Suggestions to SOA: Ref. Future Models

[Hondaslayer]

Originally Posted by kevin2.5rs

we never get the good stuff

Yeah, I mean the rest of the world had to make do with a 2.0 litre 276hp STi while we got a 2.5 litre 300 hp version. Damn you SOA!!!!!

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[cyberpirate]

Originally Posted by hondaslayer

Yeah, I mean the rest of the world had to make do with a 2.0 litre 276hp STi while we got a 2.5 litre 300 hp version. Damn you SOA!!!!!

Nice spin. Other than Tribeca, list 10 significant improvements/technology that USDM got before JDM.

[Scooby-Doode]

Originally Posted by str8dwn

Dear SOA,

I strongly feel the STI brand could be better leveraged in advertising and model lineup, like many other manufacturers do. I don't know where SPT fits in, but simply adds confusion for prospective performance buyers like myself. Keep it simple: one acronym for performance.

Totally agree with this statement. Especially true for subaru-newbs.

[BOY]

Originally Posted by cyberpirate

Nice spin. Other than Tribeca, list 10 significant improvements/technology that USDM got before JDM.

Lets see,

Impreza 2.5RS
Impreza 2.5TS
Impreza 2.5i
Outback Sport (2.5)
Legacy 2.5i
Outback 2.5i
Outback 2.5XT
Forester 2.5XT
Baja turbo
06+ WRX (2.5)
USDM STI (2.5)
USDM STI spec-C spec wheelbase/control arms (04-06)

wait, that's 12. Its a different market, plain and simple. Personally, I no longer give a rats-behind if we get a spec-C STI or RA-R or anything other than an STI...why, b/c I won't buy it and it will be a slow seller if I get one sitting on my lot.

The enthusiast market is important but its hardly the bread and butter of the brand. I've sold enough LGT's that were cross-shopped w/ 3-series, G35x, IS250, etc to know that we have world class product... if only SOA would market as such we may just get the "goodies" that so many of "us" want. Be glad we don't have the 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2 liter motors any more... the world would've blown past Subaru long before we ever had the goodies we have.

[Hondaslayer]

Originally Posted by BOY

Lets see,

Impreza 2.5RS
Impreza 2.5TS
Impreza 2.5i
Outback Sport (2.5)
Legacy 2.5i
Outback 2.5i
Outback 2.5XT
Forester 2.5XT
Baja turbo
06+ WRX (2.5)
USDM STI (2.5)
USDM STI spec-C spec wheelbase/control arms (04-06)

wait, that's 12. Its a different market, plain and simple. Personally, I no longer give a rats-behind if we get a spec-C STI or RA-R or anything other than an STI...why, b/c I won't buy it and it will be a slow seller if I get one sitting on my lot.

The enthusiast market is important but its hardly the bread and butter of the brand. I've sold enough LGT's that were cross-shopped w/ 3-series, G35x, IS250, etc to know that we have world class product... if only SOA would market as such we may just get the "goodies" that so many of "us" want. Be glad we don't have the 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2 liter motors any more... the world would've blown past Subaru long before we ever had the goodies we have.

Actually, I wish we still had the small displacement engines (in a smaller / lighter chassis obviously)

My F-XT gets filled up every 5 days ( I don't drive much, if at all on the weekends) Same goes for the wifes B9.

Her old Outback Sport (now my winter beater) gets filled once every two weeks (400 or so miles out of 12 gallons). The only thing to change is the car, if anything I drive the Outback Sport harder than i do the F-XT.

FWIW I could care less what the cost of gas is, we all need it to do what we do.

[BOY]

Originally Posted by hondaslayer

Actually, I wish we still had the small displacement engines (in a smaller / lighter chassis obviously)

My F-XT gets filled up every 5 days ( I don't drive much, if at all on the weekends) Same goes for the wifes B9.

Her old Outback Sport (now my winter beater) gets filled once every two weeks (400 or so miles out of 12 gallons). The only thing to change is the car, if anything I drive the Outback Sport harder than i do the F-XT.

FWIW I could care less what the cost of gas is, we all need it to do what we do.

I agree Subaru could/should do better but you gotta pay to play...

