"Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)" (brycehimelrick)
12/07/2015 at 11:57 • Filed to: None

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

Lets travel back to 2006 where, the majority of teenagers were crash landing with their roller shoes and Chevy was selling the aveo as a new car. Back then Subarus were fun, all wheel drive cars that sat in a niche market of cars. The legacy was tons of fun to drive, the outback was a car-based wagon and the tribeca looked like a pig. They were not volume sellers their owners bought them because they had a spark, a spark of fun, a mix of durability, fun, and reliability. Lets travel back to 2015 where Subarus legacy is as inoffensive as a sloth, Speaking of sloths, that is the term that could be used to describe the legacys acceleration, slothy, slothfully I don’t know. The outback has been lifted to look like a crossover. They are making a micro SUV. The Impreza is boring as a vanilla envelope. The lineup isn’t even fully all wheel drive anymore with the Brz.

What happened? Volume sales happened. Subaru saw Toyota selling Camrys by the millisecond and thought, gee why aren’t we doing that. Let me explain that reason and that reason is that the buyers are different. Most Camry buyers are looking for an appliance to get them from point a to point b, while back then most Subaru buyers were looking for all wheel drive cars with a passion. A passion for fun durability and reliability. But Subaru decided to be a volume seller, so they made the outback a crossover, they made the legacy handle as a dinner roll would and took that spark, tat passion away. All for volume sales. And that, ladies and gents is why Subaru has lost its way.

DISCUSSION (12)

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 12:04

They might have lost their way, but they're losing their way all the way to the bank.

Teleph0nes > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 12:08

Well, Subaru has also been increasing sales by like 9000% yearly in the last few years, so clearly the appliance drivers really buy into needed AWD because sometimes there are leaves on the road.

Though, given the steering and throttle calibration of the 2015 WRX I recently test drove, you aren’t wrong. I think that is the proof. When the “sporty” models start to get watered down is when the company has lost its way. At least Subaru still has the STI and the BRZ, and hopefully they can get the regular WRX its own steering and throttle instead of the same calibration they use for the Outback. Look at Honda, we knew they completely lost it when the Civic Si mostly fell off the wagon, and then they made the CR-Z which was a complete joke of a vehicle.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 12:13

So let me ask you this: If they are now selling many, many multiples of the number of cars they sold in 2006, why should they care that enthusiasts think they “lost their way”? They’re a company, not an artist.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 12:22

Subaru has found their way to customers who buy cars, as opposed to customers who wax poetic on the internet. Same with Honda.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 12:23

I don’t mind when companies do this so that they can continue to produce their fun cars. I do mind very much when the company that does this scratches their fun cars altogether.

This isn't just an enthusiasts rant, either. Every company has something that makes them a little different. If you replace that with copying what Toyota does, what reason is there to buy from that brand? It will cost them in the long run.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
12/07/2015 at 12:26

As long as they keep their performance models. They might not be volume sellers, but they keep people coming throug the doors and leaving with something else. It would cost them sales in the long run, because if you’re just going to make Toyota-type cars, why not buy an actual Toyota?

Unless, of course, they can out-Toyota Toyota. Which seems unlikely.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
12/07/2015 at 12:28

True. The WRX, STi, BRX, and even kind of the XV still keep fanboys coming back, and that’s not insignificant.

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 12:40

Moving towards the future more sales means more chance for Subaru to take risks with the Halo car. Could be good news.

Still waiting for the EJ to be replaced in the STI.

Zip-McBump > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 13:22

I think I’ve told this story here before, but about a year after I bought a new WRX in ‘06, I got an odd email from Subaru. It was an invitation to take part in a survey; I thought “sure, why not? I like my new car, and I have some thoughts.”

It was not a normal survey. It took about TWO HOURS to complete, and it became obvious about ten minutes into it that Subaru was asking questions that were very focused on expanding the brand. Stuff like: “what would you think of a FWD Subaru?”, “Is the niche quality of the Subaru brand important to you?”

They got what they wanted, I guess.

BobintheMtns > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 14:55

Fun fact: all those camry’s that toyota sells, guess who builds them for toyota.... subaru/fuji heavy industries!

Chris Kasinskas > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
12/07/2015 at 22:02

I disagree. Love, It’s what makes a Subaru a Subaru. Everyone I know who owns a Subaru loves their Subaru. 2015 Outback, 2015 Impreza, 2014 Forester. There all loved. Subaru is still the best non-luxury car brand in my book.

Mister Sterling > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
12/08/2015 at 18:22

And Toyota gets a cut.