What happened to Subaru?

Over 30 years ago, in 1988, Subaru officially created its performance and motorsports division, Subaru Tecnica International or STI.

During these decades, the STI cars have given Subaru several World Rally Championships, earned four class wins at the Nürburgring.

In addition to that, what makes STI so special is that the technology Subaru have used so successfully in the motorsport world has been transformed and implemented in some of their road cars as well.

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[adriannavarro]

You didn’t mention the re-design of the 2008 wrx into 2009-2014 where they added the fender flares!

[SilverScarletSpider]

Nothing compares to the 1990’s Subaru WRX styling

[Trussme]

Subaru could have just used the retro-modern cheat code like Nissan, Dodge and Ford did but nope, progressively make things uglier instead.

[haydenpaolinelli]

the "stinkeye" has two different body styles. The "narrow body" and the "widebody". I think that if you are going to show that generation you should show both variants.

[reijhinru]

The moment when the first gen looks way better than the newest one, is the moment where you should realise to keep distance from a brand.

[BushidoPhoto]

The headlights should be called the squint eye. It looks like the old headlights are now squinting. I prefer the EVO eye.

[kirandilraj]

I think they said in an interview that they wanted to produce more mature cars because they're buyers have grown up. They lost their "Subaru-ness" to chase a wider demographic (like most companies)😔

[SilverScarletSpider]

What Happened to Subaru?
The Answer: Honda happened.

Here’s what I think was going through Subaru’s mind when they developed this new gen CVT-focused Subaru WRX: lean in on the AWD off-road wilderness angle with weird plastic
*because Subaru straight-up cannot build a better daily driver STREET Car than the Honda Civic Si.* I mean the writing’s been on the wall since the Subaru Impreza WRX STi vs Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution days. Mitsubishi would always have the sharper car that’s more livable on public roads, while Subaru was a bit more of a loud brute due to the boxer engine rumble. In the Post-Group B rally era after 2002: Mitsubishi was much more able to integrate the economy car based Lancer Evo into a Skyline/Lamborghini-killing street performance than the more understeery Symmetrical AWD Impreza STi. When the Ford Focus RS hatchback came out, it immediately took the 2016 Subaru WRX STi sedan’s lunch money.

And so Subaru now needs to play to its strengths in the face of a 306hp Honda Civic Type R. What Honda is doing with $35K FWD is beating MK5 Toyota/BMW Supra’s at tracks. The Naturally Aspirated VTEC Honda Civic Si has been beating the turbo Subaru Impreza WRX in the manual sedan market ever since 2006 with the 8th gen’s. The Honda Si has a better manual shifter, way better MPG’s, better reliability, better handling, better interior, is a better daily driver, is a better family car, and is usually a more fun car on twisty back roads. Subsequently, the 9th and 10th gen Si’s have just been refining each year to be easier to live with. The amount of development costs to get a performance Impreza to handle itself like a Civic Si does would be ridiculous.

And that’s to say nothing of the Volkswagon GTi/GLi, Golf R, Hyundai Veloster Turbo/Elantra N-Line/Kia Forte GT, and Hyundai Veloster N. All of them have built a more livable car than the current Subaru WRX. Sure, they are not as loud nor exciting as the Subaru Boxer Rumble/Exhaust with Winter tires and AWD; but usually they are more reliable (mostly applies to Honda), have more MPG, and cost less to maintain too. Even the Mazda 3 Hatchback Turbo came back with AWD because they knew there was an open market niche that Subaru wasn’t filling correctly. Now there are rumors Toyota wants to make a new GR Corolla?

So what is Subaru to do? Keep development costs extremely low by using a cheap global platform, put worthless plastic body cladding to tell everyone that the WRX is rugged and signal as the only AWD option in the segment. And, Well they put 300% emphasis on the CVT WRX because Honda is still refusing to put an automatic transmission option on their enthusiast oriented Honda Civic Si and Type R’s. Volkswagon did the same marketing with their automatic DSG to appeal their GLi/GTi/R to the 98% of US population that don’t know how to drive stick shift. Now Hyundai did the same for their automatic DCT buyers of the Veloster Turbo/N and Elantra Sport/N-line/N. You can’t even get a manual GTi or Veloster Turbo without special ordering one one many dealerships. Yet Honda still insists on no automatic Si’s.

😂👍

[naniokio]

The "stink eye" had a widebody version that is honestly one of the best looking models

[nzpatriot]

If Subaru still had the Evo to compete with. There designs would of being a lot better then what it is now.

[rickastleyy]

The bug eye in my opinion is my favorite design. The 2011 wrx came with an awesome sti redesign which untamed it and gave it more power and the fender flares.

[DpM]

The rear light are the same as the new BRZ/GT86, they look bad in photos but more pleasing in person.

[JORDIIMusic]

Agreed! The Impreza GC8 is by far the greatest Subaru ever made. Such a classic! The VA is a close second.

[Ianmundo]

when I was a kid Subaru Imprezas were the coolest thing on the road, to see the car from Colin McCrae Rally on the streets was so cool. 25 years later and now I have the money but Subaru is not a desirable brand. Not an innovative brand, not a motorsport leader

[tonyregalado]

The best thing Subaru could've done was being back the classic Impreza look since all these other companies are brining back those iconic 90s japanese sport cars. I would probably sell my 2010 sti for a modern looking 22b Impreza. Good God that'd be awesome.

[PavesGarage]

What happened is that car safety ratings started taking into account pedestrian safety into the overall safety rating of the car. So all modern cars are big round ugly chucks of soft plastic which are less lethal to drunks who stumble in front of your car.

[johnJ]

subaru wrx and sti was NEVER about good looking cars... it just happened with some models, but usually they were not the best looking cars... it was about the tech, sound and character of the mechanical AWD and the boxer engine... the cars were fun to drive on curvy roads and easy to work on for the mechanic (rally genes)... I judge a car after I drove it, not by looking at some pictures... and btw how many manufacturer's you know, who actually build a car the same way the concept car was presented ???

[teabaggins]

I was 100% sure that's some budget version of Civic with plastic fenders.

[risingsun]

My biggest gripe with the WRX is that it started off as a trim level for the smallest sedan, the Impreza. Now it's so massive the newest one really looks more like a Legacy/Outback WRX

[housepianist]

The CVT-only WRX GT *is* the new Crosstrek Sedan. Subaru just doesn't call it that.