Subaru of America Announces Record Breaking Sales Year

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/subaru-of-america-announces-record-breaking-sales-year-80710987.html

 

Outback and Legacy leading the way. Some of the news rags are now referring to Subaru as the "4th largest Japanese automaker" in the US.

wow, good for them !

 

now just bring the Legacy Wagon back and they'll be 3rd largest Japanese carmaker in US.

wow, good for them !

 

now just bring the Legacy Wagon back and they'll be 3rd largest Japanese carmaker in US.

 

In Spec B form.

Are you kidding me, a dealer still had brand new Bajas in 2008?

Are you kidding me, a dealer still had brand new Bajas in 2008?

 

But that's not the wagon - that's something that's not really a pickup and not really a sedan.

 

Must have been a Californian on pot that came up with that!

 

A Spec B Wagon would be a hit for some people!

http://data.bytbil.com/images/molnlyckebil/NRY574-1001.jpg

Here is more from autoblog

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/05/by-the-numbers-2009-up-and-down-year-ends-down-for-most-editi/

Most automakers giving themselves a pat on the back for a strong sales performance in December should take a second look at the books. A good month of sales to finish off a crappy year still equals a crappy year of sales. The chart below makes this perfectly evident, as only three individual brands and no multi-brand automakers managed to make it through 2009 selling more vehicles than they did in 2008. Not surprisingly, Subaru, Kia and Hyundai (in that order) were the three brands to post an overall sales increase in 2009, with Subaru posting a double-digit rise of 15 percent. With 216,652 sales overall, Subaru now sells more vehicles in the U.S. than Volkswagen and Mazda, two direct competitors with larger lineups.

......

Awesome! Looks like the new '10 Legacy/OB and killing the leggy wagon has really paid off!

Awesome! Looks like the new '10 Legacy/OB and killing the leggy wagon has really paid off!

 

Market research FTW!

focus grouping and mainstreaming, at it's finest.

 

Which is good for everyone... but the enthusiast who wants something better.

focus grouping and mainstreaming, at it's finest.

 

Which is good for everyone... but the enthusiast who wants something better.

 

Opinion... not fact. The two are not mutuall exclusive.

Ok, it is an opinion. But it is formed by fact, and historical trend.

 

Show me a case where it ISN'T mutually exclusive.

 

Show me a car that is focusing on mainstream salability, like Camry, or Accord, or such, that is something that I, an enthusiast, with particular tastes, would like to own.

 

Chasing high sales to appliance buyers pretty much alienates enthusiasts every time it is tried. The reverse not as severe. Some mainstream buyers buy enthusiast grade cars, even just on image or reputation.

 

And you can't say that 2009 Legacy GT and Spec B -> 2010 Legacy GT was a big step up for enthusiast credibility on any particular front, let alone as a whole.

 

Subaru itself is touting the car as more mainstream than ever, paying only lip service to the fact that it is sportier than Camry and Accord, etc... because Legacy GT does offer a turbo and a manual gearbox, regardless of it's difficulty to find, and less content for more money when fully loaded, compared to the previous Legacy.

Ok, it is an opinion. But it is formed by fact, and historical trend.

 

Show me a case where it ISN'T mutually exclusive.

 

Show me a car that is focusing on mainstream salability, like Camry, or Accord, or such, that is something that I, an enthusiast, with particular tastes, would like to own.

 

Chasing high sales to appliance buyers pretty much alienates enthusiasts every time it is tried. The reverse not as severe. Some mainstream buyers buy enthusiast grade cars, even just on image or reputation.

 

And you can't say that 2009 Legacy GT and Spec B -> 2010 Legacy GT was a big step up for enthusiast credibility on any particular front, let alone as a whole.

 

Subaru itself is touting the car as more mainstream than ever, paying only lip service to the fact that it is sportier than Camry and Accord, etc... because Legacy GT does offer a turbo and a manual gearbox, regardless of it's difficulty to find, and less content for more money when fully loaded, compared to the previous Legacy.

 

Your interpretations of historical trends do not equate to facts.

