2010 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport Awd 4dr Wagon 4a on 2040-cars

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Lexus, Mazda and Subaru top Consumer Reports Brand Report Cards

A revised methodology in devising its annual Car Brand Report Cards has seen Consumer Reports award Lexus its top overall ranking for 2013. For the first time ever, the institute broke out individual brands from their larger corporate umbrellas, meaning car makers like Lexus and Scion were judged independently from parent company Toyota. That strategy worked out well for Lexus, as the luxury brand earned a top report card score of 79 for the 2013 model year.
The institute has recommended every one of the Lexus models it has tested to date, and said that the company's products won out thanks to "a foundation of plush and very reliable vehicles."
Meanwhile, Mazda and Subaru tied for the second-highest scoring report cars, with scores of 76. Subaru earned praised for sporting models like the BRZ, which CR testers apparently had a lot of fun driving (naturally), while the Mazda products were lauded for their blend of practicality, sportiness and efficiency. Both of the Japanese brands offered good handling, fuel economy and versatility, said Consumer Reports.

2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid finally adds gas-electric option to the brand [w/video]

For a company that does a pretty great job of tying its vehicles to the environment - or, better said, to people who like to actually get out into the environment - Subaru hasn't exactly been a leader in green vehicle production. In fact, it's 2013 and the company is finally releasing its first-ever production hybrid, the XV Crosstrek Hybrid. Tom Doll, Subaru's executive vice president, admitted as much at the unveiling today at the New York Auto Show: "We at Subaru were not the first to market with a hybrid, but we sure made sure we did it right."
That may be, but for now the automaker doesn't want to tell us all the details of how right it is. We do know that the powertrain takes Subaru's 2.0-liter boxer engine and adds in a 13.4-horsepower electric motor and continuously variable transmission. All-wheel drive will be, of course, standard, and Subaru promises the XV Crosstrek Hybrid will offer the "same utility and versatility as the gasoline model," including 8.7 inches of ground clearance. The hybrid does weigh 300 pounds more, though, which required a re-engineered chassis.
The motor can move the lifted Impreza in all-electric mode up to 25 miles an hour (distance not specified). Subaru isn't talking precise fuel economy numbers, either, just that it will be the "most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive crossover in America" and will unsurprisingly have start-stop functionality. We do hear, though, that the hybrid will get around 10-percent better fuel economy than the standard gas-only XV Crosstrek. The most efficient version of that car, the one with the CVT, gets 25 miles per gallon in the city, 33 highway and 28 combined. Whatever this hybrid XV Crosstrek gets, we expect Subaru'll sell a million in Portlandia. For more, scroll down to watch an official video and read the press release.

2015 Subaru Legacy prototype caught testing in Michigan

The current Subaru Legacy is only three years old, but compared to rival midsize sedans like the Mazda6 and Ford Fusion, which have recently received thorough redesigns, it might as well be a million. In other words, a reworking is in order. Caught in these spy shots, the 2015 Subaru Legacy appears to be about the same size as the current model, but it appears that Subaru is looking to push the sedan a little more upmarket in terms of styling and luxury.
Despite the heavy camouflage, some elements of the new Legacy's design are still visible. The new headlights still have a scalloped shape but are much narrower, and we can also see the deep body creases that run the full length of the sedan. At the rear of the new Legacy, the taillights should get some added depth with a C-shaped brake light design similar to what we saw on the WRX Concept earlier in the year.
Showing that Subaru is aiming a little bit higher for this Legacy, this car is being benchmarked against all-wheel-drive luxury vehicles like the current Infiniti G37 and the Audi Allroad - the latter is likely for comparison with the Legacy's wagon version, the Outback. Following the XV Crosstrek Hybrid, we expect the 2015 Legacy to be the next Subaru product to get a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, which we hear will be paired with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a CVT and, of course, all-wheel drive.