2005 Subaru Outback I Wagon 4-door 3.0 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lexus tops JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study again, Buick bests Toyota

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but Lexus has once again taken the top spot in JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study. That'd be the Japanese luxury brand's fourth straight year at the top of table. The big news, though, is the rise of Buick. General Motor's near-premium brand beat out Toyota to take second place, with 110 problems per 100 vehicles compared to Toyota's 111 problems. Lexus owners only reported 89 problems per 100 vehicles. Besides Buick's three-position jump, Scion enjoyed a major improvement, jumping 13 positions from 2014. Ram and Mitsubishi made big gains, as well, moving up 11 and 10 positions, respectively. In terms of individual segments, GM and Toyota both excelled, taking home seven segment awards each. The study wasn't good news for all involved, though. A number of popular automakers finished below the industry average of 147 problems per 100 vehicles, including Subaru, (157PP100), Volkswagen (165PP100), Ford/Hyundai (188PP100 each) and Mini (193PP100). The biggest losers (by a tremendous margin, we might add) were Land Rover and Fiat, recording 258 and 273 problems per 100 vehicles. The next closest brand was Jeep, with 197PP100. While the Vehicle Dependability Study uses the same measurement system as the Initial Quality Survey, the two metrics analyze very different things. The VDS looks at problems experienced by original owners of model year 2012 vehicles over the past 12 months, while the oft-quoted IQS focuses on problems in the first 90 days of new-vehicle ownership. Like the IQS, though, the VDS has a rather broad definition of what a problem is. Because of that, a low score from JD Power is no guarantee of extreme unreliability, so much as just poor design. In this most recent study, the two most reported problems focused on Bluetooth connectivity and the voice-command systems. The former leaves plenty of room for user error due to poor design (particularly true of the Bluetooth systems on the low-scoring Fords, Volkswagens and Subarus), while the second is something JD Power has already confirmed as being universally terrible. That makes means that while these studies are important, they shouldn't be taken as gospel when it comes to automotive reliability. News Source: JD PowerImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Buick Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Jeep Land Rover Lexus MINI Mitsubishi RAM Scion Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Auto Repair Ownership study

Subaru previews Levorg concept ahead of Tokyo reveal

When I was a kid I went with my family to a Subaru dealership. My brother, being clever as he is, pointed out that Subaru backwards spelled "you're a bus." The portly salesman was not amused, and we bought a Passat instead. Fast forward a couple of decades and we can't help but wonder if Subaru wasn't thinking the same thing when it named its new concept Levorg, which spells "grovel" backwards. The company itself says the name is a combination of the words "Legacy," "Revolution" and "Touring," but one way or another, that's what they're calling it, and here are the first preview images and details on the concept which Fuji Heavy will unveil at the Tokyo Motor Show this year.
Designed to combine the feel of a sports car with the practicality of a touring car, the Levorg looks set to preview the next step in a long line of performance-oriented Subaru wagons. It packs a 1.6-liter turbocharged boxer four and next-generation EyeSight technologies in what looks to be a svelte yet muscular form that could point the way forward for the next Legacy.
The Levorg, however, is not the only concept which Subaru will reveal in Tokyo this year. The Japanese automaker has also revealed plans to unveil the Cross Sport Design Concept (which could preview the replacement for the discontinued Tribeca), the Crossover 7 Concept (which looks like a taller version of the Legacy wagon with an apparent third row of seats), and an Evolution version of the Viziv concept presented in Geneva earlier this year. Scope them out in the gallery above and press release below.

2015 Subaru WRX gets down and dirty

Looks rarely tell the whole story. We'll admit to being a bit let down by the Subaru WRX and its rather conservative appearance - where were the gold wheels and the spoilers? Hatchback? World Rally Blue? But after seeing it in this video and hearing that signature, throaty growl while this red example drifts and slides around dirt roads, we're starting to get more excited.
While the growl is the main reason for watching the clip below (you should do that now), Subaru has also thrown in some information about the improved suspension, and increased power. Learn along with us, below.