While the BRZ could do with a lot more power and torque, its impressive handling and instantaneous feedback place it among the best affordable sports cars on the market. All BRZs come with a naturally aspirated 2L 4-cylinder engine paired with a standard 6-speed manual transmission, making hp and lb-ft.
The Subaru Ascent, like most Subaru models, comes standard with all-wheel drive. The Ascent boasts a flexible cabin with three rows of seats that feel more like a minivan than an SUV. The Forester is perhaps the best-matched Subaru model when it comes to showcasing its adventurous brand image.
The Forester comes in a similar size as the Outback station wagon but offers a little bit more ground clearance. The Forester sells extremely well in the US, and part of the reason is that they are easy to love and hard to hate. It comes standard with all-wheel drive powered by the same 2. In love with JDMs. Specialize in Restomod projects, barn finds and swaps.
Hotcars contributor since Share Share Tweet Email. Related Topics Car Culture subaru. Humphrey Bwayo Articles Published. Read Next in automotive. Fueling Subaru's success is American consumers' desire for SUVs and all-wheel drive—two things that make the Forester an alluring choice. Standard all-wheel drive, fantastic safety ratings, and a comprehensive suite of infotainment features make the Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback a compelling choice in the compact-car marketplace.
With standard all-wheel drive and a suite of available safety tech at a price that undercuts competitors, the Legacy is a smart buy. The Outback's capability as both a cargo hauler and an all-weather companion appeals to buyers with adventure on the mind. The Crosstrek looks rugged, is well built, and has standard all-wheel drive; it's what makes a Subaru a Subaru.
The Subaru Impreza provides good value in a well-equipped compact sedan with decent driving characteristics, but it's held back by a sluggish engine. The Subaru Legacy leads its class in safety ratings and standard all-wheel-drive capability, but it lags behind in several other key areas.
The Subaru Outback is a roomy, versatile station wagon with extra ground clearance and all-wheel drive that easily handles light-duty off-roading.
The Impreza offers good value in an all-wheel drive sedan, but its slothlike acceleration keeps it behind the class leaders. New Cars. Buyer's Guide. Type keyword s to search. Starting at. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
The Subaru WRX delivers enthusiast-worthy performance, but it lacks refinement. Perhaps more importantly for a kid-friendly vehicle, Premium spec also includes second-row climate controls, stain-resistant upholstery, dual front- and rear USB ports and 4G LTE WiFi capability to keep everyone's tablets and phones humming. Finally, Premium also includes blind-spot detection with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
This option cluster also includes reverse automatic braking and an auto-dim mirror with HomeLink buttons. While I like features like second-row captain's chairs or embedded navigation, things get very pricey very quickly. That's because it also includes features like a panoramic roof and inch wheels, which look sharp but don't help ride quality. If there's one model that's generally overlooked in the Subaru lineup, it's the company's Legacy sedan.
That's a bit of a shame, because there's nothing really wrong with this midsize family four-door, and there's quite a lot that's right about it.
For starters, the Legacy has standard all-wheel drive, a feature that's still in short supply among midsize non-premium sedans. It's also available with six-cylinder power, which is also becoming something of a rarity in a class where most car companies are downsizing power offerings to four-cylinder engines.
The entire range also features a good amount of active safety features. The Legacy has been around since , and it's now in its 6th generation in its final year. The new 7th-generation model shown below arrives this fall for the model year, and it shows signs of being worth waiting for. However, Subaru hasn't made the new model available for test drives, and it won't be in showrooms until later this year, so for now, your only choice is the model.
Fuel economy estimates are 25 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. The optional 3. The four-cylinder Legacy trim walk runs from base 2. The range-topping 3. The Legacy used to be available in a handsome and utilitarian station wagon model, but that body style has been supplanted by the Subaru Outback, a lifted quasi-SUV you can read about elsewhere in this buyer's guide. These days, if you want a Legacy, it's four-door sedan or nothing.
First things first: Unless you're in a big hurry, I'd recommend waiting until this fall to see how the new Subaru Legacy shapes up -- early photos and details suggest the new model is a significant upgrade, and even though today's family sedan sales are slipping, the segment is a murderer's row of talented models, especially cars like the Honda Accord and new Nissan Altima which now offers AWD. Having said that, I'd recommend stepping up to the middle 2.
