Subaru XV Crosstrek - Updating the Outback

In the mid 1990s, Subaru wanted to offer an SUV, but they unfortunately didn't make any trucks on which to base one. The answer? No one knows if they were thinking of the surprisingly successful American Motors Eagle four-wheel-drive wagon, but in any case, the company took their Legacy wagon and raised the ride height, added rugged-looking cladding, and gave it an outdoorsy name and presto! The Outback was born.

That vehicle doubly reinforced the all-wheel-drive nature of Subaru and probably led to much of the success they enjoy today. There was, for a while, a smaller Outback based on the compact Impreza. Nearly 20 years later, the 2013 Outback is more like an SUV than the original, and the name reads very traditional now. So, to appeal to youth, the Impreza, restyled in 2012, is the source for the brand new 2013 XV Crosstrek. Now that's a more trendy name, isn't it?

I drove a Tangerine Orange Pearl XV Crosstrek for a week recently. It sits about four inches higher than the Impreza, and that gives it an 8.7-inch ground clearance. That's important when you go off the beaten path, as so many Subaru owners like to do.

While Outback became more and more upscale and expensive, even offering an Eddie Bauer edition, the XV Crosstrek is back to basics. It comes in just two forms: Premium and Limited. If you want something more basic, then they'll gladly show you one of their lower-to-the-ground Impreza wagons.

Every XV Crosstrek comes with a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, with 145 lb.-ft. of torque moving the 3,300 pound car. The Premium offers a manual five-speed or, for $1,000 more, the Lineartronic continuously-variable automatic.

Fuel economy is good, at 23 City, 38 Highway and 26 Average with the manual and 25/33/28 with the automatic. I hit it almost exactly, at 28.2 mpg. The XV Crosstrek boasts a 7 for Greenhouse Gas. 2013 EPA Green ratings no longer give an Air Pollution score--they provide a number of barrels of oil used per year figure--11.8 for the XV Crosstrek. Similar 2012 Imprezas earned a 5 or a 9.

The Limited is indeed limited to only the automatic transmission, which accounts for part of the $2,500 price difference above the Premium. The rest comes from leather seating steering wheel and shifter; automatic climate control; automatic on-off headlamps; a rear armrest with cupholders, and a rear-view camera. Every XV Crosstrek is ready to go in the cold and snow with power windows and locks; heated seats, mirrors and de-icing wipers; multi-information display, floor mats and temperature gauge.

My test car, a Premium with the automatic, was strong enough for most driving, but felt a little low on reserve when I went to pass a car on the freeway. I pushed on the pedal and not much happened for a while. The manual might have given more control of the torque.

All Subarus except the BRZ sports car have all-wheel drive. There are two types, depending on transmission. With a manual, you get a viscous coupling that distributes power 50/50 front and rear. Slippage moves power to the other set of wheels. The setup with the CVT is more sophisticated, and uses computers and sensors to evaluate acceleration, deceleration and available traction to send just the right amount of power to the wheels that can use it--up to 100 percent to either end. Both systems impart a sense of security in wet, winter weather, the kind we've had a lot of in California in January. Quick-acting heat helped insulate me from the record low temperatures, too.

Subaru's update of the Impreza moved the windshield out nearly eight inches at its base, so the XV Crosstrek shares in the extra spaciousness up front. The layout of the hooded instrument panel and console felt like a Subaru--well styled but not flashy, quality materials but not fancy. The touch-screen audio system used only one dial for volume and on/off but was otherwise in a single plane. It worked fine but the sound was only OK.

The exterior is handsome in a Subaru way. After a short-lived experiment in offering an Alfa-Romeo (Edsel) style vertical grille, all Subarus now conform to the market with horizontality. The grilles have six sides of varying symmetrical proportion and a thick bar runs across the upper half of the opening. Headlights are peering eyes that curve upward as they run across the sides of the front fenders. If the company opts to continue following styling trends, you can expect those to get slimmer over time.

The roof drops down gracefully as it proceeds to the rear, but sturdy rack bars permit roof storage and look sporty. The taillamps are chunkier now, and convey a purposeful, rugged feeling. The overall look is attractive without standing out too much.

There's plenty of space for people, and with the seats folded flat, the rear can carry nearly 52 cubic feet of your gear. 

