2003 Subaru Outback Base Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports says Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevy are big winners in brand perception survey

According to Consumer Reports, the automotive brands that stand out in the minds of car buyers are, in order: Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevrolet. This news comes after the magazine polled its readers, asking them to take into account vehicle quality, safety, performance, value, fuel economy, design/style, and technology/innovation - which are the factors that car shoppers are most influenced by.
It's important to note that this award is only about perception. In other words, it's perceived quality, not actual quality. "Often, perception can be a trailing indicator, reflecting years of good or bad performance in a category, and it can also be influenced by headlines in the media," said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy automotive editor.
The brand that made the biggest jump in perception amongst Consumer Reports readers is Tesla, which posted an impressive 47-point gain to finish in fifth place. Subaru is also notable for finishing in the top 10, despite being one of the smaller manufacturers doing business in the US. Scroll down below for all the details from Consumer Reports, if you're so inclined.

Subaru to showcase five customized Levorg concepts at Tokyo Auto Salon

Last month, Subaru unveiled the Levorg concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, previewing what could be the next Legacy wagon. But that's not the end of the story for the concept car.
With the Tokyo Auto Salon - Japan's equivalent to SEMA - approaching next month, Fuji Heavy has announced five customized versions of the Levorg. One is being prepared by Subaru itself with a focus on luxury (including new alloy wheels and a burgundy interior), one by Subaru Tecnica International (with strut brace and aero kit) and one each by aftermarket Subaru tuners Corazon, Syms and Prova.
Subaru will also display a pair of racecars based on the BRZ: the Super GT300 version we've already seen and a new STI NBR Challenge racer aimed at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Details in the press release below.

Subaru confirms 2015 WRX STI to grace Detroit show stand

Now that we've seen and driven the 2015 Subaru WRX, it's time to set our sights on the car's more powerful and traditionally massively winged counterpart: the STI. And while a few rumors about the new STI have already leaked, Subaru today confirmed that we'll be seeing the hotter 'Rex at the Detroit Auto Show later this month. Hot diggity.
Last we heard, the new STI will still use a turbocharged, 2.5-liter boxer-four (remember, the standard WRX uses a version of the 2.0-liter engine found in the Forester) producing something like 300 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque. What's more, don't expect the STI to hatch a five-door variant - Subaru recently told us that there are no plans to offer anything beyond a sedan bodystyle for both versions of the WRX. Sad trombone, we know.
That said, if our time with the 2015 WRX sedan is anything to go by, this new STI should be pretty rad. The new WRX is significantly sharper than the outgoing model (in terms of driving dynamics, anyway - it's still a pretty ugly little thing), and we fully expect the STI to be a bulgier, harsher, more powerful and aggressive version of the already awesome street-legal rally car. We're just hoping it will be offered with WRC-correct gold wheels, too.