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RNR Automotive Blog
Just another car guy talking about cars.
Tag Archives: subaru
Bryan’s 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited
Hey fellow car fanatics, welcome to the first ever Readers’ Stories post. This post is written by Bryan ( http://coolqidstable.com/) about his 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited with 78k miles.
Some people may ask why I chose the Legacy GT over the conventional WRX. The reason is because I like to be different. Even with my first car (1966 Mustang), I modified it and did things that most other traditional Ford guys would do. I drove the Mustang for a good four years, until I needed something more practical for going off to school. I had rode in my buddy’s 2008 Legacy GT and really liked the contrast from the WRX. It combined the luxury of leather and a nicer interior with the power of the turbo charged Boxer engine, which I had always liked. Continue reading
2014 Scion FR-S Review
In the 1990s, Japanese sports cars dominated the automotive industry. You name it, every Japanese automaker had their own affordable sports cars that boasted a fun to drive index with four or five seats and relative affordability. Mazda had the RX7, Nissan had the 300ZX and the 200SX, Honda had the Prelude and the NSX, Toyota had the Celica, MR2, and Supra, Mitsubishi had the 300GT, and so on. But sadly, all of the aforementioned were put to pasture due to growing demand for more mainstream vehicles. Before the Scion FRS, the cheapest sports car with a rear wheel drive layout and four/five seats with an emphasis on handling was usually more than 25,000 dollars (besides the Mustang or Camaro). Automotive purists have been demanding for a back to basics car, a car that is all about driving enjoyment for not a lot of money. This is where Toyota and Subaru came in. Toyota wanted to return back to building fun cars like it did with the Supra, Celica, and the MR2, and it wanted to up its credibility with a new affordable sports car. Subaru and Toyota teamed up in 2007; Subaru would focus on the engine and the chassis development while Toyota did the styling and marketing, and both would get their own version. They looked at the Toyota AE86 (1983-1987 rear wheel drive Corolla hatchback and coupe), 1967 Toyota 2000GT and 1965 Toyota Sports 800 (both rear wheel drive sports cars) for inspiration during development. After a long five years of teasing us car fanatics with countless concepts, the production GT86 and its twin, the Subaru BRZ finally came to market in 2012. It was sold in other countries as a Toyota, but due to Toyota’s “youth oriented” division, Scion which was struggling in North America, the Toyota GT86 was branded a Scion FRS (Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive, Sport) as an attempt to make Scion relevant again.
2009 Lexus IS250 RWD Review
Lexus is not usually known for “sporty” and drivers’ cars. When it launched the successful LS sedan in 1989, Lexus created a reputation as a dependable, luxurious, reliable brand. But Lexus was also perceived as a stodgy and unexciting company, which is corroborated by the fact that the average age of the Lexus buyer is around 60 years old. The 2001 IS (The IS was launched in Japan in 1998, Europe in 1999, the US in 2000 as a 2001 model.) was the Lexus’ attempt at creating a sporty image, and as a genuine competitor to the BMW 3 series, Mercedes C-Class, and Audi A4. The 2001-2005 IS did push the brand’s image in the right direction, but the IS itself proved to be too much of a compromise, trading the typical Lexus refinement for sportiness. The 2006 Lexus IS attempted to rectify the drawbacks of the older IS. The IS combined sleek design, typical Lexus refinement, and decent driving dynamics, which helped Lexus become a major player in the compact luxury market. Sick of the size and the fuel costs associated with her Honda Pilot, my mom was in the market for a compact and luxurious car. When it comes to cars, my mom sees them merely as transportation from A to B. She looked at the typical brands, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and Lexus. It came down to the BMW 328i and the Lexus IS250. The IS won over the BMW because it felt more luxurious than the BMW. Continue reading
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