Are you ready for the Subaru Crosstrek?

Is this Subaru for real, or is the new XV Crosstrek arriving this fall just faking it? If another automaker attempted to elevate one of its small wagons to the status of “off-roader,” it would risk becoming an industry laughing stock. But Subaru is different. It always has been. And just when you think the Japan-based company has settled down and become a conservative member of the community, it ratchets up the funkiness and creates this bold and brash offshoot of its Impreza wagon. You just gotta love it.

In developing the niche-oriented Crosstrek, the Impreza wagon was an ideal starting point. Subaru completely reinvented its popular entry-level model for the 2012 model year, making it larger, better looking and significantly more fuel-efficient (albeit less powerful) than before. And with its standard four-wheel-drive, the Impreza has the right stuff to be converted into a pseudo Rubicon Trail-conquering hero. The reality, however, is that the Crosstrek is best suited for rough road and weather conditions plus limited off-trail adventuring. Anyone familiar with Volvo’s XC70 wagon will think of this Subie as a scaled-down and less expensive copycat as well as sharing kinship with the now-retired Impreza Outback Sport and current Subaru Outback wagon.

The right look is critical for any sport style vehicle and Subaru has provided the Crosstrek with its own distinctive nosepiece, front and rear bumpers, roof rails and rear spoiler. In addition, extra cladding for the wheel arches and rocker panel has been installed. The meaner macho look is completed with darker window tinting and a set of 17-inch all-season tires mounted to custom-look rims. You might not find them entirely to your taste, but they do set the Crosstrek apart from its lower-key Impreza roots.

The slightly bigger front brake rotors add stopping power and a hiked-up suspension provides 8.7 inches of ground clearance, which is three more than the Impreza. That’s just shy of the competing Jeep Patriot’s 9.0-inch stance and should be plenty for straddling rock-strewn terrain and fording shallow streams.

Finally, Crosstrek owners who undertake more desolate journeys will appreciate the 15.9-gallon gas tank, which is a gain of 1.4 gallons over the Impreza.

The more generous fuel reservoir should go a long way when feeding the Crosstrek’s 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that comes straight from the Impreza. That’s significantly less oomph than the pre-2012 170-horsepower Impreza, but the offset is a 25-mpg city number and 33 mpg on the highway, ratings that crush the old “Imp’s” 20/27 numbers. The horizontally opposed engine layout, with one pair of cylinders located at 180 degrees to the other pair, lowers the center of gravity and provides all kinds of underhood room.

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/08/17/2275230/2013-subaru-crosstrek.html

Malibu focuses on Child Safety

Child Passenger Safety Week is today, September 17^th through the 22^nd. The 2013 Chevy Malibu is trying to make it better.

One mother working at Chevy is helping to develop the new safety features included in the 2013 Malibu making sure that it’s not only safe for your children, but hers as well giving her a real-world perspective.

It’s very rewarding that my work helps to make children safer” said Julie Kleinert-GM child safety technical lead and mother of four as well as a grandmother of two.

To see more of her story visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr49o_SrB98&feature=plcp

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Remote Door Unlock: A quick call connects you to an Advisor, who can send a remote signal that usually unlocks your doors within minutes.

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2013 Subaru Crosstrek Debuts Next Month

The 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek may be best thought of as the automotive equivalent of a good cross-training shoe--not sharply honed for any one thing, but surprisingly fit and fortified for a wide range of conditions. As the epitome of a crossover, the Crosstrek looks brawnier yet not too carlike; it adds some rugged off-road ability but still handles like a hatchback or sport wagon on the road; and it offers some pretty impressive cargo space, versatility, and places to stow gear--for the trip out to the ski slopes, the campsite, or the beach.

Up close, or from afar, the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek is what it is, which is a hatchback, built up with more ground clearance, protective lower-body cladding, and all sorts of more outdoorsy and off-road-oriented cues--many of them functional, some of them, perhaps intentionally, resembling outdoor gear and wear. Yet at the same time, the Crosstrek's differences yield a completely different stance and entirely different proportions it seems, with a certain level of the familiar Outback charm. Inside, it's mostly just a matter of some new upholsteries to fit the character.

To make sure it's good for the trail, the Crosstrek gets good cleats--up to 8.7 inches of ground clearance, plus various suspension and structural reinforcements, improved engine cooling, unique front fenders, and body cladding, that altogether make it quite different than the Impreza hatchback on which it’s based. It also has good approach and departure angles (of 18 degrees and nearly 28 degrees, respectively), and with its all-wheel-drive system, which is always sending power to all four wheels, we think it might be one of the best vehicles yet for snowy New England driveways. Handling is surprisingly nimble on the road, considering how well the Crosstrek rides and how well it soaks up harshness from trails and gravel roads.

The sore point for some may simply that it's lacking some muscle. Go with the five-speed manual, and the Crosstrek feels far more charming, especially when you need do order up some power quickly at lower speeds. With 148 horsepower for about 3,200 pounds in a fully loaded Crosstrek Limited, and the engine’s peak 145 pound-feet of torque not reached until 4,200 rpm, this is not a sprightly or quick vehicle, and the available CVT can exaggerate the lag in power delivery. On the plus side, you get phenomenal fuel economy for a crossover (the best in the class, really), at up to 25 mpg city, 33 highway with the CVT (or 23/30 with the manual).

Cabin accommodations go well beyond the expectations of the granola set, although they won't be any sea change to anyone who's owned a Subaru before. Seating is arranged well enough so that adults can fit fine in back--and get in and out easily--and seats flip forward to a flat cargo surface. All models include a rubberized cargo tray that's easily removed and hosed off, and the roof rack on all models is standard and can carry up to 150 pounds. Crosstrek models come rated to tow up to 1,500 pounds, too. Adding on to its appeal is a smooth, refined ride is a step above rival models like the Nissan Juke, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, and Mini Countryman. About the only thing that not everyone will warm up to is a set of materials and trims that are merely average for this price range, and that some interfaces for audio and trip-computer displays feel clunky and outdated.

With a starting price of just $21,995, the 2013 Subaru Crosstrek Premium makes a very strong value proposition. Keyless entry, air conditioning, power accessories, and cruise control are all included even in this base model, as of course are all-wheel drive. Leather upholstery, leather shift-knob and steering-wheel trim, automatic climate control, and a fold-down rear-seat armrest with cupholders are all extras that you get with the Limited. They also get a step-up display audio system with 4.3-inch screen, rear camera and HD Radio, and a navigation system with XM NavTraffic, voice control, and text-messaging ability is optional.

Article courtesy of: http://www.thecarconnection.com/overview/subaru_xv-crosstrek_2013