Hybrid for '26.
The Subaru classic: rebadge everything so it looks worse, then keep the same outdated technology under the hood for 15 years straight as they get left behind by the market.
Can’t understand why people worship these cars. I have one from 2013. It’s a piece of shit and impossibly expensive to repair. But the AWD and manual transmission are nice.
They built up a cult following in the 90s with their (at-the-time) unique drivetrains and utter WRC dominance. They’ve pretty much been coasting since the mid 2000’s on those designs and name recognition, then proceeded to break everything that made their cars “Subaru” trying to chase fuel economy targets that they suck at.
Like. Their first gen Forester got like 25mpg back in 99. Their current Forester 24 years later gets 29-30mpg on a really good day and only makes 15 more crank hp, while cars like Honda makes are getting 35+ in similar form factors while making 200+hp. And that modern Forester’s AWD system is kinda useless because of how awfully the CVT behaves in literally every driving condition. (I should know- I’ve had to deal with both.)
Their entire lineup is heavily mid soccer mom cars that don’t even really do a good job of soccer-momming and only hold a fraction of the real “AWD” capability that their old ones were.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re not “bad” cars. But they’ve been dead to the enthusiast space for years and aren’t coming back.
Are you kidding? I would kill for a 0 mile, factory new 2008 Forester XT. This new crossover/SUV garbage is the opposite of anything Subaru used to stand for.
Just in time to slow your commute! I swear everyone that drives one of these drives slow AF.
