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Subaru Dog Tested: Intro

Alex just left us an amazing review on Yelp!

Alex C.

St. Paul, Minnesota

Feb 01, 2013

"Never written a car dealership review but let's start with my goal. GOAL: Buy Subaru Outback with heated seats at the cheapest price. I figured we'd have to do some work for it but I thought the work would be negotiating with a pushy sales person. I was waaaaay off. The easiest part for me was working with Jake, Bobby, and Logan at St. Cloud Subaru. The hardest part was figuring out that St. Cloud Subaru (1.5 hours away from home!) would be the place to find my new car. We shopped around quite a bit at a few Subaru dealers within 2 hours of the cities and mostly worked on-line and electronically until we trimmed our list down to two. Things we were surprised by: 1. The amazing job that St. Cloud did. They came in with a competitive price and then worked with us to lower the price even more. I wasn't thrilled at driving an hour and a half each way to pick up the car but the negotiations were very friendly and went well. (They ended up a couple hundred over the Walser price but they were quite sure on what they were selling us....in included additional amenities over the Walser vehicle...how many additional amenities, I'll never know because I doubt Walser knows.) Logan and Jake very efficiently and thoroughly went through the paperwork and never came off pushy. Jake went above and beyond and showed us how to use some of the toys. (Like the bluetooth....twice.) We didn't get the cheapest price, we were close but the $200 gave us peace of mind that we knew exactly what we were driving to get. (And it did have more of the toys than what Walser was offering.) Goal accomplished! 2. Half of the dealers didn't get back to us...really, couldn't even shoot at email to say they were interested in selling us a car or otherwise send us someone to contact. 3. The second most expensive quote came from White Bear Subaru ("WBS") in our backyard. The surprise is that in the email response to our offer, WBS implied they were insulted by our initial offer which was actually a few hundred dollars less than the unnegotiated cheapest on-line price (Walser). White Bear Subaru went ballistic and stated the on-line price was not legitimate and that they wouldn't sell us a car for $1000 dollars more than our offer. They also very surprisingly told us to not come in again (we test drove here). For the record, our final price from St. Cloud, with additional amenities, still came in below the quote plus $1000. Not sure how WSB comes up with prices but they are far from competitive. 4. Walser, who had the cheapest price actually has no idea what they have on their lot. After working with two different people, we were told by both they didn't have our vehicle. We actually had to help them locate the vehicles on their own website...twice! We were then told once that the vehicle had everything we were looking for and once that the vehicle had only 1/2 of the all weather package. (Is it possible to buy 1/2 a package???!) Despite having the cheapest price, the lack on knowledge created a sense of shadiness which worried us that Walser wasn't actually going to get us what we were looking for."

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Subaru True Love Event

Celebrate the month of love with a new Subaru! Check out amazing deals on the Subaru lineup now through February 28!

Visit our website for deals on your favorite Subaru models! http://www.stcloudsubaru.com/

2012 Subaru Super Bowl Commercial

Going greener: Subaru hybrid to debut at New York Auto Show

A hybrid will help Subaru compete with its main rivals in Japan and the United States, while giving buyers a new and different green choice.

Subaru has long been associated with Birkenstock-wearing hippies, so it’s only natural that the Japanese carmaker is working on a hybrid. A Subaru official told the Detroit Bureau that the hybrid will debut soon, possibly at the New York Auto Show in March.

Kenichi Yamamoto, director of product management and coordination for Subaru of America, told the Detroit Bureau that parent company Fuji Heavy Industries feels Subaru needs a hybrid to compete in both its home market, where hybrid sales are on the rise, and the United States.

In the U.S., many Subarus qualify as partial zero emission vehicles (PZEV), thanks to the small four-cylinder boxer engines offered in most models, and continuously variable transmissions. However, with most mainstream carmakers offering both conventional and hybrid powertrains in their bestsellers, it’s easy to see why Subaru wants a hybrid of its own.

What will that hybrid look like, though? Subaru gave the world a clue back in 2011 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Advanced Tourer concept featured a hybrid powertrain, consisting of a 1.6-liter direct-injected boxer engine, a single electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery pack.

A boxer engine will almost certainly provide the petrol power for a production Subaru hybrid. Whether it is the Advanced Tourer’s 1.6 or a bigger version from the Impreza, Legacy/Outback, or Forester remains to be seen.

