2004 Subaru Outback Ltd Sedan Awd-new Timing Belt & Brakes-no Reserve on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Subaru Outback wading into NY show fray

The current-generation Subaru Outback was never going to win any beauty contests with its blend of rugged SUV looks and station wagon design. Still, it's found lots of fans - even five years after its launch, the Outback was Subaru's second-highest selling model in 2013. With the reveal of the next-generation 2015 Legacy at the Chicago Auto Show, it should be no surprise that Car and Driver says Subaru will reveal the next Outback at the New York Auto Show in April.
If previous generations are any indication, the next Outback will likely borrow liberally from the new Legacy, including its platform and engines. In addition to its five-door, station wagon design, the Outback will almost assuredly feature added body cladding and a higher ride height than the Legacy. Subaru's big push with the new Legacy will be to improve interior quality and comfort with liquid-filled engine mounts, an acoustic glass windshield, increased sound deadening, new infotainment systems and new safety tech. All of these will probably appear in the Outback as well.
After its rumored New York reveal, the 2015 Outback is expected to go on sale around the same time as the new Legacy in the summer of 2014.

Subaru revisits 1998 Impreza 22B STI

It was 1998 when Subaru made some crucial changes to its World Rally Championship Impreza, such as increasing the displacement of the turbocharged flat-four-cylinder engine from 2.0 to 2.2 liters and fitting wide fender flares. Subaru won the WRC manufacturer championship with the car that year, and it also was the year of the automaker's 40th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone, the company came out with this limited-edition, road-going Impreza, the hallowed 22B STI, which looked nearly identical to the rally car.
Only 424 22Bs were built, and most of them stayed in Japan. But Dominick Infante, national manager of product communications at Subaru of America, was able to secure a drive in one of the only two 22Bs in the US. He details the car's history and some of the design and engineering cues that made the Impreza STI so popular both in motorsport and on the street, but we were caught up listening to the exhaust and admiring the timeless blue-and-gold paint. You should too, so head below to watch the video.

Motor Trend pits Subaru WRX vs. Ford Focus ST

The Ford Focus ST has enjoyed a relatively calm, if brief, reign in the world of hot hatches. With nothing else in the class (in the States, at least) but the aging Mazdaspeed3 and Subaru Impreza WRX and the slow-selling Volkswagen Golf R, the Blue Oval's 252-horsepower five door has been the go-to vehicle for those that don't need the high-octane lunacy (and expense) of the rally bred Subaru Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
Now, though, as the new Subaru WRX (it's not an Impreza anymore, though, neither is it a hatchback...) starts to arrive at dealers, the Focus ST appears to be under threat for the first time. Naturally, Motor Trend is here to figure out which one is the best, with another one of its Head 2 Head videos. Host Jonny Lieberman puts both cars through their paces, going above and beyond, quite literally, at the very end of the video.
Have a look below and let us know what you think of MT's verdict in Comments.