After years of hype, here’s what the Subaru equivalent of the Toyota FT-86 will look like in production form. The Subaru isn’t sporting a body kit like the leaked images of the Toyota, so it looks a bit more conservative than the “Fast and Furious” FT-86. The plain vanilla color doesn’t help add appeal, but I actually prefer the Subaru’s subdued lines to the over-the-top styling of the Toyota (and Scion FR-S).

Under the hood, the BRZ uses the same 2.0-liter boxer-four as the Toyota, and will produce the same 200-ish horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. Since the car will weigh in at less than 2,700 pounds, that should still be enough grunt for reasonable acceleration. Like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, however, the BRZ’s strength will likely be in handling, not straight line speed. Learn to carry speed into a corner and the BRZ will be plenty fast; on the other hand, throwing down against a V6 Mustang or Camaro at a traffic light would be ill advised.

Look for pricing and order details closer to the car’s launch in 2012 as a 2013 model.

Thumbs Up: Value for the money, AWD traction.

Thumbs Down: Marginal fuel economy, fake wood trim.

Buy This Car If: You want a midsize sedan alternative to the usual suspects.

Subaru has always been one of those brands that enjoys tremendous popularity, but only in certain regions. The Northeast, for example, loves its Subarus, as does Colorado. Here in Florida, Subarus aren’t as common, and in California they’re fairly uncommon (since everyone in California drives a BMW or a Prius). If you’re sensing a theme here, you’re correct.

Subarus sell well in places that have winter weather, thanks to their reputation for sure-footed traction, bulletproof reliability and low maintenance. If you live in Vermont (where Subaru has a significant market share), an all-wheel-drive midsize sedan or wagon with sufficient ground clearance makes an attractive alternative to a full-size SUV. If you live in a place where winter means temps in the 50s, though, all-wheel drive can be a tough sell.

Regardless, Subaru has adopted an “AWD only” policy when it comes to its cars. While Subarus used to be offered in both FWD and AWD, the Japanese underdog automaker now uses all-wheel-drive to make its cars, wagons and SUVs stand out from the rest of the Japanese car herd. It goes it’s own direction in styling, too, and the restyled-for-2010 Subaru Legacy doesn’t look like a copy of an Accord or a Camry.

Subaru has gone its own way when it comes to engines, too. For years, the automaker had relied on horizontally opposed four-cylinder engines to powers its wares, but developed a boxer six for the quirky SVX sports coupe of 1992 – 97. Eventually, a derivative of that engine, with a displacement now up to 3.6-liters, made its way into an assortment of Subaru models, including the Legacy sedan.

The result is the car reviewed here, the midsize 2011 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited. It’s a tough car to pigeonhole into a single category, since it carries luxury appointments, but at a decidedly common price point. It’s almost got enough grunt to put it into sport sedan territory, but the suspension is tuned more for comfort than for apex-strafing. Finally, it’s not saddled with the baggage that most FWD or RWD sedans carry around; instead, full time AWD means that traction remains plentiful, regardless of what Mother Nature has in store.

Take a look inside, and it’s clear that Subaru is trying to attract buyers who are cross-shopping cars like the Honda Accord EX-L V-6 and the Toyota Camry XLE. Up front, driver and passenger are treated to comfortable and supportive seats, finished in surprisingly high-grade leather. Front seats are heated, and the driver’s chair is power adjustable in ten different ways. Even the passenger gets a power-adjustable seat, but they must make do with only four adjustments.

In the back, there’s seating for three more, although limiting the capacity to two will increase comfort on long trips. There’s a surprising amount of leg room for rear-seaters, and the head room is ample enough to accommodate those over six feet in height. While the Legacy sedan may not be the best platform for hauling three passengers on a cross-country run, it’s about perfect for use as a day-to-day carpool conveyance.

Subaru varies the dash material, textures and colors in an attempt to make the Legacy seem upscale, but the sedan is let down by the automaker’s accountants. Oddly-colored fake wood trim adorns the dash and door panels carrying over into the rear as well. It’s meant to convey an air of luxury, but it doesn’t, and the car would be much better served with brushed aluminum or piano black trim. I’m not as much of a critic of the silver plastic Subaru uses on center stack, but I would like to see them go back to the drawing board on the controls for the navigation and audio systems, which really aren’t that user-friendly.

