Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
We appreciate our fantastic customer feedback! Thank you to our happy customer for the kind words.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Car Store - Memorial Day Sale
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
BMW and Subaru Take the Lead in TrueCar's May 2012 Performance Scorecards for Manufacturers and Brands
BMW, Subaru, and Jaguar / Land Rover Receive Top Grades by Manufacturer
SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TrueCar.com, the authority in new car pricing, trends and forecasting released its Performance Scorecards for automotive manufacturers and brands. The Performance Scorecards grade each manufacturer and brand on eight different measurements including pricing, sales, incentives, customer loyalty, market share, and days in inventory.
Overall, the top manufacturers on the Scorecards in April were BMW, Subaru, and Jaguar/Land Rover.
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BMW and Subaru Take the Lead in TrueCar's May 2012 Performance Scorecards for Manufacturers and Brands (via PR Newswire)
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TrueCar.com, the authority in new car pricing, trends and forecasting released its Performance Scorecards for automotive manufacturers and brands. The Performance Scorecards grade each manufacturer and brand on eight different measurements including…
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Monday, May 21, 2012
Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Driving in High Wind Conditions
Driving in high winds can be dangerous and even more hazardous because of the other weather conditions that normally accompany them. Extreme caution should be used when driving a car in any type of severe weather.
- Be aware of the other vehicles around you in high winds. This is especially true with RVs, campers, trucks, buses, or trailers being towed.
- Slow down the speed of your car to minimize the wind’s affect on your vehicle.
- Avoid parking near trees, downed power lines and buildings.
- The main factors that keep you on the road are the weight of your vehicle, so if you are driving a little city-car along the motorways in the high winds,you should be more careful.
- Plan ahead. As you have to drive more slowly in high winds you should expect your journey to take longer than usual and therefore leave extra time. You definitely don’t want to be speeding to make up the time!
- Make steering corrections when driving from a protected to unprotected area. This is because the wind may move your car with a sudden force after being in the protected area.
- Lower your speed when driving next to larger vehicles such as trucks and buses. These vehicles can swing out and hit your car if the wind picks up suddenly.
- Listen to the radio for changes in weather conditions that could become more dangerous.
- Wind is often accompanied by heavy rain or winter precipitation. Stay alert for slippery areas.
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Courtesy of Car-Use.net
Thursday, May 17, 2012
On The Road Review: Subaru Legacy
Ssshh, quietly now, one of the most subtle success stories in the American auto industry is taking place and practically no one is noticing. Except of course, the principals involved, who are jubilant beyond belief — as they should be. That old, reliable, under-the-radar brand from Japan, but with cars built here in Indiana, is making a run at eclipsing some of its other niche competitors. Yes, Subaru is on a roll — a big roll — and most people don’t even know.
Numbers matter — and big numbers matter more. The accounting side of business, work and government is the metric for measuring success, or failure. It can be nasty, the whole business scenario, but if you don’t know the numbers you can’t be a player, you can’t bargain, you can’t succeed.
So it is quite significant that Subaru has flown under the radar screen and has, so far this year, beaten the total sales of Chrysler, Ram Trucks, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Buick and a whole lot more automakers. It doesn’t seem like Subaru is just a regional brand anymore.
Key to this success — the highest sales levels ever recorded by Subaru in the American market — are several small significant points.
First Subaru worked to revise its exterior styling to come somewhat closer to the domestic-norm, while still evoking some unique Subaru-esque qualities. Secondly, Subaru decided that its interiors needed serious updating in both efficiency and levels of refinement. While not yet a threat to Audi, the folks at Subaru need not be embarrassed anymore. And thirdly, while it was paramount to maintain its quirky boxer-engine layout and full-time all-wheel drive (more about this in a minute), Subaru has been smart enough to recognize that the market was going to want greater fuel efficiency in its cars at some point. That time has arrived and several Subarus have marked increases in EPA economy ratings.
