1996 Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon - 4wd 2nd Owner, Excellent Maintenance History on 2040-cars

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Subaru WRX and STI meet at the dyno with interesting results

Road and Track recently put the 2015 Subaru WRX and the 2015 WRX STI through a battery of dyno tests to find out not only how much difference there is between their two engines, but what kind of differences there are. The WRX gets the company's new FA20 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder engine with features like a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and variable valve timing on its two cams. The WRX STI stands pat with the older EJ-Series motor, meaning a 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder with port fuel injection and carryover turbo lag. Subaru pegs the $26,295 WRX at 268 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque and an "extremely conservative" 0-60 mile per hour time of 5.4 seconds. The $34,495 STI clocks in at 305 hp and 290 lb-ft with a 0-60 mph time of 5.1 seconds. Ok, fight.
R&T's dyno runs sussed power numbers at the wheel of 223 hp and 245 lb-ft for the WRX, 247 hp and 243 lb-ft for the STI, then went on to demonstrate in numbers what everyone knew: that the WRX consistently puts out more of its torque earlier than the STI and achieves full boost almost three seconds quicker. On the other hand, on the track, the STI was also shown to have a conservative official 0-60 mph time, stopping the timer at 4.8 seconds compared to the WRX's 5.2 seconds.
The mag says it has comprehensive results coming from its "complete battery of tests," but for now, you can scrutinize their dyno charts and let the battle continue about which one you'd rather put your money down for.

Consumer Reports sneaks in early review of 2015 Subaru Outback

Subaru is taking a bit of a measured risk with its new generation of Legacy and Outback. While they ride on a slightly larger platform than before, with a revised front-end design, neither of them looks to be a radical departure from models they replace. Instead of focusing on exterior styling, the Japanese brand is trying to make the vehicles better to own with more sound deadening, improved fuel economy and more available tech. Pricing for the 2015 Outback isn't available yet, but with the 2015 Legacy pricing as a guide, it's likely a few hundred dollars more than the current model.
We just had our first stab at the new Legacy, which is slated to go on sale this summer, but Consumer Reports managed to snag an early look at the 2015 Outback in a sort of mini-review to get an idea of how the new model shakes out. Like many, we'd wager, CR isn't completely sold on the new styling, but seems otherwise moderately impressed by the upgrades. The improvements to the interior and infotainment system are especially well received by them. Naturally, though, CR notes that not everything is perfect with the high-riding wagon.
Scroll down to watch CR's preview of the new Outback and see what it thinks of this practical family hauler.

Comedic Hasselhoff car ad leads to a dream job in Sweden

Last month a guy in Florida posted a homemade ad for his 1996 Nissan Maxima online and Nissan bought it from him. This month a guy in Sweden posted a homemade ad for his 1985 Subaru Justy J10 Trendy online and got a job with Swedish car magazine Auto Motor und Sport. When Nils Jangan relocated to a new city and couldn't get a job, the financial drain eventually demanded he get rid of his car. Looking for a way to convince anyone to purchase a 29-year-old hatchback, he enlisted the help of Mordor, Saruman and, naturally, David Hasselhoff giving the thumbs up.
The picture was accompanied by text describing the "Japanese mountain goat" that was "hand-forged" by "the Saruman of carmakers," and its "54 frighteningly well-hung horses." One of its other advertised features was "I.D.N.R.I.S" seat belts, the "Instant Death No Retardation Impact System" meaning the occupants would never have to worry about long-term care if they were "in any collision at speeds higher than 12 km/hour." He asked 10,000 kroner (about $1,500 US) for the beauty, but he was also willing to trade for a job.
After posting the ad on Blocket, a Swedish craigslist, and having it shared throughout the community, Jangan got a ton of interest in the car and a job offer from Auto Motor und Sport, which he accepted. As for the Subie, it ended up going to a local repair shop for just a few hundred kroner, but we imagine Jangan's gets a decent work-related loaner or two to make up for it.