 

I can't speak to your personal tastes, but enthusiasts have embraced cars that were mainstreamed in the past. The Corvette is an excellent example of a car that was aimed at the masses and is embraced by enthusiasts. It was a sports car for all. If you're saying mainstreamed towards the camry/accord type of car, then no. Enthusiasts generally aren't fond of those cars, with the glaring exception of the civic. Probably the most mainstreamed car in terms of both volume and equipment, yet it is also probably the largest tuner car in NA.

 

My general point is that while your opinion about the 2010 legacy and the direction that subaru is moving is not a unique one, it is still just an opinion. Also, correlation does not infer causation. Because SOA is aiming at the masses (ie larger volume), it does not necessarily mean they are headed towards a car that will be less embraced by the enthusiast crowd. Perhaps you do not embrace it, but you are just one member of a much larger group of individuals.

Show me a car that is focusing on mainstream salability, like Camry, or Accord, or such, that is something that I, an enthusiast, with particular tastes, would like to own.

 

I actually kind of like the AWD Ford Fusion Sport.

Your an enthusiast. Your chicken crap to the car companies. They have the sti, they think that will satisfy your need.

 

Its all about the numbers. Why do you think theres no spec b this year?

Welcome to the Toyota-fication of Subaru, with that kind of mentality. Thanks for further establishing my opinion as true.

 

And MJ, I'd like to agree with you... but Fusion Sport doesn't really compete against G37x-S or Audi A4 Quattro.

 

Fusion, Milan, MKZ, MKS and Taurus SHO are still to FWD based for me. Longitudinal driveline and rear bias, please.

 

I understand mainstreaming for a car brand.

 

But heaven forbid a car company, especially with a niche position like Subaru HAD, actually have a *diverse* enthusiast-grade product line, even if some of their other products are mainstream appliances.

 

As I said... enthusiasts don't buy appliances. Sometimes poseurs buy enthusiast grade cars just for the image and reputation, because actual enthusiasts establish the credibility of the reputation.

 

The STI, mechanically is still very good. But the new body style is not winning a whole lot of converts. Maybe some body style diversity would generate some conquest sales. Again with that product line diversity...

 

But no. Subaru, especially SOA, is more interested in chasing Toyota's appliance-market mainstream table-scraps.

Welcome to the Toyota-fication of Subaru, with that kind of mentality. Thanks for further establishing my opinion as true.

 

....

 

Subaru, especially SOA, is more interested in chasing Toyota's appliance-market mainstream table-scraps.

 

 

Mid-December issue of Economist has long article about Toyota's slips of the recent past, some of them due to overdoing the "mainstreaming" of their vehicle designs. The word "appliance" is actually used in the article.

 

Some quotes:

 

Astonishingly, in the first three months of 2009 it made an even bigger loss than GM, which was then on the verge of bankruptcy. Underlying all these problems is an uncomfortable truth: Toyota’s rivals have now caught up. They now offer cars that are just as reliable but far more exciting than the rather dull vehicles Toyota has concentrated on producing in ever-larger numbers.

 

For years Toyota has been the quality benchmark for every carmaker, but at the very moment it faltered, others were finally catching up. The truth is that although a few fail to make the grade—Chrysler still has a lot of catching-up to do—most cars these days are extraordinarily well-made. The quality surveys by which buyers used to set such store are now based on minute differences. This is the main reason why the manufacturers’ positions in the league tables have become increasingly volatile.

If Toyota can no longer rely on its superior quality to give it an edge, its vehicles will inevitably be judged increasingly on more emotional criteria, such as styling, ride, handling and cabin design. In America, Toyota is likely to face much more consistent competition from at least two of Detroit’s Big Three, while both Hyundai and VW are starting to snap at its heels. The South Korean company has put on an astonishing spurt this year, adding about two points of market share to take it to 7.2%. Its Lexus-rivalling Genesis saloon was named North American car of the year. In 2010 it will start selling the new Sonata, which looks like being a great improvement over the old model, aiming it squarely at the Camry.