Many of these revisions hearken back to 2009 when Subaru rolled out the latest Legacy sedan, a larger, more mainstream offering that shouted to the class stalwarts that the brand didn’t want to play around the midsize segment perimeter anymore.
And while Legacy sales have improved, the other products in Subaru’s lineup have, too, so the Legacy — once the main product — is now the slowest selling car of four. Only the dated Tribeca midsize crossover sells slower than the Legacy, leaving the Outback, Forester and all-new Impreza out front of the company’s four-door sedan.
With over 80,000 new cars sold in the first three months of the year, a healthy 17 percent gain over last year at this time, Subaru is unveiling two more entries to its lineup. Unveiled in April was Subaru’s first rear-drive-only car, a sporty 2+2 coupe built with Toyota called the BRZ. Expecting to cost around $25,000 to start, the BRZ will offer handling like Mazda’s Miata, but with a fixed roof. Subaru is also planning a sportier, more rugged compact crossover based on the Impreza platform for early this fall.
The Legacy made a big splash when it debuted three years ago because it was so — conventional. A Legacy GT sample with the five-speed manual transmission was fun to drive, roomy inside and nicely appointed. It was what the market asked for, a Legacy that was closer to a Camry or Accord, yet it still offered all-wheel drive.
Unfortunately, the new car market was in the midst of a three-year swoon during the height of the recession and the Legacy didn’t have the legs to carry it to the top of the midsize segment — or the middle for that matter. Still, critics adored the newest Legacy and Subaru built on those acclaims and was able to sell more of everything — except the Tribeca.
Now, we get the chance to drive the premium R sedan with the larger 3.6-liter flat-six engine. With 86 horsepower more than the base 170-hp boxer four engine, the 3.6R has some serious punch on tap, yet the car is not the hot ticket for best performance. That model is the Legacy GT with a turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter four, an engine that punches out a raucous 265 hp with a six-speed manual transmission to keep sporting drivers engaged.
The main attribute of the 3.6-engine is midrange torque, which the six-cylinder has in greater reserve than the base motor. Fuel economy, as you might expect, is lower; 23/31-mpg for the base 2.5-liter boxer engine, 18/25-mpg for the larger six-cylinder.
Otherwise, the 3.6R delivers a similarly composed ride compared to the 2.5-model cars, yet the handling seemed less precise, less agile to a notable degree. The 3.6R is a few hundred pounds heavier and that weight seemed evident all of the time you are driving the 3.6R. Traction and grip were never a challenge, and body lean is well damped. But the lithe moves that the 2.5i delivered three years ago were but a fond memory while piloting the heavier 3.6R.
The Legacy offers comfortable seating and good interior spacing. Tire thrum, however, was often evident, while the stereo system seemed to need a bit more beef to overcome the ambient sound levels on the road. Stereo operating buttons, though, were larger and more convenient to use here, overcoming a gripe that has often been shared about other Subarus.
The optional navigation system is integrated into the display screen for the audio system. This requires that you acknowledge use of these components every time you start the car, forcing you to make two punches on the screen or the panel goes blank. This is not forward progress for in-car electronics and the lawyers that mandate these acts for self-preservation should be forced to shovel horse manure during holiday parades.
Legacy pricing starts at $19,995 for a 2.5i with a manual gearbox. Add $1,000 for an automatic. The best-selling 2.5i Premium lists for $22,295 and is a better buy since it includes the automated CVT transmission. The 3.6R begins at $25,095 while the 2.5 GT is $31,595. Actual mileage during the Legacy’s visit ranged from 23.5 mpg to 26.1 mpg.
In a world where we talk good, better and best, the Legacy is better than ever before, yet not the best in its class. It is a very good car in search of some more tinkering and evolving. Perhaps the anticipated DNA of the BRZ will trickle into the Legacy and it too will help the brand achieve its secretive sales goals.
Courtesy of FenceViewer.com
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Car Store - May Finance Specials
Low Interest Financing on all 2012 Subaru!
