Subaru Adds Charity to Latest Incentives

It’s probably safe to assume that charitable donations decrease in tough economic times. But the end of the year is coming, and people still searching for a way to give back this holiday season now have an option they might not have previously considered: Have Subaru do your giving for you.

During December, every Subaru purchase will come with a $250 donation to the customer’s charity of choice. That extra little bonus comes on top of regular incentives, like 3.9% financing on a 2009 Subaru Impreza for 36 months, or between $1,500 and $2,000 cash back on a 2009 Outback. It’s called the “Share The Love Event,” and we’ll give credit where it’s due: That’s a way better name than “Shop Till You Drive.” It’s not such a bad idea for a sale, either, even if we’re sure some customers will name their own wallets as their “charity of choice.”

Be sure to check Subaru’s zip-code-based site for deals in your region. Offers expire Jan. 2.

End-of-the-Model-Year Deals: Subaru

Our review of model-year-end deals continues with Subaru. The company has made some changes to the Impreza lineup for 2009, which you can read about here, but that might not stop you from picking up a 2008 model. The 2009 Forester is all-new as well, and you can check out coverage — including video and reviews — here. Deals as found on Subaru's zip-code-based incentives site are listed below and are good through Sept. 2.

• 2008 Impreza: 0.0% financing
• 2008 Outback: $1,500 cash back
• 2008 Tribeca: $2,500 cash back (in limited regions)
• 2008 Forester: $740-$2,000 cash back plus 0.0% financing
• 2008 Legacy: $1,000 plus 0.0% financing

Again, the deals are based on zip codes, so check your area for specific deals.

Subaru Special Offers

GM's Car-Based Future

GM is slashing production of pickups and SUVs, but its showrooms will be far from empty.

The company has approved plans to add more cars and crossovers over the next 18 to 24 months to lure customers back into the GM fold.

GM chairman Rick Wagoner told employees during a special closed-circuit televised meeting Tuesday that, while truck output is being cut by 300,000 units by the end of 2009 in response to high gas prices and reduced consumer interest, several new cars and crossovers are being added to make up for the losses.

He said 18 of the next 19 product introductions at GM will be cars or crossovers.

2009 Subaru Forester Tops Consumer Reports List

Consumer Reports recently reviewed a number of small SUVS, and the overall winner was none other than the all-new Subaru Forester, which we recently reviewed here. The Forester impressed CR so much it unseated the Toyota RAV4 as the magazine’s top-rated compact SUV by earning a slightly higher road-test score.

CR also tested the Nissan Rogue and Mitsubishi Outlander this time out. The company had previously tested the RAV4 and Honda CR-V, which ranked sixth among compact SUVs. While the Rogue scored well, it wasn’t “recommended” by CR. To get the recommendation, a car must either score above-average in reliability or have predicted high reliability. The Rogue is an all-new model and thus has no reliability figure.

In the case of the Mitsubishi Outlander, CR says it has shown outstanding reliability in its first year since its redesign. Because of a long history of solid reliability, the new Forester is predicted to also have above-average reliability and thus earns the “recommended” nod.

We always thought the Outlander was a sporty and affordable compact SUV, but worried about issues like reliability. Hearing such positive findings by CR definitely boosts its standing in the field. 

Subaru Forester leaps ahead (ConsumerReports)

Subaru and L.L.Bean Part Company

After an eight-year relationship, Subaru and L.L.Bean, a retailer of high-end outdoor gear, have had an amicable split, Subaru spokesman Dominick Infante said.

"The decision to part was mutual. We both decided it was time and made sense to go our own way,” he said. “L.L.Bean is a great company, but we wanted to expand our own brand appeal."

The marriage of L.L.Bean's rugged-outdoors line of clothing and accessories and the equally strong rugged-outdoors image of an all-wheel-drive Subaru might have made sense in 2000, but it was time to attract a few more city slickers, Infante said.

"We have been doing very well on the East Coast and in ski states, but want to expand more into sunshine states like Texas, Florida and California," he said. We think Subaru has far outpaced L.L.Bean in terms of name identity among consumers.

So, starting in July, the L.L.Bean Outback and Forester will become Limited models instead. There will still be L.L.Bean editions of the Forester and Outback available at dealerships until all are sold. The redesigned 2009 Forester L.L.Bean went on sale just this past April.

Weekend Athlete: 2009 Subaru Forester

Ever since New Coke, I’m leery whenever someone decides to "improve" something I like. So when Subaru said it was redesigning the Forester, I knew I had to drive it, but I was a bit afraid of finding out what had changed. The old car was a gem. I’ve rented one several times and it took me to many cross-country ski trails and races. The new model had a lot to live up to.

2009 Subaru Forester Earns Top Safety Pick Nod

The redesigned Subaru Forester received the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety today. To earn the Top Safety Pick, vehicles must rank “good” — the institute’s top crash rating in front, side and rear impacts. They also must be equipped with stability control.

There are a total of 37 Top Safety Picks. 20 are SUVs, but only two other small SUVs — the Honda CR-V and Honda Element — rank that high. Cars.com’s Kelsey Mays recently reviewed the new Forester and came away impressed.

2009 Subaru Forester Expert Review

Subaru Closes Month With Small Tent Sale

Usually when end-of-month incentives sales are announced, they come with some pretty inflated rhetoric: The Year-End Event, The Tent Sale to End All Others, The Event of  a Lifetime (that’s our favorite), and so on. The hyperbole can get a little tiring.

Kudos to Subaru for avoiding that, calling its modest, 10-day incentives boost what it really is: kind of small or at least short. The Small Tent Big Event begins today, and until March 31 Subaru will offers customers 0.0% financing plus $1,500 cash back on the 2008 Outback, or 0.0% and $2,000 back on the outgoing 2008 Forester. Customers can also get 0.0% financing on a lease deal ($179 a month for 36 months) on the 2008 Impreza. The financing teamed with cash back is impressive, especially on these two models. The Forester is a Cars.com Best Bet and the Outback was our 2008 pick as Best Car for Weekend Athletes.

Subaru Small Tent Event (Subaru.com)

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Subaru Forester

After a full photo gallery and early driving impressions, Kelsey Mays delivers his full report on the redesigned 2009 Subaru Forester. The SUV is now more SUV-like and a bit more attuned to mainstream buyers, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a solid improvement over the outgoing model. Check out Kelsey’s full review to find out why this new Forester is a worthy competitor to stalwarts like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

2009 Subaru Forester Expert Review

2009 Subaru Forester Photo Gallery

Last week Kelsey Mays delivered his first thoughts on the all-new 2009 Subaru Forester. For the most part, he was impressed. Today he’s put together a photo gallery from the test-drive event he attended. We’ll bring you his full review later this week. Until then, check out the 50-plus photos below. If you have any questions for Kelsey, leave them in the comments.