subaru missing an opportunity

My son bougth an 05 Scion tc. We were looking thru the TRD catalog. Not only do they make the parts they make available (unlike Subaru --eg. cool JDM stuff) They encourage you to buy and install it! Parts that they install at a Toyota/ Scion dealership are also covered under warrenty. His TRD springs/struts kit if installed at a Toyota dealer are guarenteed for the life of the car for the installing owner. The other parts of the car affected by the TRD parts are fully covered too. They have a supercharger comming out and if the Toyota store installs it, it and everything on the engine is covered. Subaru themselves make many excellent parts ( JDM pinks, Bilstein struts, On and On ) why dont they A) sell them here? B) install them ? C) have the faith to warrenty their own engineered, designed and installed parts? Would seem to be a win /win for all ----Mother Subaru-owners & make money for the installing dealers. If Toyota/Scion can do this why not Subaru?

and soa would say (#1 standard rude answer): we recommend that you only equip your subaru with the same parts as originally equipped.

 

 

soa can i clean my car?

 

soa: we recommend that you only equip your subaru with the same parts as originally equipped.

 

can i put 89 octane gas in?

 

soa: we recommend that you only equip your subaru with the same parts as originally equipped.

 

 

soa die in a fire

 

soa: we recommend that you only equip your subaru with the same parts as originally equipped.

 

 

talking or helping them is like talking to a wall

 

it brought this issue up with them recently

"We dont make boost gauges for the Legacy."

 

Ok, Can I get one installed?

 

"If its aftermarket we wont install it and it will void your warrenty."

 

There are SPT parts coming for the Legacy's. Soon, very soon.

 

We install all sorts of stuff as a Subaru Dealership, and a boost gauge won't void any aspect of your warranty. Regardless of modifications, if you have a Subaru defect, under waranty, it will be covered by waranty... If you need anything for your Legs, give us a call.

 

Scott

Subaru of Gwinnett

678-584-7251

Perhaps they're still a little shy from the WRX transmission fiasco and supporting performance driving.

 

I don't fully understand their deal either considering the parts are already available, it's just supply chain issues if you ask me. One thing to remember though is the fact Toyota is HUGE in comparison to Subaru. They sell at least 1.5X camrys as all of Subarus in the USDM. That's just one car line of many. So, they have finances and other aspects that make it much more feasible for them to do such things. Though I agree, even with their size, it doesn't seem like it should be that far fetched of an idea. In general, their performance parts are more robust anyhow. *shrug

Seth, you're probably right, but whoever said put a shitty trans in the car and then promote it by showing aggressive driving in the commercials and by the way, let's offer an SCCA membership with every purchase, should suffer, not us.

and how about a tire and rim upgrade for the legacy?

 

just pull it from another market area. we profit, they profit.

The official word from SOA when I ask these questions is that any hard parts changed and offered on new cars needs to be re-crash tested. Toyota, particularly with Scion probably crash-tested all the options up-front. The next round of cars from many manufacturers will probably have this kind of stuff.

 

Siegel

Sry guys but I have learned fm Toyota that they are VERY prone to kill a warranty. Especially if they have the slightest inkling that u have modified the car. They might have changed their minds with the Scion line, thou.

To date all the superchargers that they offer for their cars have said "For Offroad Use ONLY". Might want to check the fine print...

It really comes down to brand management. Scion wants their brand to be promoted throughout the 18 to 24 demographic. I'll call it the Fast and Furious (F&F) demographic.

 

The F&F's want cars to be customized as much as possible. They really don't care too much about true performance as much as bling-bling. Anything that can be done to a car, which can be included in the loan from the dealership is golden to the F&F's. Scion is really the first company to take this as seriously as they do. As a matter of fact, Toyota was so concerned with their rather bland current demographic that they made the choice to release a whole new brand which could be marketed seperately from the tired Toyota brand.

 

Subaru, on the other hand, seems to be leaning towards the true performance enthusiast. That demographic probably wouldn't buy many over the dealership counter parts, instead looking for something that will push serious power to the ground. The kind of power that Subaru just wouldn't be able to cover under warranty.

 

I don't really know if most of this is fact... although I do know that Toyota released the Scion brand to hit the 18 to 24's. The rest is just observation.

i don't think its fair to compare a scion to a legacy gt. true, subaru should make more jdm parts more easily accessible, but let someone load out their scion with everything in that catalogue, i want to see if it can beat my gt.

not a chance:lol:

Just a shame that Subaru designs and builds great OEM parts and then wont make them easily available. Then to add insult to injury thy dont want you to put these parts on the cars???? My hat is off to Scion I know they are on to sonething. As a nitch player ( that wants to build market share) Subaru needs to consider ideas such as these. RED BEAST Thanks for trying to reason with them.

There are SPT parts coming for the Legacy's. Soon, very soon.

 

What parts and when?

I don't see why not. A car manufactor like Subaru (SPO) makes aftermarket parts then that just means more money for them. I think they should corner the market with upgrades that they make, warranty, and promote.