And whereas Toyota’s sales have fallen by 23.8% in America so far this year, VW’s sales have dropped by only 6.6%.

 

One conclusion was that Toyota should be more ruthless in exploiting its early leadership in commercialising hybrid systems and electric-vehicle technology. Although every other big carmaker is launching new hybrids (including plug-ins) and purely battery-powered vehicles, or is preparing to, Toyota is convinced that it is still ahead of the pack. Within a few years there will be a hybrid version of every car Toyota makes and there are plans to extend the Prius brand to cover a range of innovative low- and zero-emission vehicles.

Another conclusion—and possibly a more radical notion—was that Toyota must stop making so many dull cars with all the appeal of household appliances. Importantly, Mr Toyoda is what is known as a “car guy”, a part-time racer and an enthusiast for cars that are designed with passion to engage the right-side as much as the left-side of the customer’s brain. At the Tokyo motor show in October he said pointedly: “I want to see Toyota build cars that are fun and exciting to drive.”

 

 

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15064411

I still don't know of any appliance sedans that get mag complaints about oversteer:eek:.

 

Subaru can either listen to IWSS (who has never bought a new Subaru) and cease to exist within 10 years... Or listen to their larger customer base and make their products what they want. IWSS, do you even go to a dealership for service?

I wanted to buy a new Subaru.

 

SUBARU WOULDN'T SELL ME ONE. So I had to buy used. THEY lost the sale. I spent months looking for a manual gearbox Limited Legacy GT with black leather interior, instead of tan. There were only 4 cars that I came across, and all were either tan leather, or automatic, or both. None of the dealers were interested in ordering me anything, and several were downright rude.

 

They didn't have any in the upper midwest. The SNOW BELT. Good geography for Subaru sales. I went to VERMONT to get a *used* one from a now-former-member here on this forum. I would have gone to Minneapolis, Kansas City, Chicago... any number of cities to get a new one, if they HAD ANY.

 

And I do most of my OWN service, thanks, otherwise I have a local import mechanic that I trust not to cut the hell out of the wiring for my pro-sport gauges, like the nearest Subaru dealership did when I took it in for dash rattles, a prematurely worn driver's weather seal, and some mis-fitting interior panels, all under "warranty", at 30K miles.

 

They called and "asked" AFTER their tech had already cut the wiring. The Boost gauge still doesn't respond as quickly as it should.

 

And the dash still rattles. And the driver's door seal frayed out again that they replaced... and the driver's seat side panel that I had them replace a broken fastener... has two intact fasteners now... that don't work to hold the panel in place.

 

And unless I am trying to play around on purpose, and significantly pushing the limits, I have never had my Legacy oversteer by any surprise. But then again, I never had the CRAP RE92 excuses that Subaru calls tires, either. Funny how decent traction helps. Brake pads that aren't trash helps too.

 

They aren't listening to their customer base, they are listening to Toyota's customer base. Who already buy Toyotas.

 

Do you pull your head out for fresh air at all?

 

If the good points of the BL Legacy were any less good... it wouldn't be worth the trouble of how Subaru dealers and service departments treat their "customers". IF you want something other than the car they have out front... good flippin' luck.

 

It is a testament to how good the engineering is, that I can even tolerate dealing with the company, and so I don't, as much as possible. I'll be damned if I would buy an appliance vehicle that isn't as good, from them.

 

You call that "listening to your customers?" I call bullcrap, and laugh at the mere thought.

I wanted to buy a new Subaru.

 

SUBARU WOULDN'T SELL ME ONE. So I had to buy used. THEY lost the sale. I spent months looking for a manual gearbox Limited Legacy GT with black leather interior, instead of tan. There were only 4 cars that I came across, and all were either tan leather, or automatic, or both. None of the dealers were interested in ordering me anything, and several were downright rude.

 

They didn't have any in the upper midwest. The SNOW BELT. Good geography for Subaru sales. I went to VERMONT to get a *used* one from a now-former-member here on this forum. I would have gone to Minneapolis, Kansas City, Chicago... any number of cities to get a new one, if they HAD ANY.

