2002 Subaru Outback Wagon -ll Bean Color-nr. 29 Mpg Best Allwhl Drve-no Reserve! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

A car writer's year in new vehicles [w/video]

Christmas is only a week away. The New Year is just around the corner. As 2014 draws to a close, I'm not the only one taking stock of the year that's we're almost shut of. Depending on who you are or what you do, the end of the year can bring to mind tax bills, school semesters or scheduling dental appointments. For me, for the last eight or nine years, at least a small part of this transitory time is occupied with recalling the cars I've driven over the preceding 12 months. Since I started writing about and reviewing cars in 2006, I've done an uneven job of tracking every vehicle I've been in, each year. Last year I made a resolution to be better about it, and the result is a spreadsheet with model names, dates, notes and some basic facts and figures. Armed with this basic data and a yen for year-end stories, I figured it would be interesting to parse the figures and quantify my year in cars in a way I'd never done before. The results are, well, they're a little bizarre, honestly. And I think they'll affect how I approach this gig in 2015. {C} My tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015 it'll be as high as 73. Let me give you a tiny bit of background about how automotive journalists typically get cars to test. There are basically two pools of vehicles I drive on a regular basis: media fleet vehicles and those available on "first drive" programs. The latter group is pretty self-explanatory. Journalists are gathered in one location (sometimes local, sometimes far-flung) with a new model(s), there's usually a day of driving, then we report back to you with our impressions. Media fleet vehicles are different. These are distributed to publications and individual journalists far and wide, and the test period goes from a few days to a week or more. Whereas first drives almost always result in a piece of review content, fleet loans only sometimes do. Other times they serve to give context about brands, segments, technology and the like, to editors and writers. So, adding up the loans I've had out of the press fleet and things I've driven at events, my tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015, it'll be as high as 73. At one of the buff books like Car and Driver or Motor Trend, reviewers might rotate through five cars a week, or more. I know that number sounds high, but as best I can tell, it's pretty average for the full-time professionals in this business.

Subaru gives Aussies BRZ Sports Pack

Well, it might not be exactly the Subaru BRZ STI that we've all been waiting for, but Australian market shoppers are now going to have the option of adding some STI flavor to their coupe, with this new BRZ S.
Critically, the Sports Pack upgrades included in the S specification do not involve forced induction of any kind for the BRZ's 2.0-liter flat-four mill. Instead, the BRZ S will offer a novel flexible strut tower brace and a coilover suspension to aid its already impressive handling prowess. Visually, the car gets a new aero kit with lowered skirts and a new front and rear splitter, as well as some mean-looking, 17-inch black wheels. Inside, a new gearlever and a STI-branded starter button will call out the S model.
The S package can be ordered on a new BRZ and fitted at the dealer, or added to an existing customer car. When ordered new, the BRZ S adds $7,995 Australian - about $7,275 US including installation - to the price of the six-speed manual car, or $7,195 Australian ($6,547 US) for the six-speed automatic transmission model. That's a pretty fat wedge of cash, but it's worth bearing in mind that Australians generally pay significantly more for new cars than we do here in the States. For instance, the BRZ starts at $37,150 Australian, nearly $34k US. Even accounting for regional equipment differences, that's a lot more than the BRZ's $26,265 as-delivered base MSRP here in America.

Subaru makes Indiana proud by sponsoring 'Parks and Rec' coronavirus reunion

On April 23, NBC Universal announced the return of modern comedy classic "Parks and Recreation" for a special one-time reunion to help raise money for the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund. Joining the good-spirited event, Subaru announced this week it would help sponsor the special by matching donations up to $150,000. The all-new show will air Thursday, April 30, at 8:30 p.m. ET, and donations can be made through FeedingAmerica.org. For 30 minutes, fans of Leslie Knope and her trusty crew of buddies will have the chance to temporarily escape the current stressful times caused by the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic. The show was filmed from the actors' houses and will adopt a theme set by current times. "Leslie Knope is determined to stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing," an NBC press release says. All of the original characters will return for the special, including Amy Poehler as Knope, Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins, Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate, Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer, Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt, Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger, Retta as Donna Meagle, and Jim O'Heir as Terry Garry Jerry Gergich.  “We were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money,” executive producer Michael Schur said in the release. “I sent a hopeful email to the cast, and they all got back to me within 45 minutes. Our old ‘Parks and RecÂ’ team has put together one more 30-minute slice of (quarantined) Pawnee life, and we hope everyone enjoys it. And donates!” For those who are unaware, "Parks and Recreation" is set in the fictional small-town of Pawnee, Indiana. So, it makes sense that Subaru, a company with a manufacturing plant in the heart of Indiana, would pitch in. Subaru and State Farm will join NBCUniversal, as well as the writers, producers, and cast of "Parks and Rec," in matching donations collected until May 21. Subaru will match donations up to $150,000, as will State Farm, for a potential total of up to $500,000 in matched donations. The donation comes after Subaru previously committed to providing Feeding America with 50 million meals for COVID-19 relief. By the organization's standards, $1 can provide up to 10 meals. Donate at FeedingAmerica.org and watch the show April 30. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.