1998 Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Let's all take a moment to smile at this tiny Subaru van

The news is really depressing. You're stuck at home, hopefully working but possibly not. The kids home from school just ... won't ... calm ... down.  We need something to make us smile, so allow me to present a tiny morsel of happiness that is this 1993 Subaru Sambar Dias van currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer. One might call this a mini van if a minivan wasn't already a thing (and in no way mini any more), but the actual term is a "Kei-class van," referring the Japanese Kei class of vehicles that are teeny-tiny and capped at an engine displacement of 660cc. Some fun stuff: this Sambar Dias has beautifully maintained cloth upholstery with oh-so-Japanese lace covers for the headrests and upper seat backs. There are also rear captain's chairs, so really, the 1993 Subaru Sambar Dias is exactly like a 2020 Subaru Ascent Touring. It rides on 12-inch wheels, meaning you can use a Chicago deep-dish pizza as a spare tire in a pinch, and there are side wind deflectors because of a reason. There's a cassette deck and crank windows, but as the Sambar is roughly eight inches wide, it should be pretty easy to just reach over from one side to the other and roll'em down. Which is good news since, as a right-hand-drive car, that would otherwise be a pain in the lace-covered neck at drive thrus or parking garages. A 1993 Sambar would be from the nameplate's fifth generation, which perfectly spanned the 1990s. The "Dias" bit refers to the wagon version you see here as opposed to the commercial trucks and vans. There was also a Dias Classic, which is in a whole other league of wackadoo cuteness. Unlike any literal minivan in 1993, the Sambar Dias came with dual sliding rear doors -- Chrysler wouldn't introduce their dual-slider option until 1996. That rear-mounted 660cc engine produced 54 horsepower and is paired here with a five-speed manual transmission. There was an all-wheel-drive version, but that was apparently exclusively paired with the automatic.  There's actually one of these buddles of van joy in my neighborhood here in Portland, which like the entire Pacific Northwest, is a hotbed for oddball Japanese vans from the 1990s and earlier. The trend apparently started up in British Columbia where vans like the Mitsubishi Delica and Toyota Hiace started to be imported after the Canadian 15-year waiting period rather than the American requirement of 25.

Subaru's latest infotainment update is for birdwatchers (and the rest of us)

Subaru definitely knows its audience, as evidenced by its dog-centric commercials and charitable contributions. So we weren't shocked to learn that its latest infotainment upgrade allows drivers to better track bird sightings from behind the wheel, but we are a bit curious. The eBird integration is one of eight new cloud-based apps being added to the Starlink infotainment system for 2017. Subaru drivers can use the infotainment system to display info from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology through eBird, info on sightings and an interactive coach to help get to where the birds are. (There's a cloud-based joke in there somewhere.) Most of the other new apps involve location tracking or proximity to some degree as well, including Yelp (to find food and business reviews), Glympse (which lets you share your location with friends), Best Parking (to find somewhere to put your car), RightTrack (a product from Liberty Mutual to track drivers for insurance discounts), eventseeker (which steers you toward local happenings), and Magellan NAVI (a cloud-based navigation system). There's also a digital version of the car's owner's manual available in the Quick Guide app. All are free to use, with the exception of the Magellan app, which is included free with the 2017 Impreza for three years. That car's infotainment system comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability, so unless you really prefer the Magellan interface, it's probably best to stick with whatever's on your phone. The new Starlink apps are available on 2017 Imprezas as well as 2016 and 2017 BRZ models, and they'll show up on other Subaru models soon. The functionality requires an iOS or Android phone running Subaru's Starlink app and paired with the vehicle to provide the data connection. Put it all together and you can find some birds, get a parking spot nearby, let your friends know where you've gone off to, grab a bite to eat nearby (not poultry, of course), attend a local event, then hop back in the car and figure out how to tune the radio and find your way home, all the while lowering your insurance payment. Isn't the connected world wonderful? Related Video:

Honda, Hyundai top car residual value / depreciation awards list

J.D. Power announced its 2022 U.S. ALG Residual Value awards Thursday, with Honda and Hyundai topping the charts at three models apiece in the industry-standard study. The term "residual" is an industry projection of how well a car will hold its resale value three years from the original purchase date – a key metric in calculating lease costs and projecting new-car depreciation.  Award winners included several enthusiast-friendly options, including the BMW 2 Series, Dodge Charger, Subaru WRX, Mercedes-AMG GT and Toyota Tacoma. Even the Ford Bronco was recognized, beating out the Jeep Wrangler in the Off-Road Utility segment. That may seem odd given the car's issue-plagued launch, but scarcity apparently trumps quality control issues over the longer term. Here's a scrolling complete list of winners broken down by segment: “Accurately forecasting residual values in the auto industry is a key factor in assessing an estimated $225 billion lease portfolio of vehicles in the United States,” said ALG VP Eric Lyman in the company's announcement. "The brands and vehicle models that rise to the top demonstrate that they score well across the award programÂ’s criteria, including manufacturersÂ’ superior design and quality." ALG looks at several factors to determine future value, which is especially tricky with new models. For 2022, 16 different brands were recognized across 29 segments. Behind Honda and Hyundai, Audi, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover and Subaru all managed to chart with two different models. Here's the rundown of those who won in more than one category: Honda Civic Honda Passport Honda Odyssey Hyundai Accent Hyundai Kona Hyundai Kona EV Audi A6 Allroad Audi Q3 Kia K5 Kia Telluride Land Rover Range Rover Velar Land Rover Discovery Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Mercedes-Benz Metris:  Subaru  WRX and  Subaru Forester Toyota Tacoma  Toyota Tundra "The award process consists of evaluating 284 models through analysis of used-vehicle performance, brand outlook and product competitiveness," the announcement said. "Eligibility for a brand award requires a manufacturer to have model entries in at least four different segments. To account for differences across trim levels, model averages are weighted based on percentage share relative to the entire model line."   Audi Honda Hyundai Kia Land Rover Mercedes-Benz Subaru Toyota