1995 Subaru Impreza Lx Wagon 4-door 2.2l on 2040-cars

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2019 Subaru Forester Long-Term Update | I can see clearly now!

One of the biggest complaints among drivers is that visibility is getting worse in cars. In the neverending pursuit of better crash test ratings and rakish aggressive styling, pillars are getting thicker, and the view out is getting ever more tank like. Some of the worst offenders include the Chevy Camaro and Toyota C-HR. But one car has miraculously bucked the trend: our long-term Subaru Forester. I took it out for a night recently after a lengthy hiatus, and I was stunned by what I could see: everything! The Forester has shockingly thin pillars all the way around, even at the back. The tall roof facilitates equally tall windows. Add in extra low window sills and a high seating position, and the feeling is like being a fish in an aquarium. It makes merging lanes and parking a breeze. Not only that, but the cabin feels so airy and bright, especially with the Forester's extra-huge sunroof. It's a breath of fresh air, you know, if your eyes could breathe. Most of the rest of the segment has adopted the aforementioned thick pillars and low roofs that counter this freeing, open feeling. Look no further than the best-selling crossover in the compact class, the Toyota RAV4, which has prioritized an aggressive exterior design at the expense of having a comparatively claustrophobic cabin. The Forester's amazing visibility doesn't come at the cost of safety, either. It's an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ for getting the best-possible ratings for crash protection and prevention, as well as "Good" or "Acceptable" headlight ratings. NHTSA gives it a top five-star rating overall, and it has a low risk of rollover. One other minor side note to all this: The Forester is a great vehicle for senior drivers. The visibility, and of course the good safety ratings are a big part of that, but there are other factors. I realized the Forester is really easy to get in and out of, almost like a minivan. The doors open wide, the floor is low, and the seats are at a comfortable hip height, so you simply step in rather than climbing up or lowering down into it. It's a small crossover that's easy to maneuver. The large cargo space would be handy if needing to bring walkers or wheelchairs around. And the standard all-wheel drive would be a nice extra layer of security in bad conditions. It's maybe not an exciting way to market the Forester, but it's true.

Subaru launches production of Ascent crossover in Indiana

Subaru began production Monday of the new Ascent, its much-anticipated three-row crossover, at its plant in Lafayette, Ind. It's set to arrive at dealers in June as a 2019 model and will start at $32,970, including shipping. The Ascent joins the Impreza, Legacy and Outback as vehicles built at the plant. It'll compete with three-row utility vehicles like the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Chevrolet Traverse and Volkswagen Atlas. (Read our comparison of the Ascent to the former two here.) Subaru built around 364,000 vehicles at the Indiana plant last year and expects the Ascent to nudge that up to around 400,000 vehicles a year. The automaker spent $140 million and added 1,200 jobs at Lafayette to support the Ascent. The company in late 2016 shifted production of the Impreza sedan and hatchback to the factory, its lone manufacturing site outside of Japan, to free up room at its plant in Gunma Prefecture for the hot-selling Crosstrek, which has been singlehandedly lifting Subaru's U.S. sales lately. A Subaru spokesman told Autoblog recently that the company hopes to sell 60,000 Ascents in the first year and had already booked more than 4,000 sold orders on the vehicle from customers who hadn't seen or driven it. The Ascent will come in either seven- or eight-seat configurations, is offered in all-wheel-drive and is based on a modified version of the same Subaru Global Platform that underpins the Impreza. It's powered by an all-new 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder that makes 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. It fills a slot formerly occupied by the Tribeca, Subaru's last three-row vehicle, which was discontinued in 2014. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2015 Subaru Outback offers more room and better econ behind that new face

While its new front fascia makes the biggest obvious impact, Subaru says changes to the entire 2015 Outback package make it roomier, more powerful, more efficient and quieter. The hexagonal grille gets it in line with the corporate template, to go along with a new shape to the lower grille and fog light cladding, a sharp crease for a shoulder line and a faster rake to the windshield. The rocker panel cladding and its 'toothed' molding remain, but it now also doubles as a step for when you want to place items on the roof rack.
Under the aluminum hood will either be a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine with 175 horsepower and a carryover 174 pound-feet of torque, or a 3.6-liter inline-six-cylinder with 256 hp and 247 lb-ft exclusively in the 3.6R Limited model. Paired to the lower-friction Lineartronic CVT that is the only shifting choice, and aided by features like the active grille shutter system and electric power steering, Subaru estimates fuel economy for the four-cylinder at 25 miles per gallon city, 33 highway and 28 combined, an increase of 1/3/2 mpg over the outgoing car. The sixer is pegged at 19 city, 27 highway and 22 combined, an increase of 2 mpg across the board.
The Outback has grown in every dimension, but never by more than 0.7 of an inch. The passenger cabin grows by 2.7 cubic feet, though, so occupants have more shoulder, hip, elbow and legroom. The cargo hold is enlarged by 1.2 cu-ft with the rear seats up, by 2.0 cu-ft with them down and the load floor is flatter. Accessing it is made easier by the memory height function on the power tailgate and new release handles for the rear thrones. Cabin ambiance is improved by sound abatement measures like an acoustic windshield, thicker panels and more noise-insulating foam.