Rare Silver Spec B 407/500 In 2006 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Car owners getting more irritated with their repair experiences, study says

The J.D. Power U.S. Customer Service Index Study (CSI) is a barometer of a vehicle owner's happiness with the service experience. While it wasn't all bad in the 2023 study, the overall owner satisfaction score dropped. This year's tally of 846 out of 1,000 is two points down from 2022, the 43-year-old study's first decline in more than 28 years, and one point down from 2021. However, the overall score remains well up from the pre-pandemic scores of 821 in 2018 and 837 in 2020. The study claims the stumbling block is the horde of BEV launches. The flood into the new energy space has created a recall rate among EVs that's more than double the rate for ICE vehicles. Furthermore, dealership service department knowledge of EVs isn't on par with internal combustion engine expertise, leaving EV owners less satisfied with service advisors compared to ICE owners. Chris Sutton, VP of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said, "As training programs for service advisors and technicians evolve, EV service quality and customer experience must address both the vehicle and the unique customer needs. The EV segment has the potential to spur massive convenience improvements in how customers service their vehicles — but weÂ’re not seeing the benefits yet." Matters are slightly worse for all owners, though, with labor and parts shortages contributing to longer wait times for service appointments. The CSI study surveys owners and lessees of one- to three-year-old vehicles to gauge their happiness with service at franchised dealer or aftermarket service facilities for maintenance or repair work. The criteria in order of importance are service quality (32%); service advisor (19%); vehicle pick-up (19%); service facility (15%); and service initiation (15%). Lexus retains the top spot for luxury brands, giving it three wins in four years. The Japanese automaker won in 2020 as well, its run interrupted by Porsche in 2021. Cadillac, Infiniti and Acura complete the luxury top 5.  For mass-market cars, Mitsubishi wins again after a victory in 2021 and falling to fourth last year. It's followed by Mazda, Buick, Subaru and Mini.  Considering the different service needs and service experience of different body styles, the study has broken results out by segment for the first time. Lexus earned a second victory thanks to winning the premium SUV segment, and Mitsubishi earned a second victory by winning the mass-market SUV/minivan category.

2019 Subaru Forester Drivers' Notes Review | Space with a view

The Subaru Forester, launching in the 1990s, is one of the earliest crossover models, blending SUV design and capability with car-like handling and refinement. For 2019, the Forester was completely redesigned, though it might be hard to tell. The styling is conservatively updated, and the boxy, upright design people seem to like it kept as untouched as possible. One of the bigger changes is the under-the-hood offerings. The 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-4 has been dropped completely. Also, the standard 2.5-liter naturally aspirated flat-4 no longer offers a manual transmission option. On the upside, power has increased from 170 horsepower to 182, and torque increases from 174 pound-feet to 176. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I spent a couple of nights in the 2019 Forester and I generally liked it. The new gen feels fresher, without overt changes. The front end looks great. All of the sharp design lines, the now-standard LED headlights and the prominent grille work together to make a statement. Subaru, Ford and plenty of others, all seem to have taken a page from Audi's playbook of using piercing headlights and a simple yet sporty silhouette. It works. The back is not as good. The last Forester looked cleaner. This one looks like a Honda CR-V knock-off. It's tough to make rear styling in a crossover great, but the Forester went in the wrong direction. Overall, though, it's a good looking machine, stem to almost stern. Inside, the visibility is outstanding. The pillars are relatively thin and the seats are mounted up rather high. You can see out of this thing in all directions. The Forester has always had a good greenhouse feel, so I'm glad that continues. Inside is more of a mixed bag. The cabin pieces and shapes are a little cheap and odd. This one, done up in almost all black with some leather, is decent, but I'd prefer a simpler aesthetic. The boxer four is fine. It works hard to build speed, but it channels mid-range power and blasts by slower moving traffic. The Forester rides better than ever, thanks in part to Subaru's new global platform. Steering is a little light in a good way, the brakes have a solid grab and in general, I like driving the Forester. I'm more of an Outback guy, but Subaru has fortified the Forester in enough ways to keep it competitive. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

'Kingsman' Subaru WRX isn't your typical rear-engined stunt car

The Subaru WRX has been a hot choice for movie cars as of late. The most popular is the rear-wheel-drive Subie from " Baby Driver," of which two stunt car examples have been sold off. But a lesser known appearance was in the movie "Kingsman: The Secret Service." Now the car used in that film is up for sale, and it's got a custom twist we've never really seen before. As the photos show, this is no ordinary WRX. Although the exterior looks like any other car, the secrets are held within. Open the trunk and there lies the engine. Look inside the cabin and there are not one, but two separate steering wheels: one in the normal right-hand-drive spot for a U.K. car, the other in the rear passenger-side seat. For those who have seen the movie (if you haven't, we recommend it), it should have clicked by now why the car has this setup. For those who haven't, there is a fairly simple explanation. In one of the scenes, the main character is seen escaping the police by driving the car backward through a narrow street at a high rate of speed. Rather than trying to accomplish this task by actually driving the car backward, the movie makers apparently cut off the body of the WRX, flipped it 180 degrees, and reattached it. So, the steering wheel that appears to be in the normal spot is actually an imposter added after the fact. The real driver's seat, steering wheel, six-speed gearbox and pedals are the ones seen in the rear seat facing the trunk. According to the seller, there are several other additions to the car, which is claimed to be an STI Spec D. The seller says the engine has several upgrades to the engine, as well as a welded-in roll cage. The car apparently does not start with the key but was bump started and ran okay. Though listed on eBay, this is not an auction. The seller has posted the car, which has 67,000 miles on it, for GBP5,950.00 (about $7,605). He also claims to have two other Subarus that were used in the movie. This would be a perfect car to charge for appearances at local events and parades. Just beware of the gremlins that are sure to pop up. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: News Source: eBay Auto News Weird Car News Subaru Car Buying Used Car Buying Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan eBay movie cars sti