Perhaps Scion needs to learn the same lesson that Subaru learned the hard way. I mean, Scion probably hasn't had too many warranty claims on the Tc, xA, or xB, especially concerning TRD upgrades. Perhaps once more Tcs have TRD superchargers installed on them and people driving them like they hate 'em we'll see Toyota change its tune as well.

There are some guys making over 350 whp without issues on a Scion. It's very well constructed.

 

The TRD blowers for their other cars carry full factory warranty, not "offroad use only." They follow the balance of the remaining warranty (even if you've extended to 100k, the blower is too).

The Camry has a TRD supercharger upgrade for more than a few years now, the tC shares the same 2.4L engine. So really, there isn't any new R&D to see if the engine and other parts will hold if they put the same stuff in there that they've used before.

 

Looking at the Scion catalog on the websites, it seems to be more cosmetics than performance.

There are some guys making over 350 whp without issues on a Scion. It's very well constructed.

 

The TRD blowers for their other cars carry full factory warranty, not "offroad use only." They follow the balance of the remaining warranty (even if you've extended to 100k, the blower is too).

 

That's cool that you can get 350 whp out of a Scion. But I think this will void the factory warranty.

Here is the reality: People want cheap. Subaru made all kinds of stuff available for the WRX, from short shifters and mufflers, to wheels. The common complaint was "Subaru must be crazy charging all that money for XX part, when YY part is on the aftermarket for $50 cheaper." So nobody bought it, so warehouses sat, filled with SPT parts.

 

Which makes this thread something approaching ironic. SPT parts will come for the Legacy, but we've already seen people balking at the price of the Legacy's short shift kit. People compare it to the cost of a short throw lever, without realizing that by supplying the entire linkage, the whole deal is better.

 

And after the BBS WRX fiasco, I'm sure that Subaru won't ever offer wheels again. The BBS WRX wheels were spendy, but they were light, and forged, and looked very cool if the crosslace design is your thing. "What? Subaru must be crazy! I can get Rotas or (insert brand here) for a fraction of that price."

 

I think that until Subaru sees a legitimate demand for an extensive aftermarket as supplied by SOA, you won't see the full-on TRD approach to these cars, IMHO. But, what the WRX/SPT thing has taught Subaru is that the only opportunity they're missing is to have a warehouse full of stuff sitting around that people on message boards (the modding demographic, in most cases) thinks is too expensive.

 

Could they lower the price? Sure, by lowering the quality. But compare the looks/quality of some of the SPT stuff to the less-expensive counterparts. An aftermarket company such as Stromung or Prodrive has the same problem. Do you go cheap, or do you go excellent? Full stainless, rolled tips, flawless fitment, none of that stuff is cheap. A catback for the GT, for example, might even cost something like $1000.

 

Will the market bear it? That's the question.

 

Kevin

there will always be a demand for quality and performance (both at teh same time, in many instances). yes, the market will bear it. there are plenty of people in and out of this forum willing to shell out the cash.

there will always be a demand for quality and performance (both at teh same time, in many instances). yes, the market will bear it. there are plenty of people in and out of this forum willing to shell out the cash.

 

On that point about people willing to shell out cash, Subaru also underestimated the potential of providing their full range of options to us outside of Japan. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t see BMW having troubles with their huge range of options – I certainly see some drivers who opt for this and that. Subaru should do the same. I feel I’m in a straight jacket looking at the pathetic range of options here. Color range too. False economics in my book. Makes me wonder if Subaru are run by bean counters.

I would buy aftermarket performance upgrades that carry Subaru's blessing (as OEM name as well). But then, small specialized manufacturers could probably do a better job. Subaru should come up with a list of vendors whose products do not woid warranties and are "safe to put on the car".

 

But I agree on the quality vs quantity issue. Scion is about less quality and more quantity - a philosophy that Toyota fully embraces...and something that Subaru wants to move away from.

there is no reason why subaru can't release the jdm, adm, and edm parts for our cars. after all they already tested them and are in stock.

 

i would be willing to wait a month for the parts to be made so they don't have take a chance making a lot of backup stock.

 

not only does subaru of america push you off but also subaru of australia does the same (NO HELP). this mindset needs to change towards us. i don't like the cold, rude, condescending "form" answers they give you. i don't blame the worker because they are told what to say. i blame corporate in japan.

 

try talking to us as human beings and belong to the subaru family.

FWIW. GM is doing the same thing as Scion now with the Cobalt & HHR. GM will offer a number of performace parts for both these cars. The Coblat SS is supercharged but if you want a base Coblat the supercharger will still be a BOLT ON KIT! Same for the HHR.

 

This is GM's answer to the Scion. With the Cobat & HHR you can buy a base car and customize it or you can buy it already done from GM. If you buy GM Performace parts kits you will NOT void you warranty!

 

I don't forsee a lot of manufacturers going this way but I do like the idea.