Subaru Comes Home to Roost in U.S.

Subaru is a company that "gets it". All Subarus perform. More than I can say for Audi.

Good article, even though it sounds like a review for the outback. Now for the boxer diesel to come, please!

Go subaru!

The SVX isn't made anymore.

And subaru isn't a luxury brand. The S4, RS4 and A4 are different cars than the impreza line-up itself.

Even VW makes much better cars than Subaru.

Rabbit > Impreza
GTI > WRX
R32 > STI
Corrado > SVX
Passat > Legacy
Tiguan > Forester
Touareg > Tribeca

"R32 > STI"?

- You wish. The STI outperforms the R32 in every performance catagory. R32s are so over-rated. I'm not sure why folks compare the R32 to the EVO and STI when those cars destroy the R32.

I owned both and the R32 is the better car. Not as fast as the STI, but much better car overall.

The R32 has most of its power going into the front and its awd doesn't really use all wheels until it loses traction.

"Even VW makes much better cars than Subaru.

Rabbit > Impreza
GTI > WRX
R32 > STI
Corrado > SVX
Passat > Legacy
Tiguan > Forester
Touareg > Tribeca"

Wheres the outback? The tiguan is a good car, but whats wrong with the forester?

Htay7500"The R32 has most of its power going into the front and its awd doesn't really use all wheels until it loses traction."

Technically that's an accurate observation but do you think that fact is of any importance outside a racing competition. I will tell you, it is not.

The R32 sounds better, it has much more usable torque, both the interior and exterior are of better quality(better materials in the interior, more features standard, better paint, better fit and finish overall). It is the better car.

" The tiguan is a good car, but whats wrong with the forester?"

Nothing wrong with the Forester. It is a good car just not as upscale in feel as the Tiguan.

The STI is in a different class performace wise than the R32. The R32 doesn't have more usable torque than the STI and will never feel like the faster car when driven back-to-back.

A Honda Accord has better a quality interior, more features standard, better paint and better fit and finish than the STI. Do you think that would be enough for an STI shopper to get the Accord instead?

LexSucks,

I owned a 2004 R32, a 2006 STI, a 2008 R32 and a 2008 STI. I think I might know better than you how they fair in a comparison. The R32 is not faster than an STI but it does deliver the power better across the RPM range.

The 2006 STI has huge turbo lag up to about 4000 RPM after which it snaps violently up to the redline. It has very short gears so it's a pain in the a** around town where unless you drive it off the boost(extremely slow) makes you look like you are racing everybody.
The 2008 has less turbo lag but not much happens when you are on boost. The power delivery is much more linear(almost like a NA engine)but that blistering acceleration from the previous model is gone. The R32 can do 95% of what the STI does, BETTER than the STI. For that 5% in handling and speed that the STI has over the R32 you give up 50% in pure driving pleasure. The sound, the refinement of the R32 is unmatched in a performance car in this price range.

Your comparison with the Accord is ridiculous at so many levels. Not only that nothing indicates that the Accord is even remotely "sporty" but the STI has by far better fit and finish than the Accord. I don't know where you got the idea in the first place that the Accord(especially the POS American model) has good fit and finish.
The R32 has performance written all over it. It has Recaro seats, huge brakes, a sublime engine with the greatest sound found in any car under $100K, it grips the road like a wild cat and the power delivery is extremely smooth. It's slower than an STI but only when we are talking pedal to the metal acceleration and maximum speed in turns. For spirited driving around town the R32 is a better choice since it delivers the power effortlessly and is glued to the road in corners.
With that said it is obvious that I still think the STI is a good car that offers at times something the R32 cannot give you, but if I would be to choose only one car, it would be the R32.

*I meant seats designed by Recaro for VW.

I'm pretty sure the R32 is a nice drive as well and is a good and fun car as is the STI. Its not refined, but does deliver great performance. I wouldn't take the sti or any high-performance car for a drive around town, then again where I live is a traffic nightmare.

Star,
I agree with most of what you are saying. But the R32 has never been my cup of tea (too small and golf looking). I have a friend that has an R32 (not sure what year). I've never noticed the sound. As for refinement? As long as the interior (and the car itself) doesn’t look cheap and doesn’t fall apart I’m OK with it.

We just pikd up a super good deal on a 2 yr Legacy lease, It has a stick, HK audio & moonroof. I like the evil exhaust sound while using the manual trans. I don't think their is anything out there w/ more bang for the buck, the lease is cheaper than a Civic LX. R32 is slow, a new Camry V6SE is faster or as fast, u have 2 use launch control on awd car?

StickShiftCamry "R32 is slow, a new Camry V6SE is faster or as fast, u have 2 use launch control on awd car?"

That's like saying that an Acura NSX is a slow car because in a straight line a Jeep Cherokee SRT8 can whoop it's a**.



The R32 is a sports car dressed as a hatchback, the Camry is a big lump of s**t with an oversized engine. The Camry is still slower even a straight line but even if that would not be the case the two are not comparable in any other way. The R32 is quick, responsive at any RPM, handles extremely well, sounds amazing and the fit and finish is excellent.

The Camry is the most boring family sedan ever made, the reactions are slow, the steering is completely numb, the car bounces uncontrollably at the slightest change of direction and there is no real usable power under 5000 RPM.

I wish people would stop taking random 0 to 60 figures published in car mags and use them to rank cars that have little in common based on that. Two cars that have similar 0 to 60 figures can be at opposite polls when it comes to driving experience. Is as simple as that.


P.S. Legacy is not a bad car. Congrats.

Camry’s are boring appliances. I had a 2007 Camry Loaner car when my old 2001 BMW 330i was getting serviced. Even though the Camry was faster than my old 330i, I couldn’t wait to give the car back and get back my 300i!

The Camry had numb steering feel as if someone shot some Novocain down the steering column. The car was soft and moved terribly during sporty cornering maneuvers (I’ve never heard anyone complementing the Camry’s handling BTW). The ABS would kick in during normal braking (never had that happen with my 330i).

I’d choose an old E46 (2002-2005) 330i with performance package over the latest and greatest Camry any day. Camry’s offer a dull driving experience. But whatever floats your boat.

I'd rather take a R32 than a Camry any day of the week. Take that V6 SE Camry out in the snow and see how it competes against an R32 with AWD.

Why are they comparing the Outback to an A4 Avant and 328 wagon? Cars that cost up to 10k more for the same features? I guess there are not that many wagons in the mainstream anymore (more luxury segments nowadays), as most car makers have gone with small SUVs. Personally I'd rather take a wagon, they are tighter and more responsive IMO. Small SUVs like the CR-V are clad sheet metal boxes that can sound tinny and perform like a Prius.

I love my parents 2009 Volvo V70 XC. Great looking wagon with LOADS of room and comfort. Even the backseats are large and open. And with AWD you have no worries. I've always liked Volvo wagons, now if they only brought back the R wagon.

@ Whelan:

I think you answered your own question. They have the same features. And, on top of this, they all have n/a 6 cylinder motors and AWD.

The article was geared for readers in the NY tri-state region. Many consumers cross shop their Audi/BMW purchase with alternatives -- Subaru being one of them.

Funny, I live in CT, therefore I belong to the tri-state. Pretty much Subie and luxury wagon haven. My issue was with them being cross shopped to begin with. If your looking at a 40k+ car, why shop for a 30K car? Subaru is not luxury, it is in the realm of Ford, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Chevy, etc. For me if I was looking at C300 Sport 4matic, I wouldn't go test drive a Legacy sedan.

So Amazingidiot has returned tot the forum and is now called Whattedouche.