Click Here to contact our Finance Department and let us show you the savings you will receive over the life of your loan!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
New 2.0-liter turbo ready for next-generation Subaru WRX and BRZ
Turbo Torque recently reported that Subaru is working on a faster version of the BRZ, but not to look for a factory equipped turbocharged version in the Valley anytime soon as it only recently made it's debut in the Japenese market. However, Car and Driver reported we could be seeing what kind of a supercharged engine that Subaru will be putting in the the BRZ and the WRX in the future and it's fun to 'be in the know' in the meantime!
Subaru has developed the first supercharged version of the 2.0-liter FA-series four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine that is now used in the 2013 Subaru BRZ and the Scion FR-S. Reports say the new turbocharged engine will develop an impressive 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. This is significantly more than the current 200 horsepower boxer engine we see in the 2013 Subaru BRZ says Turbo Torque.
If you have not had the chance to drive the limited BRZ, don't wait! These vehicles are limited and in high demand! Contact our sales staff and make an appointment for a test drive or to reserve your next new vehicle today! Please remember availability is limited and The Car Store will make every effort to put you behind the wheel of this new to Subaru model. Contact bcd@thecarstore-vt.com for more details!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Caring for Windshield Cracks and Dings
Warmer weather also means running the air conditioning. "The shock of quickly going from hot to cold stresses a windshield and causing that ding to suddenly become a cracked windshield," says Jim Olson, director of national accounts and brand awareness for NOVUS® Windshield Repair.
Here are some tips if you have a ding or star on your windshield:
Inspect the ding. If it has a cone shape, a circle deep in the glass or looks like a small star with points spreading out, have the ding repaired promptly. These are serious dings that can grow into a cracked windshield.
Don't touch a ding or attempt to repair it yourself. Without special equipment and training, you will only contaminate the damaged area, making repairs hard to complete.
As a temporary measure, put a piece of clear tape, like packing tape, over the ding. This won't keep the ding from spreading, but will help prevent contamination.
Don't wash the vehicle-especially through the car wash. Soap and water can contaminate the spot and a high-pressure wash can cause the ding to expand.
Driving a vehicle with a windshield ding causes vibration and exposure to the elements cause the ding to spread.
Avoid slamming the car doors and don't close the doors with the windows rolled all the way up. The vibration or buildup of air pressure inside the car can cause the ding to spread.
Don't run the defroster, heater or air conditioning on high settings. Don't park the vehicle in the sun. Rapid changes in interior temperature or prolonged exposure to sunlight can stress and weaken the windshield.
Source: NOVUS via Road & Travel Magazine
Thursday, May 10, 2012
David Higgins wins his fourth Oregon Trail Rally
Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins, along with co-driver Craig Drew, won 12 stages out of 16 to win his fourth Oregon Trail Rally.
Higgins never trailed in the rally even when he shot off the road at high speed and bent his rear control arms. The team managed to finish the stage and hobbled to the service center for repairs.
“I thought I was done for when I went off,” said Higgins, “but my team got me back on the road. I couldn't have done it without them. I'm so proud to win four Oregon Trail Rallies. I'm getting up there with Ken Block in wins at single events.”
Notably, Higgins' closest rival, the Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team's Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard, needed to bounce back from a DNF at the second round of the Rally American National Championship. At the Oregon Trail Rally the team dogged Higgins until when a few turns into stage seven, the car stopped. They were unable to continue, and a second DNF severely complicated their chances for another Rally America title.
The overall podium and class podiums were filled by many new Rally America drivers and teams. Canadian Rally Championship regular Leonid Urlichlich with Carl Williamson drove their 2007 Subaru STI to second place overall for his first American podium finish 4:25.9 minutes behind Higgins.
The 2011 Rally America rookie of the year Adam Yeoman, with co-driver Jordan Shulze, stepped up to the overall podium by finishing third for the first time in his Rally America career. He finished 10:20.2 minutes behind Higgins.
The Super Production (SP) Class was won by Belgium Group N Champ David Sterckx, with co-driver Karen Jankowski, for their first SP podium in just three U.S. events. Sterckx edged local Hood River driver, Dave Henderson, with Terrence McDowell, by 30.9 seconds. This was Henderson's first second-place podium in his SP Class car.
