Subaru the new Volvo

Amaroo Park · 29 Aug 2004, 01:45 (Ref:1080285)

Is Subaru the new Volvo?

What do I mean by this you ask, well it seems to me that the people who 15 or 20 years ago would go out and buy a Volvo are now buying Subaru’s. Subaru is marketing it’s self on safety by saying the 4WD is the be all and end all of safety and technology.

Now you Subaru and Volvo owners out there wont like this but, you are shoehorned in together, sorry. The people who buy these cars in the most part are the people who tend to have the least knowledge and ability of driving of all road users. They believe that by buying a “safe car” that they are invincible and that even though they have no talent and are in general a danger to other road users that they will be alright cause they are in a safe car. The exact same thing said 15 or 20 nears ago by Volvo drivers.

**GTRMagic** · 29 Aug 2004, 07:52 (Ref:1080400)

I didnt know the Impreza was as ugly as a 242GL...

touringcarnut · 29 Aug 2004, 10:59 (Ref:1080484)

Well, I heard that the Subaru Impreza was the most popular car with farmers... So many colinbond's right?

Morris 1100 · 29 Aug 2004, 11:06 (Ref:1080491)

I agree with Colin (for the first time ever) I have seen the growing number of Subaru's doing stupid things in front of me over the last couple of years.

touringcarnut · 29 Aug 2004, 11:12 (Ref:1080498)

But are they as bad as Saab drivers?

Morris 1100 · 29 Aug 2004, 11:16 (Ref:1080505)

Over here they are worse!

Amaroo Park · 29 Aug 2004, 11:16 (Ref:1080506)

Quote:

Originally posted by touringcarnut
But are they as bad as Saab drivers?

Worse, they think they are invincible but can not drive for ****

Airhead · 29 Aug 2004, 12:27 (Ref:1080529)

True on all counts...

Amaroo Park · 29 Aug 2004, 12:41 (Ref:1080532)

Morris clean out your PM box

Logrence · 29 Aug 2004, 19:09 (Ref:1080837)

Volvos are curiously chic cars these days...if you're looking for fusty look no further than Rover, but as regards safety there'll be no beating Volvo.

Saab is very much a cold, bland choice of car - I can see more old school Volvo there than I can with Subaru. Then you have got all these Saabaru cars coming out in the next couple of years.

Flatspot · 31 Aug 2004, 02:20 (Ref:1082070)

I own 2 Subarus. Neither were purchased on the grounds of safety. Even still does that make me twice as dangerous?

Slippy Diff · 31 Aug 2004, 03:04 (Ref:1082115)

Do people really go out and buy a car based solely on it's safety record??? I would guess not. Looks and image must be pretty high on most buyers shopping list.

evo · 31 Aug 2004, 04:17 (Ref:1082155)

Quote:

Originally posted by touringcarnut
But are they as bad as Saab drivers?

Well, thanks to the 9-2X, Saab and Subaru drivers can be exactly the same.

Logrence · 1 Sep 2004, 14:23 (Ref:1083823)

Quote:

Originally posted by Slippy Diff
Do people really go out and buy a car based solely on it's safety record??? I would guess not. Looks and image must be pretty high on most buyers shopping list.

Not many people are really that way inclined. Your average family car buyers rely heavily on the safety record of a car manufacturer before choosing their car.

If it wasn't a high priority for buyers, why would it be a high priority for manufacturers to make safer cars?

sjw75 · 25 Sep 2004, 20:58 (Ref:1106847)

you dont see that many subaru's towing caravans !!!

garcon · 25 Sep 2004, 22:48 (Ref:1106930)

Funnily enough, the Subaru Forrester XT was voted tow car of the year by the Caravan Club. And I'm pretty sure a Legacy Outback has won it previously.

mac · 26 Sep 2004, 04:19 (Ref:1107005)

Quote:

Originally posted by colinbond
Is Subaru the new Volvo?

What do I mean by this you ask, well it seems to me that the people who 15 or 20 years ago would go out and buy a Volvo are now buying Subaru’s. Subaru is marketing it’s self on safety by saying the 4WD is the be all and end all of safety and technology.

Now you Subaru and Volvo owners out there wont like this but, you are shoehorned in together, sorry. The people who buy these cars in the most part are the people who tend to have the least knowledge and ability of driving of all road users. They believe that by buying a “safe car” that they are invincible and that even though they have no talent and are in general a danger to other road users that they will be alright cause they are in a safe car. The exact same thing said 15 or 20 nears ago by Volvo drivers.

So by this logic, if we buy the least safe car on the market we will automatically become wonderfully skilled drivers and will prove to one and all what good drivers we are!?

Very interesting theory. Perhaps we can lobby the government regarding rebates for unsafe cars because their drivers are more skilled and therefore less likely to be involved in an accident.

krt917 · 30 Sep 2004, 12:15 (Ref:1111178)

Quote:

Originally posted by Slippy Diff
I would guess not. Looks and image must be pretty high on most buyers shopping list.

You must be kidding! So many cars on the raod are dead dull. Non-car lovers choose cars for all manner of reasons (some bad, some trully unbelievable). Why else would there be so many Vauxhall Vectras around?

Quote:

Originally posted by mac
So by this logic, if we buy the least safe car on the market we will automatically become wonderfully skilled drivers and will prove to one and all what good drivers we are!?

That's not as crazy as it sounds. It's like racing cars - the safer they have become the more risks drivers take. I read an article once where it said that people would drive an awful lot more carefully (and skillfully?) if there was a big spike in the middle of the steering wheel rather than an air bag.

That's not to say we should make cars less safe, just that there can be a relationship between vehicle safety and driver action.

garcon · 30 Sep 2004, 12:24 (Ref:1111191)

It has often been said that a big metal spike protruding from the steering wheel would ...erm... concentrate the minds of some of our less careful drivers...

Of course, as a Subaru driver I would dispute the idea that driving a car with the security of AWD etc. automatically makes me more careless...

krt917 · 1 Oct 2004, 12:26 (Ref:1112313)

Ah yes, I don't think that it is an automatic link....

mac · 2 Oct 2004, 02:57 (Ref:1113034)

Quote:

Originally posted by krt917
That's not as crazy as it sounds.

Yes it is!!! It's totally preposterous!

I was being sarcastic.

Amaroo Park · 19 Dec 2004, 02:46 (Ref:1182944)

All the Subaru drivers are out in force here in Sydney, heaven helps all.

"God save the queen, because nothing can save Subaru drivers"

Locoster · 19 Dec 2004, 19:08 (Ref:1183338)

We have both a Subaru Impreza WRX and a Volvo V70 D5.

In the snow you can guess which is better!

Airhead · 20 Dec 2004, 23:49 (Ref:1184526)

I'd probably agree Colin, just to see you get strung up by all those fellows with baseball caps on back the front who drive WRX's.

Where is Wrex when you need him?

I have been given the keys to a work Outback, the latest chunky looking model. It is a tight fit for me in the driver's seat and the engine is like a Honda, no real tourque then the thing hits 3,500 revs and before you know it your on the limiter.

It is noticably well built though.

strider · 21 Dec 2004, 11:28 (Ref:1184881)

Well, I've got a '99 Impreza Prodrive, so it's not a WRX. Late Saturday night/early Sunday morning I had to drive home through really heavy rain and standing water. The Scoooby just shrugged it off. I don't think it makes me a better driver, but for sure it's a much safer car to drive in bad conditions.

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