March Subaru Deals

If you follow our blog, you know that Subaru is one of the few automakers selling more cars in 2009 than it did last year, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some good deals available on Subaru’s all-wheel-drive lineup, especially if you’re looking for an Impreza or Outback.

Let’s start with the Outback. Rumor has it a new Legacy sedan and Outback wagon will be revealed at April’s New York auto show. If so, that likely means a 2010 Outback would arrive at dealerships in late fall or early winter, at the earliest. Need a car now? 2009 Outbacks get $2,000 cash back right now. If you get a base 2.5i with an MSRP of $22,295, and a Cars.com Smart Target Price of $21,875, the price could drop below $20,000. 2008 models get $2,500 cash back, but in a quick search of local inventory on Cars.com, we found very few 2008 models listed.

Two for One Subarus in Texas

Yes, you read that right: Subaru of Plano, a suburb of Dallas, is selling a pre-paid two-year lease on a new Subaru Impreza for $1 with every purchase of a 2009 Outback. Buyers will have to pay the sales tax and bank acquisition fees on the Impreza, which starts at $17,495 and has a national lease deal of $179 a month for 36 months. The Outback starts at $22,295.

Dealership owner David Thomas — no relation — says he got the idea from a Best Buy sale. He started the deal on Black Friday, the traditional big retail sales day after Thanksgiving. He brought it back for the Christmas holiday because it had been so successful, nearly doubling sales. Thomas says the local Nissan dealer is now offering a similar incentive.

There is one little problem, though: The deal only pays off for Thomas if the Impreza’s resale value holds up after two years.

The campaign is going on through Jan 2, so if you need two cars for the price of one, at least for two years, get down to Plano, Texas.

Subaru dealer entices buyers (Dallas Business Journal)

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX

When searching for a performance compact car under $30,000, you'll find you have plenty of options. Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley suggests you check out the Subaru Impreza WRX. Hanley looks at how the hatchback stacks up against its main competitor, the Mazdaspeed3, and weighs the merits of paying a little more for performance and safety. Read his full review to find out if the Impreza WRX deserves your attention over the competition.

2009 Subaru Impreza Review

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.

Weekend Athlete: 2009 Subaru Impreza GT

Now, this is exactly what I want from a car I'm taking to a race. It's fun to drive, holds my toys, has great visibility, looks quick without being obnoxious — and it moves. So, yeah, I'm in love with this car, but objectivity demands that Subaru be tested just like everybody else. As it turns out, in the cold, hard light of day, there are some flaws.

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5GT

This year Subaru switched things up on consumers. It upgraded the just redesigned for 2008 WRX with a bigger engine and more performance chops. But it kept the year-old WRX around, it just renamed it the 2.5GT. Follow? Cars.com editor Mike Hanley takes on the GT and its automatic only transmission, to see where it fits in the Impreza line.

2009 Subaru Impreza Review

Subaru's STi Police Car

Subaru’s “punish the pavement” slogan for its high-performance STi gets new meaning when you see the way one Chicago suburb is preventing street racing and promoting safe driving. In the spring of 2008, the village of Itasca, Ill., swore into duty a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi that’s up to the task of punishing the pavement … and speeders.

The STi is on a one-year loan from Subaru of America to the Itasca Police Department, which uses the high-performance hatchback for street-racing prevention as well as law enforcement and vehicle-safety demonstrations. Officers take the STi to car shows and cruise nights, where they get a chance to talk with younger car nuts one-on-one. It’s only occasionally used to chase down speeders.

Ch-Ch-Changes: 2009 Impreza and Tribeca models

With a 5 percent yearly sales gain over 2007, Subaru is having a good year. What better way to enter the 2009 model year than with updates to one of its top sellers, the Impreza, and one of its worst, Tribeca.

With its standard boxer engine and symmetrical all-wheel drive, the Impreza has enthusiasts on its side. For 2009, the Impreza is available in 2.5i, WRX, 2.5GT, Outback Sport and WRX STI trim levels.

All Imprezas get rear disc brakes and a standard electronic stability system. The new 2.5GT has a 244-horsepower, turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine with a standard automatic transmission, a power moonroof and automatic climate control.

The WRX gets a 41-hp bump, now at 265 hp. The Outback Sport and WRX STI are relatively unchanged.

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

Ch-Ch-Changes: 2009 Subaru Impreza

Subaru has given the redesigned-for-2008 Impreza WRX a healthy boost in power for 2009, up from 224 to 265 hp. Besides the bigger turbocharger, the folks at Subaru also retuned the suspension and made summer performance tires standard, rather than the all-seasons it had for 2008. It only comes with a five-speed manual transmission.   

That’s really all the change you need to know about for the WRX; the car itself was completely redesigned last year. The move is to allow the WRX to better compete with Mitsubishi’s upcoming Lancer Ralliart.

There’s also a new Impreza trim level being added that keeps the outgoing WRX’s power plant. It’s called the Impreza 2.5 GT. It will come only with an automatic transmission.

One major addition to the entire Impreza lineup for 2009 is stability control, which will now be standard. That means the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick designation for the car will now apply to all models. More photos below.

Update: And yes, a power moonroof is now part of the Premium option package. That package is standard on the new 2.5 GT model. No pricing has been announced yet.

Update 2: The WRX and 2.5GT will go on sale September 1.

More Impreza News (KickingTires)