How can I talk about cars and not mention Subaru. You may remember my article discussing the versatility of the WRX as the ultimate pizza delivery vehicle. With its willingness to be modified, light and short chassis, and aggressive power band, a pizza was never delivered cold. After all, if Oregon had an official state car it would most likely be a Subaru. You can’t throw a wrench without hitting one and if you look in your rear view mirror chances are you will be followed by one. It kind of reminds me of some creepy stalker movie. Look over your shoulder, around the next bend, parked outside your home, filling parking spaces at the Co-op, WATCH-OUT, Subaru’s are everywhere!
Yes, Subaru’s are everywhere, and unless you are totally car challenged you realize this and I am just stating the obvious. But, it does beg the question, what is it about these funny little cars that makes them so desirable and abundant? I wish I could just finish this article and answer “I don’t know”, but alas, that would leave my few fans jaded. So, as I dig into my research tools, Google and Wikiapedia, the answer knocks me over the head and I come up with one descriptive word. Subaru’s are “Utilapealing” pronounced (you-till-ah-pealing) which cleverly comes from my combining of the words Utilitarian and Appealing. Bloody brilliant if I do say so myself! I could go on about how Subaru has taken advantage of the low slung boxer engine that they exploited from VW years ago, or how they “borrowed” the all-wheel drive technology from Audi, or how they paid Porsche to design a proper suspension for their cars, but I won’t. What I will say is that Subaru has successfully come up with an affordable Audi that has been neutered of any European prowess or feel.
Ok, ok I’m sorry if I’m being a little harsh. Actually, I love Subaru’s! I will see them in my shop every 60k or 70k miles for head gasket repairs. They eat catalytic converters at about the same rate as their head gaskets and they love to sling grease on hot exhaust parts because the axle boots fail at about twice the rate as the other said items. However, I digress, and the reality is that in spite of these few problematic items they really are reliable cars. They do what they are designed to do well and that is get you to the top of Mount-A before the snow plow does and get you there safely and relatively comfortably. They have room for your kids, dogs and groceries and are cheaper than an Audi. Subaru, like many car manufactures today, also have a sportier model which in their case is the WRX. These cars are a Tuner’s dream and can be modified to be ridiculously powerful. In the end the real reason I love Subaru’s is not because they are utilapealing, but because if I say something to the contrary my wife will lock me out of the house as she is one of their biggest fans…
Happy motoring!!!
