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What Does Subaru Know That Others Don't?

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Comments

  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Yeah the interior in the LR3 was lacking up till 2008 when they started offering the LUX upgrade and then it was ok but still not where it should be.

    A 2004 Disco had a nicer interior, in terms of materials and fit and finish at least not ergonomics or control lay out, then a 2005 LR3.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    This is the last year for the Ranger though, right? And no replacement has yet been officially announced.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh I didn't know that. It was the poster child for the cheap pickup truck for a long long time.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Any how, Subarus are supposed to be ugly, or at least quirky.

    I was attracted to them over the years because they were like the older Volvos. Boxy and practical. Not ugly so much but rather designed for function more than form (except for that hood scoop, lol).

    I need interior room for junk. :)

    The upward sweep on my '97 OB Limited's roofline does remind me a bit of the old Vista Cruiser wagons.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Steve, your hood scoop DOES function.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    My thought was always that Subarus were quirky enough that I thought of them as Japanese Saabs. The old 9-2 Saabaru made some weird sense in that respect.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I said that in a room full of Subaru enthusiasts and nearly got smacked.

    They say Japanese Porsche. ;)
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    LOL!

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Sure, Japanese Porsche 914 maybe.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Actually it's more like a 911 (engine outside the axles).

    Driven backwards. :D
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah, it's like a 911 in the same way a Fiat is to a Ferrari.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Japanese Saab - so kept on life support by a big investor for far too long and now sold to a sugar daddy who's never made a profit itself and made fewer cars in its history than Saab does in a week

    or

    Japanese Porsche - so smug it thought it could buy one of the largest companies in the world only to be bought by the same company and then get sued for a BILLION dollars.

    Hmm??
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Oh I didn't know that. It was the poster child for the cheap pickup truck for a long long time.

    IIRC, the Ranger is with us through 2012 when a new globally sourced replacement is introduced. Currently rumored to be manufactured in South Africa as the chicken tax doesn't apply to that country.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    No its Japanese Saab.

    SAAB customers and Subaru customers have a lot of similarities.

    The biggest difference between them, well really the only difference is that Subaru customers, in General so don't take my head off, are cheaper then just about anyone else.

    We get people that drive down from way up north or out west looking to save 100 or 200 bucks on a Subaru. Driving over a hundred miles one way to save 200 dollars or less.

    I am not making this up it happens once a month at least.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I said the same thing, remember, it was the folks I was with that didn't like my comparison to Saab.

    Customers are similar - hatch and wagon lovers, live in the snow belt, practical and quirky.

    I am cheap so no offense taken. :D

    I was STRONGLY against Subarus' failed attempt to go upscale.

    The funny thing is we can afford much more but simply choose not to spend more.

    My buddy, the one who owns a Range Rover Sport, works with me and we're both at exactly the same level, yet I wouldn't feel comfortable spending half as much as he did for a new car.

    He: Range Rover Sport
    Me: Subaru Forester (but it's a LIMITED! LOL)

    He: Porsche Boxster
    Me: Mazda Miata PRHT

    To be fair I have a 3rd vehicle, a minivan to cart the kids around. I still spend a lot less than he does on transportation.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Steve, your hood scoop DOES function.

    Really? It looks like it has a solid hunk of black plastic in there blocking any air movement.

    Does it keep my front wheels on the ground or what?
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    in that article was that Subaru dealers are so profitable. I don't know about other areas but in the Bay Area any Subaru dealer you visit will offer you invoice pricing at the drop of a hat. The transaction prices for Subarus I have bought have all been significantly below Edmunds' TMV at the time.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Me too. A lot of us pay cash so the dealer isn't making any money on the financing.

    Maybe it's from service?
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Last one I bought (the new OBS last year) I took the 2.9 promo financing, so I guess the dealer made some money off that...

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    As a general rule, new car sales are a break even proposition. Profit is in the finance office, accessories, used car sales and most importantly - service.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Service and parts are 3/4s or more of your profit at a dealership.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    The secrets to Subaru's success; loyal fans boost market share
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited March 2010
    Hey, we're smarter than the average bear. :shades:
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Nice to know, isn't it?! :-)

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Does this mean that since I sold my Subaru my IQ has dropped? Should I get re-tested? :P
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No - according to KBB used values for Subies were up, so you bought low and sold high. ;)
  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    Don't worry, soon you won't even remember that you once owned a Subaru... or where you left your car keys. :P
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Nah. Shifty will remain sharp well into his Golden Years.

    For some reason I'm imagining him organize a race for all the NEVs in his retirement community.

    image

    3, 2, 1, GO! :D
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well I did buy a supercharged MINI so I'm not dead quite yet :P

    Look for me in the wheelchair powered by a 1000cc motorcycle engine.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    :D
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    edited March 2010
    Outback output keeps Subaru plant hopping

    LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Subaru's plant managers here are struggling to keep up with strong demand for the brand's popular Outback wagon.

    The success of the Outback, which debuted last summer, is the key reason Subaru enjoyed the highest percentage U.S. sales increase of any brand last year and has continued to outpace the market in 2010.

    Since December, Subaru of Indiana Automotive has twice boosted the speed of production at its plant here. The company now plans to speed up the line again in April and will do it once more in July. Each change represents a 5 to 6 percent increase in line speed.

    "We're already running daily overtime and working Saturdays," says Motokiyo Nomura, Subaru of Indiana CEO. "We've been talking to our suppliers to make sure they're ready to operate at a higher volume. Is it sufficient? I'm not sure."

    .....So far this year, Subaru is up 33 percent. Dealers sold 11,657 Outbacks in the first two months of 2010.

