Autoblog

Thanks to Subaru's newest marketing campaign, we finally know what really makes a Subaru a Subaru. Love. Really? Allow Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer for Subaru of America, to explain, "Love is the most powerful emotion and 'I love my Subaru' is the most used phrase I hear about our brand. We wanted to show the bond between Subaru owners and their cars through this work."

While it seems that current owners may love their cars, Subaru's research into the subject shows that the majority of the population have no strong feelings toward the brand at all. Past Subaru ads have communicated the rational reasons for purchasing a Subaru, but the marketing team now intends to key in on three specific subjects: the heart, the brain and the wallet, highlighting all of the considerations of a consumer looking for a new car. Will the new advertisements resonate with consumers? Dunno, but we do know that while we love ourselves some STI, there isn't much else that Subaru has to offer which make our hearts race.

[Source: Subaru]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Subaru WRX

Last year when the 2008 Subaru Impreza debuted at the New York Auto Show, many fans of the road-going rally car were taken aback. The older, aggressively styled four-door sedan now had a decidedly pedestrian look to it. Worse still, the cool looking mini station wagon of the previous generation had been dumped in favor of an oddly proportioned five-door hatchback. We only got to see the base and WRX versions in New York and had to wait until the Tokyo Motor Show in the fall for the hard-core STI variant. When the STI did finally appear, it had shifted from the four-door to the hatch body style. Fortunately for Subie fans, the aggressive bulging fenders and super-sized rear spoiler remained from the previous car, although the proportions still look a might peculiar.

The countdown to the inevitable EVO-STI showdown had begun. Unfortunately, you won't be seeing that battle here just yet. We did, however, have the opportunity to review a new WRX and spend a few days with an STI model only a week apart. Since we'll soon publish a solo In the Autoblog Garage review of the STI, we want to focus here on the two rally-inspired Imprezas and how they compare in day to day use.



Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid, Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.