Subaru

2009 Top Safety Pick Awards by IIHS

Published by G

From IIHS

How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute’s frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle’s overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle’s structural performance during the impact.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry — the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seat/head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can’t be positioned to protect many people.

ALL 72 WINNERS

Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 series 4-door models
Ford Fusion with optional electronic stability control
Honda Accord 4-door models
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan with optional electronic stability control
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat

Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Small cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Mitsubishi Lancer with optional electronic stability control
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control
Toyota Corolla with optional electronic stability control
Volkswagen Rabbit

Minicar
Honda Fit with optional electronic stability control

Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook

Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M class
Nissan Murano
Saturn VUE
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Large pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra

Small pickup
Toyota Tacoma

Shamefully, my G37 didn’t make the cut, but it made it into the “ALSO RANS” list:

ALSO-RANS
These 26 vehicles earn good ratings in front and side crash tests. They have ESC, standard or optional. They would be 2009 Top Safety Pick winners if their seat/head restraints also earn good ratings:

Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler Sebring, Sebring convertible, Town & Country
Dodge Avenger, Grand Caravan
Infiniti G35, M35
Kia Amanti
Lexus ES, GS,IS
Mazda CX-7, CX-9
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor
Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Quest, Xterra
Saturn AURA
Smart Fortwo
Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Prius, Sienna

Something sad to note here, no Chrysler cars made it to the top of the list. I’m starting to feel like Chrysler is one automaker that probably doesn’t need the bailout since they build such “average” cars.

November 2008 Lease Rates for 09 Subaru Forrester, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Altima

Published by G

My Take: Here are three decent leases for the month for those who are budget conscious. The Forrester is looking pretty good with a starting lease of $301 and up (at invoice). One drawback is that Subaru has a VERY healthy options list which means it will quickly add up. Just make sure you get what you need and don’t get carried away. The dealer could contribute $700 towards your lease (since they are doing it as part of a special lease program). The Corolla is dirty cheap in my opinion since it’s really a “budget” car. Much cheaper to lease than a Mazda3 I think, but much less exciting to drive too. The Altima is the beefier of the group so it has a steeper price tag. Even so, there’s $750 in rebates available which should drive down the costs a bit. Again, all these estimates are based on stock models, so the more options you add, the pricier it gets. The residual and money factors look pretty good for 36-month leases so they are worth a look before the end of the month.

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  At Invoice At MSRP
Make/Model Invoice MSRP 24-month 36-month 24-month 36-month
09 Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium $21,836 $23,160 N/A $301 N/A $340
2009 Corolla $15,658 $16,870 N/A $200 N/A $236
09 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL Sedan $27,916 $30,075 N/A $354 N/A $418

  • Inception fees (1st month payment, DMV, doc fee, bank fee, tire tax and possible security deposit) will be paid at signing.
  • Local Taxes not included.
  • 24-month/15k and 36-month/15k terms.
  • All cars are stock, without any options.
  • Yellow boxes denotes “lowest” lease payments for each car.

2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00175 Base Rate

2009 Corolla
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00163 Base Rate

2009 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL Sedan
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00174 Base Rate

QUICK LINKS:
LEASE CALCULATOR (requires MS Excel)
THE LIST, monthly list of car rankings on monthly payments

October 2008 Lease Rates for 08/09 FX50, IS350, Odyssey, Impreza WRX and ML350

Published by G

My Take: One word sums this bunch…UNINSPIRING. Residuals are mediocre to pathetic, while the money factor is WAY too high. I’m just bundling these lease rates together since it’s pointless to analyze the numbers. After looking at lease rates monthly for six months (yes folks! RIDE with G is six months old!!! WOOT!) I can pretty much tell whats worth the time and what’s not. It’s a shame too since I really like the FX50 and the IS350.

Got questions? Post it on the RIDE Auto Forum! Sign up HERE. If you like the site and would like to receive my latest posts, you may want to consider subscribing to our newsletter on a reader or have it delivered to your email.