Chris and Lori O'Driscoll rounded out the SP Class podium finishing 7 minutes 52 seconds from the class leader.
In their first American competition, Australians Will Orders and Toni Feaver battled furiously to win the Two Wheel Drive (2WD) Class by 1:44.3 over 2WD regulars Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey. It was a close competition between Orders and Comrie-Picard until the longer, faster stages on day three gave the Nissan-driving Australians an advantage.
It's amazing. The Nissan was so fast out here and the roads were incredible,” exclaimed Orders, “I can't wait for the next round at the STPR Rally.”
Edward McNelly and Ole Holter bounced back after a rollover in Missouri last February to complete the 2WD podium in their 2011 Ford Fiesta R2 and their first podium this season.
The 2WD class is proving to be highly competitive during this year's Rally America National Championship. Orders finished fourth overall and Comrie-Picard took fifth overall, beating the more powerful 4WD machines in the process.
Adam Yeoman was the only American-born driver in the top five, joined by a Manxman, an Australian and two Canadians.
The Oregon Trail Rally, the third round of the Rally America National Championship, was once again a notoriously tough three-day event that began at Portland International Raceway for a fan- friendly, four-stage night. The event moved to the fast, sweeping farmland and roads near the Dalles and Dufur, situated under Mt. Hood, for Saturday and Sunday.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
First drive: 2013 Subaru BRZ
As most Porsche and Subaru drivers know, the boxer engine got its name by the movement of its pistons. Unlike every engine you, I or our ancestors ever tore apart, the cylinders that house the pistons in a boxer engine — be they four or six — do not form the familiar V.
Rather, boxer pistons move much like the gloves of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, each man with his back to the other throwing continuous jabs to the ropes. Each stroke of the combustion cycle is like Ali throwing punches on one side, Frazier on the other, except with infinitely more consistency and intensity if not equal finesse.
The boxer architecture is square, able to lower the mass of the engine, not just improving handling by moving weight lower but also resulting in an uncanny smoothness due to the cancelling out of opposing forces. If the engine is the heart of the car, the boxer is the kind that will withstand the most rounds in the ring while never really breaking a sweat. First patented by Karl Benz, the boxer engine is only one of four that have a natural dynamic balance, the other being the straight-six favoured by BMW, the V12 and the wankel. In a way, it’s almost magical.
Subaru and Porsche, the only automakers to routinely use boxer engines, have long enjoyed the beauty of the flat-four and flat-six. It is also why Subaru’s new BRZ rear-wheel-drive sports car beats with a specially developed 2.0-litre boxer engine, purposely engineered for the BRZ (Boxer, Rear-wheel-drive Zenith) and Toyota’s Scion FR-S. The engine may produce only 200 horsepower, or 100 hp per litre, but its delivery is as shrewd as Don King negotiating a title match, able to manipulate the 150 pound-feet of torque to make the car feel almost as if there’s a turbo lurking beneath that long aluminum hood.
Driving the BRZ through the twisting canyon roads of Oregon for several hours, it became clear that this boxer engine is a sweetheart. While able to redline at 7,450 rpm, the power arrives much earlier, starting at around 3,500 rpm. The smoothness of the boxer engine is obvious, but you can also get a sense of the inherent mechanical workings of the engine by the way it sounds and feels, giving the driver a level of intimacy so seldom felt in modern sports cars. Coupled with the car’s light weight of 1,255 kilograms (44 kg less than a Civic Si), the 200 hp easily motivates the BRZ up hills and through sweeping bends. It’s only when passing at high speed that a little more power would be welcomed (possibly reserved for a future STI model).
Regardless, the true delight of this car is its handling, so pure is its response. The BRZ’s steering, through a fat, 36.6-centimetre wheel turning with a 13:1 ratio, feels utterly connected to the road and to the car. It seems perfectly weighted and quick to turn in, never keeping any secrets should understeer set in, which it rarely did at Oregon Raceway Park, where I pushed the BRZ as fast as it could possibly go.
