2000 Subaru Legacy Sedan on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Subaru Ascent Review & Buying Guide | A family adventure

The 2020 Subaru Ascent is a full-size, three-row crossover that caters to the Subaru faithful, while welcoming new customers whose larger families might have precluded them from something with just two rows. It looks a lot like a bigger version of the Outback, and, like it, seeks to satisfy active, outdoorsy, dog-loving customers wanting something to take them to off-the-beaten-path places to play with standard all-wheel drive, ample ground clearance and sturdy, functional roof rails. Subaru even went so far as to introduce the Ascent with a pack of eight golden retrievers to prove the point to dog owners. So whether you’re heading to the ski hill, campground or taking the kids to soccer practice, the 2020 Ascent offers a practical, capable, no-frills way to get people — and pets — where they need to be. While itÂ’s not our favorite three-row crossover in this segment, itÂ’s near the top, and it could be the perfect vehicle for a wide variety of customers. ItÂ’s roomy, capable and safe, but it's also a bit plain and thereÂ’s only one powertrain option, a turbo-four paired to a CVT that's less powerful than those of competitors. If youÂ’re considering the Ascent, do yourself a favor and take a look at the practical but characterful Kia Telluride or Hyundai Palisade. You just may — or may not — find one of those meets your adventurous needs while making a stronger emotional impression. What's new for 2020? Pricing remains the same for 2020, but the Ascent has a couple new tricks up its sleeve. Across the range, it gets Rear Seat Reminder as standard, to help prevent you from leaving a child or pet behind in the vehicle. Premium, Limited and Touring trims will come equipped with "one-touch interior illumination on/off controls." The Touring trim also adds new power-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals. What are the Ascent's interior and in-car technology like? From the driver's seat, the Ascent's packaging displays Subaru's pragmatic philosophy to car design. All the gauges are easy to see and read at a glance, knobs and buttons are easy to locate — both those of the software-based touchscreen infotainment system and the physical ones on the steering wheel and center stack. We were able to find a good seating position, thanks in part to the manually tilting/telescoping steering wheel, but we have a feeling that smaller drivers may find the driving position more awkward than larger drivers.

Subaru says Japan car output halted due to defective part

TOKYO — Subaru Corp said its sole car factory in Japan accounting for roughly 60 percent of global production had halted output a week ago after it discovered a defect in a component procured from a supplier. The Asahi newspaper first reported the suspension at the Gunma plant on Wednesday, saying the defect was found in the power steering component. A spokesman for Subaru says the problem affecting Crosstreks and Foresters was discovered early. None of the affected vehicles had reached consumers, and won't until they've been repaired. Perhaps 10,000 cars, maybe fewer, were intended for the U.S. market. Subaru, which exports the majority of its domestically made cars, could not say when production would resume. Production at Subaru's plant in Indiana was unaffected.Related Video: Plants/Manufacturing Subaru

2018 Subaru WRX Drivers' Notes | Turbo traditionalist

Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: The Subaru Impreza WRX is one of my favorite enthusiast sedans. It's invigorating, just a bit raw and makes you want to drive it more and more. Our tester has subtle blue paint and aggressive black wheels, which strike the right tone. It's sporty without being stupid. Inside is black leather, red stitching, and plastics that are decent, or at least non-offensive. Good looking car, overall. I was excited for my one-night stint in the WRX. I blitzed home, dashing in and out of traffic in the lower gears. This thing is like a hovercraft, and with the windows down and the engine growling and buzzing, I made record time. The steering is tight, the clutch engagement is heavy, and the brakes have just the right amount of pedal depth. I felt focused and in control. I've always felt the WRX is the right Impreza for me. The STI is awesome, but unusable for many everyday driving experiences. I could live with the WRX longterm, and love it. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: If you've ever lamented that turbo cars don't feel like turbo cars anymore, you should check out a WRX. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four definitely takes a page from the peaky boosted beasts of the past. Driven at low rpms and gently enough that boost still builds, the turbo is laggy and takes a while to hit peak boost. This means that in mild driving, you'll be just shy of the speed limit when the turbo whacks you in the back, and you'll have to jump back off the accelerator just a moment later. But the rush of the turbo kicking in is still pretty entertaining, and a unique feeling that has been engineered out of a lot of other turbo cars. If you drive the WRX hard, though, the turbo engine becomes much easier to work with. The lag disappears, and the turbo spools right up. But you do have to be running the boxer right up close to redline to keep it responsive. These characteristics aren't something I personally enjoy. But the way the rest of the WRX drives is spot on for me. The steering is weighted nicely, and the car is very responsive. It also feels quite neutral, much more so than even good front-drive and front-biased all-wheel-drive cars. There's a bit of lean, but the chassis is always composed and communicative. And the benefit of the slightly roll-y suspension is that the WRX has impressive ride quality.