Cars.com has come out with their “Best Bet” cars to help guide shoppers in making vehicle buying choices. Apparently, the final selection included three models from Subaru. The models were:

• 2009 Subaru Impreza
• Subaru Impreza WRX STI
• Subaru Forester

According to Cars.com, the two Subaru Imprezas are each a “Best Bet for Sports Cars,” and the Subaru Forester has been recognized as a “Best Bet for SUVs and Crossovers.” To qualify as a Cars.com Best Bet, models must meet three quantified criteria: a “Good” rating in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests; average or higher reliability ratings; and average or higher gas mileage within their class.

“We are proud to accept these awards from Cars.com,” said Tom Doll, COO and executive vice president of Subaru of America, Inc. “The editors who have named the Subaru Impreza and Forester ‘Best Bets’ evaluate scores of vehicles, so this recognition comes from true automotive experts. The Forester and Impreza models offer safety, reliability and performance — and are fun to drive.”

(Source) Press

Tags: impreza subaru, insurance institute for highway safety, Sports Cars, subaru forester, subaru impreza, subaru impreza wrx, subaru impreza wrx sti, subaru imprezas, subaru models, subaru of america, subaru of america inc

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Chalk up another feather in the cap of the all-new Subaru Forester as it was given the top rating of ‘Good’ in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new roof strength rating system. Designed to help consumers pick vehicles that will help protect them in rollover crashes, twelve small SUVs were tested with only four receiving a ‘good’ rating.

“The all-new Subaru Forester continues to deliver the highest levels of safety as evidenced by this new IIHS test,” said Tom Doll, chief operating officer for Subaru of America, Inc. “Safety is an important part of our brand promise and we at Subaru are proud of the renowned performance of our vehicles in crash testing as well as real-life accident conditions.”

More than 10,000 people a year are killed in rollovers. When vehicles roll, their roofs hit the ground, deform, and crush. Stronger roofs crush less, reducing the risk that people will be injured by contact with the roof itself. Stronger roofs also can prevent occupants, especially those who aren’t using safety belts, from being ejected through windows, windshields, or doors that have broken or opened because the roof has deformed. Roofs that don’t collapse help keep people inside vehicles as they roll.

(Source) Press

Tags: insurance institute for highway safety, renowned performance, safety belts, Subaru, subaru forester, subaru of america, subaru of america inc, suvs, windshields

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Purchasing used cars is the trend these days as consumers try to save on spending for high-cost new cars. And Consumer Reports breaks down the wise used car investments per category as it identifies the most and least reliable used cars for 10 years – from model years 1999 to 2008 – in the magazine’s 2009 Annual Auto Issue.

Reliability data was compiled from the magazine’s Annual Auto Survey, which generated responses about more than 1.4 million new and used vehicles.

Below are Consumer Reports’ picks in five categories:

Small Cars: Honda Civic, Toyota Echo, Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Mazda 3, Mazda Protege, Subaru Impreza

Family Cars: Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Toyota Camry (except ‘08 V6), Subaru Outback (6-cyl.), Nissan Altima

Minivans: Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey

Small SUVs: Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander

Midsized and large SUVs: Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota 4Runner, Infiniti FX35, Acura MDX, Infiniti QX4, Lexus GX, Hyundai Santa Fe, Subaru Tribeca, Nissan Xterra (’05 – ‘08), Toyota Sequoia

To help consumers identify cars within their budget, Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Issue also contains a “Models to Look For” list, which is categorized by price. It features a variety of used vehicles which all have above-average reliability and are priced from less than $4,000 to $30,000 and up. CR found 19 cars that can be purchased for $6,000 or less including the 1999 Acura CL and the 2003 Buick Century.

(Source) Press

Tags: acura mdx, corolla toyota, honda cr v, honda odyssey, hyundai santa fe, infiniti fx35, infiniti qx4, land cruiser toyota, lexus rx, nissan altima, nissan xterra, pontiac vibe, subaru forester, subaru impreza, subaru outback, subaru tribeca, toyota land cruiser, toyota sequoia

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Motorweek awarded the 2009 Subaru Forester the MotorWeek Driver’s Choice Award for Best Small Utility, besting other vehicles based on performance, technology, practicality and dollar value.

“We are excited that MotorWeek has recognized the new Subaru Forester with their Driver’s Choice Award,” said Tom Doll, executive vice president of Subaru of America, Inc. “This award is really a tribute to our designers and engineers, who have created a versatile, all-wheel drive vehicle that is fun to drive, offers great value, in a unique combination that drivers appreciate in these difficult economic times.”

Other awards received by the 2009 Subaru Forester include: Motor Trend’s 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) “Top Safety Pick” – Small SUV; and the Polk Automotive Loyalty Award for consumer loyalty in the Compact SUV category.

(Source) Press

Tags: choice award, compact suv, consumer loyalty, loyalty award, sport utility, Subaru, subaru forester, subaru of america, wheel drive vehicle

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Despite being produced on a tight budget, the 2008 Ford Falcon has earned the nod as New Zealand’s Car of the Year for its excellent performance handling, value for money and ease of operation.

The FG-series Falcon was one of nine finalists for this year’s New Zealand Car of the Year award, which is open to new models launched in New Zealand during the 12 months prior to 1 November 2008. The others were the Fiat 500, Honda Accord Euro, Hyundai i30, Jaguar XF, Mazda 6, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan.

Not many people are aware of the existence of the Ford Falcon, an economical car with home and quality finish that can appeal to any car critic today. Garnering the award is an achievement in itself and it certainly helps boost the Ford brand as well.

(Source) NZV8

Tags: 2008 ford falcon, car of the year, economical car, Fiat, fiat 500, honda accord, honda accord euro, Hyundai, hyundai i30, jaguar, Jaguar XF, mazda 6, nissan x trail, subaru forester

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