 

And I do most of my OWN service, thanks, otherwise I have a local import mechanic that I trust not to cut the hell out of the wiring for my pro-sport gauges, like the nearest Subaru dealership did when I took it in for dash rattles, a prematurely worn driver's weather seal, and some mis-fitting interior panels, all under "warranty", at 30K miles.

 

They called and "asked" AFTER their tech had already cut the wiring. The Boost gauge still doesn't respond as quickly as it should.

 

And the dash still rattles. And the driver's door seal frayed out again that they replaced... and the driver's seat side panel that I had them replace a broken fastener... has two intact fasteners now... that don't work to hold the panel in place.

 

And unless I am trying to play around on purpose, and significantly pushing the limits, I have never had my Legacy oversteer by any surprise. But then again, I never had the CRAP RE92 excuses that Subaru calls tires, either. Funny how decent traction helps. Brake pads that aren't trash helps too.

 

They aren't listening to their customer base, they are listening to Toyota's customer base. Who already buy Toyotas.

 

Do you pull your head out for fresh air at all?

 

If the good points of the BL Legacy were any less good... it wouldn't be worth the trouble of how Subaru dealers and service departments treat their "customers". IF you want something other than the car they have out front... good flippin' luck.

 

It is a testament to how good the engineering is, that I can even tolerate dealing with the company, and so I don't, as much as possible. I'll be damned if I would buy an appliance vehicle that isn't as good, from them.

 

You call that "listening to your customers?" I call bullcrap, and laugh at the mere thought.

 

:lol: There's no way that NO ONE would special order you a car. especially in the snow belt. I've ordered 2 new Subarus and will probably be ordering you a third. And more :lol: at the Toyota's customer base comments. Subaru customers said the cars needed to be bigger. Subaru obviously didn't know to what level they were going to be conquesting other brands. Subaru still has one of the highest loyalty rates of all manufacturers... which means they are keeping their current customers AND getting new ones.

 

I still don't know how these cars are appliance. They still out drive all the other cars in their classes. i don't know of any 2010 camry or accord that gets reviews like

...loose rear end ("Whoa. This thing is seriously tail-happy on the handling circuit. Way too much oversteer."),

 

The BL Legacy and it's Outback cousin were Subaru's biggest failures to date. They were a departure from Subaru's formula that made them cash rich through the late 90's early 2000's. Based on sales goals, they are a bigger flop than the SVX, Tribeca, or the Baja.

 

I'm not saying the previous generation Legacy and Outback were bad cars by any means... but they were not what enough car buyers wanted to pay Subaru's bills. Subaru was struggling with these cars at a time when all of the Japanese auto makers were growing by leaps and bounds and were untouchable.

 

You look for failure in anything and everything SOA and FHI do. I don't agree with everything by any means, but in my mind I see where they are going and realized that it's a good thing. I strongly believe that if Subaru kept up with its delusions of grandeur they would not be around 10 years from now. I was all for having upmarket Subaru's... but I'm not blind enough not to see it just wasn't going to work.

:lol: There's no way that NO ONE would special order you a car. especially in the snow belt. I've ordered 2 new Subarus and will probably be ordering you a third.

 

NO ONE OFFERED, no one wanted the hassle, or the risk of being stuck with the inventory.

 

When I said that I wanted a particular car, that they didn't have, they shut down, and turned off. Salesmen are paid to sell me a car. I am not paid to fight with them to get what I want. I will not pay money to a dealership that has no interest in helping me find what I want to BUY from them. That is not the way capitalism works.

 

I went IN PERSON, to subaru dealers in Omaha, Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Davenport, Iowa City, and searched the inventory of every other dealer within a 300 mile radius of my home.

 

I spent three months looking. I went to Ramsey Des Moines every chance I got for two years, to keep an eye on inventory, and I went there multiple times while I was trying to buy. They didn't have ANY GTs on the lot, and didn't want to have anything to do with them.

 

There were none of the GTs with a black leather interior and a manual transmission, and only 4 of any other configuration. FOR THE WHOLE UPPER MIDWEST. That is not enough inventory for customers to notice.

