2005 Subaru Outback Xt Limited Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Subaru Forester named Motor Trend 2014 SUV of the Year [w/video]

Each year, Motor Trend hands out its coveted Golden Calipers to its Car, Truck and SUV of the Year, and in the latter category, this year's bragging rights belong to the redesigned Subaru Forester. In the 14-year history of the SUV award category, Subaru is the only automaker to win three times (2009, 2010 and 2014) and the Forester is the only model to make a return appearance having also won the award back in 2009. In the last six years, this award has either gone to a Subaru or to a luxury crossover/SUV (Mercedes GL-Class in 2013, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque in 2012 and Porsche Cayenne in 2011).
Out of the 13 new or updated crossovers and SUVs in contention for the award, the 2014 Forester came out on top thanks its value, fuel efficiency and fun-to-drive attitude. Rather than a head-to-head battle, the utility vehicles are all judged on six criteria (design, engineering, efficiency, safety, value and performance of intended function). Other vehicles on the consideration list included the Acura MDX, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Range Rover Sport and Toyota RAV4.
Scroll down for a video report from Motor Trend as well as a press release from Subaru.

2021 Subaru Ascent adds standard lane-centering, lane-keep assist, and adaptive headlights

The 2021 Subaru Ascent, the brand's three-row midsize SUV, adds lane-centering (which works in conjunction with the adaptive cruise control) and lane-keep assist to its standard-equipment list. Curve-adaptive headlights are newly standard on the base and Premium trims. With the additional equipment, the Ascent's starting price increases by $300. The new features join the existing EyeSight roster of active-safety features, which includes forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert remain optional on the base trim and standard elsewhere. Prices for each trim level are as follows: Base Ascent $32,295, an increase of $300 versus 2020. Ascent Premium $34,795, an increase of $400. Ascent Limited $39,595, an increase of $200. Ascent Touring $45,445, an increase of $400. (All prices are exclusive of destination charges.) As before, the Premium offers four option packages, and the Limited offers three, effectively making for 11 different levels of equipment. All Ascents come standard with three rows of seating. The base, Premium and Limited have a second-row bench and a total seating capacity of eight. The Touring seats seven with a second-row captain's chairs, which can be optioned on the Premium and Limited. The Ascent's sole powertrain is a 260-hp 2.4-liter boxer four paired with a CVT and all-wheel drive. Fuel economy is 21/27 mpg city/highway (20/26 mpg on models with the larger, 20" wheels). The Subaru Ascent competes against the Honda Pilot, the Nissan Pathfinder, and the Toyota Highlander, among many others. Related video:    

Reveling in the reveals: BRZ, Civic, Wrangler, QX55

It’s almost like there should have been an auto show this week. If youÂ’re an enthusiast, you know the week before Thanksgiving is when the Los Angeles Auto Show kicks off. This year, thereÂ’s no L.A. show, at least until next May. But Subaru, Honda, Jeep and Infiniti rolled out significant new products this week, making us almost nostalgic for auto shows. Serendipity, or more likely previously allocated marketing budgets, gave us a familiar feel of new products, even though we couldnÂ’t feel or touch them under the bright lights of the Los Angeles Convention Center. LetÂ’s break them down: 2022 Subaru BRZ 2022 Subaru BRZ View 62 Photos Subaru stuck to basic formula here: The 2022 BRZ remains a rear-wheel drive sports coupe thatÂ’s supremely lightweight, adequately powered and attractive. Subaru debuts its new boxer four-cylinder in the BRZ. ItÂ’s rated at 223 hp and you need to rev all the way to 7,000 rpm to achieve that output. I'd prefer a bit more than the 184 lb-ft of torque the powerplant offers (reasonably low in the band at 3,700 rpm), for some more off-the-line grunt. Say 200 lb-ft, though itÂ’s almost a cliche to argue the BRZ is underpowered.  The outgoing BRZ is one of the purest cars IÂ’ve driven, so rather than harp on the power, which will ultimately be fine, give Subaru props for focusing on chassis improvements to improve rigidity by 60 percent and aid turn-in. Admirably, the curb weight is less than 2,900 pounds, and the manual in Premium trim checks in at the lowest, just 2,815 pounds.  Aesthetically, I like it. ItÂ’s busier than before, and thereÂ’s a lot more going on with the front fascia, wheel arches and fenders. ThereÂ’s a bit of a Porsche vibe up front, which is good, and a bit of a Honda Civic vibe in back (think 2010) thatÂ’s not.  ItÂ’s impressive that Subaru resisted the urge to gratuitously power up the BRZ and remained focused on the essence of its goodness and appeal to enthusiasts. 2021 Jeep Wrangler 392 2021 Jeep? Wrangler Rubicon 392 View 75 Photos What effect will the 2021 Ford Bronco have on the Jeep Wrangler? One school of thought is that it will actually make the Jeep better, and the 2021 Wrangler 392 is proof positive that will be the case. With the Bronco attracting spectacular levels of attention, Jeep could not sit idly by and remain focused on incremental changes. It needed to make a splash.