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2019 Subaru Forester Long-Term Introduction | Bring us your dogs

A 2019 Subaru Forester is officially entering the Autoblog long-term vehicle fleet. Subaru completely overhauled the Forester for the 2019 model year, so we’ve snagged one to start a year-long test. The new, small Subaru crossover left quite an impression on us when we drove it for the first time. It was much more refined and advanced than before, even if it doesnÂ’t look that different.  For example, the new Forester adopts SubaruÂ’s Global Platform and a new direct-injection 2.5-liter flat-four engine. The interior gets a massive overhaul with a new design, upgraded materials and impressive technology. What does it lose? The turbo. That's right, the 2019 Forester cannot be had with the outgoing model's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder or any sort of engine upgrade. WeÂ’ll see how much weÂ’re missing the grunt by the time our year is up. What we got Subaru offers the Forester in five different trim levels, and we got the highest of them all: Touring. This means all the tech and luxury goodies are onboard, but it also means a $35,270 base price after the $975 destination charge is tacked on. All-weather floor mats and a rear seatback protector nudged our carÂ’s final price to $35,495. The other tempting trim option was the Sport, but we decided to pass on the slightly ridiculous red-orange accents — our eyes will thank us. Instead, our Subaru exudes class, or at least as much class as a Subaru can, in Horizon Blue Pearl.  As we mentioned, our Forester comes with the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder. It makes a whopping 182 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. At no point does it feel quick, but itÂ’s not painfully slow either. However, weÂ’re afraid to see what might happen with a full load of people and gear on a weekend getaway. Look out for updates on that one.  As for the extras we get with the Touring trim, there are many. Luxuries include LED headlights and foglights, 18-inch alloy wheels, leather interior trim, a 10-way power driverÂ’s seat, heated front and rear seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, navigation and a Harman Kardon audio system. Coolest of all, is SubaruÂ’s Driver Focus system with the infrared camera mounted on the dashboard, only available on the Touring. It watches your face to make sure youÂ’re alert and watching the road ahead, reminding you to look if it detects your inattention. An added benefit to this is facial recognition, allowing driver profiles to be set.

Subaru ups US sales projections to 500k units

Subaru is going absolutely gangbusters so far in 2014, with growing year-over-year sales every month this year adding to the streak of 33 consecutive months. The prognosis is so positive that the Japanese brand is revising its 2014 forecast to 500,000 vehicles or more, from a previous estimated 460,000. If it reaches the goal, it would be the first time that the automaker hit the half-million mark here.
Subaru has been growing steadily in the US for a while now. Annual sales have increased for the past five consecutive years with 2014 not indicating for that to change. For August alone, the company moved 50,246 vehicles, up 22.37 percent year-over-year, and the business proclaimed it as the best month in its history.
According to Subaru, it believes that the growth for the last two years has been fueled by the latest Forester and XV Crosstrek last year and the new Legacy and Outback this year. "The market is telling us that we are delivering products that consumers want at the right prices," said Thomas J. Doll, president and chief operating officer at Subaru of America. Scroll down to read the company's full announcement.

Vehicles awarded IIHS Top Safety Pick awards skyrockets for 2015 [w/video]

By practically every measure, passenger vehicles in the US are continuing to get safer. With the year rapidly coming to an end, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing its annual list tallying of the scores for the latest vehicles to see how they compare to last year. Judging by the agency's evaluations, the numbers look quite positive. According to the institute, 71 vehicles earned either the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating so far in its testing for 2015. Among the latest winners, there have been 33 TSP+ awards and 38 TSP medalists. That's a healthy increase over the 22 TSP+ and 17 TSP grades in 2014. The figures appear even more impressive when you consider that it keeps getting harder to earn the + designation. In the latest round of testing, a vehicle must offer some form of front crash prevention automatic braking to get the mark. Previously, just a warning to drivers was necessary. This list also illustrates the ways that automakers adapt to new testing procedures. In 2013 there were 117 TSP ratings and 13 TSP+ awards. Then, the IIHS mandated that to be a safety pick, a model had to score Good in the institute's four crash tests, plus a Good or Acceptable in the small overlap front test. That brought a plunge in 2014 to just 17 TSP grades. With the numbers climbing again, companies apparently have deciphered how to perform better. Some brands especially stood out on this year's list. The IIHS praised Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Acura for offering standard front crash prevention systems on some models. Subaru received at least one of the awards for all seven of its models. Toyota also had seven, and the Honda brand did too – though the institute counts the two- and four-door versions of the Civic and Accord separately. Check out the full announcement below and a video about this year's winners. The full list can be viewed, here. Safety gains ground: More vehicles earn top honors from IIHS The number of vehicles earning either of the Institute's two awards has jumped to 71 from 39 this time last year, giving consumers more choices for optimum protection in crashes. The number of winners in the top tier - TOP SAFETY PICK+ - has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention. "This is the third year in a row that we are giving automakers a tougher challenge to meet," says IIHS President Adrian Lund.