 

Even if they would have been interested in helping me, the 2007 Legacy GT was not available in Garnet Red Pearl, NOR Regal Blue Pearl, and Atlantic/Newport Blue Pearl cars WERE UNAVAILABLE WITH BLACK LEATHER.

 

I did not want a gray, black or white car, I wanted a car with a COLOR, either blue or red, or anything besides a shade of grayscale.

 

SUBARU MADE THAT DECISION TO LIMIT COLORS AND INTERIORS, not me.

 

And more :lol: at the Toyota's customer base comments. Subaru customers said the cars needed to be bigger. Subaru obviously didn't know to what level they were going to be conquesting other brands. Subaru still has one of the highest loyalty rates of all manufacturers... which means they are keeping their current customers AND getting new ones.

I still don't know how these cars are appliance. They still out drive all the other cars in their classes. i don't know of any 2010 camry or accord that gets reviews like

 

Says you. Back it up... Just because you want to justify it, doesn't make it true. The Camry and Accord offer more V6 power than the Legacy H6, and are probably less expensive for it. The only advantage is AWD, and not everyone is sold on just that. They are all ugly and look like appliances inside and out. Not all the reviews have been positive, and most have not said that the '10 Legacy is a driver's car. Even the positive reviews have barely called it a competent car to drive, let alone an enthusiastic drive.

 

People still report that the Legacy 2.5GT is almost non-existant, just as it was in 2007 for me. People can't buy what they can't find. Subaru is OBVIOUSLY pushing the 2.5i CVT, and the 3.6R models.

 

They aren't keeping a whole lot of people around here who liked the BP/BL. I don't know that the 2008+ Imprezas looks are keeping a whole lot of die-hard subie fans in the fold, either. The under-powered 08 WRX certainly didn't go over well.

 

Keep living the fantasy. If SOA painted every car in their inventory either baby-poo brown, or baby-puke green, you would still find a way to spin it as a positive business decision. You are a sycophant, and you have shown yourself to be one in pretty much every one of your posts.

 

The BL Legacy and it's Outback cousin were Subaru's biggest failures to date. They were a departure from Subaru's formula that made them cash rich through the late 90's early 2000's. Based on sales goals, they are a bigger flop than the SVX, Tribeca, or the Baja.

 

SALES FLOP MY REAR END, THEY WERE NOT SOLD TO ANYONE. PEOPLE CANNOT BUY UNAVAILABLE PRODUCTS, THAT HARDLY ANYONE KNOWS ABOUT!!!!!

 

SUBARU FLOPPED IN PUTTING THAT CAR (Legacy specifically) ON THE MARKET.

 

And OUTBACK was the biggest unit seller in the lineup the whole damn time.

 

I'm not saying the previous generation Legacy and Outback were bad cars by any means... but they were not what enough car buyers wanted to pay Subaru's bills. Subaru was struggling with these cars at a time when all of the Japanese auto makers were growing by leaps and bounds and were untouchable.

 

You look for failure in anything and everything SOA and FHI do. I don't agree with everything by any means, but in my mind I see where they are going and realized that it's a good thing. I strongly believe that if Subaru kept up with its delusions of grandeur they would not be around 10 years from now. I was all for having upmarket Subaru's... but I'm not blind enough not to see it just wasn't going to work.

 

Maybe they would have gotten buyers if their product planning department got it's head screwed on straight, and offered people what people want, instead of only what SOA wants to offer.

 

We see time and time again that Japanese-built Legacys were offering what we wanted to buy. They had special models, they had more option choices, they had more configurability. SOA kept limiting choices, year over year.

 

Take a look at the top of this web page. What Legacy is pictured there? A JDM Legacy GT Spec B Tuned by STI. Something that wasn't even close to what was offered in the US market.

 

Subaru didn't have dilusions of grandeur. They had morons doing their US market product planning, and they didn't support their product properly, and people had a hard time putting their money down for that. The people who even knew about the car to begin with... People still don't recognize the BL Legacy as a subaru, let alone it's particular nameplate. That is not market awareness by any measure.