The instruments are easy to read, but I question why Subaru chooses to include a gauge that measures “MPG,” presumably from engine vacuum. While it’s graded in increments, there aren’t any corresponding numbers, just a “+” symbol and a “-” symbol. Why not put something useful in the instrument cluster instead, like a water temperature gauge or an oil pressure gauge?

Under the hood, my Subaru-supplied tester came with the automaker’s 3.6-liter boxer-six engine, good for 256 horsepower and 247 lb.-ft. of torque. Lesser models, equipped with the 2.5-liter boxer-four, get mated to an unsatisfying CVT, but 3.6-liter models come with a more entertaining five speed automatic. As you’d expect, the AWD extracts a penalty on fuel economy, and 3.6R models are rated by the EPA at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Despite the flat-six engine’s reasonable power, acceleration is best described as “acceptable,” with the run from zero to sixty taking just over seven seconds.

If you want a faster Subaru Legacy sedan, the Legacy GT comes with a turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer-four, good for 265 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. This model is only available with a six speed manual gearbox (which earns Subaru bonus points in my book), and it will do the 0 – 60 sprint in a respectable 5.6 seconds. Fuel economy is identical to the Legacy 3.6R, at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

If you want a Legacy sedan that delivers the best fuel economy, those with the base 2.5-liter boxer-four are rated at 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, but only when equipped with the CVT and not the manual transmission.

On the road, the Legacy 3.6R delivers a comfortable ride that will be a little soft for those who like to drive hard. Steering effort is light, but not objectionably so, and you get reasonably good feedback from the front tires in corners. There’s a predictable amount of body roll when the car is pushed harder than it likes to be, but it’s on par with other midsize sedans. The Legacy 3.6R won’t win you any autocross trophies, and it isn’t likely to take home any stage rally wins (in stock form at least), but it does represent a solid choice of a midsize sedan for those needing to get from point A to point B in any kind of weather.

My 2011 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited sedan had a base price of $29,020, including a destination charge of $725. The sole option on my press fleet tester was the $2,995 Option Package 8 (moonroof, navigation system, rear-view camera, XM satellite radio, auto dimming rearview mirror with Homelink, Bluetooth audio streaming), for a total sticker price of $32,015. By comparison, a similar (but FWD) Honda Accord EX-L V-6 would sell for $32,600, while a comparably equipped Ford Fusion SEL AWD would sticker at $33,970.

Thumbs Up: Crossover utility, car-like ride; model spans a variety of price points

Thumbs Down: Pseudo-luxury touches not needed, confusing infotainment interface

Buy This Car If: You live where it snows and don’t want an SUV or crossover

The Outback saved Subaru, at least in the United States. Back in 1995, American buyers wanted SUVs, not compact sedans and wagons. Gas was cheap and the SUV represented an American ideal: the ability to go anywhere, in any weather across (nearly) any terrain. So what if most SUV owners never traversed anything more rugged than a gravel parking lot; the very idea that they could represented freedom, and nothing is more American than that.

Subaru had been struggling to achieve success in the U.S. with their larger and semi-luxurious Legacy models, when when Subaru of America hit up a brilliant strategy: why not add an inch or so of suspension travel to a Legacy wagon, throw on a ruggedly styled front fascia (complete with oversize, mesh-encased driving lights) and spin it as an alternative to the SUV? Since Australian culture was popular in the U.S. at the time, the automaker settled on the Outback name and even hired Australian actor Paul Hogan to pitch the car.

Introduced in 1995, the Outback became a home run for Subaru, with sales soon exceeding forecast. The original Outback had a lot going for it: the styling was unlike anything else on the market, it was much more affordable than most SUVs and it offered buyers all-weather confidence, with even a bit of off-road capability if your expectations were modest. Original Outback models even had a “ruggedized” interior, complete with coarsely-textured but long-wearing seats, that seemed to repel any attempt to get them dirty.

My wife and I owned a first-gen Outback, and the car was bulletproof for the five years we had it. It slogged through Northeast winters without complaint, hauled us and the dog on cross-country trips and never saw the inside of a dealership or repair shop. It even tangled with a deer at speed, resulting in some $2,700 worth of bodywork and the origination of the phrase “meat grenade.”