Even though the car has an ideal weight balance of 53-47 biased to the front, the BRZ was more likely to oversteer as it exited a corner. The 215/45R17 Michelin Primacy tires that all BRZ models wear over 17-inch alloy rims tended to hold the car better than expected for a rear-wheel-drive vehicle. Pushed quickly out of a corner, the rear tires gave up only a little as full throttle was applied with the traction control off. Understeer rarely showed up. The car’s beautifully arched front fenders, visible from the driver’s seat, made pointing the car wherever I wanted it to go as easy as sending a Labrador after a Frisbee.
Indeed, lap after lap in the BRZ proved that it only wants to have fun, that the only way to ever encounter trouble is to do something seriously egregious. Driven smartly, however, the BRZ responds with a delightful sense of playfulness and purpose, holding itself up with considerable composure through the corners, diving quickly into sharp turns, revealing itself as a car with a truly enjoyable character. In other words, it’s an honest-to-goodness sports coupe.
That, of course, did not come by luck. In the BRZ, the engine sits lower (by 120 millimetres) and further back in the engine bay than the Impreza. The crankshaft was lowered, too. The car’s centre of gravity is 460 mm from the ground, lower than a Porsche Cayman’s. The battery was moved back near the firewall, the starter motor and power steering motor strategically located, such were just some of the measures taken to make the BRZ one of the best-handling cars one can buy for $27,295.
That price is for a BRZ equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. An automatic is also available. While the six-speed manual and its short-throw shift lever feels almost like the manual in a Nissan 370Z but with an easier clutch, the six-speed automatic comes with a Sport mode for sharper shift points, along with a manual mode controlled by paddle shifters that will blip the throttle on downshifts to rev match the engine with the lower gear. With the six-speed automatic, the base car rises to $28,495.
The BRZ’s agreeable price doesn’t mean Subaru cheaped out on the interior either. While there was noticeable road noise in the base model car and some wind noise, too, the cockpit is dressed in decent soft-touch materials and good-looking gauges, aluminum pedals and a proper centre-mounted tachometer inset with a digital speedometer, much like the way Porsche does it. The sport seats in cars with the Sport-tech package wear leather, Alcantara inserts and coloured stitching; just don’t expect two adults to fit comfortably in the rear. Heated seats, however, only come with the Sport-tech package, which also adds fog lights, a tasteful body-coloured rear spoiler, dual zone auto climate control and smart key with push-button ignition. Still, the cost of the BRZ with this only option package is $29,295 for the manual and $30,495 for the automatic.
Yes, the base BRZ does sell for $1,305 more than its twin, the Scion FR-S, but the BRZ includes such standard items as LED lighting, HID headlamps and touchscreen navigation that includes Bluetooth phone and audio. And it was Subaru that did the majority of engine and powertrain development, leaving the styling aspects to Toyota (which owns about 16% of Subaru), so the BRZ’s DNA is more aligned with Subaru.
Built in Subaru’s Gunma, Japan assembly plant, the BRZ will undoubtedly reveal to the world that Subaru is not just about sensible, all-wheel-drive Outbacks and Legacys. The BRZ will prove that Subaru does indeed have a sexy side, one that doesn’t need a single Sumo wrestler to help sell its cars.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Cold Facts About A/C Refrigerant
In the past few years, many owners have discovered that fixing an inoperative air conditioner can cost a few hundred dollars or more, depending upon the make and model of vehicle. The reason is that the old standby R-12 refrigerant, trade named DuPont Freon, has been replaced by R-134a. Touted as being environmentally safer than its predecessor, R-134a has been standard since ’94.