 

If there had been any other car that I wanted... and I did test drive an A4 and a G35 at the time... I would not have gone through what I went through to get a Legacy GT.

 

I went through that because I knew I wanted THAT car. I AM THE CUSTOMER SUBARU SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR. I AM THE CUSTOMER THAT WENT THROUGH A LOT OF CRAP TO BUY A SUBARU PRODUCT, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT IS WHAT I WANTED.

 

The fact that they couldn't put a car in front of me that I wanted to buy from them, after 3 months of looking, and after they cut options, is THEIR FRAKKING FAULT.

 

THAT IS NOT LISTENING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.

 

And turning around, and going after Toyota/Honda/Nissan's mainstream sedan table scraps is not listening to their customers, either. It is a cheap cop-out, and it is going after the low-hanging fruit, because it is easier to pick.

 

I don't go looking for SOA to fail. They do that just fine on their own. But hell if I am just going to ignore it, and try to justify it like you do.

NO ONE OFFERED, no one wanted the hassle, or the risk of being stuck with the inventory.

 

When I said that I wanted a particular car, that they didn't have, they shut down, and turned off.

 

Even they knew not to take you seriously:lol::lol:... I'm sure you gave them waffling signals just like you would post here.

 

The Camry and Accord offer more V6 power than the Legacy H6, and are probably less expensive for it.

They offer more power yes... but they are also slower and more expensive.

 

The only advantage is AWD, and not everyone is sold on just that. They are all ugly and look like appliances inside and out.

subjective:rolleyes:

Not all the reviews have been positive, and most have not said that the '10 Legacy is a driver's car. Even the positive reviews have barely called it a competent car to drive, let alone an enthusiastic drive.

you should go back and read the reviews. Over 90% have been positive and most of those praised the driving dynamics. You seem to remember only the handful of lukewarm and bad reviews. I would expect that ofcourse.

 

People still report that the Legacy 2.5GT is almost non-existant, just as it was in 2007 for me. People can't buy what they can't find. Subaru is OBVIOUSLY pushing the 2.5i CVT, and the 3.6R models.

Cars.com shows

438 GT's in dealer inventory

328 3.6R's

1,757 2.5i's

That's 2,523 Legacy sedans out there... Subaru sold over 3,000 last month... It looks like that's more of a function of not being able to backfill dealer inventory.

 

Keep living the fantasy. If SOA painted every car in their inventory either baby-poo brown, or baby-puke green, you would still find a way to spin it as a positive business decision. You are a sycophant, and you have shown yourself to be one in pretty much every one of your posts.

No bro.. i just approach things objectively instead of the shoot from the hip drivel you come up with.

 

SALES FLOP MY REAR END, THEY WERE NOT SOLD TO ANYONE. PEOPLE CANNOT BUY UNAVAILABLE PRODUCTS, THAT HARDLY ANYONE KNOWS ABOUT!!!!!

 

SUBARU FLOPPED IN PUTTING THAT CAR (Legacy specifically) ON THE MARKET.

 

And OUTBACK was the biggest unit seller in the lineup the whole damn time.

Those cars were supposed to take Subaru to 250,000 units in 2005. They flopped like flacid donkey penis. Subaru produced almost 50% GT's in the 2005 MY and offered every color combination from the get go. They cut back because buyers weren't buying, Dealers weren't buying, and the incentives started flowing.

 

 

Maybe they would have gotten buyers if their product planning department got it's head screwed on straight, and offered people what people want, instead of only what SOA wants to offer.

 

We see time and time again that Japanese-built Legacys were offering what we wanted to buy. They had special models, they had more option choices, they had more configurability. SOA kept limiting choices, year over year.

There is no way people would pay the kind of money Subaru's would cost here relative to other brands if all the bells and whistles were on the car. As much as I hate to admit it as there are a lot on would want... it's true. In every Europe and Australia, Subaru's are priced a lot higher relative to other brands. And in both of those markets, Subaru struggles with profitability because the margins are so slim. You would have Subaru price themselves right out of the market.