Time moves on, and it’s been about ten years since I’ve driven a Subaru Outback. Like every other vehicle I can think of, the Outback has bulked up over the years, and the latest version can easily match the cargo hauling capabilities of most crossovers. There’s more legroom for front and rear passengers, too, and hauling five passengers in a 2011 Outback is far more comfortable than it was in a 1996 Outback. There’s even a six cylinder boxer engine available for those wanting more power than the 2.5-liter four offered.

The rugged styling theme continues, even on the newest Outback model. The off-road-style driving lights may be gone, but the lower front fascia is painted silver to look like a skid plate, even if it wouldn’t really survive heay-duty four-wheeling. Side sills are deeply embossed to give the car an armored-undercarriage look, but the rest of the car is more conventionally styled. Like the original, it wouldn’t look out of place parked by a mountain cabin, or at a five-star, jacket-and tie restaurant in the city.

Inside, the latest Outback is an entirely different animal than the one we owned. In fairness, lower models come without the luxury content, with a commensurately lower price. You can still get them with the original 2.5-liter boxer four, and that’s exactly where I’d shop if I were in the market for one. I’m just not a fan of the faux wood trim, which cheapens an otherwise nice package. Ditto for the small center-stack controls and supremely annoying infotainment system. I actually had to consult the manual to figure out how to change radio station pre-sets, and I never did figure out how to change the bass and treble settings. I did find an equalizer setting, where I could change frequency response by range, but who has the time to set up and dial in each variable? I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: all cars should have redundant and easily accessible controls for audio.

Those two gripes aside, the interior of the latest Outback is a nice place to spend time. The leather is stout, and a lot more comfortable than the sack-cloth interior in our old Outback. The additional legroom would make this version a far better choice for cross-country drives than the original, for both front and rear seat passengers. Since the Outback is targeted at those living in colder climates, front seats are heated (at least in leather-equipped models.

Rear seats recline for added comfort, which also gives taller passengers more headroom. That’s not to say that headroom is lacking, and only those much taller than six-feet will feel cramped in the back of the latest Outback. The rear seats fold flat, in a conventional 60/40 split, meaning that the Outback can be configured to haul an impressive array of swag.

If safety is a concern, the latest Outback is a “Top Safety Pick” from the IIHS, and scored a minimum of four stars in all government crash tests. It comes with all-wheel-drive, electronic stability control (including a rollover sensor system), antilock brakes with brake assist, traction control and full assortment of driver and passenger airbags. Throw on a set of winter tires, and the latest Outback will get you through the worst that mother nature has to offer, in as safe a manner as possible.

My Subaru-supplied press fleet car came with Subaru’s 3.6-liter boxer six engine, mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. It’s good for 256 horsepower and 246 ft-lb of torque, which really is overkill in a car like the Outback. The EPA rates it at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, and I saw 19.2 in mostly city driving. The 3.6-liter engine adds a considerable amount of money to the Outback’s price (anywhere from $3,000 to $4,700, depending upon trim level) and the 2.5-liter four cylinder returns (slightly) better fuel economy. If it were me shopping for an Outback, I think I’d stick to a mid-level 2.5 Premium version and bank the money I saved.

On the road, the latest Outback drives like, well, a Subaru Outback. It’s relatively high seating position gives you a better view of the road ahead than you’d get in a typical sedan or wagon, and the sure-footed AWD traction means that you’ll never have to worry about wet roads. I’d stop short of calling the Outback fun to drive, since that’s really not the purpose of the car. It excels at getting driver, passenger and cargo from Point A to Point B in all kinds of weather, without complaint. In my experience, Subarus are built well and don’t ask for much in terms of care and feeding, so owning one is likely to be an inexpensive proposition.

The latest Outback has revitalized sales for Subaru, so I’m clearly not the only one who finds the Outback to have the right amount of content, value and versatility. On the low end, you can snap up an Outback with the 2.5-liter four and a six-speed manual for just under $24k. Max out the options on a 3.6R Limited, and crossing the $40k threshold is easy to do. That’s a decent range of price points, and with some six Outback models to choose from, there’s probably one that’s ideal for most buyers.

