Subaru: The Descent into the World of Cars
Subaru has built a strong name for itself. Its foundation is deeply rooted in reliability, its success lies in each vehicle’s durability and ruggedness, and all of it is held together by offering something different. As we all know, their famed all-wheel-drive system goes into each car they make, save the BRZ. The President of Subaru America, Mr. Thomas Doll was even selected as Motor Trend’s 2016 “Person of the Year”. That means, of any president, CEO, manufacturer, or designer in the car industry, he was voted as the most outstanding. That’s pretty significant.
Despite all that, I would say that Subaru, as a brand, while still strong, has failed to maintain its own identity. Having failed at that, they have failed as a manufacturer. Why do I say that? In a world that is continually attempting to cater to everyone’s needs and desires, Subaru has done the same. The reason that’s bad is because they used to give their customers so much more than “normal”, and that brings up another question: What do I mean?
Simply put, Subaru no longer makes cars that cater to the consumers they once catered to. One thing that can be said about Jeep, Dodge, and even Toyota, is that they have maintained their customer base by understanding what their customers want and responding. Subaru has indeed evolved through time, as everyone else does, but they have left behind an entire market. They’ve left behind those consumers who need a car that can do everything.
In 1998, Subaru made a line of vehicles that were affordable, incredibly durable, and different. The Impreza was one of the only, if not the only, small sedan or coupe that offered all-wheel-drive. The same could be said of the Forester and Legacy as well. They weren’t SUVs but rather legitimate cars. And while they weren’t the largest cars, they certainly offered more than the comparable options, at least in terms of capability. Because of that, they stood out, and they catered to the adventurous at heart and free of spirit.
Their affordability also meant that they made a great alternative to the Explorers and Tahoes of the world. A family could buy a Subaru and get better gas mileage, fewer overall repair costs, and even spunkier handling, all while giving the consumer the ability to drive in just about any condition. Let’s also not forget perhaps one of the best parts of Subaru ownership here: The ability to buy car and proceed to mercilessly beat it to a pulp by the next day. And why not? That’s what the car was made to do. It’s a Subaru!
It’s now the beginning of January 2018 and much has changed in 20 years. Subaru still offers the Impreza, Forester, and Legacy, but something bigger has changed other than the typical evolutions that come with model redesigns. The character of Subaru has changed. Even I have to say that today, Subaru’s vehicles are much more family-friendly than they were in 1998. And yes,they still do equip almost every car they make with their legendry all-wheel-drive system. This issue lies in the fact that Subaru no longer does its own job. I would never buy a new Subaru and take it straight up Pike’s Peak. I’d even be a little afraid to get it dirty and salty on a cold Winter day! And that’s where I find issue…
With the exception of the Impreza WRX and STI, both of which still hold true to their cult following as true enthusiast cars, Subaru no longer makes a different kind of car. They have done their best to one-up the competition by trying to make a better version of every other car. The label of a “lifestyle” product, one that is so prevalent in society today, has been torn off and thrown away, and that market has been left to find alternatives to fit their needs. No longer can families that don’t have the available cash to dish out, buy a Forester… they’ve become too expensive. Because of that, they’ve also been left to fend for themselves in a world CUVs, SUVs, BUVs, and whatever other “UV”s that people pull out of the air.
What can be said of Subaru then? Well, I don’t really have anything against Subaru, and really, I don’t think their cars are that bad. I will say that if I lived in a region of the United States that I knew was particularly harsh in terms of weather, I wouldn’t get a new Subaru. I will say that if biking, hiking, and traveling “off the beaten path” were some of my favorite things to do, I wouldn’t get a new Subaru. I will also say that if I was looking for a quality family car to drive on a daily basis, I wouldn’t get a new Subaru. If, on the other hand, I wasn’t as concerned with my allotted budget, I wanted a car that I know to be generally rated pretty highly, and I didn’t know very much about new Subarus, I may consider buying one. The more probable decision that I would make would be to get an older, used Subaru, and continue to beat it up as I did exactly what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it and go where I wanted to, when I wanted to. I could because it’s a Subaru!
I would also consider getting a WRX, because it’s still holding on to what Subaru once was. It offers something different and something engaging. It offers something interesting and enthusiastic. Everything else I can surely leave to others. You see, Subaru hasn’t just evolved according to the current trends of the automotive industry. Subaru has intentionally stepped down from its pedestal to voluntarily leave that which it did so well. In the process, it has lost its purpose and its allure, descending into the world of every other car.
–SWF
