2009 Subaru Forester on 2040-cars

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Subaru XV Crosstrek gets special edition model, retina-searing paint

It's not going to be hard to spot the buyers of the upcoming 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek Special Edition driving around town thanks to the model's exclusive, blazing Sunrise Yellow paint. But you can think of the loud color as Subaru's way of celebrating a record year in 2014 with 513,693 vehicles sold, easily beating its half-million-car goal. The Crosstrek was also the company's third-best-selling vehicle last year, behind the Forester and Outback. Limited to 1,000 units that begin arriving in the spring, the Special Edition is priced at $25,290, plus $850 destination and delivery. For that money, Subaru gives buyers a compact crossover based on the 2.0i Premium with some extra kit. In addition to the sunny paint, all of these models come with a power moonroof, body-color folding mirrors and blackened headlight bezels. The all-weather package is also standard with heated exterior mirrors, a windshield wiper de-icer and heated front seats. The biggest upgrade inside is Subaru's Starlink multimedia system that includes a seven-inch touchscreen with voice-activated controls, multi-touch support and two USB ports. Keyless access with push-button start and leather wrapping for the shift lever and steering wheel also come with this version. There's nothing new underneath the bright paint and improved interior, though. The Special Editions get the same 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder engine making 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque as the rest of the lineup. As expected, power is routed through a CVT to Subie's all-wheel drive system. Read more below about Subaru's limited take on the Crosstrek. SUBARU ANNOUNCES XV CROSSTREK SPECIAL EDITION - Limited edition production model with 1,000 units - Based on 2.0i Premium trim - New exterior color Sunrise Yellow - Priced at $25,290 Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc., which has posted record-breaking sales every year for the past six years, today announced the introduction of the 2015 XV Crosstrek Special Edition. The Special Edition will be limited production of 1,000 models arriving into retailers in Spring 2015. Based on the well-equipped 2.0i Premium trim, the Special Edition is priced at $25,290 (plus $850 d&d). The versatile, fun-to-drive XV Crosstrek combines bold five-door design, a highly capable chassis, best-in-class fuel economy and in-demand multimedia features.

2013 Subaru Outback Limited

Subaru has given the 2013 Outback a host of detail changes and updates, though you'd hardly know from looking at it. The mild exterior changes mostly go unnoticed, and if you're comparing on a numbers basis, the new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is bang-on what the old engine would do. The biggest news is EyeSight, Subaru's new stereo camera-based system that drives lane-departure warning, active cruise control, automatic emergency braking and forward collision alert functions.
The 2013 Outback spent some time in my driveway, and as far as jacked-up wagons with off-road cladding go, this is one of the most affordable of the lot. That doesn't mean it's cheap; the Outback I tried was a Limited model with moonroof, navigation, EyeSight, leather and CVT added on. That takes the Outback from its roughly $25,000 starting point and adds nearly $10,000, landing solidly in the mid-$30,000 range. Still, against its most natural competitors like the Volvo XC70 and Audi A6 Avant, the Outback is a better value.
DRIVING NOTES

Subaru STI Performance Concept previews a bright BRZ future [w/video]

Subaru unveiled its STI Performance Concept car today at the New York Auto Show, a BRZ-based corner carver that says as much about the future of STI in America as it does about the future of the BRZ. And while this marks the world's first official look at the STI concept, Subaru gave me a preview of the car, and a long description of its significance, on a trip to Japan last month. The Performance Concept sends a tangible message about the motorsports heritage and engineering capability of Subaru Tecnica International. STI started life as the motorsports arm of Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries. Appropriately, the concept car uses a racing powerplant. Under the hood is the same turbocharged, 2.0-liter boxer-four that powers the BRZ GT300 from Japan's Super GT series, estimated at around 300 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. But the STI concept is more like the ultimate road version of the BRZ instead of a recapitulation of an existing racecar. Chassis, suspension and braking components can all be found on the Japanese Domestic Market's road-going BRZ tS, for instance. Subaru invited me to drive the tS on that same trip, so stay tuned for a report on that experience later this week. It will pain Subaru fans to hear that this concept is not a defacto preview of a forthcoming turbocharged BRZ STI, at least not in the immediate future. STI has been charged with expanding its presence and reach in the North American market, but the process is going to roll out slowly without jumping straight to a fully realized production vehicle. Stage one of the STI expansion will be a consolidation of parts and aftermarket support in the US. Subaru has offered a pastiche of performance products through its dealerships up to today, including the US-only Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) parts. In the near term, the company will phase out SPT in favor of STI parts and accessories, meaning you'll be able to purchase a lot of the stuff that the Japanese market has today. And we're talking about parts that actually impact performance, not just STI-badged shift-lever knobs or gas caps. The STI Performance Concept does show that Subaru sees a future for its rear-drive coupe in the American market, and that it wants to cater to enthusiasts. Stage two, which will happen in roughly the next year and a half, is to bring an STI-tuned version of the BRZ to the US, not unlike the JDM BRZ tS.