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I'm on my 2nd Outback and am a very satisfied Subaru owner. Subaru's aren't perfect but are extremely reliable and capable cars.
Looking forward, I have to wonder if they will be able to continue to survive as anything but a small niche player given their lack of a stated electrification strategy. Their current hybrid plans seem really unambitious.
I would imagine that a lot of Subaru owners are, like me, really interested in getting out into nature in any kind of conditions. An interest in nature and a concern for the environment often go hand in hand. While electric vehicles have many shortcomings and their environmental benefits through the product life cycle can be legitimately questioned, there is no doubt that the perception is that EVs are the more sustainable long-term option for humanity.
Everybody in the industry is working on bringing out an electric crossover. A Tesla X, Audi E-tron or Jaguar Ipace are not as capable a four wheel drive vehicle nor have the same cold weather reliability as an Outback or a Forester, they cover probably 99% of peoples normal winter climate needs and range is not a big deal if all you're doing is going from Seattle, Portland, Denver, SLC or Burlington to a recreation area an hour or so away from home.
I'm on my 2nd Outback and am a very satisfied Subaru owner. Subaru's aren't perfect but are extremely reliable and capable cars.
Looking forward, I have to wonder if they will be able to continue to survive as anything but a small niche player given their lack of a stated electrification strategy. Their current hybrid plans seem really unambitious.
I would imagine that a lot of Subaru owners are, like me, really interested in getting out into nature in any kind of conditions. An interest in nature and a concern for the environment often go hand in hand. While electric vehicles have many shortcomings and their environmental benefits through the product life cycle can be legitimately questioned, there is no doubt that the perception is that EVs are the more sustainable long-term option for humanity.
Everybody in the industry is working on bringing out an electric crossover. A Tesla X, Audi E-tron or Jaguar Ipace are not as capable a four wheel drive vehicle nor have the same cold weather reliability as an Outback or a Forester, they cover probably 99% of peoples normal winter climate needs and range is not a big deal if all you're doing is going from Seattle, Portland, Denver, SLC or Burlington to a recreation area an hour or so away from home.
I do think there is a big transition going on right now towards hybrid and electric vehicles. Industry articles confirm ambitious plans from many automakers with dozens of new models slated to hit dealers in 2019 and 2020. 3rd party charging infrastructure is being built out. Still, this isn't something that will happen overnight, and these are still early days right now. One article I read (with numerous analysts interviewed weighing in) predicted slow sales and financial problems in 2019 and 2020 from these expensive development programs simply due to the glut of new hybrid and electric vehicles being introduced all at the same time into a market that is still absorbing the changes**.
While Subaru is clearly not trying to be a leading edge player in electric powertrains, this doesn't mean they'll be left behind. Of course, having experience-based learnings for the design and development teams is important, so I hope that they are at least experimenting with these things and have plans on the drawing board for taking these programs to market. So far, all I have seen from them on the market is the Crosstrek hybrid. As to them being doomed to being a "small niche player", I think that most automakers would be thrilled to have sales increase by 3.5X in 10 years, so it may be too soon to predict their demise ;-).
**"...competitors [to Tesla] flood market with electric vehicles. Potential for ‘pile-up of epic proportions’"
From what I could find out, Subaru's have never offered 4 wheel drive vehicles. We owned a 1976 Subaru with front wheel drive and a 1984 Subaru, also with front wheel drive. Our current Outback (2017) has all wheel drive and I love the safety features.
It averages 30 mpg which is pretty good fuel efficiency.
From what I could find out, Subaru's have never offered 4 wheel drive vehicles.
They came out with their AWD system in 72. The Leone was the first car with it as an option.
The BRAT though did have a selectable 4WD transfer case - FWD, 4 low, 4 high.
The Justy had an optional push-button 4WD transfer case after 88.
The XT had the same option push-button 4WD transfer case the whole run (85-91)
Since then (91) everything has been FWD or AWD. Somewhere around 00 is when they went all AWD in the US.
Unfortunately the last real Sambar was in 2012 - the new ones are rebadged HiJets. They are all RWD - you'd think of anything, Subaru would make AWD pickups!
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,747,694 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scorpio516
They came out with their AWD system in 72. The Leone was the first car with it as an option.
The BRAT though did have a selectable 4WD transfer case - FWD, 4 low, 4 high.
The Justy had an optional push-button 4WD transfer case after 88.
The XT had the same option push-button 4WD transfer case the whole run (85-91)
Since then (91) everything has been FWD or AWD. Somewhere around 00 is when they went all AWD in the US.
Unfortunately the last real Sambar was in 2012 - the new ones are rebadged HiJets. They are all RWD - you'd think of anything, Subaru would make AWD pickups!
I've had multiple Subarus (a GL and a Leone) with real switchable 4WD, including 4 Low, but none have been made since the mid-80's. I also had a 4WD Toyota Tercel in Alaska, with 4 low as well. I really wish they made cars like this now. The Outback is fantastic but there are times, like steep climbs on loose gravel, that 4LO is super helpful and traction control / X-Mode doesn't help.
4WD implies a two speed transfer case. Why would a car need something like that? My Jeep Wrangler and Chevy Silverado have 4WD. My wife's Subaru Outback doesn't, and certainly doesn't need it.
I can't speak to their older cars, just bought my first Subaru, which is a 2019 Forester that's developed on the new global platform. There is a fuel economy penalty for the AWD system. But as far as this car being spartan or lacking tech features, that's just not the case. I've got a sophisticated AWD system with active torque vectoring, LED projector headlamps that swivel when I turn a corner and switch automatically between high/low beam, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, voice control, Bluetooth, WiFi hotspot, WiFi connection to my home network with automated system updating, a comfortable leather interior with adjustable heated seats, heated steering wheel, heated washer fluid, clean 5-star crash testing results and the best active safety systems going in independent testing, the thing even has a camera that recognizes my face and restores personalized vehicle settings and warns me if I look away from the roadway for too long... what car in this price class do you think has more tech features?
Sure Subaru does offer some features of other cars manufacturers, but as a whole Toyota, Honda seem to be leading the way in electronic *cough* drivers aids. They seems to be catching up for the most part.
Even Mazda tends doesn’t have all the electronics that others carry too.
My 01 Subaru has 326k on it and of course it has nothing like you have on yours, then again I don’t see the newer ones lasting that long, mostly because of the CVT. I got heated seats no leather ‘hate leather seats.’
And the monster sunroof with power door locks, etc. Subaru has always had a great crash rating and all wheel drive.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,747,694 times
Reputation: 3203
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlaskaErik
4WD implies a two speed transfer case. Why would a car need something like that? My Jeep Wrangler and Chevy Silverado have 4WD. My wife's Subaru Outback doesn't, and certainly doesn't need it.
If you're ever down in Homer I'll show you my Tercel and Subaru Leone. Neither run any more but they are still sitting by my gear shed. Both have 2 speed transfer cases. Super helpful on the roads we had around here before the state of Alaska decided it was rich and paved every road in sight. Now that we are poor again I may need them once more.
If you're ever down in Homer I'll show you my Tercel and Subaru Leone. Neither run any more but they are still sitting by my gear shed. Both have 2 speed transfer cases. Super helpful on the roads we had around here before the state of Alaska decided it was rich and paved every road in sight. Now that we are poor again I may need them once more.
I'm not buying it. Low range is not for city streets. While my wife will never take her Outback on a serious trail, she will drive it down unpaved back roads and AWD is all she'll ever need. If she needs to go somewhere where she needs some serious 4WD capability, she have me drive her in my Silverado. I don't ever expect to see another car sold in the US that has a two speed transfer case.
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