Hey all,
So I just got my CR Auto Issue yesterday, I don't know about you, but it's my favorite, no one can complain about advertising dollars and they really do their homework. Well, I'm not done reading it, but so far lots of positives for Subaru:

1) CR has among it's 2005 "top picks" three Subaru's:
a) Best Small SUV - Forester
b) Most Fun to Drive - the WRX and the STI

2) In an overview of the new Mustang, they give it props, but say it still falls short of the industry leaders, namely the STI and the RX8

3) For 2004, the #1 most reliable car company, hands down, no questions asked, was.....(drum role....) SUBARU!!! - yes even ahead of Honda, Lexus, and Toyota.

4) For 2005 new car projected reliability, Subaru is placed 4th, right behind Scion, Lexus and Toyota.

That's all I have for now, I highly recommend you pick up a copy.

wow, nice...wonder how many subaru ads that has in it?

j/k. my subie has been rock solid so far. 25k miles and modded since day 1. :banana:

wow, nice...wonder how many subaru ads that has in it?



You're being ironic... right?

For 2004, the #1 most reliable car company, hands down, no questions asked, was.....(drum role....) SUBARU!!! - yes even ahead of Honda, Lexus, and Toyota.

Must not have driven a WRX in sub zero temps.

I like my Subaru and haven't had any problems, but number #1 over Lexus, Toyota, etc? I find that hard to beleive.

all i can say is "premium market here we come!! Acura, Lexus, watch out!!":)

cool! CR has always given subies good ratings

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0503/05/autos-108097.htm (http://)
The CU guys are pocket pencil protector, :furious: buracratic geeeks comparing 3 totaly different cars ( a rotary, V8 rwd, and a awd boxer)
I agree with them this time :D

""Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Volvo had more than their fair share of problems. Only Audi came out better than average," the magazine said.

"The most reliable brand overall is now Subaru, which averages eight problems per 100," Consumer Reports said."


I remember many years ago when Subaru used to run ads saying they were 2nd in reliability only to Mercedes. Now they are ahead!

I know most car geeks hate this magazine. I don't. They speak to a different audience than what's found here most of the time. They do serve a valuable purpose, in that they report back on stuff you rarely see in the car "buff" books and/or sites.

I see them as just one more source of information to add to your automotive research library. You can take or leave what they they say, but you can't ignore them.

Bob

I've always liked CR. They are unbiased and provide a service to the general public.

I actually just let my 10 year subscription run out because I plan on subscribing on-line instead...

Here's CR's press release about its Annual April Auto Issue, from http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=43912: Consumer Reports Annual April Auto Issue

3/4/2005 8:18:00 PM

To: National Desk, Consumer Reporter

Contact: Lauren Hackett, 914-378-2561, lhackett@consumer.org or Joan Quinn, 914-378-2436, jquinn@consumer.org, both of Consumers Union

YONKERS, N.Y., March 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by Consumers Union:

Consumer Reports Annual April Auto Issue

Page 6 - Top Picks: The Honda Accord Hybrid ousts the Volkswagen Passat V6 from the top spot in family sedans

Helped by the test score of its new gasoline/electric hybrid model, the Accord is now Consumer Reports sole Top Pick in the Family Sedan class. The Honda Accord Hybrid, helped by quick acceleration and very good 25-mpg overall fuel economy, outscored the Volkswagen Passat V6, which had shared the spot with the Accord for the past two years. For 2005, Consumer Reports also has two new Top Picks. In the Minivan category, the Honda Odyssey minivan, redesigned for 2005, regained a slim lead over the Toyota Sienna. And with Ford no longer building the SVT Focus, the Subaru Impreza WRX (including the STi variant) is Consumer Reports' Top Pick among affordable fun-to-drive cars.

