2004 Subaru Impreza Wrx Sti Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Choose the right tool | 2017 Subaru BRZ Performance Package Second Drive

There's something to be said for using the right tool for the job. It's not always possible, but you know that when you whip out the Vise Grips, deep down inside, it just feels wrong. There's satisfaction, joy, even dignity in using the proper instrument to execute a task accurately on the first try. Our attempt to wield the updated 2017 Subaru BRZ on Fuji Speedway last year were stymied by summer fog that rolled into the base of Mt. Fuji, reducing visibility to just a couple of car lengths. But it's an extremely fast circuit with a nearly mile-long front straight so even on a clear day, it's not the ideal venue for the BRZ. Which is why we accepted Subaru's invitation to take another go at it, this time at Circuito Guadix, an off-the-beaten-path track near Granada, Spain. (If you go, try the paella.) The Performance Package is the highest spec available on the chassis to date in the US, and that includes its Toyota and Scion brethren. The setup is exclusive to the BRZ line and has no Toyota counterpart. With a price of $1,195 on top of (and only available on) the $28,465 Limited trim level with a manual, it gets you a host of upgrades to its unsprung components, all of which would cost several times more if procured piecemeal in the aftermarket. Sorry, there are no power upgrades, save for the bump of five horsepower and five pound-feet of torque on manual-transmission 2017 models. The most noticeable of the enhancements are sharp, gunmetal-finish 17-by-7.5-inch wheels, inspired by the famed RS-Watanabe design that adorned Japanese touring racers of the 1970s. The extra half-inch of width accommodates larger Brembo brakes — four-piston calipers up front biting down on rotors that have grown by 0.95 inches in diameter and thickness to 12.8 by 1.18, and two-pot calipers pinching 12.4-by-0.79-inch rotors, up from 11.4 by 0.71, out back. These are the same brake dimensions as you'll find on the car Subaru still considers the flagbearer of its enthusiast lineup, the rally-ready WRX STI. Performance Pack BRZs are suspended by Sachs ZF dampers and incur a weight penalty of just 20 pounds over the Limited. The Series.Yellow seen here takes all the goodies of the Performance Package and adds exclusive yellow paint that Subaru is quick to point out is entirely different from the yellow that appeared on the 2015 Scion FR-S Release Series 1.0. We'll concede that it's less boy-racer, but only slightly.

Subaru's latest infotainment update is for birdwatchers (and the rest of us)

Subaru definitely knows its audience, as evidenced by its dog-centric commercials and charitable contributions. So we weren't shocked to learn that its latest infotainment upgrade allows drivers to better track bird sightings from behind the wheel, but we are a bit curious. The eBird integration is one of eight new cloud-based apps being added to the Starlink infotainment system for 2017. Subaru drivers can use the infotainment system to display info from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology through eBird, info on sightings and an interactive coach to help get to where the birds are. (There's a cloud-based joke in there somewhere.) Most of the other new apps involve location tracking or proximity to some degree as well, including Yelp (to find food and business reviews), Glympse (which lets you share your location with friends), Best Parking (to find somewhere to put your car), RightTrack (a product from Liberty Mutual to track drivers for insurance discounts), eventseeker (which steers you toward local happenings), and Magellan NAVI (a cloud-based navigation system). There's also a digital version of the car's owner's manual available in the Quick Guide app. All are free to use, with the exception of the Magellan app, which is included free with the 2017 Impreza for three years. That car's infotainment system comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability, so unless you really prefer the Magellan interface, it's probably best to stick with whatever's on your phone. The new Starlink apps are available on 2017 Imprezas as well as 2016 and 2017 BRZ models, and they'll show up on other Subaru models soon. The functionality requires an iOS or Android phone running Subaru's Starlink app and paired with the vehicle to provide the data connection. Put it all together and you can find some birds, get a parking spot nearby, let your friends know where you've gone off to, grab a bite to eat nearby (not poultry, of course), attend a local event, then hop back in the car and figure out how to tune the radio and find your way home, all the while lowering your insurance payment. Isn't the connected world wonderful? Related Video:

10 of 18 midsize SUVs earn 'good' IIHS side impact safety rating

It's not terribly surprising that midsize SUVs earned better safety ratings than small SUVs in the latest side-impact tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Just how much better they scored, on the other hand, certainly raises an eyebrow. Ten out of 18 midsize SUVs earned the highest rating of 'good' in the stringent new test, altered for vehicles starting with the 2020 model year with a heavier barrier (4,200 pounds) that moves at a higher speed (37 miles per hour) and is fitted with a hard honeycomb frontal structure. By way of contrast, just one out of of 20 small SUVs earned a 'good' score.  SUVs that receiving 'good' scores were the Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX60, Lincoln Aviator, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and Volkswagen ID.4. For EV fans, it's worth noting the ID.4 was the only electric vehicle included in the test. The Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse scraped away with 'acceptable' ratings while the Honda Passport, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, Kia Telluride and Nissan Murano were deemed merely 'marginal' in the tough new test. Only two models — the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen ID.4 — earned a "Good" rating in every test category.  Interestingly, the Jeep Wrangler would have scored a 'good' rating if it were equipped with side airbags for the rear seating positions. It would likely be an engineering challenge to equip its removable top and/or doors with airbags, but the lack of that safety feature allowed the head of the rear passenger dummy to hit the vertical support of the top. Otherwise, the Wrangler scored good ratings across the board. The new Ford Bronco, which makes more allowances for side-impact safety, has not yet been tested.  The popular Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride SUVs stand out in the test with 'poor' ratings for driver pelvis injuries. The Nissan Murano, a vehicle last redesigned for the 2015 model year, was the only vehicle tested that received a 'poor' rating for its structure and safety cage. Videos of the tests of 12 of these 18 SUVs can be found on the IIHS' YouTube page. Related video: Green Buick Chevrolet Ford Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jeep Kia Mazda Nissan Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Safety Crossover SUV IIHS Insurance Institute for Highway Safety