 

Take a look at the top of this web page. What Legacy is pictured there? A JDM Legacy GT Spec B Tuned by STI. Something that wasn't even close to what was offered in the US market.

This car was sold in how many markets? How many holy grail JDM and EDM cars have versions that sell in the US but are not available here? Do you honestly think this is unique to Subaru?

 

Subaru didn't have dilusions of grandeur. They had morons doing their US market product planning, and they didn't support their product properly, and people had a hard time putting their money down for that. The people who even knew about the car to begin with... People still don't recognize the BL Legacy as a subaru, let alone it's particular nameplate. That is not market awareness by any measure.

Subaru STILL has major brand awareness issues. It's getting better because marketing actually put together a plan to get the word out. I agree that Subaru's marketing was atrocious then, but it still needs a lot of work today.

 

 

I went through that because I knew I wanted THAT car. I AM THE CUSTOMER SUBARU SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR. I AM THE CUSTOMER THAT WENT THROUGH A LOT OF CRAP TO BUY A SUBARU PRODUCT, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT IS WHAT I WANTED.

You bought a used car that you only get warranty work done at a dealership. Big whoop. How many times did forum members here tell you just to buy a car... any car?

 

 

The fact that they couldn't put a car in front of me that I wanted to buy from them, after 3 months of looking, and after they cut options, is THEIR FRAKKING FAULT.

 

THAT IS NOT LISTENING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.

You're not "their customers." You're "A" customer. You can't please everybody.

 

And turning around, and going after Toyota/Honda/Nissan's mainstream sedan table scraps is not listening to their customers, either. It is a cheap cop-out, and it is going after the low-hanging fruit, because it is easier to pick.

If anything Subaru is going back to its roots before trying to push the brand somewhere it couldn't afford to go with +2005 Legacy, Outback, and B9 Tribeca. If anything it's harder to compete with Toyota/Honda/Nissan without brand awareness and with their very loyal customers. Low hanging fruit my foot. The fact is that a slice of 2005 - 2009 Legacy and Outback will be orphans. It's just going to happen.

 

I don't go looking for SOA to fail. They do that just fine on their own. But hell if I am just going to ignore it, and try to justify it like you do.

I see it my mind what FHI and SOA are doing and I understand it. I saw it coming down the road and head time to digest it. FHI gave fair warning as to what was going to happen post premium flop. Subaru was failing at a time when everyone but the domestics were doing really well.

I see it my mind what FHI and SOA are doing and I understand it. I saw it coming down the road and head time to digest it. FHI gave fair warning as to what was going to happen post premium flop. Subaru was failing at a time when everyone but the domestics were doing really well.

 

It was the little things, like being able to get a dual exhaust without buying the fuel guzzling turbo, that made me choose Subaru. The de-contenting of the Legacy has ensured that I will not be a repeat customer.

It was the little things, like being able to get a dual exhaust without buying the fuel guzzling turbo, that made me choose Subaru. The de-contenting of the Legacy has ensured that I will not be a repeat customer.

 

OK?.

....B4...I kinda have to give you the nod. PPl don't want a 38-45K LGT in the USA. Plus with the US dollar being so weak, it only makes matters worse in terms of Subarus margins in the states.

Even they knew not to take you seriously:lol::lol:... I'm sure you gave them waffling signals just like you would post here.

 

No waffling. I was ready to deal, after TWO YEARS of preparation. I simply knew what I wanted, and NO ONE HAD IT.

 

They offer more power yes... but they are also slower and more expensive.

 

subjective:rolleyes:

No bro.. i just approach things objectively instead of the shoot from the hip drivel you come up with.

 

They are slower than the hard to find GT, not the 3.6R, and they are more expensive than the 2.5i. You cherry pick your stats.

 

Those cars were supposed to take Subaru to 250,000 units in 2005. They flopped like flacid donkey penis. Subaru produced almost 50% GT's in the 2005 MY and offered every color combination from the get go. They cut back because buyers weren't buying, Dealers weren't buying, and the incentives started flowing.