Page 8 - Electronic stability control: A little-known safety feature that can save lives

Electronic stability control (ESC) is a safety feature that Consumer Reports' auto experts believe may be one of the most significant automotive lifesaving technologies, along with safety belts, air bags, and child safety seats. ESC works to prevent loss of control in a turn. A steering-angle sensor and a yaw (rotation rate) sensor work constantly to detect understeer or oversteer. As needed, the system can quickly apply the brakes selectively on one or more wheels to keep the vehicle on the intended path. ECS has proven especially helpful on slippery roads or when drivers swerve to avoid an accident. In Consumer Reports' tests, ESC has kept vehicles in line and under control in at-the-limit handling. Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, has advocated that ESC be standard on all vehicles, especially SUVs. Currently ECS is standard from a number of makes, including BMW, Infiniti, and Mercedes-Benz models, and on Toyota's sport-utility vehicles.

Page 12 - New for 2005 & 2006

The big news from the recent auto shows is that manufacturers are aggressively overhauling their lineups and that consumers might benefit from this modernization in terms of safety, fuel economy, and interior flexibility. The experts at Consumer Reports give a preview of 14 new cars and juxtapose "the company line," or the manufacturer's information on notable introductions, with CR's take, based on initial observations, insights, and experience. The preview includes a look at three hybrid SUVs: the Lexus RX400h, Toyota Highlander and the Mercury Mariner. CR experts note that the Toyota and Lexus models should provide V8 performance with V6-like fuel economy.

Page 14 - A full test of the New Ford Mustang

Acknowledged as an icon among American sports cars, the redesigned 2005 Mustang has generated a lot of buzz among the media and enthusiasts. Consumer Reports tests show that this Mustang is a major upgrade over the previous model in terms of style, comfort, and performance and it scored higher overall in CR's tests than the Pontiac GTO, its most direct competitor. But CR auto experts note that the Mustang lacks the finesse of the best sports cars in this price range, including the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and the Mazda RX-8.

Page 23 - Heart attack: Traffic jams as triggers

Motorists in the U.S. spend more than four times as many hours stuck in traffic as they did 20 years ago, according to the Department of Transportation. And a study that analyzed records of almost 700 heart attack sufferers, published last fall in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that heart attacks were roughly three times as likely to occur within an hour of sitting in heavy traffic, compared with other situations. The experts at Consumer Reports recommend a variety of strategies for consumers to protect their hearts when mired in gridlock including keeping windows closed in traffic, planning for delays and using calming techniques like finding a good radio station or listening to tapes or CDs.

AUTO TEST CENTER NEWSROOM - Auto Test builds new facilities, test courses

Headlight building. Consumer Reports Auto Test Center recently completed construction of a 50- by 100-foot single-story structure, known as the Headlight Building. Along with a dedicated headlight-testing area, there will be a special bay for mounting the fuel-measuring rigs used to test fuel economy. The headlight building will also be the new home for CR's famed bumper-basher, which smacks test cars to gauge how well their bumpers stand up to a low-speed collision.

New hydroplane course. Resistance to hydroplaning has long been one of Consumer Reports' key tire tests. The new course, 150 feet long and 20 feet wide, is made from a special concrete that will last 20 or 30 years before major maintenance is required.

New sound evaluation road. Consumer Reports has also created 1,200 feet of simulated concrete-slabbed superhighway. This 12- foot-wide road-to-nowhere is laid out along one side of the main straightaway. Its main use will be for testing how noisy different tires are on a standard concrete highway with lateral tar strips across it. This stretch will also be used for additional dry- and wet-road braking tests.

New skid pad. Consumer Reports has added a second skid pad that will be devoted to future tire testing. The new skid pad features a special sprinkler system to wet the pavement during testing.

These articles from Consumer Reports are free for the next month on http://www.ConsumerReports.org.

-- Consumer Reports Guide to Smart Car Buying with interactive calculators and worksheets.

-- Electronic stability control

-- Top Picks for 2005 including video of each vehicle

-- Would you buy that car again? Owner satisfaction ratings

-- New for 2005 & 2006

-- Best & worst used cars

-- Autos financing comparison: which saves you the most money

-- How to save money on car repairs and maintenance

CR's Annual April Auto Issue is on sale from March 8 through June 8. The Auto Issue is available wherever magazines are sold and may also be ordered online at http://www.ConsumerReports.org. Free highlights from the April Auto Issue will be available at http://www.ConsumerReports.org/autos2005.

