In an article titled "Are Subarus the best cars money can buy?" posted on CNNMoney and published in Fortune's December issue, Alex Taylor III, senior editor-at-large, gives a well rounded history of Subaru of America, highlights the strengths and long list of safety and residual value awards. Taylor illustrates how Subaru's latest models are winning the highest marks for quality and safety, but are little known outside of Northern climes. Taylor shows how Subaru proves itself to be a lone front-runner by independent arbiters of automotive quality and safety, earning high ratings from Consumer Reports, ALG, IIHS, Motor Trend, and maintains the lead in resale and residual value.
"FORTUNE -- By the usual measurements, Subaru should be no more than an afterthought in the U.S. car market. It sells just seven car and crossover models and accounts for a slim 2.3% of U.S. auto sales. By itself, the Toyota Camry outsells the entire Subaru lineup. For years Subaru has been essentially a regional brand -- strong in the Northeast and Northwest but unknown in the rest of the country. No overnight success, Subaru of America -- the U.S. arm of Japan's Fuji Heavy Industries -- began selling cars in the U.S. 44 years ago and still ranks only 12th in size. Hyundai and Kia, which arrived two decades later, have developed broader product lines and sell several times more vehicles.
"Yet Subaru has racked up more endorsements by independent arbiters of automotive quality and safety than just about any other manufacturer. Consumer Reports rates Subaru above Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and every other manufacturer in performance, comfort, utility, and reliability, and says the company makes the best cars in America. ALG (formerly Automotive Lease Guide), the industry's arbiter of residual value and used-car prices, named Subaru the leader in retained value among mainstream brands. And after crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety made Subaru a "Top Safety Pick" across its entire product line, a distinction no other manufacturer can claim.
"Fueled by this trifecta of achievements, just about everything Subaru sells is flying off dealers' lots this year. Despite a chronic shortage of inventory, the company has been breaking monthly sales records with regularity, and sales for the year are up 26% compared with last year's -- nearly double the 14% gain for the industry as a whole. Hurricane Sandy struck right in the heart of Subaru's customer base, yet the little car company saw sales jump 30% in October, vs. the industry's 7%.
"What Subaru has done is to make itself into the first automaker that could be described as "artisanal" -- focused, individualistic, and really good at a very few things. With only limited resources, Subaru has made smart bets on features like all-wheel drive, developed memorable marketing and advertising that set it apart from the competition, and learned more about its customers than any other automaker. In appealing to them by geography, lifestyle, and, at times, sexual orientation, it has built the deepest loyalty in the car business. The company understands itself so well that for years its advertising tag line was the self-referential "It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru."
The article goes on to illustrate Subaru's humble beginnings, past models that were major flops, examples of Subaru's creative advertising campaigns, and lends praises to the Outback, Impreza, and BRZ, and the increasing demand for Subaru vehicles, especially around Northern climates. It has been estimated that 1 in 6 cars in Maine are Subarus and as you continue Northeast, the number climbs closer to 1 in 3 being Subaru vehicles. Continue to read the entire article here: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/19/subaru-best-cars/
Locally, Outback and Forester models cover the roads and crowd the parking lots at local co-ops, libraries, and historical landmarks, like this one captured by the Mount Desert Island Historical Society:
Photo courtesy Mount Desert Island Historical Society.
Photo sent to us by our guest Sarah Corson.
There are many who follow the logic of the old Subaru advertisement: "Buy a Subaru. Or get stuck with something else." The 1985 ad continues, "with all the obstacles a driver has to face every day, Subaru doesn't think your car should be one of them. Consider buying a Subaru. Or consider the option of getting stuck without it." Sounds like good advice for drivers as we head into the winter driving season.
With Subaru Symmetrical All Wheel Drive, Subaru BOXER engine, stability and traction control, Top Safety Pick and Highest Residual Value awards across all Subaru Models, no pricey incentives or rebates, and the Most Fuel Efficient All Wheel Drive in America, it comes as no surprise that Subaru is The Smart Choice for Maine. Take a test drive on the next snowy day, and you'll feel the difference driving a Subaru with All Wheel Drive!
