Making It Yours, So Long As It Isn't A Manual

As a Subaru owner I get "Drive: the magazine from Subaru"

It often includes articles about what Subaru is doing as a corporate citizen, hype about new models, and reviews of certain things.

This most recent issue (Spring 2016) included an article titled "Making It Yours". The article discussed the accessory installation department of Subaru's Lafayette, IN plant. It is a nice article about the people and process behind having your factory options installed on your new Subaru. But, to me, this also reminds me of one of my chief frustrations with Subaru, which if you follow this blog or have had a conversation with me about cars you have heard (possible ad nauseam), in that if you want nice options with your new Subaru you cannot have them if you also want that new Subaru with a manual transmission. Having tried to get through to Subaru through dealerships, auto show representatives, and Subaru of North America via email and phone I figured I would try with the following email to insider@subaru.com. If you share my frustrations, it would be great if you were to write such an email as well.

Hello Drive Magazine Staff,

[Section as possible letter from reader]

Making It Yours, So Long As It Isn't A Manual

By MooncallerCars

In the Spring 2016 issue of Drive Magazine there was an article title “Making It Yours” on page 17. It was a nice article about options and customizations performed for your Subaru as factory installed options.

The “Making It Yours” article niggles me because at Subaru I am a second class car buyer in terms of options and amenities available if I insist I want to have a manual transmission.

Considering the ever decreasing availability of manual transmission cars in the US market, not just by Subaru but by all automakers, it means that the manual transmission buyer is generally a very discerning buyer who is picky and is likely to tick the option boxes they want on their purchase. It does not make sense to limit the availability of options to this would be buyer based on their transmission choice.

My wife and I currently own a 2014 Subaru BRZ (love it!) and a 1994 Honda Prelude. We’ve been looking to replace the Prelude with something a bit more practical in terms of family room but are frustrated by Subaru’s lack of option availability with manual transmissions.

[End section as possible letter from reader?]

The “Making It Yours” pings a particular frustration of mine with Subaru and in our new car search.

Subaru offers many trim levels on the Impreza, WRX, WRX STI, Forester, BRZ, Legacy, Outback, and Crosstrek.

But Subaru also has a tendency to phase out manual transmissions for the US market, as it did in 2015 for the Outback and Legacy. (Side story about this below.)

And with the models still available (excluding the WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ) the nicer the features and trim you want, including things such as upgraded seats, navigation, nicer infotainment systems, LED headlights (as is likely to be available on more premium versions of the 2017 Impreza) and so on are only available with a CVT transmission.

Now, I completely understand that features such as EyeSight and the emergency braking provided by it would not work with a manual transmission. But seats, climate control, headlights (which are really a safety feature in my book), and an upgraded infotainment / navigation unit have absolutely nothing to do with the transmission and could be offered with a manual transmission at any level.

For comparison Mazda allows you to get the Mazda3 in any trim and engine combination with a manual transmission. You can spec it all the way up to dual zone climate control, leather, and navigation with a larger engine if you so desire.

Subaru lets you spec an Impreza in 2.0i and 2.0i Sport Premium with a manual transmission which excludes leather-trimmed upholstery, color LCD display, dual USB ports, automatic climate control, navigation, keyless access with push-button start (to name ones that interest my wife and I). And while the WRX is better optioned with a manual there is currently no 5-door version and you have to go all the way to a STI to get dual zone climate control, which might be okay if the STI was not running on an aging EJ257 platform versus the newer FA20 platform seen in the BRZ and WRX.

We’re currently leaning Mazda, because if you’re going to buy a new car, you may as well get exactly what you want (as I was able to with the BRZ) but which Subaru appears to think we should not be able to, unless what you want is a CVT.

Now for those side stories:

My family first got into Subaru when my parents were looking to replace their manual 1990 Nissan Axxess. No one on the market was offering minivans, small vans, or much of anything with a manual transmission. But Subaru was offering the Outback. So we ended up with a 2000 Subaru Outback, and this is the car I learned to drive on. Harmony is still running and currently driven by my younger brother.

We were given a manual 1995 Toyota Corolla when a family friend got into a bike accident and could no longer drive a manual car. Eventually my brother totaled that, and we replaced it with a used manual 1999 Subaru Forester. Cloud is still running and currently driven by my younger sister.

In 2013 my 1994 Honda Prelude (different than my wife’s mentioned above) was starting to cost significantly more to upkeep than she was worth (my sister had totalled the car body wise around 2010). I has been eyeing the BRZ / FR-S twins since their announcement and had even test driven one. I put in an order in September 2013, with the wonderful Danielle of Hodge’s Subaru in Ferndale, MI (I was working in Detroit, MI at the time). In January 2014 I took delivery of Cagalli Yula and have since been a Subaru owner in my own right. I waited 4 months to get the Subaru BRZ I wanted and I’d be willing to wait another 4 months if it meant I could get another Subaru optioned the way I wanted, I do not particularly care about what is available in dealership inventory when I am making a new vehicle purchase.

My parents had been looking to replace their 2000 Outback with little vigor since around 2010-2012. When Subaru made its announcement that the 2015 Subaru Outback would be CVT only things became expedient. Danielle helped me to find the 14 remaining 6-speed Outback Premiums in the US market and found one with a dealership on the East Coast (even though Danielle worked for a MI dealership) so that my parents could get another manual Outback before they went away. Skywater is my parents’ sole and current vehicle. They would have liked navigation and automatic climate control, but compromised a lot on their new vehicle purchase because of available options and the discontinuation of manual transmission in 2015 and onward.

As you can see my family has been rather dedicated to and shares a long and ongoing relationship with Subaru and its vehicles. At the same time we fill increasingly alienated by the choices Subaru has been making in terms of model and options availability with a manual transmission.

We first came to Subaru in 2000 in an auto market severely limiting the availability of manual transmissions. If I recall correctly the only Subaru in 2000 in the US market that we could not get with a manual was the L.L.Bean Editions and the H6 Legacy and Outback. As of 2015 and moving forward Subaru has increasingly been moving in a direction so as to erode the foundation of our relationship with the company (manual transmission availability). The safe haven for great and useful cars with manual transmissions that Subaru was appears to be disappearing.

Another example: My friend is currently looking at replacing his aging Nissan Altima with a Subaru Outback or Impreza. He is 6’4” or so and feels that he fits better in the Outback and likes the additional cargo space. He wishes it was available with a 6-speed manual in the US like it is in Canada and this is slowing down his purchase process and keeping him on the fence about pulling the trigger.

I have spoken to the sales representatives at the dealership I get my BRZ serviced at. I have spoken with the Subaru representatives at Auto Show Philadelphia (2015 & 2016) and New York International Auto Show (2015 & 2016). I have sent emails and had phone calls with Subaru of North America.

It would be nice if someone were listening.

I would greatly appreciate if Drive Magazine would give voice and visibility to the plight of the Subaru owners and enthusiasts who want a manual transmission by publishing at least the top section of this letter.

Thank you,

MooncallerCars

Subaru Owner for 2 years

Subaru Driver for 14 years (learned to drive in a Subaru)

Subaru Passenger for 16 years