Base price on my Subaru-supplied 2011 Outback 3.6R Limited was $32,220, including a $725 destination charge. My press fleet car came equipped with the $2,995 Option Package 8 (power moonroof, navigation system, USB port, iPod port, rear camera, XM satellite radio, auto dimming mirror with Homelink transmitter, Bluetooth streaming audio) for a total sticker price of $35,215. For comparison, a similarly equipped Toyota RAV4 would sticker for $35,920, while a comparable Toyota Venza wagon would list for $38,070.

Mark Higgins is not a sane man. How else could you possibly explain the rally driver’s blatant disregard of fiery, cataclysmic death as he set a new automobile lap record of 19 minutes and 37 seconds around the Isle of Man? To call this video epic is an understatement, and I’d put it in the top 10 motorsport videos of all time; my only regret is that it doesn’t cover Higgins’ entire lap around the island. Don’t miss his recounting of a 150 mile per hour “incident” with a journalist in the car, where any driver with less than god-like car handling ability would have reduced the Subaru STI to flaming wreckage.

Higgins, who’s from the Isle of Man, described the incident as follows:

“This is one of the most daunting tracks I have ever driven, and the most terrifying. We were only able to get two practice runs and on our second practice I had the biggest “moment” of my career. We had a passenger on the run and so coming into Bray Hill at more than 150 MPH, the extra weight compressed the suspension more than on previous runs and shifted the Subaru to the left and then right as I corrected–it was a real tank slapper. The whole thing went by so quickly that we never slowed below 110 MPH, and then we were back on the power. It was amazing and the helicopter shots really show just how hairy it really was.”

I’ll get in a car with any pro driver on a racetrack, but I’d have to take a pass on lapping the Isle of Man as a passenger. Enjoy the video below.

Source: You Tube, via Carscoop

The record setiing STI. Image: Subaru

The Isle of Man is home to what, arguably, is the most insane motorcycle race in the world. Each year, riders from around the globe converge on the tiny island, located directly between England and Ireland, to contest for top honors in the Isle of Man TT. Unlike motorcycle races in the rest of the world, the Isle of Man TT is held on closed village roads, with little thought to safety other than the occasional hay bales. Crash hard, and there’s a good chance of serious injury or death, as the island has see 231 rider fatalities since 1907.

Despite the risk, there’s no shortage of riders willing to give it a go, and the current motorcycle lap record stands at 17 minutes and 23 seconds to cover the 37.8 mile course. That’s an average speed of 131 miles per hour, a feat no four-wheeled conveyance has ever come close to matching. For over 20 years, the automobile lap record, set in 1990 by a Rover 827 Vitesse, stood at 21 minutes, at an average of 100 miles per hour. Subaru has just reset the benchmark, but most impressive of all is that they did so in a nearly-stock WRX STI.

For safety, the car received a roll cage, a six point harness and an onboard fire suppression system. The exhaust was swapped out for what Subaru bills as a “high- decibel exhaust” to “forewarn spectators of the oncoming car.” Doppler effect and the laws of physics aside, Subaru also adjusted the springs and dampers for the record attempt. From a flying start, the STI lapped the 37.8 mile course in 19 minutes and 56.7 seconds, at an average speed of 113 miles per hour. Top speed during the record run was an impressive 162 miles per hour.

Driver (and former British Rally Champion) Mark Higgins called the run, “the most exhilarating and the most frightening thing I have ever done,” and that speaks volumes about how puckering the record attempt really was. When a former rally champion tells you he’s about to lose bladder control, you know things are serious.

Source: Autoblog

Recently, I attended the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals show at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. Held every May, this show features a vast array of meticulously maintained classic British, European and Japanese cars, exemplary examples of their more modern kin, as well as a beautiful collection of kit cars.  As far as sheer variety in makes, models and years, hands down, this show can’t be beat.

This has become something of an annual treat for me as I can think of few better ways to spend a weekend than by gazing at a gleaming sea of jaw-droppingly stunning automobiles, many of which I guarantee you won’t find at other shows. Plus, participation is open to anyone with an import or a kit car – all you have to do is register, make your car pretty and show up. It’s a great opportunity to display your cherished ride and meet other aficionados of your favorite marques.