[mattejb]

^^ maybe you should get somthing with a NA 4cyl . We have a 2006 legacy and it get about 34 mpg on the highway.

[Hondaslayer]

Originally Posted by BOY

I agree Subaru could/should do better but you gotta pay to play...

Absolutely, I have no problem with how much gas costs, I measure the F-XT in SPG (Smiles Per Gallon). I measure the wifes enjoyment of the B9 in other ways



Anyway, to get back on track here.

SOA, What is the deal with the LL-Bean edition Forester? Seriously, it's an X-Premium with LL-Bean stamped into the headrests.

To justify the price the LL-Bean needs three things (and to differentiate it from the rest of the line-up)
1: H6 engine, Torque moves cars, but HP/Cylinders/Displacement sells them.

2: 5EAT

3: VDC and VTD

Nav would be a nice addition as well. Add those and ou have a Forester worthy of the 30k entry fee.

For the F-XT

5EAT with sportshift VDC and VTD

6 Speed with 4.44 or 4.11 final drive (nobody uses the DCCD so leave it off)

The CrossSport is a great step in the right direction, however I would like to add.
1: performance oriented seats (WRX stlye) with heaters
2: Black out the centre console (STi limited style)
3: Slight lowering of the suspension (optional STi springs as standard)

4:HID on the F-XT and the LL-Bean (hell all the flagship models) we know that they do not make much of a difference, it's a status thing

5: Optional wheels from the factory

6: 3 words. Diamond Grey Metallic

7: Tinted rear glass.

[unclemat]

Originally Posted by Scooby-Doode

Totally agree with this statement. Especially true for subaru-newbs.

+1

SPT appears to be some bastard child of Subaru and conceived by some blown US located ego. Should not exist given they offer mediocre and overpriced products. I don't understand why STI has no more presence in the U.S. I can only guess corporational politics - "Americans only buy Outbacks, we don't need STI... heck we'll show Forrester Sport (sic!) despite taking most of parts from STI bin".

SOA is ridiculous.

[Hondaslayer]

Originally Posted by mattejb

^^ maybe you should get somthing with a NA 4cyl . We have a 2006 legacy and it get about 34 mpg on the highway.

I do have an NA 4 cylinder, I just enjoy the F-XT and the B9 way too much

I could DD the OBS, but then my life would suck

[Hondaslayer]

Originally Posted by unclemat

+1

SPT appears to be some bastard child of Subaru and conceived by some blown US located ego. Should not exist given they offer mediocre and overpriced products. I don't understand why STI has no more presence in the U.S. I gues corporational politics - "Americans only buy Outbacks, we don't need STI... heck we'll show Forrester Sport (sic!) despite taking most of parts from STI bin".

SOA is ridiculous.

Mediocre and over-priced?

Try good fitting / souding and competitively priced.

Where else can you get a cat-back exhaust that does not attract the attention of cops, sounds good, does not affect your warranty and costs less than $500?? Oh wait, that's right! SPT!!!

They also offer an STi muffler that goes for about $700, looks like a cat launcher, is loud, attracts cops, and oh yeah, no warranty.



(For the record, I have the cat shooter on my car and had the SPT unit)

[BOY]

Originally Posted by hondaslayer

Mediocre and over-priced?

Try good fitting / souding and competitively priced.

Where else can you get a cat-back exhaust that does not attract the attention of cops, sounds good, does not affect your warranty and costs less than $500?? Oh wait, that's right! SPT!!!

They also offer an STi muffler that goes for about $700, looks like a cat launcher, is loud, attracts cops, and oh yeah, no warranty.



(For the record, I have the cat shooter on my car and had the SPT unit)

well said. Oh, and the intake is a very nice piece too (much nicer than a chintzy aluminum tube)... if you're an intake kinda person.

[unclemat]

Sorry, I look from my narrowminded Legacy GT perspective. SPT does not love Legacy. They catback offerings are laughable.

Anyway, instead of killing trims, Subaru should save money by killing redundant subsidiaries.