Those are all nice features, but since the standard infotainment system features Apple CarPlay for easy Waze or Google Maps integration, I'm saving my money. All-in, my recommended Subaru Legacy 2. The Impreza is Subaru's entry-level offering, a compact range available in both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles. Competing against popular rivals like the Honda Civic , Hyundai Elantra , Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla , the Impreza is most noteworthy for its standard AWD, strong safety equipment and an easy-to-use infotainment system.
The current fifth-generation Impreza has been on sale since the model year, and North-American-market vehicles are built in Lafayette, Indiana. The Impreza is notable for its solid handling and large cabin, but the model's biggest claim to fame is actually that it forms the basis for the high-performance WRX sport sedan, as well as the Crosstrek compact SUV, both of which are covered elsewhere in this guide.
The five-door 2. All Impreza models feature a 2. Fuel economy figures range from a high of 28 mpg city and 38 highway for CVT-equipped models to a frankly disappointing low of 22 mpg city and 30 highway for the manual-transmission Sport. While I typically celebrate the availability of manuals, I'd pass on Impreza models with three pedals, because the DIY gearbox isn't particularly rewarding in this car, and the transmission's fuel economy hit is substantial.
My pick of the litter is the Impreza 2. It's amazing what a lift kit can do for a fellah. How else to explain the wildly successful Subaru Crosstrek, which outsells its Impreza cousin by around two-to-one? The Crosstrek, a model formerly known as the XV Crosstrek and previously the Impreza Outback has definitely come into its own over the last few years. America's SUV-crazy consumers have found that they greatly prefer the Crosstrek over the Impreza, even though they're almost exactly the same vehicle.
The Crosstrek adds a generous amount of ground clearance 8. Instant SUV, complete with a price tag that's thousands of dollars more.
If that sounds a bit cynical, well, that's because it somewhat is. However, that doesn't mean that the Subaru Crosstrek isn't a good vehicle. In fact, the Crosstrek is downright likable as a compact crossover, and indeed, it has substantially more off-road capability than most other vehicles in its class, which includes vehicles like the Honda HR-V , Hyundai Kona , Jeep Compass and Nissan Rogue Sport.
Of all the vehicles in this very crowded class, only the Jeep can keep up off pavement. All non-hybrid models are powered by a 2. In five-speed-manual trim, EPA fuel economy estimates check in at an unimpressive 23 mpg city and 29 mpg highway, but CVT-equipped models do much better: 27 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. Ah, yes, I did say "non-hybrid" earlier. There's one model in this family that stands apart from the others, and that's the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid , a plug-in gas-electric that leverages technological partner Toyota's expertise.
Sounds great, right? Regrettably, it isn't. It's the only Crosstrek we can't recommend, on account of its deeply compromised utility, high pricing, weird symphony of powertrain noises and underwhelming real-world efficiency. After that, you're left toting around pounds of extra weight from the two motors and 8. The Hybrid is built atop the 2. Just say "no. Yes, the 2. The Crosstrek Limited includes cabin enhancements like the upsized 8.
Other changes for the Limited include steerable LED headlamps with high-beam assist, blind-spot detection, reverse auto-brake, turn-signal side mirrors and larger inch alloys. Overall, the Limited gives buyers a good amount of bang for the buck.
As-delivered price? From a product perspective, over the last 20 years, three models really burnished Subaru's public perception, turning the company from a niche brand to a hot seller with far broader appeal: The Outback and Forester put Subie on the shopping lists of mainstream consumers, and the WRX put the marque on the map with driving enthusiasts.
Originally coveted by the video-game generation that grew up on simulators like Gran Turismo, the Impreza-based Subaru WRX became a high-performance legend long before it reached North American shores. When it finally did reach US and Canadian dealers nearly a decade later in , the turbocharged, rally-bred compact sedan became a sensation among driving enthusiasts, offering all-wheel-drive performance that far outstripped anything in its price class.
A hero was born. Today's WRX is actually based on the last-generation Impreza, having last been redone in The STI's 2.
0コメント