2001 Subaru Forester L Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Porsche Taycan is here, Lamborghini Sian is near | Autoblog Podcast #594

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. They start the conversation with the cars they've been driving, including the Subaru Forester, Lincoln Navigator, Mercedes-AMG C 43 and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. Then they talk about the biggest news of the week: the reveal of the all-electric Porsche Taycan. After that, they sweep up other news, like the Lamborghini Sian, new Nissan Juke and the Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Ian Callum. Next, Autoblog's Erik Meier, who both produces this very podcast and also hosts our Twitch livestream, joins the chat with his impressions of the latest racing game, "WRC 8." Finally, our editors try to provide some helpful guidance in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #594 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2019 Subaru Forester 2019 Lincoln Navigator 2019 Mercedes-AMG C 43 Coupe 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Porsche unveils 2020 Taycan Turbo and Turbo S 2020 Lamborghini Sian Next-generation Nissan Juke Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Ian Callum Autoblog plays "WRC 8" Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:     Green Podcasts Toys/Games Aston Martin Lamborghini Lincoln Mercedes-Benz Nissan Porsche Subaru Used Car Buying Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Performance

2016 Subaru BRZ Series.HyperBlue Quick Spin

On its own, there's not much to "review" about the Subaru BRZ's new Series.HyperBlue trim. Limited to just 500 units, the coupe wears a new shade of blue, its 17-inch wheels and exterior badges are painted black, and inside, the HyperBlue color carries over to the accent stitching and logos on the seats. I love – no, love – this color. If you're a fan of the BRZ, like cool blues, and are thinking of picking up a 2016 model year example, this is the one to get. Plus, this car doesn't have all that bolted-on visual stuff from last year's Series.Blue. HyperBlue aside, it's the same BRZ it's always been. Yes, Subaru's updated Starlink infotainment system is now available, and there's a frameless rearview mirror inside the cabin. That's about it in terms of 2016 model year updates. But it's still worth revisiting. I've driven the BRZ at home in Detroit, and it's lovely. It's got a great chassis, it uses rear-wheel drive, and it's powerful enough to have lots of fun at legal speeds. (Seriously, why does everyone keep complaining about "only" 200 horsepower? That's plenty for this lightweight.) But until now, I've never had the chance to experience this coupe on a truly great road. So during a recent trip to southern California, I took a jaunt out to Angeles Crest Highway for a day of HyperBlue antics. On the right road, this car is even more charming than I remember. Driving Notes I think the reason why some people complain about a supposed lack of power is because they aren't driving it correctly. Peak horsepower arrives at 7,000 rpm, and the full 151 pound-feet of torque is delivered at 6,400 rpm. So for spirited driving, don't even bother revving below 3,500 rpm. No, it's not the best sounding engine (what naturally aspirated flat-four is?), but don't let the noise fool you. Keep the 2.0-liter boxer on boil, and you'll find salvation in this 200-hp mill. To me, the BRZ's steering feel is second only to the Mazda Miata. The car's lightness is accurately communicated through the wheel, but it's direct, nicely weighted, and never void of feedback. Combined with a firm, balanced chassis, you get a great sense of what all four wheels are doing at any given time. Grip level and weight distribution is easy to sense while cornering, making it easier to push the car harder and harder. The tail steps out a smidge, and you know exactly how much corrective input to give. I love a car that works so seamlessly with the driver.

IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.
To be fair, IIHS only evaluated 29 vehicles with its new testing procedures for TSP+ (we'd expect that the number of qualified cars will rise substantially for 2014). Luxury and Near Luxury midsize cars were the first groups evaluated, followed by midsizers in the Moderately Priced Cars category - unsurprisingly, it's only midsize cars that you'll find among the class this year.
Only two luxury sedans made the list of 13 for 2013: the Acura TL and Volvo S60. The other 11 cars on the list included entries from domestic, Japanese and German car makers: Dodge Avenger, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (sedan and coupe), Kia Optima (but not its close kin, the Hyundai Sonata, strangely), Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Suzuki Kizashi and the Volkswagen Passat all made the grade.