I think most of their cars are on brand new platforms, so even now a days there teething issues for new "models"

 

Subaru styling needs the biggest fixing

 

The frustrating part is that we know they can make good looking cars. The concepts look great but the production cars look almost identical to the models that preceded them.

I know they aren't a brand based on exciting vehicles, but they could really use some excitement in their designs.

 

To think then Subaru had once a stunning well designed car, the SVX who spanned the Amadeus 2-door wagon concept-car https://jalopnik.com/the-subaru-amadeus-was-a-flat-six-shooting-brake-that-w-1825355676

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia6m6joSuqY


Had the SVX being sold as an Acura or Lexus, I think history could had been different.

 

Was it Bob Lutz who said “It cost the same to build an ugly car and a good-looking car. Might as well make it good looking.”

 

It is amazing the amount of loyalty Subaru has been able to build with mediocre styling questionable durability.

At least they claim to be interested in improving instead of coming up with excuses for ignoring the results.

 

The standard heated liftgate makes for easy pushing of your broken Subaru in the winter, with a few buddies helping.
No more frozen fingers! lol....

 

Its their whole philosophy. Mush, other worldly, babies cooing, petting puppies, pregnant ladies, etc in the ads. They make a couple of exciting cars (BRZ and Impreza WRX) that they never advertise. All we see, is the tree hugging, other worldy mush. How can that be exciting. They need a couple of hot chicks fitting about in a Ferrari red BRZ. I happen to like Subarus, but their design philosophy and marketing is a big snooze fest

 

The premise is very simple: the automaker that stands for the most widely desired set of values by definition attracts the greatest number of consumers.

1. Toyota and Honda took QUALITY, the most widely desired product characteristic. And it’s worked like a charm.
2. To outdo them, Subaru took LOVE, the most widely desired human emotion. And it’s paid off handsomely.

Once you have consumers’ attention, you can offer them family vehicles, sporty vehicles, boring vehicles, safe vehicles, ugly vehicles. They will buy pretty much whatever you put in front of them.

That in a nutshell is what this is about.

 

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Hoping not to be misunderstood, I like good styling; however, I lean more toward the function side of the Form:Function ratio.

So, most Subaru's don't bother me. Nontheless, a really good looking Subaru would be something - especially if it maintained Function chops as well.

One thing though ... the H-engines put them on an island.

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BTW, just to state the obvious: going wide is not the same as going with a bunch of niches —i.e., FCA.

Jeep stands by fun and adventure. That clarity of brand positioning helps Jeep stand out on the market. But fun and adventure is a significantly less universally desired emotion than love. Which means Subaru’s growth potential will continue well after Jeep’s has run out.

Despite it’s clarity, Dodge’s juvenile muscle car performance positioning is even narrower.

 

BTW, just to state the obvious: going wide is not the same as going with a bunch of niches —i.e., FCA.

Jeep stands by fun and adventure. That clarity of brand positioning helps Jeep stand out on the market. But fun and adventure is a significantly less universally desired emotion than love. Which means Subaru’s growth potential will continue well after Jeep’s has run out.

I was just thinking that the two notions are rather contrary. And that demand for a niche product is more ephemeral than a widely desired one - that a change in cultural or economic factors could quickly blunt demand.

 

Subaru is a piece of junk. I always wondered how are they successful in the USA.

 

Funny.......... I always found them to be tough, dependable, quirky, cars that quickly turned into balls of rust, but didn't rust as quickly as Dodge trucks and Jeeps. The auto transmissions had built-in best by dates, but those in the know didn't buy their auto transmissions.
Then they went rally racing and cleaned up.
Then GM gained control and changed the entire flavor of the cars.
GM bailed due to money troubles, and now Toyota is the boss, changing the flavor once again, and attempting a shot at mainstream.

 

Junk or not, Subaru outnumbers Jeep by 2:1, sometimes 3:1 in the parking lot where I work. When I hear people newly located here (workers from overseas with a Visas) ask what kind of car to get the first answer is always Subaru.

 

What stood out to my wife at the time was value for money in her 2016. Other than a battery that went out in year two, a programming recall, weak lug nuts that AAA broke, and a frustrating navigation upgrading procedure, the car's been pretty good in the last 3 years. So much so that my sister and friend have each bought one. My sister is having problems with the infotainment as her newer model has Carplay/Android Auto and apparently that wasn't yet ready for prime time. And my friend's Outback was decontented bizarrely enough, but she loves it. I'm the mechanic in my household and as of late the whole fleet has been well behaved, but that battery that died at year two worries me. Apparently its a known problem in Outbacks and I'm waiting to see if it dies again in 2 years. Meanwhile the Civic and Voyager I have don't seem to care how old their batteries are and putter along just fine.

 

Subarus have never been particularly reliable.

For years Subaru got away by combining truck-like durability with car-like safety, ride and handling.

But as Subaru becomes increasingly mainstream, truck-like durability is not enough. It will increasingly be judged by mainstream values, reliability being number 1.

The same will happen to pickups if they become mainstream across North American households. They are well on their way there.

