powertrain’s 21/27 mile per gallon city/highway fuel economy estimates are only one mpg better than the 2010 model equipped with an automatic gearbox. Harumph.

Meanwhile, the company is throwing in an additional trim level. Buyers who opt for the Touring versions of the Forester will be met with niceties like an automatic transmission, HID headlights and dual-zone climate controls, among other goodies. Prices start at $27,995 for the 2.5X Touring, though the package can be fitted to the turbocharged XT for a bit more change.

Speaking of the XT, Subaru says that the forced-induction Forester will continue to get its grunt from the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder as last year, so don’t look to see any more power come from that mill. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium

[Source: Subaru]

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Subaru prices 2011 Forester with new 2.5-liter boxer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: The key to changing map discs

Filed under: Sedan, Subaru, Long-Term Garage

How to swap map discs in a 2011 Subaru Legacy – Click above to watch video after the jump

Pop quiz: Where’s the slot to swap out DVD map discs for the 2010 Subaru Legacy’s navigation system? No, it’s not the one you can see with your eyes in the image above; that’s the slot for audio CDs. The DVD drive is hidden. Answer: behind that blue plastic panel located directly beneath the CD slot.

Since the nav system in the 2010 Subaru legacy doesn’t contain an entire atlas of North America on an internal hard drive, you’ll sometimes have to change the map disc if where you’re headed is on a different disc. I discovered this when having to make the trek from Ohio to Michigan because maps for the Wolverine State were on a different region disc than the one that was already loaded.

The manual, of course, makes the process of popping off this panel seem easy. Put your thumb on the top of the panel and lift the panel up from the bottom. In reality, the nearly invisible recess at the bottom of the panel is blocked by the buttons below it, and unless you have long and particularly strong fingernails, the tight-fitting panel’s not coming off without some outside assistance. A pocket knife would work best, but all I had at the time was a small key. Since I didn’t want to scratch the aforementioned buttons, I tried lifting the panel off a little to the right of the recess. With much effort and a grunt for good measure, the panel came flying off the console.

Most people won’t be swapping map discs very often, as each one contains a large chunk of the country in which to navigate. But even if I had the fingernail length required for the job, I still wouldn’t like having to pop off a cheap panel to do it. Follow the jump for video of a staged recreation of my first encounter with this panel.

Continue reading 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: The key to changing map discs

2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: The key to changing map discs originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Subaru WRX lineup configurator now online

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Subaru

2011 Subaru WRX configurator now online

It’s time for X-Games fetishists and lovers of sideways, dirt-slinging action to get excited – the 2011 Subaru WRX is one-step closer to being in your driveway. If you head over to Subaru.com, you can play with their online configurator and create the new WRX that appeals to you.

Available as a sedan or five-door hatchback, the Impreza WRX is offered with either six or seven colors to choose from. This is dependent on which engine you want under the hood. The 265-horsepower WRX gets the standard set of color options while the 305-hp WRX STI gets more than a power boost – you can also add Plasma Blue Pearl to the available palette.

Our virtual 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI wears Obsidian Black Pearl and is going to cost us $39,130 (we know, we know – it needs gold wheels). There are plenty of ways to make that dollar figure go way up or way down, so head over to the configurator and have some fun. Thanks for the tip, Peter!

Gallery: 2011 Subaru WRX: First Drive

Gallery: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI: First Drive

[Source: Subaru]

2011 Subaru WRX lineup configurator now online originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hotter Subaru Forester in the works?

Filed under: Performance, Crossover, Subaru, Misc. Auto Shows, Australia

Subaru Forester STI

Scooby fans down under might get the first look at an STI version of the Subaru Forester meant for global markets. It’s only speculation at this point, but Subaru has said it will bring a “sporty SUV,” and the Sydney Morning Herald figures an additionally boosted Forester makes the most sense.

Regardless of whether such a beast would wear an STI badge – if it exists at all – the theory goes that it would get an STI-like jump in power above the turbocharged Forester currently on sale in Australia. The JDM version of the Forester STI, on sale for five years, puts down 322 horsepower – that’s 26 more ponies than are available in the Aussie WRX STI.

The Forester is already the top-selling compact SUV in Australia. Right now the most powerful version is the 227-hp XT model, so a boost in gumption would place it incontestably above the 268-hp Toyota RAV4 and 235-hp Mazda CX-7. Subaru won’t confirm anything else about what will be revealed, except that it could go worldwide.

[Source: Sydney Morning Herald]

Hotter Subaru Forester in the works? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Subaru testing its version of FT-86 “Toyobaru” coupe in the Death Valley heat

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Subaru

Subaru FT-86 RWD coupe spy shots

Subaru FT-86 RWD coupe spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve read many reports lately having to do with Toyota’s FT-86 rear-wheel drive sports coupe, but we mustn’t forget that Subaru will be getting its own version of this new two-door – it is a joint venture, after all. Our spies have captured this obviously Subaru-bodied mule out testing in Death Valley, showing that things are still on track for the “Toyobaru” to come to market in the near future.

Details are still very slim on what Subaru’s version of the FT-86 will offer, and contrary to the brand’s image, the new coupe may not be available with all-wheel drive. If that’s the case, Subaru will have to offer a lot more in the way of styling (and perhaps power) to differentiate it from its Toyota sister. This latest prototype has sprouted a hood scoop not seen on earlier test cars, suggesting that a top-mount intercooler could be underhood, though it’s also possible that this is just the result of some WRX/STI parts being used for camouflage purposes.

