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Subaru brings sportier XV, Legacy and Levorg concepts to Tokyo Auto Salon

'Tis the season of the auto shows, boys and girls. We just came down from the techno-fest that was CES, we're set for the start of the Detroit Auto Show, in the UK they're holding the Autosport International racecar show, and in Japan they just opened the Tokyo Auto Salon. And true to form, Subaru was on hand with a wide assortment of tuned machinery. Aside from the competition-spec WRX and BRZ we brought you a few days ago, Subaru also spruced up some of its production models for the street. One of the most intriguing was the Levorg S that gives us an idea of what the conceptual Legacy wagon would look like in STI spec, complete with the requisite blue paint, red trim and STI badges, but also a full aero kit, 19-inch BBS wheels and carbon-fiber trim, plus an interior with bucket seats, flat-bottom rim and all the fixins. The Japanese automaker also showcased a version of the Legacy sedan dubbed Blitzen, decked out in bright red with a similarly upgraded aero kit, 19-inch alloys and a two-tone interior. The XV Crosstrek that was recently launched on this side of the Pacific as a special edition in bright yellow rolled in to the Tokyo salon in the same shade, but with upgrades similar to those on the aforementioned Levorg and Legacy show cars. The XV Sport concept wears upgraded aero, 17-inch wheels and a complementing yellow-trimmed back interior. Also on display was an even less subtle WRX S4 customized by Prova, done up in white but with an outlandish body kit, 20-inch Enkei alloys and a dropped suspension, as well as the new Forester tS.

2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA Drivers' Notes Review | Fun for the few

The 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA is a limited-edition version of the Japanese automaker's iconic rally-derived sports coupe. Only 500 units are headed to America, and, with a price tag just shy of $50,000, every single one is likely to be scooped up by true Subaru enthusiasts. The RA moniker stands for record attempt. The STI lapped the Nurburgring in fewer than seven minutes. The Type RA differs from the regular model in a few ways, most notably the lightweight and adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing. The car also uses carbon fiber on the roof to lower the center-of-gravity. Other changes include a 5-horsepower bump, 19-inch BBS wheels, Bilstein dampers and a few changes to interior and exterior trim. It doesn't transform so much as refine an already hot product. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: Rock-solid chassis. Hair-trigger clutch. Tight chassis. Heavy steering. Black coffee. No need for solid foods. This was my lunch on a gray Thursday as I whipped up and down Woodward Avenue in the Subaru WRX STI Type RA. It's a riot. This thing sounds like a hooligan and most of the time behaves like one, too. I spent a lot of time in second and third gears with the revs around 5,000, just because. Need to slow things down? The brakes are spot-on, with quick bite and little pedal travel. The seats are supportive and nicely bolstered. It's a little harsh at lower speeds — something I noticed as I cruised through the verdant Cranbrook campus in metro Detroit. So yeah, I like the STI. This one, done up in RA trim, is a limited-edition model with a carbon wing and roof. It's lighter and has five more horsepower. If you love the STI and the RA (for Record Attempt) has meaning to you, sure, try to get one of these unicorns. Only 500 will be made and they are not cheap — ours is 50 grand. Otherwise, just buy a regular STI. Or if it were me, a WRX. Still, I can see the allure of this rare Subaru. Parting shot: this car also reminds me how much fun sedans are. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: The Subaru STI is a riot to drive, and as a recently reformed WRX owner, it feels familiar every time I get in it. Such is the case with the Type RA, which I also had the pleasure of driving at the track at Thermal Club in California. It the real world, it's still fun. But overall, I'd not spend the extra money for the Type RA.

Lexus tops JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study again, Buick bests Toyota

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but Lexus has once again taken the top spot in JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study. That'd be the Japanese luxury brand's fourth straight year at the top of table. The big news, though, is the rise of Buick. General Motor's near-premium brand beat out Toyota to take second place, with 110 problems per 100 vehicles compared to Toyota's 111 problems. Lexus owners only reported 89 problems per 100 vehicles. Besides Buick's three-position jump, Scion enjoyed a major improvement, jumping 13 positions from 2014. Ram and Mitsubishi made big gains, as well, moving up 11 and 10 positions, respectively. In terms of individual segments, GM and Toyota both excelled, taking home seven segment awards each. The study wasn't good news for all involved, though. A number of popular automakers finished below the industry average of 147 problems per 100 vehicles, including Subaru, (157PP100), Volkswagen (165PP100), Ford/Hyundai (188PP100 each) and Mini (193PP100). The biggest losers (by a tremendous margin, we might add) were Land Rover and Fiat, recording 258 and 273 problems per 100 vehicles. The next closest brand was Jeep, with 197PP100. While the Vehicle Dependability Study uses the same measurement system as the Initial Quality Survey, the two metrics analyze very different things. The VDS looks at problems experienced by original owners of model year 2012 vehicles over the past 12 months, while the oft-quoted IQS focuses on problems in the first 90 days of new-vehicle ownership. Like the IQS, though, the VDS has a rather broad definition of what a problem is. Because of that, a low score from JD Power is no guarantee of extreme unreliability, so much as just poor design. In this most recent study, the two most reported problems focused on Bluetooth connectivity and the voice-command systems. The former leaves plenty of room for user error due to poor design (particularly true of the Bluetooth systems on the low-scoring Fords, Volkswagens and Subarus), while the second is something JD Power has already confirmed as being universally terrible. That makes means that while these studies are important, they shouldn't be taken as gospel when it comes to automotive reliability. News Source: JD PowerImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Buick Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Jeep Land Rover Lexus MINI Mitsubishi RAM Scion Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Auto Repair Ownership study