 

Subarus have never been particularly reliable.

For years Subaru got away by combining truck-like durability with car-like safety, ride and handling.

But as Subaru becomes increasingly mainstream, truck-like durability is not enough. It will increasingly be judged by mainstream values, reliability being number 1.

The #1 reliability issue I ever heard (and experienced) was the head gasket issue. Is it still a common problem? Everything was plain, but dead reliable for us. Actually, it would have been a perfect car for the no new technology crowd, lol.

 

“Sporty” cars are dying off in NA as well. Vehicle can no longer be roomy, light, fast, and inexpensive like they were 15-20 years ago. Regulations and cost won’t allow a new batch of WRXes, EVOs or SRT Neons. The “affordable” go fast market is now limited to Chargers and Challengers.

 

Audi is still making a killing selling sporty coupes, convertibles, sedans, hatchbacks and CUVs. So is VW...and decreasingly BMW.

 

what I like is subarus build cars that you can actullay see where your going. Large side glass and great rear visiabilty.. I don't want to drive a pill box.

 

That excellent visibility made a significant impact on our purchasing decision.

I lost a lot of visibility in our Durango but my wife was fine with the more confined view.

 

Not surprised with CR gushing over Subaru. Our Forester was functional first and foremost, kind of like an all weather toaster.

 

You mean an AWD toaster that gives you LOVE!

 

Yikes at that Fiat number!

 

Yeah. Too bad the chart is not upside down...

 

Keep in mind how problems influence these ratings. Its not like the bottom makes have 10x the problems as top makes. It is a problem or 2 difference in many cases.

 

But a problem or two make a big difference when your dealership experience is horrible. Figured I would give the local dealer another chance, thinking maybe they were just super busy last time I tried because of the winter weather. Nope, I ask about an oil change and the guy tells me he can make an appointment for two weeks from now. And that's just an oil change, nothing wrong with the car, a half hour at most. A problem or two if you have to deal with that is significant.

 

I'm at the point where I dread going to the dealer for FREE oil changes.
The Jeep dealer is terrible, though there are a couple of massage chairs and a video game that has PacMan and some others loaded. But it's noisy, smells like the service department, and right beside the showroom.
The GMC dealer is better, but only but an incredibly small margin.

 

The only two CDJR dealers within a 60-mile radius have modern, open sales and showroom areas, but the service and waiting areas are downright small, dark and dingy, at both of them.

To me that encapsulates FCA’s strategy.

 

Wow. Your dealerships must have some small, inadequate, dirty service waiting areas. The dealer I use has a nice clean service waiting area that easily seats 20 with a nice flat screen TV for your viewing pleasure. It's right next to the service entrance and you can see vehicles being brought in by other customers. Can't see when your is done since they line them up on the other side of the entrance and then the service advisor comes to inform you the service is complete and escorts you to the cashier (or if a warranty/recall with no money due hands you the keys and service invoice). It's been a while since I have actually been there but last year the entire service entrance was revamped.

 

Same with my dealership. Only have used it a couple of times. But, the waiting room is clean, with plenty of room. Has coffee there for you along with something to snack on. They are polite and explain all that they have done.

 

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I don't have an FCA car. My last Dodge ( Neon ) was a D-C Chrysler product, which I donated to a USA Veterans group to re-build and sell or give to a Vet family.

So, I'm an outlier.

My dealership experiences match the best conditions noted in this thread. It's borderline embarrassing. I'm critically looking for an " Hitch in their Giddy-Up ", but have not encountered that ... yet.

Owing to that, I can understand the crummy outlook regarding some of the car brands, and how they are impacted by dealership performance.

When I go in for warranty work - I've not had anything stick its nose above the horizon just yet - I drive in and never have to look for anyone, and I haven't had to wait in line. Yet, there are car owners in the waiting area having work done.

Some day, some time, something could easily happen. It just hasn't yet. No funny noises; nothing out of the ordinary. More trouble with the traffic in the area roundabout - but that's not part of the discussion.

I'm driving their cheap cars; but they don't seem to treat me as if I'm low on the Totem Pole.

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The express lane oil change is a joke unless the dealer is large enough to have a separate, dedicated technician. I miss the 20 minute oil change place I moved away from. The shop manager and most of the techs were gearheads. They alway took care of our vehicles and pointed out maintenance items they saw from underneath that I should be aware of.

 

My express lane is my driveway lol!
I do all 4 cars no wasted time at dealerships. Also do the inboard boat with the handy vacuum pump.

 

I was on a car buying expedition these last few days and I did go into a couple of Subaru dealerships. I test drove the Forrester, Crosstrek, and Legacy. The salesperson continuously pushed there CR numbers and said they were unbeatable in safety. They said all the models I was looking at were tops in their respectable fields. After test driving the models I wanted, I said they all were good except for acceleration. He told me if you want that to go to a WRX or BRZ. I told him...so if I want more hp, i need to go to those vehicles or pay a lot more for the upgraded versions. He said most Subaru owners don't care about acceleration. I told him, if I need to get out of a situation, I want that. So needless to say I did not purchase a Subaru.