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Found this while surfing

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/subaru

Discuss...

Andrew

ehhh.....i really don't care.....subaru found a loop hole.....and are utilizing it......good for them.....

Dumb article. Im moving on.

Yeah, other manufacturers have been taking advantage of that loophole for YEARS. The Outback is for the clueless Subaru owners anyways:D

-Brian

this came up a couple of months ago, it's a pretty article stupid anyways

More anti-Subaru media bias. Its been on the wane since the WRX, but I guess they've been waiting for an excuse to jump on them again. EVERY other large manufacturer (Bigger than Subaru) have been taking advantage of this forever. What about all those sissy-roaders (RAV4s, CRVs, etc.) Why don't they complain about them? Subaru at least has more of a financial excuse and the Outback is more a truck than the aforementioned sissy-roaders anyway.

Douchebags.

Steve

Yeah... I don't blame subaru for taking advantage of the loophole.... If it's there, take it... just saw it out there and thought I would share.

Andrew

I like it. It'll expose the loophole, and the loophole will eventually go away.

the last thing subaru needs to do is decrease fuel economy

I'm pretty indifferent. The only thing Subaru can do right now that would scare me is sell out more to GM....

I dunno... I disagree in principle with taking advantage of loopholes to get around things like fuel economy requirements, but two things stand out in my mind: 1) Subaru isn't the first to do this, and 2) Subaru's vehicles do compete with trucks. Volvo calls their SUV the "SUV with a conscience" but that term would be more applicable to something like a Forester or Outback.

My biggest concern about this move is that potentially all Subarus' fuel economy's going to get worse. I like miles per gallon.

I don't like that they killed off the EJ22, but apparently that was just the start.

subaru's mpg won't get worse on other vehicles because they are cars.....not trucks.....so things like the legacy and wrx will probably stay the same......

Well, it's a little more complex than that. There's a requirement on average car fuel economy from each manufacturer. So after the thirstiest vehicles are removed from the set of Subaru cars, the rest of the Subaru cars are permitted to have higher fuel consumption. And I suspect Subaru will take advantage of that too.

The CAFE requirements for trucks is lower than cars (21.x vs. 27.x which Subaru just barely passes). Any automaker who's fleet average is less than the requirement can get some pretty heavy fines. Since Subaru is putting a large percentage of their vehicles under the truck CAFE requirements, they'll get credits instead for exceding the standard. They're probably also thinking ahead to when CAFE is raised for cars and they'll have to work extra hard to meet it with AWD and no economy vehicles in their fleet.

Steve

So what? AWD Subarus are used in the same way as most SUVs, which also benefit from this loophole.

Auto makers have been complaning about CAFE for years. With concerns about occupant safty, ie air bags, strengthend cabins, and roof strength and other pasive safty items. These add weight, more weight = more fuel needed to accelerate and maintain speed. And CAFE wants better fuel milage. they can't have it both ways, if Subaru found a loop hole to use good!
But to be fair we could lighten utp the cars by simply removing the air bags and other pasive restaints and replacing then with good 5 point harness.

subaru makes real trucks too...you didn't know that?