2005 Subaru Forester 4dr 2.5 Xt Auto W/premium Pkg on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports declares most and least loved cars [w/video]

Consumer Reports is crunching the numbers from its annual owner-satisfaction survey, and part of that process is finding out how attached drivers are to their cars. CR simply asks readers of models up to three years old if they would buy the same vehicle again in light of their entire ownership experience, and tallies the results. After looking at the responses for about 350,000 vehicles, it turns out that people really love a certain California-built, electrically powered luxury sedan. That's right, this year's the overall winner was the Tesla Model S with a whopping 98 percent of owners saying they would purchase another one (the Model S also won this award last year, with 99 percent satisfaction). The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray came in a close second with 95 percent of drivers hoping to park another one in their garage. A few models weren't quite so favored, though. The Nissan Versa Sedan was the least loved model among its owners; a mere 42 percent said that they would purchase another. The aging Jeep Compass didn't do much better, with just 43 percent of drivers willing to buy the softroader again. On average, about 70 percent of owners say they would buy their car again, and only four cars ranked below 50 percent in CR's findings. Check out the video above to see some of the winners and losers in a few of CR's categories. If you're a subscriber, you can check out the full list on its website. Related Gallery Consumer Reports Most Loved Cars 2014 Related Gallery Consumer Reports Least Loved Cars 2014 News Source: Consumer Reports - sub. req., Consumer Reports via YouTube Chevrolet Ford Mazda Mercedes-Benz Porsche Subaru Tesla Ownership Videos car ownership

Japan is the only country to get this WRX S4 tS

Before the Impreza switches to a new platform, Subaru is wringing more limited editions out of the old one. The most recent, the Subaru WRX S4 tS, is a Japan-only special that is based off of the WRX S4 model released a few years ago. Underneath the hood, the WRX S4 tS gets the same modified 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four from the WRX S4 that generates 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The modified engine produces 28 horsepower and 37 pound-feet of torque more than the standard WRX, and is only five horsepower off the turbocharged 2.5-liter Boxer engine in the WRX STI, while making more torque. The handling has been improved thanks to a similar setup to the one on the WRX STI S207, another Japan-only model released last year, that features adjustable DampMatic II front suspension from Bilstein, along with other goodies. The exterior gets 19-inch BBS forged aluminum wheels, red pinstripes on the front grille and rear bumper, and a large front spoiler. On the inside, the WRX S4 tS benefits from Recaro bucket seats and a luminescent speedometer. The sedan is also equipped with Subaru's advanced safety features in the form of EyeSight. Japanese enthusiasts can also choose a more hardcore option with the NBR Challenge Package that commemorates the automaker's victories in the SP3T class of the Nurbrugring 24 Hours in 2015 and 2016. The sportier model gets 19-inch wheels from BBS, a carbon-fiber rear wing, special badging, and a suede-lined steering wheel on the inside. We reached out to Subaru to see if the vehicle would be sold in the US, but the spokesperson refused to comment. With the WRX S4 and the S207 being Japan-only models, we doubt the new limited edition WRX S4 tS would be offered outside of Japan. Related Video:

Subaru teasing STI surprise for NYC show?

Subaru is no stranger to the Special Edition car, least of all where its vaunted WRX and STI are concerned. From Spec C to Prodrive to 22B, more than a handful of STI's around the world have been released as limited-run editions, often with stirring results. So, while we were more than a little bit surprised to see that big-wing crop up on the Subaru Twitter page today, we can't say as though its not true to the brand's history.
However, while most of the interesting WRX STI variants have been offered to Europe and Japan only, whatever is wearing that carbon-fiber-lipped wing is set to debut at the New York Auto Show this week.
We don't have a clue as to the precise nature of the car in front of that wing, save to say that it's likely based on the STI. We can guess, however that the extra vertical supports and the use of carbon fiber indicate a higher-performance version than currently exists. Anything from a racing application to some new goodies for the aftermarket are in the realm of possibility.