 

There were no incentives. There weren't any in 2007. They were selling around invoice price, with no rebates, if you could find one.

 

Maybe SUBARU should have actually made an effort to sell the car

 

IF YOUR PRODUCT ISN'T SELLING, WHAT NIMROD THINKS IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE IT LESS APPEALING, AND MORE RESTRICTED????????

 

Is everyone who works at SOA as big a moron as you?

 

There is no way people would pay the kind of money Subaru's would cost here relative to other brands if all the bells and whistles were on the car. As much as I hate to admit it as there are a lot on would want... it's true.

 

SAYS YOU. Yet Subaru still sells a 35-40K IMPREZA variant, but not their more premium car variant.

 

In every Europe and Australia, Subaru's are priced a lot higher relative to other brands. And in both of those markets, Subaru struggles with profitability because the margins are so slim. You would have Subaru price themselves right out of the market.

 

It would NOT have cost Subaru that much more to CONTINUE to offer an interior color choice.

 

Or a paint color choice.

 

Or more than one color on the Spec B, and NAV optional, which would have cut 2000$ off that car's price.

 

You bought a used car that you only get warranty work done at a dealership. Big whoop. How many times did forum members here tell you just to buy a car... any car?

 

I bought a USED car because SUBARU wouldn't SELL ME A NEW ONE.

 

I spent THOUSANDS of dollars traveling to get that car. I would have spent that on a new car, if SUBARU WOULD HAVE SOLD ME ONE, YOU MORON.

 

Are you a complete tool? Would you take your car back to a dealership that left your car WORSE off than they found it, when they hacked up wiring, and still didn't fix what they were there to fix?

 

ARE YOU INSANE???? Why would I ever take my car back there?

 

You're not "their customers." You're "A" customer. You can't please everybody.

 

No, but they sure can sell out, now can't they. IF they had even tried to please entusiasts like those of us here on the LEGACY forum, they might please more people than they currently are.

 

There is no reason for the '10 Legacy to be less than BETTER in every way than the BL Legacy. It isn't even on PAR in more aspects than not.

 

If anything Subaru is going back to its roots before trying to push the brand somewhere it couldn't afford to go with +2005 Legacy, Outback, and B9 Tribeca. If anything it's harder to compete with Toyota/Honda/Nissan without brand awareness and with their very loyal customers. Low hanging fruit my foot. The fact is that a slice of 2005 - 2009 Legacy and Outback will be orphans. It's just going to happen.

 

Going back to it's roots. Subaru has never been a mainstream car company. They may not have been premium, but they weren't Toyota clones, either. Get a clue.

 

Going after the masses with a Toyota/Honda/Nissan clone is going after the low hanging fruit, whether you like the analogy or not, whether I like the car or not.

 

I see it my mind what FHI and SOA are doing and I understand it. I saw it coming down the road and head time to digest it. FHI gave fair warning as to what was going to happen post premium flop. Subaru was failing at a time when everyone but the domestics were doing really well.

 

Yup. I saw it too. When I watched Subaru cancel the interior color choice for 2006. When they cancelled the wagon and exterior paint colors for 2007. When they refused to paint the Spec B more than gray until 2009.

 

when they released an UGLY Tribeca at first. When they released an UGLY Impreza in 2008. Do you remember the negative feedback on that. I do.

 

When they refused to continue building coupes, buy not renewing the SVX nor the Impreza coupe body style.

 

When they didn't equip the Baja with Outback's H6, or enough capacity to tow even basic things like a motorcycle or jetskis, or whatever else that wouldn't fit in the tiny bed, and fulfill more of it's potential. Not even class 3. A turbo engine is good in a Legacy or WRX... it is the wrong choice in a vehicle that needs torque right from idle, like, say, an H6, which the OUTBACK had... and the BAJA WAS EVEN BASED ON.

 

Subaru has a track record of not learning from the marks that they miss, even when they don't usually miss by much. They still QUIT, instead of getting BETTER. THAT is the infuriating bit. So damn close, yet so obliviously far away.

 

They didn't quit on the Legacy, they merely quit on it's potential, over and over again.