How much will you pay for all of this? The Premium starts at $22,790 while the Limited begins at $25,290. Both prices include shipping.

Subaru has been consistently delivering good, solid, practical cars for decades, and it must be working, because the company was about the only one not to lose business during the terrible last few years in the industry. The new Impreza actually more than doubled its sales with its 2012 redo. The XV Crosstrek goes back to basics, but is completely up-to-date for safety, efficiency and reliability. And Subaru has some of the most heartwarming family-featuring TV ads in the business.

New Subaru Impreza Remains Impressive in 2012

I was eager to get my hands on the new Subaru Impreza. It seems like it had a redesign not long ago, but the '12 is completely redone. It still boasts all-wheel-drive for safety in the wet and snow, but the look and feel are now more substantial.

Subarus use horizontally-opposed flat engines, not inline or vee-shaped ones, and this means it looks a little different in the engine compartment. The forces oppose each other and balance out, while keeping a low center of gravity, for exceptional handling. I didn't drive my Camellia Red Pearl tester in any inclement weather but it felt completely safe and secure. The four-wheel disc brakes with antilock helped, as did electronic brake distribution and electronic brake force distribution. But those are not something only Subaru offers.

I like the compact wagon proportions, now made more chunky with the new styling. The face is not pretty or soft, but forceful and strong. The 17-inch gunmetal-finish alloy wheels are an acquired taste; I tend to like a little more sparkle (but don't care much for chrome) but I know that the younger buyers the Impreza is targeted to are going for that.

The interior, with black plastic and cloth, seems unpretentious in a world of swirly shapes. The dash is padded where it is sometimes hard plastic in other non-luxury cars. The seats had white stitching on them for a little extra sportiness, and tied into the black on white gauge cluster. These gauges glow red at night--not as easy to see for those of us with a touch of color-blindness. Of course, drop the rear seats and you've got lots of carrying capacity--a dream for us bass-playing types.

The 2.0-liter engine is rated at 27 City and 36 Highway (average 30 mpg). I got 27.3 mpg, a little lower than the official average, but that's still pretty good. The EPA Green Vehicle Guide gives the car a 9 for Air Pollution and 7 for Greenhouse gas--excellent numbers. the PZEV sticker (partial zero emission vehicle) sticker sits proudly on one of the side windows.

My tester, a 2.0 Sport Premium, was the fourth highest of five levels. It stickered at $22,414, including shipping.That's above the standard economy car level, and this car doesn't feel like it's missing anything essential. It even had heated seats, although the controls were way back in the elbow area of the center console, where they are easy to activate unintentionally. That's actually exactly how I discovered them.

Prices start at $18,190 for the plain 2.0 model.

This car is definitely on my "would be glad to own one" list. A 2.0 Premium with a five-speed manual transmission would be just $20,000. Today, that's a deal. I'm liking sky blue. Go build your own here.

My First Car Story - Courtesy of Subaru

Subaru has been doing everything right lately. They are now Consumer Reports magazine's top rated manufacturer for quality--a first for the brand. They've weathered the last few years while others have struggled. They've got lots of shiny new products, including the brand new BRZ sports coupe (shared with Toyota).

They also put out two terrific magazines called Drive and Drive Performance. I assume they go to all new buyers and interested owners--and lucky journalists like me.

In the just-arrived Drive Performance issue is a feature called firstcarstory.com. You type in the story of your first car and they animate it for you. It is amazing and fun--and you come up with a video that looks like this. I talked about my first car--a 1964 Beetle (see photo for a similar, and better-condition, vehicle). You should try it too.

Subaru - Selling Love that Lasts

Cars are consumer products, but unlike refrigerators, they can carry so much more meaning to us. And who hasn't watched an odometer roll over an important milestone and thought about other milestones--some much more significant.

Commercials are consumer motivators--and for durable goods like cars, made of metal and plastic and many mysterious parts in hidden places, the best way to move the metal is to move the emotions of the customer.

Subaru's new ad does this, in showing an odometer  turning over to 200,000--a rather momentous milestone in the life of a car--and then giving us some meaningful glimpses into the life of the (original) owner--in reverse order. Presumably now, we see his son riding in back, who's maybe five. At around 98,000 miles, his wife and new baby ride in back--on the way home from the hospital, perhaps? Further back, we see that special first date, that contains the first kiss. At around 25,000 miles, we find out how met his wife. Further back to a mere 15 miles on the clock, the young owner, with curly hair and short beard, looks lovingly upon his brand new car before climbing in and driving off into the happy future that we know he'll have--but he doesn't.

