2014 Subaru Forester Gets Big Nod of Approval from Consumer Reports

While more and more buyers seem to be opting for the functionality of car-based crossover vehicles every day, it's rare that your read much in the way of passionate praise for one. And, while Consumer Reports doesn't exactly lavish written paeans on the Subaru Forester in its latest review – that's just not its style – it did give the CUV a remarkably high overall score.

Praising its excellent fuel economy, visibility, roomy interior and a whole lot more, the testing publication bestowed an overall score of 88 out of 100 on the Forester. That's a really excellent number for just about any vehicle, but it's also a top-of-the-class mark for the Forester's small CUV division. Just about the only major gripe was that of ride quality.

Most of the direct competitors to the Forester have earned CR marks in the mid-70s. The Honda CR-V is some 11 points behind, for instance, while the Toyota RAV4 and the Mazda CX-5 earn scores of 75 and 74, respectively.

Via AutoBlog

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Sheehy 5000 Sales Race Press Release from MarketWatch

Want to learn more about how you can raise money for breast cancer research with the Sheehy 5000 Sales Race? Read this press release from MarketWatch: http://on.mktw.net/13NYVh5

2014 SUBARU FORESTER ACES TOUGH NEW CRASH TEST; EARNS NEW IIHS 2013 TOP SAFETY PICK+ RATING

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced that the all-new 2014 Forester has received a Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2014 Subaru Forester is the first vehicle to ace every aspect of the challenging small overlap front crash test conducted by the IIHS. The Forester is the only one of 13 small SUVs to earn an overall rating of good in the test. This is not the first time that the Forester has stood out in a new IIHS crash test. When the Institute first rated small SUVs for side protection in 2003, the Subaru model performed the best and was one of only two vehicles to earn good ratings.

“With the redesigned Forester, Subaru’s engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded,” says Joe Nolan, the Institute’s vice president for vehicle research. “This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection for people in these kinds of serious frontal crashes.”

This award builds on Subaru’s safety reputation and is the first IIHS designation for 2014 model year Subaru vehicles. Subaru is the only manufacturer with 2013 IIHS Top Safety Pick for all models and the only brand with IIHS Top Safety Picks for all models for four years running (2010-2013). The 2014 Forester is the third Subaru vehicle to earn the TSP+ award. The 2013 Subaru Legacy and Subaru Outback (built after August 2012) were awarded the Institute’s 2013 TSP+ designation in late-2012. The award requires a “Good” or “Acceptable” rating in the Institute’s new small overlap frontal crash test in addition to meeting the base “TSP” award criteria.

"Safety is one of our brand tenets and so we are extremely proud to have earned a TSP+ rating for Forester and a third Top Safety Pick + rating for our brand," said Thomas J. Doll, president and chief operating officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “The Forester is the most award winning small SUV in America and now we have another designation for this venerable vehicle.”

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New Inventory Specials at Sheehy Subaru

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Subaru Puts Forth $400 Million for Plant in Indiana

As a part of a goal to increase its US sales tally up to 500,000 annual units by the end of the decade, Subaru is investing $400 million in its Lafayette, IN assembly plant in order to start building the Impreza in 2016. According to Automotive News, about half of that investment will be for a new paint plant while another big chunk will be used to extend the assembly line to allow for the increased capacity.

Currently, Subaru's Lafayette plant is responsible for building about 200,000 Legacy, Outback and Tribeca models each year (not including around 100,000 Toyota Camry sedans), but Subaru-specific output will be increased to 300,000 units, requiring an additional 900 new hires as well. Although a previous report suggested the Forester and Impreza would be moving Stateside, this AN article only mentions the hatchback and sedan versions of the Impreza being added to Lafayette – and no mention of the closely related XV Crosstrek.

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Another Satisfied Customer at Sheehy Subaru of Springfield

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"Chris devoted a great deal of time to helping me get a car I was happy with at a price point I could afford. Thanks, Chris. Highly recommended."

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That New Subaru Smell

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Another 5-Star Review on DealerRater!

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Subaru Reports Best-Ever Sales for April!

Subaru of America, Inc. today reported 32,943 vehicle sales for April 2013, which represents a 25 percent increase over April 2012 and the best-ever April sales month in company history. Year-to-date sales for Subaru total 125,470– a 17 percent increase over the same period in 2012. These results build on strong sales from 2012 where Subaru achieved five consecutive years of sales increases and exceeded 300,000 annual sales in 2012 – a first in company history.

April sales for the all-new 2014 Forester increased 65 percent over April 2012 Forester sales. XV Crosstrek and BRZ sales were also notably strong at 4433 and 812, respectively.

“Demand for the all-new 2014 Forester has been especially strong,” said Thomas J. Doll, president and chief operating officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “We expect to see sales for the Forester and XV Crosstrek continue to grow throughout the year.”

“Our 25 percent increase in sales was primarily driven by the all-new 2014 Forester and strong performance across the rest of the model lines,” said Bill Cyphers, senior vice president of sales, Subaru of America, Inc. “We look forward to adding the XV Crosstrek Hybrid – Subaru’s first-ever hybrid – to our line-up.”