QUICK LINKS:

LEASE CALCULATOR (requires MS Excel)
THE LIST, monthly list of car rankings on monthly payments

2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD
24 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00280 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00223 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 43% of MSRP – .00226 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 37% of MSRP – .00219 Base Rate

2009 Mercedes ML350 4WD SUV
24 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00420 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 45% of MSRP – .00147 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 37% of MSRP – .00385 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 32% of MSRP – .00385 Base Rate

2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
24 Month – Residual 64% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 45% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 37% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate

2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L
24 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 43% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 34% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate

2009 Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon
24 Month – Residual 65% of MSRP – .00305 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00280 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 49% of MSRP – .00280 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 42% of MSRP – .00300 Base Rate

2008 Lexus IS350 Sedan
24 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00100 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 46% of MSRP – .00100 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 37% of MSRP – .00100 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 29% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate

Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

September 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Subaru WRX STi

Published by G

My Take: There is about $500 worth of dealer contribution available for the STi. Whether the dealer wants to contribute is a whole other story. I’m willing to bet that as we approach the end of the month, they will be motivated to do so.
Rates are pretty mediocre right now, so you will have to rely heavily on your negotiating skills to get yourself a decent deal out of this. I wouldn’t exactly hold my breath thought. Don’t forget about MSDs, they can really help lower the monthly payments. It beats using your money as cap cost reduction.

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At Invoice At MSRP
Make/Model MSRP 24-month 36-month 24-month 36-month
08 Subaru Impreza WRX STi $35,640 $615 $509 $703 $569
  • MSRP $35,640
  • Invoice $33,655
  • Standard inception fees + tax not included
  • Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year.

2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi Wagon
24 Month – Residual 63% of MSRP – .00265 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 40% of MSRP – .00290 Base Rate

Calculate your own lease payments with my LEASE CALCULATOR (requires MS Excel)

Check out THE LIST to see how this car ranks among other models

Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

August 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Subaru Legacy

Published by G

My Take: Last rates I have for the month are for the Legacy. I actually like this sedan quite a bit. I was shopping around for it back in May of 07, but they had finished production on them and the dealer didn’t have any of them left.
Don’t let the low MF fool you though, the residual is real low here, not to mention the price tag on this car is relatively high (mid-$30k). This is an expensive lease, so avoid it. Subaru makes very good cars, but I’m surprised their estimated residual is so low. If they were a good 10% higher, this would make for a pretty good lease. Specially for folks in rainy and snowy states.

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2008 Subaru Legacy Sedan GT Spec B w/VDC/Nav
24 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00120 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 45% of MSRP – .00105 Base Rate

Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

August 2008 Lease Rates for 08 Cadillac CTS, Subaru WRX STi, GMC Acadia and Porsche Boxster

Published by G

My Take: Here are some other “bleh” leases going on this month. We have a Caddy CTS (nice car, but I fear the reliability), WRX STi (AWD rice rocket, with wings), Acadia (happens to get as much MPG as my G37. Shocking, I know) and the Porsche Boxter (or Porkster as some would call it). I don’t think there’s much of demand for these cars right now, so if you want to see some numbers, just leave a comment and I’ll punch in some numbers. Better yet, you can use the lease calculator and punch in your own numbers and comment on your discoveries! Then I’ll comment on them! YEY, that would be nice! Haahaa.

If you like the site and would like to receive my latest posts, please consider subscribing to our newsletter on a reader or have it delivered to your email. Got questions? JOIN the RIDE AUTO FORUM TODAY!

2008 Cadillac CTS
24 Month – Residual 69% of MSRP – .00338 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00338 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00338 Base Rate

2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00265 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate

2008 GMC Acadia SLE 2WD
24 Month – Residual 67% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate

2008 GMC Acadia SLT 2WD
24 Month – Residual 67% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate

2008 GMC Acadia SLE 4WD
24 Month – Residual 67% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate

2008 GMC Acadia SLT 4WD
24 Month – Residual 67% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00344 Base Rate

2008 Boxster Roadster
24 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 44% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 37% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate

2008 Boxster Roadster Limited Edition
24 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 44% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 37% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate

2008 Boxster Roadster S
24 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 42% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 35% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate

2008 Boxster Roadster S Limited Edition
24 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 42% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 35% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate

2008 Boxster Roadster S RS 60
24 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 41% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 34% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate

Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

June 2008 Lease Rates for 08 Subaru Impreza WRX

Published by G

2008 Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon
24 Month – Residual 64% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00135 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00205 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 40% of MSRP – .00245 Base Rate
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
24 Month – Residual 67% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 49% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 42% of MSRP – .00245 Base Rate

* Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year. Add 2% to Residual for 12k mi/yr and 3% for 10k mi/yr on all terms
** Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

My Take: I’m not too fond of the WRX’s hatchback styling, but there is no denying it’s abilities. The residual value is good on the Wagon and STi, however, the STi’s money factor could use some help. Unfortunately, the payments will still hang around the $400+ range with my recommended drive-off (1st month payment + fees) for the higher-end models.