Auto blog

Subaru Legacy Concept has us getting our hopes up

It happens all the time. We get excited about a really attractive Subaru concept, and then the production car comes out and, well, "disappointed" isn't a strong enough word. (Compare that hot Impreza concept to the final production car.) So while we're hopeful that this new Legacy concept previews something sleek for Subaru, allow us to be fully on record as not getting our hopes up.
Anyway, let's talk about how good this car looks. From the front, comparisons to the Buick Regal GS are warranted, but from all other angles, it has a very four-door coupe-like shape. The concept rides on 21-inch wheels with bulging wheel arches that Subaru says hints at the car's all-wheel-drive system (standard Subaru fare, BRZ aside).
As for what exactly this concept previews, the safe guess is, of course, the next-generation Legacy midsize sedan. And while we'll keep our fingers crossed for a sweet-looking production sedan to come out of Fuji Heavy in the near future, it's safe to say we're still skeptical.

Refreshed Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ spied running around the Nurburgring

The Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ are officially confirmed for a second generation, but it looks like this current car will not go softly into the night. One of our spy photographers just caught a camo’d up BRZ/86 pounding around the Nurburgring with a few changes in store. This tester only has camouflage on the front and rear of the car, indicating a light refresh is the extent of the styling changes. In examining the car as a whole, itÂ’s a rather conflicting tester. Both the grille and headlights tell us itÂ’s an 86, but the badge on the rear clearly says “BRZ.”  The Toyota 86 has a different grille than the BRZ, and we can see that style grille flanked by some massaged vents on both sides. Toyota uses a different style of headlight for the 86, and these look similar to those used in the current car. New front-design features are covered up by the camouflage, but the sheet metal doesnÂ’t appear to be changing. Another area of potential change is at the rear of the car. More camouflage on the trunk lid covers the obvious BRZ badge and the taillights. We donÂ’t see much in the way of differences between the taillights on this model and the current BRZ/86 twins, but the manufacturer obviously wants to keep something secret back there. What weÂ’re most excited about is seeing the extra vent behind the front wheels. Current BRZ and 86 trims donÂ’t feature such intense cooling additions. Above it sits what appears to be a badge or protrusion of some sort. The window-level badging is still visible under the wrapping, but the tire-level badge is a new one — itÂ’s similar to the design we see on the WRX and WRX STI.  All things considered, this one is a little confusing. Subaru could be adopting a more Toyota 86-esque design, but we suspect a special edition is in the works. Hopefully it involves more than just design tweaks, and gives this model a hearty send-off before the new generation arrives.

Autoblog sell-it-yourself highlight: 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca

Introduced for 2006 and built in Lafayette, Indiana, atop a Legacy platform, the B9 Tribeca was Subaru's first attempt at a three-row crossover. Like the smaller Mazda5, the B9 provided seating for your kids but cramped quarters for adults. Add to that the controversial styling and upmarket pricing (before Subaru was regarded as upmarket), and you had a tepid response from the buying public. While the styling – specifically the B9's nose – was controversial, I liked its Euro-inspired profile on the outside and really enjoyed the design execution on the inside. The third row was optional, and for the occasional extra kid or small adult, useful. It's the utility of the footprint, however, I really like, and with a 3.0 liter Subaru six, it's perfect for your urban or suburban adventures. Autoblog's 'For Sale' example, located in Woodland Hills, Calif., has average miles for an 11-year-old vehicle and looks to be in good cosmetic condition. Despite Subaru's reputation for rugged reliability, a vehicle of this age will inevitably need some attention. A pre-purchase inspection should be mandatory, and you would hope for a clean CarFax. At $6,500, the asking price is at the low end of typical for a clean example with this mileage and may reflect its Sunbelt location, since Subaru resale is historically higher in the Northeast and Northwest. Related Video: