The previous-generation Legacy was a great driver’s car, especially within the family-sedan market. Standard all-wheel drive offered all-weather security and the chassis felt lively, but the car suffered from weak fuel economy and a tight back seat. Indeed, the shortcomings made it seem as though Legacy buyers were making a sacrifice simply by purchasing the car, opting to join a secret Subie society instead of purchasing a more sensible, practical model from another manufacturer.

We know what you're thinking. You're thinking you're either delusional, or you just saw this car here a few months ago. Well, yes and no. What you witnessed in March of this year was our pitting of a Mazdaspeed 6 against a 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B in a battle for dominance among force-fed, four-pawed, affordable sport sedans. Illuminating your spectacles here, however, are the 2007 Legacy 2.5 GT Limited and spec.B. You'll have to squint to see the differences.

The Subaru Impreza WRX: The one that started it all. Before Evo, there was WRX. Most people drop the "Impreza" and sometimes the "Subaru" part of the car's name and go simply with "WRX." That's model awareness.

We're still peeling open our eyelids as we head out of Los Angeles and into the sunrise. We've got enough sugar on board to keep us awake for a month.

The ever-shrinking list of SUV-free automakers has shrunk again. With the introduction of the 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca, the list is down to eight: Audi, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Maserati, Mini, Scion and Chrysler if you don't count the Pacifica. We admire their resolve, although Audi will cave next month and introduce its SUV, the Q7, at the Frankfurt auto show.

Subaru offered up a small taste of what wass to come with the first image of the new 2012 Impreza revealed in both sedan and hatchback versions at the 2011 New York Auto Show. The 2012 Impreza will be offered in base, Premium, Sport Premium, Limited and Sport Limited models when it arrives in dealerships later this fall.

Subaru executives readily admit that their "anywhere, any time" all-wheel-drive rides aren't always the prettiest. Nevertheless, the little automaker from Tokyo, Japan, has been on a tear.

The Legacy is an overall impressive car, but as time has passed and we've clocked more than 10,000 miles, we've discovered some minor flaws. Explains exec editor Ed Loh, "Subaru, it seems, tried to stretch the dollar too far in some places, leaving the following warts uncovered. Depressing the parking brake button creates a grinding, creaking moan -- like a rusty thumbscrew being turned or a heavy iron gate being shut -- with you on the inside. Doors feel light and hollow, especially the front passenger's. Instead of closing with a reassuring clunk, they flap shut with a bonk."

Six months ago, we introduced you to a rare, Japan-only Subaru called the Subaru Legacy 2.5GT tS. The limited-edition model was the first offering in the company's brand-new tS series, designed to show there is room in the STI lineup for cars with sharper looks and improved handling. Now comes Part 2 of the tS story: the Forester tS STI.

If you've followed the Legacy since it joined the Motor Trend long-term fleet, you may recall that at first, most of the comments were positive. Editors praised the ride/handling compromise, noting that the suspension absorbs ruts and irregularities, and that it handles well in turns. As time has passed, though, little flaws are becoming more noticeable.

Soon after the highly revised 2009 Subaru Forester arrived in 2008, it took top honors in our Frugal Five comparison. A few months later, we crowned it our 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year.

It's not too often that we're invited to drive a vehicle that we'll never see on an American road. But that was the case with the just-introduced-in-Europe 2011 Forester 2.0X, which Subaru invited a handful of U.S. journalists to sample in Budapest, Hungary. Why? Well, we can tell you it wasn't for the scenery, as the Hungarian countryside in the middle of January is about as photogenic as dust. No, it was for the 2.0X's all-new engine, which, unlike the Forester we drove, will indeed make its way to America. Codenamed FB20, this 2.0-liter flat-four heads stateside later this year in the 2012 Impreza, of which we got a preview (Impreza Design Concept) at the 2010 Los Angeles auto show.

Long before taking the keys to our Azurite Blue Pearl 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited (our 2010 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year, by the way), we decided to forgo ordering its 3.6R flat-six sibling packing 256 ponies and a traditional five-speed auto. At first, it was a move that had some staffers wishing for more Boxer might.
Once we received the Outback, doubters quickly changed their opinions. Entries praising the crossover's 2.5-liter flat-four and its smooth Lineartronic continuously variable transmission poured into our logbook after only a few days in the fleet. "The four-banger has plenty of grunt," wrote associate online editor Kirill Ougarov. With steering-wheel-mounted paddles allowing drivers to select predetermined gear "ratios," digging for extra highway speed or engine braking rpm was as simple as a quick tug on the left paddle.

Allow me to break down the intriguing mechanical cocktail you see here: Take one U.S.-spec Subaru Outback chassis, add a dash of JDM-inspired nose, an ounce of custom roof racks, two teaspoons of tinted taillights, and a measure of extended rear spoiler.

A lot happened in the four years since we last drove the second-generation Subaru Tribeca. Two new countries declared sovereignty, more than 40,000 species were discovered, and an exuberant Antoine Dodson rose to YouTube fame in mere days.

After being teased a few weeks ago, the Impreza WRX STI tS and A-Line tS (based off the AT model) have been officially unveiled. Of course, it doesn’t really make a difference to us because the folks in the Japanese market will be the only ones strolling around in these sports cars. Nevertheless, the WRX STI tS and A-Line tS will be made available starting January 25th, 2011.