2021 Subaru Wrx Limited on 2040-cars

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2015 Subaru Outback

Realistically, many enthusiasts give horrible, horrible car buying advice. They will recommend something bizarre, inappropriately high performance, compromised or utterly impractical for a given consumer's needs, and they'll almost never recommend something that makes sense. And then they'll come up with 3.7 million reasons why the leading vehicle someone is thinking about is a bad choice.
Or maybe that's just what I do.
Regardless, if you poke, prod, bother or just get us drunk enough, eventually you'll begin getting honest feedback. And more than likely, we'll tell you, in hushed tones, about the many virtues of very, very boring cars. We'll talk about why the Toyota Camry is actually a pretty decent purchase or we'll explain how spacious and feature laden the Nissan Versa is.

Successor to the Toyota 86 is on the way

Until now, Toyota and Subaru have been mum on the prospect of a follow up to the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ. Although both cars received mild refreshes and even milder power bumps, they're both essentially the same cars that hit the market nearly five years ago. It appears a successor is indeed on the way, as Autocar confirms that Toyota is developing a next-gen 86. Karl Schlicht, executive vice-president at Toyota Motor Europe, said that the 86 will live on past the current generation. "The car serves a big purpose," Schlicht said. "We are not getting out of that business. Sporty cars go through their phases. It's our intention to continue with that car." Toyota seems to be back in the sports car business, as the company has partnered with BMW on a new Supra. Like the current Toyota 86, it seems likely that the successor will be co-developed with Subaru. Schlicht says that to get the low center of gravity and the handling characteristics that come along with it, a horizontally opposed engine is a necessity. He admits that there is no firm confirmation of a commitment from Subaru. While no Schlicht gave no details about the new car, he did nix any possibility of a convertible variant. "We wouldn't do it on the current model," he said. "That doesn't mean dealers wouldn't like one, but there are so many other priorities that I don't think we've got spare capacity for that." Related Video:

2017 Subaru Impreza makes a stand in the compact segment

If the 2016 Honda Civic was a revelation for the brand as a rebuke of the past couple of generations of their brand-and-butter compact, the 2017 Subaru Impreza appears to be on a parallel trajectory for the lauded all-weather performance brand. Unveiled Tuesday at the 2016 New York Auto Show, the 2017 Impreza brings in an all-new platform that is stiffer, sportier, and a much-needed improvement to stay competitive as the segment tightens up. The car features styling cues that are potentially the most attractive we've seen on a non-WRX model since the turn of the century. The car looks downright European in either sedan or hatchback form, stealing much of the thunder that the Mazda 3 and Civic had brought just a short time ago. Its lines are clean all around, the front and rear are largely without aerodynamic clutter, and much of that style is carried over to the interior that gets a much needed refresh. Gone are the overly utilitarian surfaces and buttons; a clear shift has been made to make the car seem on-par with class leaders like the Civic and Mazda 3, albeit with its own distinctive Subaru style. The dashboard seems just as straightforward as before, but packs the necessary technology to remain competitive in the segment. It seems that Subaru has listened to critiques of the outgoing Impreza, and sought out a way to continue the tradition of making AWD alternatives to the mainstream compacts, but this time without compromises on content. Up and down the four-trim model chain (2.0i, Premium, Sport, Limited), standard equipment is greatly improved. Even the standard 2.0i model will come with the necessary power features that anyone would expect, along with a much-needed 6.5" touchscreen interface that dual-boots with Android Auto and Apple Car Play - something that even the base trim Honda Civic LX does not have, and perhaps, that should put Honda on notice. In the very competitive compact segment, content is king. With standard equipment being on par with or exceeding the headlining Civic and Corolla, the added convenience of AWD is the cherry on top in places with cooler climates. Without major changes to the powertrain (slight power gains for the standard 2.0 H4 and an updated CVT), fuel economy perhaps remains to be the only caveat to the Impreza being a class-leading choice. With the current model rated at 28/37 compared to the Civic's 31/42, a slight improvement wouldn't be much in the grand scheme of things.