Toyota is expected to launch its version of the FT-86 in November of 2011, so keep your fingers crossed for Subaru’s version to drop around the same time. For now, see a glimpse of what’s to come in our high-res gallery of spy shots below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Subaru FT-86 RWD Coupe

[Source: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: Subaru testing its version of FT-86 “Toyobaru” coupe in the Death Valley heat originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Next-gen boxer engine coming from Subaru this year

Filed under: Japan, Technology, Crossover, Subaru

According to Automotive News, Subaru is set to release a new, more fuel-efficient version of its boxer four-cylinder engine. The powerplant should be available in both 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter configurations and will be able to offer up a 10-percent boost in fuel economy over its predecessors. The report doesn’t detail exactly how the engine goes about gaining its new found efficiency, but it does say the changes are the first significant revision of the company’s boxer architecture in two decades.

A Fuji Heavy Industries spokesperson confirmed that the new powerplant is coming, but wouldn’t go so far as to say which models would benefit from the new tech. Automotive News reports that other sources claim that the thrifty four-pot will first show up in the Forester both in the U.S. and Japan, paired with a CVT gearbox. The new engine will then begin to crop up in models like the Legacy and Impreza here in the States and the Exiga minivan on Subaru’s home turf.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Next-gen boxer engine coming from Subaru this year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Taming the Mt. Washington Auto Road

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Subaru, Long-Term Garage

Mt. Washington Auto Road

Taming of the Mt. Washington Auto Road – Click above for high-res image gallery

In our last long term update, I mentioned that my wife and I took the 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT on a two-week road trip up to New England. Our ultimate destination was Bar Harbor, Maine, though a stop in New Hampshire on the way home became our most memorable vacation moment of all time.

After spending Fourth of July at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, we decided to drive up Mount Washington and visit the Mt. Washington Observatory at its summit on our way out of town. I knew little about Mt. Washington, but my wife had visited this tallest peak in New England as a child and claimed she and her family had hiked up to the summit.

The story goes her father had convinced them all to hoof it up to the top rather than hitch a ride on the mountain’s Cog Railway by offering them each the price of the train ticket as bribe money. Sounding like something my father-in-law would do, I trusted my wife’s memory was accurate and imagined a post card-quality bluff, easily scalable by a trio of children and their persuasive father.

This is the story of how wrong I was, and how the 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT fared as our mule on the harrowing eight-mile ascent up the Mt. Washington Auto Road.

Gallery: Taming of the Mt. Washington Auto Road

Mt. Washington 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT on Mt. Washington Road to the Sky safety instructions View from Mt. Washington

Continue reading 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Taming the Mt. Washington Auto Road

2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Taming the Mt. Washington Auto Road originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Heading to shop for recall inspection

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Recalls, Subaru, Long-Term Garage

2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT – Click above for high-res image gallery

Truth be told, our long-term 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT has been running like a top from day one with not a single issue arising that has required a trip to the dealer for repair. We did get her oil changed around 5,000 miles, though we had to skip the dealer experience since we were pressed for time and they couldn’t squeeze us in on short notice. But there are some recalls in effect for the 2010 Legacy, three to be exact, so we made our first appointment at Ganley Westside Subaru in North Olmsted, OH to have our 2.5GT inspected.

Kudos to Ganley for making the experience as painless as possible, as well as accommodating a very late cancellation and rescheduling. Upon arrival, they took the keys and put our 2.5GT in the air on one of six lifts in their service area.

Of the three recalls in effect for the Subaru Legacy, only one affects our particular car. It’s for a bundle of wires in the steering column that could crack and cause certain functions to stop working. If that happened, the problem could manifest itself as the horn not working or something more severe like the driver’s front airbag failing to deploy in an accident.

Our car was inspected and deemed roadworthy with no repair needed. The dealership also let us know that Subaru Service Program WVP26 affects our car. Apparently some units were shipped with cracked covers for their anti-lock braking ECU modules, so the action has dealers inspect and replace the affected part if needed. Again, ours was looked at and showed no such issues.

We were in and out in less than an hour and the total cost was $0, so our trip to the dealer went off without a hitch and our long-term Legacy carries on trouble-free. Stay tuned for a report on what we did during our summer vacation with the long-term Legacy, which included logging over 2,000 miles traveling through a beautiful part of the country that’s absolutely obsessed with crab.

– 7,906 miles

Gallery: 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: First trip to the dealer

2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Heading to shop for recall inspection originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subaru releases 2011 rally cars at X-Games

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Budget, Performance, Hatchback, Subaru

Subaru has pulled back the sheets on the company’s newest breed of rally heathens. Built by Vermont SportsCar, the all-wheel drive bruisers will be piloted by the likes of Travis Pastrana and Sverre Isachsen at this year’s X Games. The tuning house started with a bone-stock 2011 WRX STI before gutting the interior, seam-welding the entire chassis and stitching in a full roll cage. The stock gas tank was scrapped for a rally-legal fuel cell, and a fire-suppression system installed in case things go fricassee. Down below, a set of EXE-TC adjustable coilovers were swapped for the stock bits to help the car tackle the varied course of X Games 16.

The speed gurus at Vermont SportsCar managed to yank a full 500 screaming ponies and 560 pound-feet of twist from the turbo 2.0-liter flat four under the hood, even with a 45 mm restrictor plate in place. Not too shabby. The fire-breathing mill is laced with an anti-lag system as well as launch control and bolted to a five-speed dog box transmission. The stock electronically adjustable center differential remains in place, though boasts a more advanced controller.

The X Games is debuting a new rally feature this year. Called SuperRally, the track pits four cars against one another simultaneously. Subaru is hoping the new car will help the company fend off competition in the new event. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading Subaru releases 2011 rally cars at X-Games

Subaru releases 2011 rally cars at X-Games originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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