I know most car geeks hate this magazine. I don't. They speak to a different audience than what's found here most of the time. They do serve a valuable purpose, in that they report back on stuff you rarely see in the car "buff" books and/or sites.

I see them as just one more source of information to add to your automotive research library. You can take or leave what they they say, but you can't ignore them.

Bob

I agree, CR serves its purpose rather well. I've found their reliability record to be the most accurate, much better than JD powers. Most car magazines hardly ever address the issue of reliability, mainly because they are not capable of doing so. Where else then would you find that info. Asking friends will never do, since I've seen people swearing up and down that VW's are reliable. Stats matter, and they come from places like CR.

CR is a great magazine. I like it they compare every car on the same criteria. None of this "those two are in completely different classes" BS spouted in chat rooms. The little things--fuel economy, wind noise, luggage space--matter whatever car you buy, from FWD econobox to V8 musclecar. The same applies but moreso to safety and reliability. No other source sets out that info as well, certainly not the buff magazines. I won't buy a car if it doesn't score well in those two categories, and I bet a lot of other people are the same.

Consistent, objective testing is what makes CR invaluable.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0503/05/autos-108097.htm (http://)
The CU guys are pocket pencil protector, :furious: buracratic geeeks comparing 3 totaly different cars ( a rotary, V8 rwd, and a awd boxer)
I agree with them this time :D

fixed link:
www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0503/05/autos-108097.htm (http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0503/05/autos-108097.htm)

I know most car geeks hate this magazine. I don't. They speak to a different audience than what's found here most of the time. They do serve a valuable purpose, in that they report back on stuff you rarely see in the car "buff" books and/or sites.

I see them as just one more source of information to add to your automotive research library. You can take or leave what they they say, but you can't ignore them.

Bob
Yeah I've always argued in favor of CR for the past several years, posting results like this and so on... Although it's kind of funny the fairweather folks around here -- :)

The new issue of CR says that the B9 Tribeca will have Traction and Stability control as standard equipment (VDC I assume.) I wonder if they got that right. If so, is Subaru moving to have VDC standard on any other vehicles.

The new issue of CR says that the B9 Tribeca will have Traction and Stability control as standard equipment (VDC I assume.) I wonder if they got that right. If so, is Subaru moving to have VDC standard on any other vehicles.According to the B9 Tribeca Preliminary Specifications (http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/DotNet/Newsroom/ViewAttachment.aspx?SiteName=Subaru&Entity=PRAsset&AttachmentType=F&EntityID=95980&AttachmentID=38c867ed-fdab-4276-baf7-6456dd16780c), VDC is standard on the 7-seater. Having VDC on your flagship models isn't quite the same thing as moving VDC down to Legacys, Foresters and Imprezas.

True, but presumably VDC is fairly expensive to put in. One thing that annoys me about CR is that they are always pushing to have every single possible safety feature made standard. They don't seem to realize that doing so pushes the price of new cars up and possibly means that lower-income people cannot afford them and thus will keep their older and much less safe car longer. It also reduces freedom of choice for those who don't want (for example) ABS.

True, but presumably VDC is fairly expensive to put in.
I would think that the R&D behind the technology was the most expensive part of implementation. I still wonder if they plan to have the Tribeca pay off the up-front costs so they can implemement the technology more wodely.

Having VDC on your flagship models isn't quite the same thing as moving VDC down to Legacys, Foresters and Imprezas.
True, but other upscale brands have this feature in a wide variety of their products. If Subaru is moving upscale it seems plausable that they might consider including it if it is perceived to be something a near-luxury car should have.

4) For 2005 new car projected reliability, Subaru is placed 4th, right behind Scion, Lexus and Toyota.

Or 2nd, since all three of those are Toyota. :D

-Mike.

Or 2nd, since all three of those are Toyota. :D

-Mike.

Good point, heh heh :D