2011 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Next-gen Toyota 86, Subaru BRZ could arrive by 2021

If these rumors are true, a small but dedicated core of fans could be in for a treat. According to Japan Times — and citing unspecified "sources" — Toyota and Subaru are developing a next-generation 86 and BRZ, with a possible launch around 2021. The new car(s) would reportedly have more power, improved handling and newer safety features. According to the report, the rear-drive sports coupes could do away with the current 2.0-liter engine in favor of one with a larger 2.4-liter displacement. The Japan Times sources say the next-gen 86 will also have a lower center of gravity, which will translate to an improvement on the car's already impressive cornering stability. Theoretically, the 2.4-liter in question could be the new FA24 mill used in the upcoming Subaru Ascent crossover that's turbocharged to produce 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet. That output would be a mammoth jump from the current Toyobaru pair, and it seems doubtful that's what possible second-generation cars would get. Nevertheless, it's at least consistent with recent comments from Toyota engineer Tetsuya Tada that indicated a more powerful, turbocharged 86/BRZ would not be possible unless there was a new, next-generation model. In an interview with Australia's CarAdvice, Tada said, "I do like turbos, however if we come up with a turbo version of the 86 and boost up the power that would result in the necessity of changing the basic configuration completely, to come up with a car that I would be satisfied with." "One characteristic of the 86 is that in terms of the front balance it's slightly front loaded so it makes the handling more fast and agile," he continued. "So if we were to come up with a turbo version, we would have to go change the weight balance between the front and the rear. That means we have to come up with a completely new platform, so it's not about just changing or slight modification in the engine parts." Note that "we have to come up with a completely new platform" does not equal "we are coming up with a completely new platform." He could be talking strictly hypothetically, it could be a wink-wink nudge-nudge implication that his team is already hard at work, or things could've just been a bit fudged in translation. In any event, as hopeful as we are about the possibility of a new generation of Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86, we can't help but maintain a healthy dose of skepticism that the partnership will continue as the Japan Times report suggests.

2019 Subaru WRX STI S209 First Drive Review | The exotic Subie

It’s not often that you drive a Subaru thatÂ’s rarer than most Ferraris or Lamborghinis. And in its own modest way, the 2019 Subaru STI S209 is as special as such limited-edition offerings from highfalutinÂ’ brands. The S209 is SubaruÂ’s rally-wrapped gift to America, the first S-Line model from the brandÂ’s vaunted STI performance division to be exported to the United States. Only 209 copies are being built, all bound for the U.S. beginning in November, and itÂ’s a dandy: The fastest, sharpest-handling, most sophisticated WRX ever to grace our shores. It's what we get for making the current WRX the best-selling version ever, with sales increasing every year since its 2015 debut. Good job, America. DonÂ’t confuse this car with a typical “STI”-branded Impreza WRX, which are all produced alongside other Subarus in Gunma, Japan. This “STI” refers to the scrappy, stand-alone performance unit called Subaru Tecnica International, now with barely 120 employees, thatÂ’s been responsible for beloved Japanese-market “S-cars” such as the S202 through S208. It owns a combined five manufacturerÂ’s and driverÂ’s titles in the World Rally Championship, and more recently, multiple class wins at the 24 Hours Nurburgring. STIÂ’s small shop in Kiryu, Japan, is building just two or three S209Â’s per day, and their handiwork – right down to hand-polished exhaust tips – is memorialized with a pair of serialized production plaques: one in the cabin and one atop the 341-horsepower, 2.5-liter boxer four engine. Subaru considered using its 2.0-liter turbo, but went with a modified version of the 2.5-liter EJ25 used in the WRX STI Type RA, because the larger-displacement motor meant less turbo lag. There's no typical plastic cover, so the gloriously exposed engine flaunts a redesigned intake with a conical air filter and enlarged ducts. An enlarged turbocharger is designed to STI specs by the respected aftermarket company HKS, which lifts the Type RAÂ’s boost from 16.2 to 18.9 psi. A catback exhaust system further reduces back pressure by 17 percent relative the Type RA, and 50 percent versus a basic STI. The S209's resulting 341 horses and 330 pound-feet of torque compares with 310 hp and 290 pound-feet in the 2019 WRX STI. Subaru had to quash its ambitious plans for forged pistons and connecting rods, due to potential durability concerns that the company now suspects was a non-issue.