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Why a production Mazda Koeru won't be a Subaru Outback clone

No automaker has had a hit quite like the Outback Many have entered, few have won. The Subaru Outback is one of those automotive bogeys that competitors seek to imitate but never quite capture. Mazda is poised to change that, its CEO tells Automotive News, with a production version of the Koeru concept. We're torn on whether this attempt will be the one to do it, whether the proposed model is truly aimed at the Outback, or whether it's just another pale imitation destined for failure. While the ingredients are pretty basic – wagon-like shape, extra cladding, a smidge more ground clearance than a regular car – no automaker has had a hit quite like the Outback. Reasons include packaging issues, poor brand fit, and Subaru's seemingly unstoppable momentum in building all-wheel-drive archetypes. That hasn't stopped a bunch of companies from trying. And now for a list: Ford attempted with the Freestyle/Taurus X; note that that model no longer exists, having been replaced de facto by the Flex and the newly crossover-ified Explorer. Audi discontinued the A4 Avant and slapped the Allroad badge and some fender flares on to capture the affluent outdoorsy crowd, initially selling well but now down 40 percent since last year. The humpback Honda (Accord) Crosstour and Toyota Venza could also be considered Outback-apers, as both short-lived models took sedan bodies and added a hatch and optional all-wheel drive. Dodge got into this space a few years back with the Journey Crossroad trim level, but fake brush guards and black wheels do not an Outback make. Volvo has perhaps come closest with the XC70, a not-quite-crossover that it nevertheless brands like its other crossovers. It helps that the Volvo die-hard and the repeat Subaru buyer aren't too different. Most of these models no longer exist, and the ones that do haven't sold as well as Subaru's Outback so far this year. Even if you're generous and add all 96,718 Journey sales (and not just those for the Crossroad, which FCA doesn't break out separately) to V70/XC70, Venza, and Crosstour, it still doesn't equal the 136,227 Outbacks Subaru pushed through November of 2015. And, as Automotive News points out, Mazda hasn't sold that many crossovers so far this year (the number is 129,932 thanks to huge CX-5 numbers). So why is Mazda considering going after the hallowed Outback? First off, we're not sure that it is because there's the question of what tiny niche this vehicle would occupy. "It's a totally new car.

2015 Subaru Legacy is fresh-faced and more frugal

While Subaru posted its best sales year ever in the United States in 2013, over half of its sales came from the success of the new Forester and popularity of the Outback. Its midsize Legacy sedan, on the other hand, saw sales tumble 10.3 percent. The company known for its all-wheel drive models hopes to right that trajectory with the 2015 Legacy. The all-new sedan sees a slight bump in fuel economy and a commitment to giving buyers a better product to compete against segment stalwarts like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
The refreshed sedan wears Subaru's new design language, which was teased by the Legacy Concept at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. However, the production version takes the hard, crisp lines down several notches, and it is bordering on boring at first glance. The best detail of the new design is the new hexagonal shield grille at the front that lends a little upscale panache over the current car's simple, rectangular front end. The coupe-like roofline has also been toned down from the concept, but it does smooth out the rear better than the current gen.
The Legacy's engines are carried over almost identically from last year's car. However both flavors of manual transmission are finally bowing out; all models now come with Subaru's Lineartronic CVT. Output from the 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder sees a slight bump to 175 horsepower (2 hp more than last year's model) and 174 pound-feet of torque. The 3.6-liter boxer six-cylinder is unchanged at 256 hp and 247 lb-ft. Fuel economy benefits from the new platform with the 2.5-liter model rated at an estimated 26/36/30 miles per gallon city/highway/combined, a boost of 2/4/3 mpg, respectively, over the previous generation. The 3.6-liter also sees a modest rise to 20/28/23 mpg, 2/3/3 mpg better respectively. Fairly impressive figures for an all-wheel-drive, midsize sedan.

Man posts dashcam video of epic crash over cliff

YouTube user TurboFoz uploaded dashboard camera footage Monday of a terrifying crash that occurred last year as he was driving the popular Angeles Crest Highway in California. Last January, TurboFoz was zipping through the San Gabriel Mountains in his 2004 Subaru Forester XT. The engine sound was so alluring, TurboFoz opened up his Forester in the tunnels that dot the scenic highway for the full effect. "As an auto enthusiast, when you have a nice relatively fast car with a loud exhaust you tend to like tunnels," he wrote. "They make your exhaust sound that much better, sort of like singing in the shower." What he didn't know was that the road curved sharply just outside of one of these tunnels. A bystander tried to wave him down, but TurboFoz wasn't sure why the man was signaling to him. It was only when he saw the angle of the road up ahead that he realized the man was trying to tell him to slow down. He applied the brakes, but it was too late. The Subaru slid across the road and tumbled off the cliff. He rolled several times before coming to rest on a large drainage pipe jutting from the steep mountainside. If it wasn't for that small ledge on the sheer cliff the accident could have been much worse. "It was the only horizontally level piece on an extremely steep sloped hill," he wrote. "Had I spun off a few feet before or after, I'd be dead. TurboFoz says driving too fast on an unfamiliar road cost him his beloved Subaru and almost his life. Luckily TurboFoz was unhurt, but unluckily his beloved Forester was a total loss. TurboFoz hopes he can save other enthusiasts from the same, or worse, fate. "This is a reminder to be safe, pay attention and KNOW THE ROAD before you try to have "fun" on it," he said. "I failed on all 3 of those accounts and it nearly cost me my life. I've more than learned my lesson and would hope some others do by my example." News Source: YouTube Subaru Driving Ownership Safety Autoblog Minute Videos