[str8dwn]

I may be stupid for asking them, but here's my recent email back and forth about the Legacy STI.
I asked Samir about normal Legacy stock in Georgia, because literally, the dealers have exactly 2 Legacy wagons
(any trim) in the entire state. I went to drive one, and they had it buried behind multiple layers of cars.
Would have taken them an hour or more just to move all the cars out of the way.

Hello Mr. Kramer,

Thank you for writing back. I hope you had a nice weekend!

Unfortunately, we are not authorized to import "gray-market" vehicles
from other countries since they do not meet U.S. standards for
emissions, safety, etc. We can only sell U.S. market vehicles in the
U.S. We cannot simply sell a Left Hand Drive vehicle from another
country as they are not built to U.S. standards.

Inventory levels are based on projected demand. Projeted demand is
calculated based on previous months and years sales numbers. Inventory
is also highly dependent on what dealerships actually order. They know
what their customers ask for, so they order the most popular models.
They still receive a few vehicles that they do not order or request, but
for the most part, they try to meet the needs of 99% of their local
market. Choice of models can vary from area to area and region to
region.

If you can tell me exactly what colors, features, transmission, trim
level Legacy Wagon you are seeking, I can do a more detailed search of
the state of GA, or as broad as the entire continental U.S.

Let me know how you would like to proceed.

Sincerely,

Samir Hasan
Subaru of America, Inc.
E-contact Group
www.subaru.com



The following message was received by SOAMail:

From: Ryan Kramer

Samir,

Thanks for the reply. I am sure others have asked, but is it possible to
import one through you that is left-hand drive? Do you ever
take custom orders? It has already been released in Japan as an '07
model, and many others desire the exact same vehicle.

Also, is there a reason only 2 Legacy wagons exist in the entire state
of GA? Most dealers have no inventory to view.
Ryan Kramer


From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Product Recommendations
Dear Mr. Kramer:
Thank you for visiting the Subaru web site and for your message! At
this time we have no information about any of the 2008 models. But, I
am not aware of any plans or talk about offering a 2008 STI Wagon.
Subaru continually surveys customers for information on what products
to offer. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to reply to
this email!
Best wishes,
Samir Hasan
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer/Dealer Services Department

ORIGINAL MAIL:

I am very interested in the Legacy Wagon that is tuned by
STI of Japan (http://www.subaru-sti.co.jp/legacytunedbysti/catalog/exterior/01/index.html).

Are there plans to bring this to the US for 2008? I can tell you if it does come over,
I will guarantee a sale. In fact, you can see
so many other Legacy owners are interested as well:
http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3D40585

Please bring the special STI version over as I know it will do well,
and benefit Subaru in terms of increased performance market penetration.

-RK

[kevin2.5rs]

Originally Posted by hondaslayer

Yeah, I mean the rest of the world had to make do with a 2.0 litre 276hp STi while we got a 2.5 litre 300 hp version. Damn you SOA!!!!!

how many years did we have to wait for the STi mmmmm. 10
Did we ever get a 2 door STi........................................no
Whose engines can spin up to 8k rpms? safely
" " are stronger?
Wide seats for the fat americans.. thats good to have
umm. spec C... or the new ones coming out

[EL PAALO]

if soa doesn't bring back the manual legacy gt wagon, why should I buy another subaru?

[e11ys]

I'm sure this has been covered before, but Subaru should have nothing preventing them from bringing over the R1/R2 if the Smart is successful in 2008. I might seriously look into one of these as a daily driver....

[left footed whooten]

Originally Posted by EL PAALO

if soa doesn't bring back the manual legacy gt wagon, why should I buy another subaru?

5MT in a Legacy GT wagon would shut me up about the Legacy STi. I want to buy a NEW Legacy GT wagon with a manual, not a 2005. 6MT would make me ecstatic.

[Hondaslayer]

Originally Posted by wrx580

I'm sure this has been covered before, but Subaru should have nothing preventing them from bringing over the R1/R2 if the Smart is successful in 2008. I might seriously look into one of these as a daily driver....

One?

I will seriously buy two of them for myself and my wife as commuters. My Mother would purchase one as well.

[unclemat]

Originally Posted by EL PAALO

if soa doesn't bring back the manual legacy gt wagon, why should I buy another subaru?

