Motor Trend announced today that the Subaru Forester won Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year for 2014.
Subaru is the only manufacturer to win this title three times, the most
wins in the Sport/Utility category. In the past six years of
competition, Subaru has had three winners – the 2014 Forester, 2010
Outback, and the 2009 Forester. The 2013 XV Crosstrek also ranked as a
finalist in 2012.
MOTOR TREND editor-in-chief Ed Loh, said, “The 2014 Subaru
Forester beat a highly competitive field of SUVs because it best met our
award’s six key criteria. Smart design, thoughtful engineering, and a
compelling performance on road and off were the keys to the Forester’s
win. Our editors were particularly impressed by the powerful yet
efficient turbocharged engines, the intelligent and sporty CVT
transmission, and the excellent visibility and interior package found
within the Forester. Practical, affordable, efficient and fun-to-drive -
Forester truly ticked every box”.
In addition to the Subaru Forester, the 2014 Motor Trend Sport/Utility
of the Year competition included twelve other all-new or significantly
updated SUVs:
Acura MDX
Audi Q5
BMW X1
Buick Encore
Dodge Durango
Hyundai Santa Fe
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Kia Sorento
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Mini Paceman S ALL4
Mitsubishi Outlander
Toyota RAV4
“We are honored to receive the MOTOR TREND Sport/Utility of the
Year award for the third time,“ said Thomas J. Doll, president, and
chief operating officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “Our product,
engineering, sales and marketing teams all work hard to provide the best
products and experiences we can for our owners. Receiving this
distinction from MOTOR TREND truly adds credence to our mission.”
MOTOR TREND's Sport/Utility of the Year is not a comparison
test, and is only open to all-new or substantially upgraded vehicles
that have gone on sale in the 12 months from November 1 of the previous
year.
To judge contenders for the award, MOTOR TREND's editorial
staff conducted an exhaustive three-phase testing process. Phase one
includes a full tech check and weigh-in, then full track testing to
establish baseline data for acceleration, braking, and handling. Phase
two involves three days of road loops offering a range of road surfaces
and traffic conditions to evaluate ride and handling, engine and
transmission smoothness and responsiveness, wind and road noise, and
ergonomics. A dirt-track section tests traction, stability, and braking
control systems. In the third phase the judges debate and deliberate.
The judging criteria include the following categories:
Design Advancement - well-executed exterior and interior styling; innovative vehicle packaging; good selection and use of materials.
Engineering Excellence - total vehicle concept and
execution; clever solutions to packaging, manufacturing and dynamics
issues; cost-effective tech that benefits the consumer.
Performance of Intended Function - how well the vehicle does the job its planners, designers, and engineers intended it to do.
Efficiency - low fuel consumption and carbon footprint, relative to the vehicle's competitive set.
Safety - a vehicle's ability to help the driver avoid a
crash, as well as the secondary safety measures that protect its
occupants from harm during a crash.
Value - competitive price and equipment levels, measured against those of vehicles in the same market segment.
Priced from $21,995, the Forester is offered with a new 250-horsepower
2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged BOXER engine or a 170-horsepower
2.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder BOXER engine. A Lineartronic®
CVT (continuously variable transmission) is standard in the 2.0XT models
and available for the 2.5-liter models, which features a standard
6-speed manual transmission. The Forester jumps to the head of its
segment in all-wheel drive fuel economy, with the 2.5i model achieving
EPA estimates of 24 mpg city/32 mpg highway/ 27 mpg combined (with CVT).
The 2014 Forester has received a Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) award from the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Forester is the first
vehicle to ace every aspect of the challenging small overlap front
crash test conducted by the IIHS. The Forester is the only one of 13
small SUVs to earn an overall rating of good in the test.
The recognition from MOTOR TREND validates the sales success of
the 2014 Forester, which is up 46% year-to-date over 2012. Forester’s
strong sales performance mirrors the growth of the Subaru brand overall,
which is on track to achieve its fifth-consecutive year of sales
increases and top 400,000 vehicle sales in the US market in 2013.
Come test drive the Forester at St. Cloud Subaru, and be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter for further news and updates.
