PPower
01-13-2004, 12:48 PM
OK, if it's going to come up, lets at least devote a thread to it instead of having to lump it in one thread like the other place.
First and foremost, the bumper won't deter me from buying a Legacy. I don't like it as much as the other countries', but it's not a deal breaker.
Second, what I really want is an explanation from Subaru as to why they made the changes, but I don't think that they will cop up to their real reason. As someone educated in marketing, I find the internal positioning and intended targets fascinating, and these factors affected the change without a doubt. I have come up with a couple of scenarios, and it could be a mixture or all of the reasons.
For pretty much all of these, I am taking the perspective of most dealers who want to sell as many units as they can and what it takes to do so. I understand that we may have quibbles with one thing, dealers have their own complaints that may center around the Legacy not having grown enough in the interior. Have you noticed that Subaru still hasn't given out useful interior dimensions? I think that there is a discrepency between what the perceived competition of the Legacy is. We enthusiasts haven't come to a consensus ourselves. Could it be that Subaru wants the car to compare to more premium cars like Volvo, Saab, Infiniti, TSX (JDM Accord), etc. and SoA wants it to go against the higher volume Accord, Camry, Maxima? I think so. I think that SoA is trying to position the car differently than Subaru in any other country. This is like trying to put a square into a round hole.
A big strike against Subaru is size which tends to increase in desire when their want for higher hp decreases. We enthusiasts want hp and can understand if the package has to be smaller to be lighter as well. Subaru is somewhat limited because the US Maxima and Accord (Camry as well?) are mainly made for the US and are larger to meet those needs. Subaru makes one car for the world, and it is like taking the TSX and trying to say it's as roomy as the US Accord. The Legacy is at the absolute maximum width for it's tax class in Japan, so it cannot grow any more without causing a class jump in Japan.
1. Subaru is going after the "safety" name like a lower priced Volvo. Note the new side curtain airbags for one thing. They found out what getting top ratings for crash/bumper tests did for the Forester, and they want that same benefit to the Legacy. So USDM gets big bumpers to fare better in crash tests. Having rave reviews on crash testing will help the sales to the average Joe more than the better looks. Insurance should be cheaper. This assumes that larger bumpers are REQUIRED to get the "good" rating even though the Neon and VW Beetle specifically manage it with their seemingly smaller bumpers. The Forester got its best in class marks for a light SUV. A mid-size car has much more fierce competition, so maye bigger is needed to be #1.
2. Let's assume that, like the aforementioned Neon/Beetle, good performance could be achieved with EDM bumpers. Then why would the car need to be lengthened? To look larger/longer of course (as it does and is). Maybe to compete against the Maxima/Accord/Camry, SoA wanted to be able to show a car that comes closer to matching their dimensions at least on paper. The ignorance of the majority of buyers is amazing, and many would probably "fall" for that trick.
3. I'm coming to believe that maybe the extra length isn't as bad as just the change in the bumper design itself rather than the extension. Note the recessed area around the foglights rather than the more flush area on the JDM/EDM bumpers. The "tooth" in th middle looks more like the current outgoing Legacy bumper. Remember our bumper concerns back when spy shots were taken on the highway? I think that if the bumpers were extended but had the same design when looking from the front, the change may not be as shocking. Again, taking the perspective of the dealers, could it be that they would prefer more visable ties to the old Legacy?
Wouldn't it stink to find out that they were extended just to make the car *seem* bigger against the competition? We may never know the truth, but I plan to write Subaru once the big hype has died down in hopes of getting a better and accurate response.
First and foremost, the bumper won't deter me from buying a Legacy. I don't like it as much as the other countries', but it's not a deal breaker.
Second, what I really want is an explanation from Subaru as to why they made the changes, but I don't think that they will cop up to their real reason. As someone educated in marketing, I find the internal positioning and intended targets fascinating, and these factors affected the change without a doubt. I have come up with a couple of scenarios, and it could be a mixture or all of the reasons.
For pretty much all of these, I am taking the perspective of most dealers who want to sell as many units as they can and what it takes to do so. I understand that we may have quibbles with one thing, dealers have their own complaints that may center around the Legacy not having grown enough in the interior. Have you noticed that Subaru still hasn't given out useful interior dimensions? I think that there is a discrepency between what the perceived competition of the Legacy is. We enthusiasts haven't come to a consensus ourselves. Could it be that Subaru wants the car to compare to more premium cars like Volvo, Saab, Infiniti, TSX (JDM Accord), etc. and SoA wants it to go against the higher volume Accord, Camry, Maxima? I think so. I think that SoA is trying to position the car differently than Subaru in any other country. This is like trying to put a square into a round hole.
A big strike against Subaru is size which tends to increase in desire when their want for higher hp decreases. We enthusiasts want hp and can understand if the package has to be smaller to be lighter as well. Subaru is somewhat limited because the US Maxima and Accord (Camry as well?) are mainly made for the US and are larger to meet those needs. Subaru makes one car for the world, and it is like taking the TSX and trying to say it's as roomy as the US Accord. The Legacy is at the absolute maximum width for it's tax class in Japan, so it cannot grow any more without causing a class jump in Japan.
1. Subaru is going after the "safety" name like a lower priced Volvo. Note the new side curtain airbags for one thing. They found out what getting top ratings for crash/bumper tests did for the Forester, and they want that same benefit to the Legacy. So USDM gets big bumpers to fare better in crash tests. Having rave reviews on crash testing will help the sales to the average Joe more than the better looks. Insurance should be cheaper. This assumes that larger bumpers are REQUIRED to get the "good" rating even though the Neon and VW Beetle specifically manage it with their seemingly smaller bumpers. The Forester got its best in class marks for a light SUV. A mid-size car has much more fierce competition, so maye bigger is needed to be #1.
2. Let's assume that, like the aforementioned Neon/Beetle, good performance could be achieved with EDM bumpers. Then why would the car need to be lengthened? To look larger/longer of course (as it does and is). Maybe to compete against the Maxima/Accord/Camry, SoA wanted to be able to show a car that comes closer to matching their dimensions at least on paper. The ignorance of the majority of buyers is amazing, and many would probably "fall" for that trick.
3. I'm coming to believe that maybe the extra length isn't as bad as just the change in the bumper design itself rather than the extension. Note the recessed area around the foglights rather than the more flush area on the JDM/EDM bumpers. The "tooth" in th middle looks more like the current outgoing Legacy bumper. Remember our bumper concerns back when spy shots were taken on the highway? I think that if the bumpers were extended but had the same design when looking from the front, the change may not be as shocking. Again, taking the perspective of the dealers, could it be that they would prefer more visable ties to the old Legacy?
Wouldn't it stink to find out that they were extended just to make the car *seem* bigger against the competition? We may never know the truth, but I plan to write Subaru once the big hype has died down in hopes of getting a better and accurate response.