2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Sport Sedan 4d on 2040-cars

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Subaru, Toyota refute reports of BRZ, 86 demise

After news broke of an anticipated Japanese report telling that the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ twins were not long for this world, both carmakers have denied the cars' successors have been canceled. Carscoops reports that both Toyota and Subaru have stated they are developing next-generation cars. As a Subaru USA spokesman told Carscoops: "We do not endorse this report coming from Japan's Best Car. ... We are moving ahead with a next-generation Subaru BRZ, but have no further details at this time." The website also reported a similar statement from Toyota. With the models getting long in the tooth and no test mules having been spied, doubts are not unwarranted — remember just how long Toyota teased the fifth generation Supra before its 2019 debut. More information is not yet available, or whether the two brands will still collaborate to bring the new-generation coupes to the market, but for Toyobaru fans this might be grounds to breathe a sigh of relief. That would also mean, that if the hinted MR-2 revival is based on solid ground, there will be a full "Three Brothers" Toyota sports car portfolio for sale in the next decade. With the Supra offered also as a four-cylinder in Japan, it will be interesting to see if Toyota will retain the 86's current, slight power advantage over the Supra's 197-horsepower variant or respect the status of the bigger brother. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

How new car shortages may impact your buying experience

If you want further proof that the auto industry is bouncing back, look no further than the empty lots and forecourts of your local dealership. According to a story by The Wall Street Journal, continued high demand for mainstream cars is overtaxing automakers' ability to produce enough models. Several dealers interviewed for the story are reporting two-week supplies as opposed to the typical two-month allocations.
With sales expected to hit 1.4 million units when August numbers arrive shortly and incentive spending down to its lowest amount since January, these limited supplies are pushing prices even higher. For example, according to the WSJ, the average price of a Ford Fusion is up past $26,000. Unfortunately, it's difficult for manufacturers to increase production quickly. If it invests in its facilities, as many manufacturers have done, it risks wasting cash if growth suddenly slows. At the same time, the momentum gained over the past several years could be short lived if vehicle supplies continue to dwindle. "Manufacturers are in a precarious situation," notes Karl Brauer, a senior director at Kelley Blue Book.
Low interest rates and a wealth of desirable features are also allowing customers to purchase more expensive vehicles while justifying their higher overall price tags, a situation that is compounding supply shortages. Even now, during the annual end-of-summer clearance season, deals on new vehicles are remarkably difficult to come by. According to the report, the Toyota Corolla is in a self-inflicted state of shortage, as Toyota clears out inventory in anticipation of the new 2014 generation arriving in dealers. Ford's supplies should rebound as Fusion production comes on line at its Flat Rock, Michigan factory. The Chevrolet Impala, Honda Odyssey, Civic, and Accord and Subaru Forester are also facing shortages.

2020 Subaru Legacy Luggage Test | Who needs an SUV?

As previewed in our recent 2020 Subaru Legacy review, the redesigned midsize sedan has a very large trunk. Whereas you have to creatively Tetris bags into the back of various pricier SUVs, you can pretty much just carelessly chuck them into the Legacy. How many bags? Well, let's take a look.  As a refresher, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).  The numbers say this is a 15.1-cubic-foot trunk. That's quite large, but besides the Mazda6, it's actually small for the segment. It has less than the 16.7-cubic-foot Honda Accord, 15.7-cubic-foot Chevy Malibu and 15.4-cubic-foot Nissan Altima. It's exactly the same as the Toyota Camry. However, such numbers don't tell the whole story as we discovered last week with the Lexus LC. The Camry may be the same on paper, but in practice, the Subaru is better. There, all the luggage fit with ease. Specifically, my four biggest bags were able to easily fit side-by-side in the trunk's aft-most portion between the wheels. That's the case in the Camry, which you can see below (test done during our midsize sedan comparison test). However, look at the difference in space between the bags and the trunk lip. The Subaru has more. Note how I could lay the smaller roller on its belly. No way that's happening in the Camry.  In fact, the Legacy trunk is more similar to the Honda Accord in this respect. The Accord, it seems, is bigger in the area just aft of its wheel wells. However, it also has "egg-crushers," trunk hinges that swing down into the trunk below. They technically free up space, but how useful is that space if what's filling it is going to be crushed? The Legacy puts its hinges in channels.  OK, back to the Legacy. Now let's fill it up using three duffle bags (any more, and I would've had to get creative raiding my garage).  So here you have it, the 15.1-cubic-foot 2020 Subaru Legacy trunk can hold five suitcases, one fancy bag and three duffles.