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2015 Subaru Legacy to start at $21,695*

Subaru unveiled the 2015 Legacy at this year's Chicago Auto Show, and while the company was happy to tell us all about its new platform and features, it kept pricing a secret until now. The new all-wheel drive sedan arrives at dealers this summer with a starting price of $22,490, which includes its $795 destination charge, a $400 increase over last year's model with the CVT.
The Legacy takes advantage of a slightly larger, new platform, which Subaru claims is quieter. The 2.5-liter boxer-four-cylinder and 3.6-liter flat-six engines are carried over from the previous generation, but they see slight boosts in fuel economy. All models also now come standard with a CVT, and, of course, Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.
The range starts with the basic 2.5i trim at $22,490 that comes standard with more airbags than before and a 6.2-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth and iPod integration. The $24,290 2.5i Premium trim really improves things with standard dual-zone climate control, power driver's seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 7-inch infotainment system and more. For $27,290, the 2.5i Limited adds a leather interior, 18-inch wheels, a Harmon/Kardon stereo, heated rear seats, fog lights, wood grain trim and more. A top-spec Legacy 3.6R Limited goes for $30,390 and comes with standard HID low beams.

2015 Subaru Forester tS Quick Spin

When Subaru invited me to Japan and the famed Suzuka racing circuit to drive its BRZ tS, there was more on the menu than sporting coupes. The STI buffet also included the Subaru Forester tS. If you caught my BRZ tS review, the Forester follows the same idea: modified for better, more precise handling but without any increase in power. As I shared in the first tS review, and with Subaru's news at the New York Auto Show, the company plans to increase the awareness of Subaru Tecnica International – STI – over the next five years. In the case of the BRZ tS, a similarly-conceived car is coming to the US in the next few years. Such is not the story with the Forester tS. The JDM-only product was on hand to drive as further proof of what STI can do, but not as a preview to an upcoming model for sale in America. Subaru execs wouldn't go so far as to rule the idea out completely, but there was plenty of wink-nudging admitting the limited market for something like the Forester tS over here. Firmly ensconced in the "forbidden fruit" category, then, I still thought it'd be fun to report on the hot-ish, wagon-ish Forester. This one's for the other car nerds like me. Driving Notes So, what's new on this tS? Basically STI made the Forester stickier and less prone to roll under high cornering load. The same type of flexible tower brace previously found under the hood of the WRX is used here, and "flexible draw stiffeners" connect the body to the front and rear subframes for added body stiffness. The braces incorporate a very strong coil spring, and add lateral stiffness with enough give to allow the tires to stay in perfect contact with the road surface. The tires in question are 245-section Bridgestones, riding on attractive 19-inch STI wheels, both increases from the 225-section tires and 18-inch wheels that come standard in the US on the Forester 2.0XT model. The tS also has a more-powerful Brembo braking package; handy when hauling a 3,600-pound vehicle down from straightaway speeds. Subaru benchmarked the tS versus other 'sporty' SUVs and CUVs, including out and out performance variants. (Japanese professional modesty prevented Subaru reps from naming specific names, but suffice it to say that the Germans were involved.) In terms of roll rates, yaw response, slalom time, g-force and more, the Subaru's tS package shows massive improvements versus the standard Forester, and holds up to the competitive targets too.

2014 Subaru WRX and STI pricing announced

As the sun prepares to set on the third-generation Subaru WRX, Subaru has released the pricing for the 2014 WRX and WRX STI. With redesigned versions of both cars due out next year, prices for the current car have risen by just $200 across the entire 2014 lineup resulting in new starting MSRPs of $25,995 for the WRX and $34,495 for the more powerful WRX STI (*not including destination).
The destination charge has also crept up for the 2014 WRX and WRX STI models climbing slightly from $770 to $795. A final pricing adjustment for this bodystyle's send-off year is that the optional navigation system went from $1,000 in 2013 up to $1,100 for 2014. Scroll down for the full model pricing breakdown, and keep a lookout for the all-new 2015 WRX and WRX STI, which we'd expect to see in production form in the coming months.
*Note: WRX STI (above) and WRX (below) are pictured here in the 2013 Special Edition trim.