Let them know if you haven't already - save the wagon:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1138275

[Jeff B]

Cool post, I hope SOA is listening.

I currently have an 05 STi, but unless the right changes are made, my next car will either be an EVO X or I will convert my car into a track/ street car. (However, if you make something like the Prodrive P2, I will buy that immediately- especially if it has a hatchback!)

Overall, I am happy with my car's power, comfort and reliability, but I cannot stand its handling. Also, I think it is a bit ugly, and while I like most of how the newer car looks, I cannot get over the ugly nose. Anyway, here is my wish list.


Smaller, lighter two-door body (preferably hatchback, but coupe is ok) OR four door of equal weight but with more track width. (Overall, lighter weight and more track width are always good.)

DSG/ twin clutch/ non-automatic based paddle shifting

Direct injection might be good, especially for the turbo motors.

Lower, lighter roofs are better than higher, heavier ones.

Better handling- change the roll center, move the engine back, widen the track width,- do whatever is needed; these cars do not handle as well as they should! (Overall, while Subarus seem to handle well on gravel and very smooth pavement, they do far worse on even slightly rough pavement.) If I am not mistaken, using the same sub-frames for everything from an Outback to an STI may be a very big problem.

Bigger fender flares always look cool (think 22b, or 05 and 06 WRC car), especially when they are engineered by the factory. Remember, the EVO X is going to have a MUCH wider track!

More supportive seats (like the current EVO)

Tan or light colored interior (my STi is too hot in the summer time, and where I live the temperature rarely gets over 80 degrees.) I do like Alcantara (sp?) much more than leather, though. (It seems to me that many luxury cars are now opting for lighter colored interiors.)

Less nose overhang, if possible. (Couldn't the engine/ transmission be moved back as is done on the WRC car? Yes, I realize this is a major redesign, but I think it is the best way to build a better looking/ better handling car that you can charge more money for!)

More performance based electronic controls like the EVO X is getting. While purists tend to hate these, good systems do make average drivers drive better- especially in rain and snow. Of course, you want these to be based on better performance, not just on limiting drivers.

Have better options for removing the wing. (As in let us keep the base of the STI wing, but remove the upper portion if we choose.) Note- I do prefer the lower hood scoop of the 06/07.

FOLDING REAR SEATS W/ PASS THROUGH! Darnit!

Consider having upgrade programs for cars, similar to how Scion lets you upgrade their cars. I think there is a huge potential for these types of sales if the program is done properly. Having the same wheels (nothing fancy) available in Black or bronze would be a good start. Perhaps the STi should come with a base for the wing (as in a spoiler), but add the full wing as an add on.

One last thought. The Legacy is a great car and with the right improvements, could challenge Euro companies such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. The current 2.5 turbo engine is great, I think it just needs better handling (wider track and revised roll centers) and to be more quiet.


I will probably think of a few things later, but this should do for now. Thanks for listening, and understand that I still think Subarus are great cars!

J

[mAdatee]

It's most likely been said a million times...

But how about a Stripped down STi with more go fast goodies and a roof vent?

Impreza STI-TR
-No skirts
-Black mirrors
-Crap seats
-Roof vent
-Base stereo


More Luxury in the STI limited

Addition of Legacy STi

I really like the idea of the STI-TR.. I would buy it.

[imprezaL2345]

does soa realize that they are contradicting themselves when they say the sti is a rally bred machine because only displacement 2.0l and below are allowed. they are equipping some sti's with leather seats and other things that shouldnt be on the car. they are being constantly beaten by ford in world rally. all the reviews of the sti claim understeer is a big problem. the sti is biggest car in rally. that new evo is amazing, hopefully in 08 they will get it together and put something out that actually is the rally bred machine it used to be. lastly remember the old 02 wrxs commercials? need some more advertising like that instead of hearing that i can lease one for 229/month

[dza360]

PLease put an over head dome light in the back of the WRX wagons...if you have a bag of groceries in the rear area you can't see anything else. It makes no sense to have a trunk light low on the side. it will always be covered.

thanks.

[rsholland]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but I would love to see Subaru incorporate a delayed power feature, so that you could operate the power windows and moonroof for a minute or so after the engine has been shut off.

Bob