I used to come down to show my Saab and hang out with the Saab contingent that makes it out every year. But even though I have a Subaru now, it’s just so much fun that I continue to make the trip to Carlisle (my WRX was parked over by the lone DeLorean, if you happened to be there). Volvo, BMW and Audi clubs also traditionally have a large showing so the weekend is packed with the cars you love, cars you haven’t seen before, your friends from the forums, barbeques – it’s a good time for everyone.  So, if you’re not too far out from Pennsylvania, I definitely recommend heading out there next May to check out the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals. To tide you over, provided for your viewing pleasure are some of my favorite cars of the weekend. Enjoy!

Lancia Scorpion

Matte black Volvo V70R

Opel GT and Opel Kadett Coupe

Volvo P1800S

Saab 9-3 Viggens

Ferrari 360 Modena and 328GTS

Citroën 2CV and Smart Roadster Coupe

Gorgeous Audi Quattro

Fiat 124 Spider Abarth

Twin-charged Audi A1

Volvo S60Rs

Saab 99 Turbo

Badass Volvos: PV544 and 142

DKW Junior de Luxe - DKW/Dampf-Kraft-Wagen became one of the four companies that comprised the "Audi NSU Auto Union AG" (now known as Audi AG).

Triumph TR8 and TR6s

Saab 96 V4 convertible - must have been a custom job.

Bimmer Beauties

Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition

Citroën H Van and DS

Audi A7

Honda Z600 / 600 Coupe

Saab Sonetts

Datsun SPL311 Roadster

Opel GT

Thumbs Up: Faster and much more refined than previous generations.

Thumbs Down: Heavier clutch than a Dodge Viper.

Buy This Car If: You want to go fast, in all weather, on a budget.

I’ve danced around buying a Subaru Impreza WRX for a lot of years. I came close, very close, back in 2003. I test drove four or five different models, but I just couldn’t convince myself to buy one. Back then, the cars felt crude and entry-level, and you definitely sacrificed comfort and amenities in the name of performance. Oddly enough, the WRX of 2003 didn’t even feel fast, although it was. I never could warm up to them enough to buy one, and my current financial situation puts a 2011 WRX well out of reach. In the words of Kurt Vonnegut, “So it goes”.

I was pleasantly surprised, then, to get a 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX as a press fleet car. It took me less than a second to realize that the new Impreza WRX was better in every way than the car I shopped just eight years back. It looked a lot more purpose driven on the outside, and the inside was nicer than any Impreza I can remember. Firing up the 2.5-liter, 265 horsepower boxer four yielded my next surprise: that last one I drove didn’t sound anywhere near this angry.

Subaru gave the Impreza WRX a ground-up redesign for the 2008 model year. Early cars were sedate in their styling, which didn’t exactly bring Subaru’s target demographic rushing into their dealerships. For 2011, Subaru restyled the WRX sedan and wagon, borrowing heavily from the WRX STI. Both variants now get a “widebody” design, which expand the track by 1.5 inches front and rear. Of course this gives the car better grip, but it also gives the car a wider, more aggressive stance. Appearance wise, the 2008 WRX was the kind of girl you brought home to mom; the 2011 WRX is the kind of girl who leaves you wanted in three states, popping antibiotics for an unpronounceable social disease and wondering why you thought a facial tattoo was a good idea. Let’s be honest for a second; which one sounds like more fun to you?

From the chiseled front fascia and massive intake for the intercooler to the quad exhaust rear, the WRX simply looks fast. Fenders are aggressively flared (but less so than the WRX STI) to cover the wider track, and 17” wheels are standard. A brushed metal WRX badge adorns the front fender, and parallel character lines combine with side skirts to convey the car’s sporting intentions from the side. The blacked out window pillars are a nice touch, and even the decklid spoiler is tasteful. I’m a bit more “experienced” than Subaru’s target demographic, but I’d have no problem parking a WRX in my driveway. I would, however, opt for a slightly more subtle hue than arrest-me-red.

Inside, the difference between generations is even more readily apparent. The 2003 WRX was an economy car made sporty; the 2011 WRX is a legitimate sport sedan, albeit one built to a specific price point. The dash layout and design gets a very enthusiastic thumbs up from me, and Subaru has done an exemplary job of creating a driver-friendly but visually interesting environment. I’d favor soft touch vinyl over the hard plastic used by Subaru, but everything fits together well and I never heard a single squeak or rattle during my time with the car. My tester came with Subaru’s touch screen nav and infotainment system, which was simple enough to use. HVAC controls are the classic dial type, and my WRX limited even came with automatic climate control. The steering wheel was perfectly shaped and sized (and the red stitching is a nice touch), with easily accessed controls for the stereo and cruise control. If I had any complaints about the interior at all, it would be the position of the handbrake lever at the driver’s right thigh. That may be ideal for handbrake turns, but it’s a bit intrusive for daily driving.

