2005 Subaru Forester 2.5xs on 2040-cars

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Subaru partners with Magellan for smartphone-based navigation

With tech in the air this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, Subaru announced that it named Magellan SmartGPS as its mapping partner in future Subaru vehicles – without putting an exact date on when that "future" will be. The appointment means that Magellan's smartphone-based cloud navigation, which works on both Apple iOS and Android, will port fully voice-guided navigation using constantly updated maps to the head unit in the car. Magellan already sells a standalone SmartGPS unit that you can buy from major retailers, and it can communicate with other wireless devices to find destinations and transfer directions. However, with the rise of smartphones and with major tech players becoming baked-in fixtures inside vehicles, the sales of portable navigation devices have gone into freefall - from 15.1 million units in 2008 to around 4.3 million units in 2019. The deal with Subaru helps Magellan continue to focus on its core strength. The caveat is that your car will need to have the Subaru Starlink system. It is included in some of the brand's vehicles, like the Impreza and the Crosstrek. On others it is a cost option - it's part of a $1,795 package on the Legacy, a $2,295 package on the Outback. The press release below can tell you more. Subaru Names Magellan Its Smartphone-based Cloud Navigation Partner Magellan SmartGPS Navigation to Power Future Subaru Vehicles Equipped with the SUBARU STARLINK Platform Powered by Clarion's Smart Access System Las Vegas, NV – January 4, 2016 – Magellan's SmartGPS navigation has been selected to be included with Subaru vehicles featuring the SUBARU STARLINK platform. The SUBARU STARLINK infotainment systems, available in Subaru vehicles, utilize Clarion's advanced Smart Access™ cloud connectivity platform to seamlessly sync and control cloud-based applications directly through the infotainment system's screen, providing immediate access to Magellan's SmartGPS navigation. Designed to support both Apple iOS and Android smartphones, the SUBARU STARLINK app brings continuously updated cloud applications to the vehicle's center stack display. Drivers can then access all STARLINK approved apps and services effortlessly, including Magellan's SmartGPS, allowing for safe access and display on the vehicle's touch panel. Magellan SmartGPS navigation will be available on future Subaru models.

Subaru's BRZ STI Sport Concept is not quite what we've been waiting for

Subaru announced its lineup for the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon, and at the tippy top is yet another STI-badged BRZ concept car. But unlike the Performance Concept from the 2015 New York Auto Show, the new BRZ STI Sport Concept isn't so extreme. While it's hard to predict what this car means based on the limited information Subaru has released, we can get an idea of where the company is going by looking at its last STI Sport production model – the not-for-US Levorg. Essentially, the BRZ STI Sport Concept sounds like a lukewarm example of the lovable rear-driver, taking parts of the tS driving experience and marrying it with some interior and exterior enhancements. We can see those latter elements in the sole image the company released – the silver concept car gets a fresh body kit that's less aggressive than 2015's Performance Concept. The sole exterior image shows a subtle chin spoiler and a more prominent upgrade to the side sill. Smaller changes include STI badges in the lower grille and side grilles. In the cabin, Subaru apparently added dark red upholstery. All of this gels with the aesthetic the Levorg pioneered. On the performance front, we see what look like Brembo-branded red brake calipers, but that's about as certain as we can get with mechanical upgrades. What we can't see are likely modest performance tweaks, focusing on the suspension. The Levorg STI Sport, for example, got adjustable Bilstein dampers, firmer springs, and a tweaked power steering system. A similar STI Sport concept, based on the WRX S4, will share the Tokyo show stand with the BRZ. Subaru's racing entries in Super GT, Japan Rally, and the 24 Hours of Nurburgring will also go on display. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2015 Subaru WRX: Road trip to Maine [w/video]

After driving one of the best sport compacts on the market to one of the best-driving-roads states in the Union, who'd have thought that one of my big takeaways would be... great fuel economy? And yet, after putting more than 2,200 miles on our long-term 2015 Subaru WRX, driving from Ann Arbor, MI, to The Great State of Maine and back, my overall fuel consumption figures were almost as baffling as the premium-gasoline prices throughout Canada. In the early part of the now-past autumn, my wife Molly and I were happy to make use of the long-term WRX for our annual road trip from Michigan to Maine. Our goal, as ever, was to fit as much hiking, boating and lobster eating as we could into a one-week span. And, with the sporting Scoobie as our ride this time, I also hoped to spend time bombing down some of my favorite roads through the White Mountains. Anyone that pays attention to the industry knows that New England is a hot spot for Subaru sales, but it turns out that the WRX is just about tailor made for enjoying the best of Maine, too. First up, though – as it was the most surprising to me – is the fuel economy story. I knew going into the trip that I'd log more than two grand on the odometer, but I never expected the returns to be quite so positive as they ended up netting out. My total observed economy over 2,226 miles was 28.38 miles per gallon, or just a fraction better than the EPA estimated highway number of 28 mpg. How'd I do that? My total observed economy over 2,226 miles was 28.38 miles per gallon. Well, for starters, the stretch of Canadian highway between Michigan and Vermont is exceptionally long, flat, straight and dull. Excepting the inevitable traffic around Toronto, the trip is mostly of the "set it and forget it" variety, typically at a cruise of about 72 miles per hour (so as not to attract the Mounties). Doing that haul, I had one tank of premium (15.9 gallon capacity) last for 466 miles, running a trip-best 31.9 mpg. Considering that the Canadian petrol was running me roughly five American bucks per gallon, I appreciated the Subie's newfound frugality. One small issue, tangentially related to fuel, did crop up on the road. The WRX's gas door stopped popping open when I pulled the lever after my second fill up. As it turned out, there is a technical service bulletin out for this very issue, which was looked after as soon as we got back to the States.