 | Home > Off Topic > Whatever happened to Subaru? |
 
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018   
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Whilst not a mainstream manufacturer, I always saw enough of them on the road to believe they were popular enough, in a niche way. Apparently, not now!
"Subaru boss ’embarrassed’ brand only managed 34 new car sales in August Subaru UK boss John Hurtig is ‘embarrassed’ the manufacturer only managed to clock up 34 sales between his 69 dealers in August. In an exclusive video interview on Friday, which you can watch above, the newly appointed boss admitted the brand had also lost dealers during a ‘challenging period’. However, he promised his reign at the top will change this and the brand will soon be back to selling 3,500 cars a year. So far 2020 has been disastrous for the Japanese brand with just 400 cars sold up to the end of August. The same period in 2019 saw it sell 1,518. ‘Definitely – the only way is up, there is nothing else to go for,’ Hurtig told us." https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/su...und/204922 |
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11th Oct 2020 8:59am |
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| Tim in Scotland Member Since: 23 May 2007 Location: The Land that time forgot Posts: 3753 
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2 of those sales have been local to me as I see a couple of Legacy Estates on 70 plates regularly. The sportier models were never that popular around here but the pickups, Justy’s, Foresters and Legacy saloon and Estates used to be very common. There’s a 69 plate Legacy Estate parked in the drive of the house at the back of mine.
The 2 local dealerships around this area were taken over by Arnold Clark group who retained the old company name but the staff were all cleared out and replaced by the parent group’s money grabbing and rude staff. Now there is only one outlet ...... maybe none if things continue like that. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come 2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed! |
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11th Oct 2020 10:45am |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3564 
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I think the demise of the four door Impreza didn't do them a lot of favours. The small hatchback replacement didn't really cut it and was no where near as popular.
The WRC was a big factor in people wanting to have a bit of that on the road. One of my work colleagues had three of the old four door Impreza's. He loved them. They went like stink 
Personally, not a car I would buy. They were very plasticy inside and I felt they looked a bit cheap. But if I was looking at going fast, it did tick the boxes. Another colleague bought his wife a Justy (I had forgotten until Tim reminded me in the post above). He said it was the best car and the most reliable car he had ever owned. His only caveat was that when it did have something wrong with it, there were very few patent parts and the Subaru one's were ruinously expensive. I remember it having a wheel bearing let go and it's hard to see a grown man cry into his wallet 
The Legacy and Forester models were often bought by the Local Farmers and Vets round here. As has been said, you really don't see them around much now. |
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11th Oct 2020 11:55am |
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| familymad Member Since: 13 Dec 2011 Location: Bucks Posts: 3481 
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Will put my tin hat on
But isn’t this a lesson LR could have learned from? The brand had an icon (Impreza Turbo) with a cult following and buyers willing to put up with its faults and failings. They also had a brother with a farming/country sports following (Forester). They decided to aim for a different market and forget the buyers that made Subaru what it is. See Defender and brother Discovery ... 
Takes a while for the rot to set in, but it will when you lose your flagship and DNA. 1951 80" S1 2.0 1995 110 300TDI 1995 90 300TDI Last edited by familymad on 11th Oct 2020 2:25pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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11th Oct 2020 2:16pm |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3564
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I think there are simularities, familymad........
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11th Oct 2020 2:22pm |
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| 90 Dreamer Member Since: 13 Jul 2019 Location: Oop North Posts: 2186 
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The older Impreza's, Forester and Legacy models are still well received and very popular seems most of the issue with the newest variants is an almost 100% reliance on CVT and unless you get the WRX STi (which Subaru UK don't appear to like anyhows) then any decent manual is long gone........
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11th Oct 2020 2:31pm |
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| markb110 Member Since: 22 May 2010 Location: Guildford Posts: 2655  
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Reminds me of those quotes you get from soon to be ex England football managers.....
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11th Oct 2020 2:34pm |
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| Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 921 
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The UK's Imprezas went downhill when they stuck the disasterous 2.5 engine in in place of the 2.0 around 2005. That's why a JDM one (Japanese Domestic Market), with its 2.0, is always much more desirable than a UK one.
My old 2005 model year JDM 2.0 STi (a Litchfield Type 20, for those in the know) went back to the chap I'd bought it from to help finance our narrow boat in 2014. He's still got it, and it's now worth nearly as much as the boat (and the boat has actually appreciated too!) It was ridiculously fast for a car, but sadly, it's previous driver's ability was much better suited to the boat.... |
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11th Oct 2020 2:42pm |
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| Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 921
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'Its', not 'it's'. Bother it. Can't edit on my phone.
Sorry, pedantry. |
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11th Oct 2020 2:44pm |
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| 90 Dreamer Member Since: 13 Jul 2019 Location: Oop North Posts: 2186
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Main issue is not the change in capacity as such but the change in the manufacturing of the pistons
They started to use a Hyperpeutic process for ALL variants of Turbo which whilst cost effective and strong results in a very brittle material which ends in ringland failure most commonly the demise of 2.5's BUT the 2.0 JDM cars from 2003 can also suffer the same issue....... UK 2.0 cars (and 01-02 JDM) actually used a much stronger 'forging' for the pistons...... |
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11th Oct 2020 2:50pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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11th Oct 2020 4:32pm |
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| CarMan Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 1875
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Loved mine
Click image to enlarge Rob 1993 200tdi 90 hard-top 1998 300tdi 90 soft-top 2016 2.2 XS 90 hard-top (sold) |
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11th Oct 2020 4:32pm |
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| VVS210 Member Since: 12 Nov 2016 Location: Hampshire Posts: 953
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Back in the day we had a 1987 'D' Reg L series Turbo estate - it went like the proverbial
 off a shovel 
On top of that it had height adjustable air suspension plus locking centre diff etc. so was rather good off road too. Agree that pattern parts were pretty much non-existent & genuine parts were eye wateringly expensive 
We had a dealer in the next village us - a proper family affair, one brother owned the Saab/Subaru franchise, the other owned the filling station on the opposite side of the cross roads & the sister owned the village shop in between. Now all long gone & all turned into housing... who's going to be the first one to name the village then!? |
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11th Oct 2020 6:37pm |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3564
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Royston Vasey??
Sorry. Couldn’t resist that |
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11th Oct 2020 6:42pm |
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