Instruments are just what you want in a sport sedan: front and center is a large tachometer, stacked over a fuel and temperature gauge on the left and stacked under a speedometer on the right. An odometer and trip odometer sit below the tach, and a display atop the dash center shows you the time and the outside temperature. Noticeably absent is any kind of trip computer, which would be helpful in showing things like distance to empty (which will vary greatly with the enthusiasm applied to the throttle).

The front seats are superb, and feature details like contrasting red stitching, embroidered WRX logos and a harness cutout (although this may be just for fashion and not for function). They’re not powered and neither has lumbar support, but they offer all the bolstered support you’d expect for enthusiastic cornering. Besides, the Impreza WRX isn’t a Grand Touring car, so I’d hardly score points off for manual seats. Both front seats are heated as part of the Limited’s All-Weather Package, so feel free to extend your autocross season to include ice racing.

While equipped for three, the rear seats are best suited for two adults, but long-distance passenger hauling isn’t the WRX’s forte. Back seats offer some hip bolstering, but absolutely no side bolstering, so don’t plan on showing four friends exactly how well the WRX handles a slalom course. Don’t expect to fit pro football or basketball players in back either, although I can’t think of a single Formula 1 driver who’d complain about the car’s rear seat head and leg room. Average size friends will be fine back there, unless you decide to drive from Los Angeles to Chicago for a deep dish pizza.

Under the hood, with its massive and functional intercooler intake, is a 2.5-liter, turbocharged boxer four engine mated to a five speed manual transmission. Output is now up to 265 horsepower and 244 foot-pounds of torque, which is plenty in a car weighing just over 3,200 pounds. It’s also a massive improvement from the WRX I shopped back in 2003, and the 2011 version really does feel fast. Zero to sixty comes up in under 5.4 seconds, on the way to an electronically limited top speed of 142 miles per hour. There’s a huge aftermarket support network for the WRX, so if you want one with more power or better handling, upgrades are just a phone call away. As you probably guessed, the WRX isn’t intended to maximize fuel economy, and the EPA rates the 2011 Impreza WRX sedan at 25 MPG highway and 19 MPG city.

Fire up the throaty boxer engine, and it’s easy to forget about things like fuel economy and speed limits. The WRX is a blast to drive, but those new to shift-it-yourself gearboxes may want to practice on another car first. The clutch is heavier than any other in recent memory, and that includes cars like the Dodge Viper, the Cadillac CTS-V and the Shelby GT500. It’s not a big deal once you’re used to it, but clutch uptakes does take some practice if you’re new to driving a stick. Shift throws are long, and I wouldn’t call them precise, either, which is why Subaru (and the aftermarket) offers a short shift kit for the WRX. There’s very little turbo lag, and the engine pulls hard nearly to redline. Steering is perfectly weighted and the chassis is superb, which explains why WRXs are so popular in autocross, rally and club racing. I couldn’t explore the handling limits of my press fleet tester, since it came shod with Dunlop Wintersport tires; I’m guessing it was sent down from the Midwest or the Northeast, where winter tires are an absolute necessity from Thanksgiving through Easter. The Dunlop Wintersports are my favorite performance winter tires, but they’re simply not meant to be driven hard in the kind of record high temperatures we’ve had in Florida lately.

The list price on my 2011 Subaru Impreza WR Limited sedan was $31,720, which included a $725 destination charge and the $2,000 Option Package 14 (nav system and Sirius satellite radio). That’s not a lot of cash for a car with the performance capabilities of the WRX, and the most direct competitor would be the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. Comparably equipped, a Lancer Ralliart would sticker for $33,720, which makes the Subaru a great buy in the AWD sport sedan segment. It isn’t right for everyone, but one drive should be enough to tell you if it’s right for you.