Which Subaru will get the hybrid powertrain? Fuji Heavy Industries isn’t saying, but the Advanced Tourer was billed as a C-segment car, putting it in roughly the same size category as the Impreza and Forester.

The Advanced Tourer’s hybrid system was designed to work with Subaru’s trademark “Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive,” and it seems likely that the production hybrid will also have all-wheel drive.

That could be one of the Subaru’s biggest selling points. There are only a handful of all-wheel drive hybrids available, and they’re all SUVs.

We’ll get the full scoop on Subaru’s hybrid in late March, when the New York Auto Show opens.


Source: Digital Trends

Top 11 Important Car Seat Safety Tips for Toddlers

I say with fair confidence that the majority, if not all of us, reading this blog post use car seats for our toddlers.  According to carseatsafety.org, “Kids should be in a carseat or booster until they can be seated properly in a seat belt.  For most kids, this is around 8-12 years old or 4′ 9″ tall, but proper seatbelt fit is the most important factor.”

So we all use car seats to keep our kiddos protected in the event of a crash, but it’s important to be sure that you are using the car seat correctly.  I gathered information from my own experience, but mostly from Car-Safety.org and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  They’re the experts!

Car crashes are the number one killer of children 1 to 12 years old in the United States. The best way to protect them in the car is to put them in the right seat, at the right time, and use it the right way. – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

A confession:  For months, well on into Harrison’s second year of life, I thought I was strapping him in correctly.  But then with the help of a few friends, I learned that I wasn’t.  His chest strap was too low, he had extras in the car seat, etc.  Which meant that Harrison wasn’t as safe as he could be.  I’m not a helicopter parent and I’m not a fear-mongerer, but I do believe strongly in following basic, easy safety guidelines when it comes to my kid staying alive.  So I’d like to be that friend for you and give you tips to help make sure you are using the right seat, the right position, and the right technique for strapping down your most precious cargo:

Rear-facing is safest
Rear-facing helps spread the impact of a crash throughout the chest and body, rather than taking it all in the neck and head, which is better for immature spines and large heads (like tots!). It used to be a rule that you could turn your child forward at 20 lbs or 1 years old, but now The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be kept in rear-facing seats for at least 2 years (preferably until they outgrow the car seats rear-facing capabilities).

No coats! No coats! No coats!
Look, I know it's cold in the winter, especially for you up North. But it is not safe to buckle the car seat over the coat. Options? Put the coat on backwards over the straps. Use a blanket. Preheat the car.

It should not shake more than 1 inch each way
To be sure your seat is in correctly and tightly latched to the car, the seat should not move more than one inch in each direction. If it can, then tighten the tethers.

Know your strap slot height
Rear-facing: Straps below or at shoulder level. Forward-facing: Straps above or at shoulder level. Tip: Buy a carseat that is easy to adjust the straps so that you don't find excuses not to make adjustments as the kid grows.
 
The chest clip should be at armpit level
If it's down by the belly, it's wrong.
 
If it's been in a crash, throw it away
If your seat is in a crash, then destroy it immediately and contact your insurance company; your plan should cover the cost of the new seat. This is an excellent argument for not buying used unless you know with 100% certainty that the seat was never, ever in a crash or even a fender bender. (and in MANY states and provinces, it's become illegal to sell or purchase a used car seat. BE SURE you check with your local laws.)
 
The straps should be snug
Sometimes Harry complains that his are "too tight!" but I just say, "Sorry, bud." The straps should be snug enough that you cannot pinch any strap between your fingers.
 
Check the expiration date.
Did you know that ALL car seats expire? The protections wear down with age in the heat of a car. Check the expiration date on your seat and toss it out if it's over.
 
Use the belt or LATCH system, but not both
This is one time where doubling up does not equal better protection. Which system works best depends on your car, seat position, etc. Also, be sure to use the top tether when forward-facing.
 
Don't add any extras
No extra pillows or toys attached to the seat. For example, a neck pillow bought separate from the car seat can become lodged in a position where the car seat cannot function properly to protect the child's neck and spine.
 
Have it inspected
Most local hospitals and fire stations have car seat inspectors on site. Call ahead to make an appointment.

Source: Babble