skabaru

The Audi is more the good looking one that is heavy and only so so in the sack.

cfdfireman1

I'd rather have the 6 or 7 that can go like hell. But to each there own.

cfdfireman1

Would you bring a bus to plow a field? I wouldn't and same goes for autocross and track use. But if the feel of leather makes you feel fast more power to you.

no.radar

Let's go with "statuesque."

John J Szobocsan

I have driven numerous Subarus over the years, and remain unimpressed by the marque. That is not to say, that the Subaru engineers do not show occasional glimmers of inspiration.

The new diesel boxer engine is brilliant, with high levels of refinement and strong performance. Even the decision to retain the boxer engine configuration, while increasing manufacturing costs, compared with other makers building I-4 and V-6 engines is commendable. Subaru has also made satisfactory technical advancement with its drivetrain technologies, including variable torque distribution or VTD. However, I never have felt that Subaru developed a complete product. The interior usually fell short of the competition and performance, in the more mundane vehicles, remains average, at best.

The current WRX STi, while more mature than previous examples, has lost its edge to the new Evo, and consequential verges on losing its mass appeal. Too many of Subaru's products appear schizophrenic, lacking in cohesiveness and focus.

Subarus may outsell Audi two-to-one in the United States but that is a mere artifact of the pricing function between the two vehicles groups. Global sales of Subaru is significantly less than Audi's global sales and one must remember that there is much more to vehicle engineering than sheer performance on the AutoX or track. Audi's engineering team is far more capable of developing more than one-dimensional products with a margin greater than its cost of capital.

Audi's pricing points, as was early pointed out , easily exceed that of Subaru. However, Subaru is not exactly the picture of financial success.

Fuji Heavy Industries verged near bankruptcy roughly a decade age, and was partially rescued by Nissan. Later, GM acquired a minority stake in Fuji Heavy Industries. GM has since sold its stake to Toyota. Toyota currently plans on utilizing Subaru's manufacturing facility in Indiana to produce Camrys.

no.radar

...probably late 70's. As much as anything, that got me into my first one (a used '80 DL 4WD wagon from which I learned NEVER again to buy a car I'd only seen at night!) Then had an '84 and now an '07, both bought new. I think I'd go more with "utilitarian" and I do think their cars are very well constructed.

And much as I can't stand how many of the WRX guys drive their cars (recent auto-cross experience a good example), I do like the karma of that car, and its rallying heritage.

<img src="http://saiyo1.tripod.com/rally1.jpg">

cfdfireman1

<center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/11/761135/IMG_6111.JPG"></center><p>..is this the Suby tractor you drove?