Here are some more of your favorite Metrodome Moments:
I was at a Vikings game at the dome on a bitterly cold day in 1998. The guy behind me spilled a whole beer on me during an amazing catch/run by Randy Moss. The person coming to pick us up was caught in traffic and after the game, my wet clothes froze solid and I had to "break" them to get into the car! It was such a good season, I didn't even care!!! -Jennifer B
I've attended plenty of events at the Metrodome (Gophers football, basketball and baseball, Vikings football, high school football, baseball and soccer, monster trucks) but nothing can top being in the building for Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. I got a pair of free tickets out of sheer luck and will never forget it. - Brian M
Being with my sister at the games. She has been a season ticket holder for 46 seasons and has only missed 5 home games(including preseason games)!! My family is passionate about the Vikings! - Beth P
Me and my sons were at the vikings game vs tampa bay and Jared Allen got hit and the bridge of his nose was bleeding. Everyone was booing at the Bucs and the very next play Jared Allen got a sack and the crowd went WILD. It was the best moment at the metronome for me. -Don G
After being "just friends" for a year, my husband and I spent our first date at the Metrodome. Ever since, the trips to the Metrodome have marked important events in our lives together, including celebrating our wedding with friends in a press box! -Rae B
Head on over to the St. Cloud Subaru website to
read more. While you're there, leave your own favorite Metrodome Moment and enter to win a pair of tickets to the Vikings' last regular season
game in the Metrodome!
Stay tuned on our Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
Here's a selection of Metrodome Moments that have been shared with us so far:
"My entire family attending a Vikings/Packers game. Our family has grown so much, we took up an entire row! Fun time!" -Denise J
"The reception for the Twins winning the Division championships in 1987 where the decibel meter was pegged!!!!!" -William B
"Watching my son get a behind the scenes tour and sleep overnight on the field with his Boy Scout troop; so fun!" -KRIS O
"Growing up the Metrodome was a big part of my life. I had went to Twins and Viking games. I went to concerts and events. State football tournaments. I used to go to the stadium before games just to meet the players even though I wasn't going to the game. Even with all of these memories my greatest would be when Favre hit Greg Lewis for the game winning touchdown against the 49ers. All game long I had 49er fans around me that kept bragging to my friend and I because the Vikings were trailing. That last play was incredible. The emotion in the stadium was intense. Favre lobbed the ball up into the back of the endzone and when Lewis caught the ball the Dome erupted. You could feel the whole place shaking. When the play was under review there was no noise to be heard. It was eerily silent. The review seemed to have taken forever. When the ref came out from under the booth and confirmed the touchdown that place erupted once more. This time even more intense. By far my greatest memory at the dome!" -Jeff E
"My favorite Metrodome moment(s) were the 3 football games I played there during the 2011 and 2012 MSHSL Football Tournaments, including the Class AAAA XXX Prep Bowl game." -Zach H
Head on over to the St. Cloud Subaru website to read more. While you're there, leave your own favorite Metrodome Moment and enter to win a pair of tickets to the Vikings' last regular season game in the Metrodome!
Stay tuned on our Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
It's time for another season of hockey with the SCSU Huskies! That means it's also time for St. Cloud Subaru's "Safest Cars on Ice" event during the second intermission of every home game!
If you're not familiar with the event, we pull one of our cars onto the ice and have two teams race each other. One team member sits on the sled, and the other pushes the sled to the car and then back, causing all kinds of slipping and falling and hilarity, the opposite of what you'd get with an All-Wheel Drive Subaru, the safest car on ice. The winning team gets a prize, and the audience gets a great show.
This year we also added a St
Cloud Subaru customer appreciation and St Cloud Subaru VIP parking for our
customers that are Huskies fans, so stay tuned on our Facebook and Twitter for details about that.
Come out this weekend and support the Huskies at their Home Opener Weekend. You'll have a great time watching the game, and don't forget to stick around during the second intermission for another really fun show!
Continuing its strong performance in crash testing, Subaru has two
models, the top-selling Subaru Legacy sedan and Outback crossover, rated
as “superior” in the new IIHS Front Crash Prevention (FCP) test
program. The FCP program was created as a result of research by the
Highway Loss Data Institute indicating that forward collision warning
and automatic braking systems, such as Subaru’s EyeSight system, are
helping drivers avoid frontal crashes.
The Institute rated models with optional or standard front crash
prevention systems as superior, advanced or basic, depending on whether
they offer autonomous braking, or autobrake, and, if so, how effective
it is in tests at 12 and 25 mph.
- Superior rating is given to vehicles that have an autobraking
system such as Subaru EyeSight and can avoid a crash or substantially
reduce speeds in both tests.
- Advanced rating applies to vehicles with autobrake that can
avoid a crash or reduce speeds by at least 5 mph in one of two tests.
- Basic rating is for vehicles with a forward collision warning
system that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
performance criteria.
In all, 74 vehicles (2013-14MY) were tested. Subaru’s Legacy sedan and
Outback crossover were among the seven vehicles that received the
“highest” possible rating of “Superior” when equipped with optional
autobrake and forward collision warning systems. The 13MY/14MY Legacy
and Outback were the only vehicles that received the highest possible
score of six points.
Check out EyeSight technology for yourself at St. Cloud Subaru, and make sure to stay up to date on our Facebook and Twitter.