    The Outback was added to the production roster in Indiana last summer, along with a new-generation Legacy sedan. At its current production rate, Subaru of Indiana is turning out about 13,000 Outbacks, Legacys and Tribeca SUVs a month. But dealers have been asking for more.

    http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100315/OEM01/303159961/1128- -

    They also report Legacy production is down, the implication being that they need the space on the line for Outbacks. But that's too bad - the Legacy is going to fall out the bottom of the lineup at this rate - it's a model dealers mostly don't stock, and is never seen on the street. How will anyone get interested enough in it to want to buy one?

    But with sales up 33%, maybe that's a problem worth having.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The only "problem" better than that is needing more Accountants to count the money. :shades:
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    I would hate to see the Legacy go away. I'm still ticked that they stopped making Legacy wagons. Say what tehy will an Outback isn't the same (not that I'd mind an Outback).
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    Yeah, I agree. Give me a Legacy GT wagon with a manual tranny.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Exactly. A perfect Subaru.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    2005 was the only model year where you could combine a turbo in a Legacy wagon with a manual transmission. Arguably the ideal car.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    edited April 2010
    Subaru, the only automaker to post U.S. sales gains in each of the past two years, rose 46 percent (for March 2010).

    http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100401/CARNEWS/100409965

    All the big guys except Chrysler (and I'm not sure they are one of the big guys any more) had a great month, but nobody topped Subaru by percentage increase.

    And the other up-and-comers, Hyundai, only managed a 15% gain, half of the gain expected by industry analysts.

    Plus as far as I know, Subaru achieved this result without putting thousands of dollars of cash back or giveaway leases out there, unlike all of the Japanese Big 3 and Ford and GM.

    And for you Outback fans, the California State Parks Foundation will be auctioning off an Outback Premium on eBay for Earth Day - maybe you can pick one up on the cheap! :-)

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Nissan also had huge gains, but they're in the top 3 for offering incentives. Ford, Chrysler, and Nissan had the biggest pile of cash on the hood.

    Subaru is doing it the hard way.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    edited April 2010
    and unlike the past, I think they just might hit this one...

    Subaru will add capacity for Outback and Legacy

    Automotive News -- April 26, 2010 - 12:01 am ET

    TOKYO -- Subaru plans to increase production capacity at its Indiana assembly plant by 40 percent this year to meet demand for the Outback wagon and Legacy sedan.

    The move comes as Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of the Subaru brand, targets 2010 U.S. sales of 230,000 vehicles, spokesman Masashi Uemura said last week. The ramp-up will happen at the plant in Lafayette, Ind.

    Subaru's sales goal represents a 6 percent increase over the 216,652 vehicles it sold in 2009.

    Subaru's Indiana plant now has capacity for 100,000 vehicles a year, and the company wants to increase that to 140,000, Uemura said. He did not say whether Subaru would add a line, increase the speed of production or take capacity currently going to Toyota. The plant has a separate line with capacity of 100,000 units that makes the Toyota Camry.

    Sales of the Outback and Legacy more than doubled in the first three months of the year, with the Outback reaching 19,275 and the Legacy 8,550.

    http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100426/OEM01/304269996/1424- -

    After all the false starts and weirdo makeovers of the early '00s, Subaru FINALLY has all three model lines - Forester, Legacy/Outback, Impreza/WRX - running on all cylinders at the same time. Can they keep this up? They would hit the new sales target without even trying if they would just bring over that long-promised diesel engine. I can't COUNT the number of stories I have read from people who said "they almost went with another Subaru but they just couldn't deal with the low fuel economy and bought a (VW/Honda/Ford/??) instead".

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Watch, they'll kick out the Camry.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    high-riding-subaru-boosts-profit-projections-increases-indiana-production
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They're up the most for 2010. 38% IIRC. And their 2009 was good....
  • smarty666smarty666 Member Posts: 1,503
    I have 2 or 3 relatives who just swear by Subaru. My one Aunt has had 3 Subaru's in the last 12 years and not one of them has ever need a major repair before being 10 years old! I'm beginning to like the new Legacy Sedan for 2010! You can't go wrong with Subaru!
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    edited May 2010
    Subaru needs to do is de-link the Legacy and Outback models into separate lines. It has always been an uneasy relationship: the Outback wasn't very SUV-ish, and the Legacy was designed to be a wagon so the sedan was a bit weird and sold less than the wagon.

    Now that they have gone whole-hog with the Outback into crossover/SUV territory, the Legacy is funny-looking, rides high, and in general strikes me as the reincarnation of the failed "Outback SUS" sedan that Subaru briefly sold years ago.

    This will do wonders for Outback sales (as indeed it has), but will eventually kill the Legacy. And what company can afford to be without a midsize sedan in sedan-crazy America?

    These need to be two distinct models sometime soon.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • brokecatbrokecat Member Posts: 3
    beware sudden big increases in production, quality may well suffer. happened for example to BMW with their 1200 motorcycle ...
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Subaru Legacy named Japan’s Safest Car
  • smarty666smarty666 Member Posts: 1,503
    I tell you, I'm really liking the Legacy Sedan right now! I sat in the 2010 at the NY AutoShow last month and I was most impressed. It is not overally a very big car, but there was a ton of room in both the front and especially rear seats. The seats all around were very comfortable, the interior quality/fit and finish was very very good, and I liked the overall body style of the car!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They already took a step in that direction. The wheelbases differ.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    They already took a step in that direction. The wheelbases differ.

    Surpisingly by only 5 mm. The Legacy sedan and wagon are 2750 and the Outback is 2745. Length and width (wagon and Outback) are exactly the same.

    That's less then 1/4" - nobody but an engineer would notice!! :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    True, and one reason it stood out to me, and I remembered.

    Strange, to be honest. Must complicate assembly since they're on the same line, for a measly 1/4"? :confuse:

    2011s get folding mirrors back, addressing the most common complaint.
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