Sometimes, regardless of how big or how much power your 4×4 muscle truck makes, the forces of nature will conspire against you and cause embarrassment. Take this 2500 series quad-cab Chevrolet Silverado for example. In standard form this sucker should be able to tow in excess of 10,000 lbs, haul you and your family across the country in comfort and then romp you through the desert if called upon to do so. However, as it happens, this particular Chevy looks to have been halted by a little mud. Mud unfortunately is one of those rare substances that can not only become slick as snot, but it has the ability to disable just about any vehicle out there. Thankfully though for the owner of this particular truck, a buddy with an AWD Subaru was able to lend a helping hand. Now in the real world we all know that the big Chevy would stomp this Subaru into mush, but just this once, we’ll let the Subie fans out there rejoice and celebrate this brand victory.

The 2012 Subaru Impreza. Image: Subaru

When Subaru ramps up production in Japan again, the auto manufacturer will begin building the fourth generation of the Impreza sedan and wagon. The car will be sold worldwide alongside of the higher performance WRX and WRX STI variants, which soldier on as third generation models. Future versions of the Impreza will be based on the fourth generation car, while all new WRX and STI versions will be based on the current, third generation cars. Why the split? Call it marketing or call it emission compliance. On the marketing side, Subaru is trying to emphasize the difference between their sport models and their environmentally friendly, fuel efficient models. On the emission regulation side, Subaru will need to ramp up sales of base model Imprezas to justify building a higher performance, less fuel efficient model. It’s all about achieving the upcoming CAFE and Euro fuel economy and emission targets.

All future base Imprezas will use Subaru’s all-new, 2.0-liter boxer engine, but I wouldn’t rule out a hybrid version just yet. All future WRX and STI versions will use the existing 2.5-liter boxer engine for the performance that buyers have come to expect. As hybrid technology advances, don’t be shocked to see a hybrid STI in the future, especially if Mitsubishi moves forward with a hybrid version of the Evo.

Source: Autoevolution

In my time on this earth I’ve owned around 30 vehicles. I’ve had cars, boats, motorcycles and even a snow mobile, and in that time I’ve got to say that they were all pretty good. So when it came time to sit down and think about what the absolute worst one was, it really wasn’t that easy of a choice. First I categorized them by vehicle type, then the time period for which I owned them, and lastly I worked out how they affected me financially and emotionally with a list of pro’s and con’s. It was actually a pretty fun exercise and one that took me on a nice trip down memory lane. After looking at my vehicle list and then cross referencing it with my pro’s and con’s, I was finally able to come to a decision – my 1998 Subaru Legacy GT. Back then I was looking for a car that was quick, fun to drive with a five speed and more importantly, had all wheel drive. In the late 1990′s there were only two real choices; the all new Audi A4 or a Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS (predecessor to the STI). After deciding that the Audi was too expensive I decided to go for the Subaru. My plan was to lease the car for three years and then If I liked it, I’d buy it out at the end of the lease.

*This is what I really wanted…

Six different dealerships told me that since the Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS was a new car, that the lease deals were pretty crappy and in all honesty they were right. Then one dealer out on Eastern Long Island pointed me to the Subaru Legacy GT. It was all black, had all-wheel-drive, a five speed and a cool little hood scoop. I hopped in, took it for a ride and thought it was fun, but not nearly as much fun as the 2.5 RS I had my heart set on. Stupidly I talked myself into this car, plunked some money on the counter and drove off the lot. I realized immediately that I hated this car and then spent the next 3 years trying to kill it.

I had convinced myself that this was the way to go from a financial and practicality standpoint and in doing so relegated myself to automotive hell for the next 36 months. Understand now that the car itself was actually a pretty amazing sports sedan. It had 165 hp, all wheel drive, it looked good and got great mileage, but in the end I simply loathed it. I felt that it had tricked me into buying it, but truth be told, I couldn’t bring the little fucker down. I didn’t change the oil for the first 10,000 miles, I shifted at redline in every gear and abused this car harder then any rental I’ve ever driven, but it simply wouldn’t die. Every ounce of my being wanted it to blow up, but alas… it didn’t. I turned the car in after 3 years and was ecstatic to see it go. To its credit though, it was the toughest, meanest, most stubborn little rat bastard of a car I’ve ever had, and I truly believe that it didn’t die simply to spite me. I’ll give Subaru props, they sure can build a car, but that didn’t stop it from being the worst vehicle I’ve ever owned…