The message? Love--of car, of family, of life--and also durability, a safe place for your loved ones, the pleasure of long term relationships. Trust your future to our car. It's very sweet and never heavy handed.

Selling cars is all about building relationships. Think of what Toyota lost with it's safety issues not long ago. Consider the love people have for their youthful Honda Civics, and how it provides a rich customer base for today's Honda Pilots and Accords. Chevrolet recently aired an ad showing a pair of seniors going on a date--and reliving their youth as they drive along in their Chevy (a new one, of course).

Subaru has been doing very well lately, with the top manufacturer quality rating from Consumer Reports for 2012 as well as having sold lots of cars over the last few years during a down market. Surely even more folks will consider the brand after being moved by this new ad.

Car Show Leaves Me Exhausted

I attended the 2011 San Francisco Auto Show yesterday. As a huge dealer showroom (plus more), there were lots and lots of cars there, and plenty of people looking at them.

We arrived just when it was opening, hoping to minimize the crowds on Black Friday. We needn't have worried--it never got too bad. Descending the staircase, we saw the Fisker Karma--a remarkable and expensive plug-in Hybrid vehicle--and the powerful and very expensive McClaren.

It was the 1959 Autobianchi near the stairs that really appealed to me, though (a similar car is shown in the photo).

We opted to turn left and start our tour at the Lexus stand. The brand new 2013 GS was on display and a young man was describing its wonders. Looked nice, with its spindle grille, but not particularly exciting.

The Ford/Lincoln display had some new models worth considering, including two important Fords--the 2013 Focus BEV all-electric vehicle and the 2013 Escape compact crossover SUV. The electric Focus, due early in 2012, will give the Nissan Leaf some direct competition with its estimated 100-mile driving range. The all-new Escape replaces an aging bestseller with the more stylish European Kuga.

At the Hyundai stand, the new Equus looked huge and over chromed--and overpriced. It's surely contains all the right stuff, though, so we'll see who goes for it. The new Hyundai Veloster sports sedan/coupe was there with its oddball four-door sedan left side and two-door coupe right side. It looks better than that might sound, and in bright colors, should be another hit for the rising Korean brand. The Hyundai Elantra Touring could be a nice ride. It comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission and starts at $16,000.

Speaking of Koreans, the new Kia Rio hatchback looked like a shrunken little brother of the remarkably appealing new Optima. So much going on with those two brands now.

GM had some fresh merchandise, with Buick's compact Verano--the smallest Buick in a long time--and the new full-size Cadillac XTS. I think both could be successful, but Buick is still struggling to entice folks used to buying import brands. At least at a car show people can get a feel for the new iron--although these two cars were perched up on stands away from the future buyers to sit in them and check out the interiors. Chevy's new 2013 Malibu sat right next to the 2012 model, showing the big changes--while keeping a smooth, handsome overall shape. This is a volume car and needs to be excellent to battle the dominant Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

The 2012 Camry, by the way, was there, ready to check out. The problem is, it's so subtly redone that buyers may not be aware that it's new. As a mainstream midsize (virtually fullsize) sedan, it needs to not upset anybody, but it may not entice anyone either.

As I kept moving through the show, I realized that I was getting tired. There were lots more cars there but they didn't move me. The new Subaru Impreza looked good but they still don't know how to draw a pretty face at that company. VW had a couple of new Beetles there, and that was fun. I've already driven one for a few minutes so it wasn't my first look, but the future of that model is probably in good hands with the new, sharper, lower, modern interpretation. With it's hatchback and drop down 2nd row seats, it could be a practical choice too.

There were loads of classic cars from the Academy of Art University collection and you could drive the Nissan Leaf in a short loop.

Oddly missing--Mercedes-Benz.

What to buy? I need a small wagon or hatchback with a folding rear seat. There were numerous options, with the Mazda3 with SKYACTIV technology looks promising, especially in bright blue paint. The grin up front is a little toned down now.

Exhausted, now I'll review my hoard of brochures and think about my favorites.