If your older vehicle needs major repairs to the air conditioning system you can expect to replace refrigerant and the oil in the compressor in addition to the old components. You also may need to install a retrofit conversion. Do not allow anyone to mix refrigerants. They’re not inter-changeable. You cannot add R-134a to your older air conditioner without first flushing the system. Further, according to the Car Care Council, some substitutes are volatile mixtures of propane, butane and flammable hydrocarbons. Keep in mind the fact that if your vehicle is leaking refrigerant, you’re damaging the ozone layer.
An annual inspection of the vehicle, including the air conditioning system, may help forestall costly repairs. Ask your service center to evaluate your system before those hot and humid days of summer.
Courtesy of CarCare.org
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Subaru Road Racing Team Reaches Podium at Miami GRAND-AM Race
Spaude, of Bushnell, Fla., qualified the #35 SRRT WRX STI on the front row for the race, comprising of a massive 67-car starting grid encompassing two car classes, and kept the WRX STI in the lead for 19 laps around the 2.3-mile combination NASCAR-style banked oval, and flat infield road course located just south of Miami, Fla.
While running in a comfortable 10th place on lap 30 of 82, Spaude handed driving duties over to teammate Andrew Aquilante of Chester Springs, Pa., who brought the distinctive #35 WRX STI to the checkered flag in third-place after making numerous exciting on-track maneuvers.
“The varying weather conditions throughout the race posed a challenge, but our car performed flawlessly all weekend; plus our pit stop strategy proved to be the right one, said SRRT owner Joe Aquilante, principal of Phoenix Performance in Phoenixville, Pa., where the SRRT Subaru is prepped and maintained. “We can’t wait for the next round which is at our home racetrack in Millville [New Jersey].”
Added team driver Bret Spaude, “I enjoyed a great first stint and didn’t feel much of any pressure [from the competitors] from behind in the wet [conditions]. Our WRX STI really stuck well in the corners, and I was able to keep the lead right up to my first pit stop.” After handing off the car to his teammate, “AJ [Aquilante] picked up right where I left off and made some incredible passes to help us get onto the podium.”
Aquilante and Spaude were among 67 cars entered in two classes in GRAND-AM Road Racing’s largest participatory series.
“We’re pleased to take away a podium finish from the Homestead round, our team has been working hard in tapping the performance potential of our Subaru WRX STI,” remarked James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. “Both Bret and Andrew put in some great drives under difficult and varied weather conditions while maneuvering through heavy traffic. We’ll build on this result for our next race in two weeks.”
The race-prepped #35 SRRT 4-door WRX STI is developed to compete against rival teams fielding cars producing over 400 horsepower.
The next race, the B+ Heroes 200, will be May 11-13 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, NJ, nearby to both the team’s race shop location, and corporate headquarters for Subaru of America, Inc.
The Homestead round was taped and is scheduled for broadcast on SPEED TV on May 12 at noon ET.
Courtesy of Subaru
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Subaru’s Unique Driving Assist System “EyeSight” Received the Commendation for Science and Technology 2012 from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Norwich,VT. April 29, 2012 – Subaru’s Unique Driving Assist System “EyeSight”, won the Prize for Science and Technology, Development Category, in the 2012 Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. “The Commendation for Science and Technology” is to honor those who have made noteworthy contributions either to the research and development of science and technology, or to the promotion of public understanding of science and technology. The Car Store is proud to offer such an intelligent technological advancement to our customers in the 2013 new model year line-up.
The EyeSight system as a next-generation safety technology and developed the original stereo camera technology, using two CCD cameras. It was the first device ever to use stereo camera technology to provide the driver many safety assistance features such as an advanced, safer “Pre-Collision Braking Control” that stops the vehicle if it detects the risk of frontal collision, thereby avoiding the collision or reducing collision damage. In addition, FHI successfully developed EyeSight at low cost by using one sensor which not only controls the driving support system but also measures the distance, the speed difference and the relative positions between in front of the vehicle and driving car. Since its introduction in Japan, this user-friendly device has been highly praised with a good balance between its affordable pricing and excellent utility.
For more information on Subaru's Eyesight system, please contact bdc@carstores-vt.com and one of our skilled sales consultants will explain the benefits associated with this unique technology.
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