2013 Subaru BRZ Limited vs. Route Napoléon

The beauty of rear-wheel drive hits one of France's most beautiful highways.

This is a story of unlikely scenarios. The first concerns the Subaru BRZ, a rear-wheel-drive sports car from the company famous for making all-wheel-drive station wagons pretending to be SUVs. It’s equally unlikely that this Japanese car finds itself on southern France’s Route Napoléon, one of  Europe’s best driving roads and the main link between swanky Cannes and the base of  the French Alps in Grenoble.

We’re here because this is a road of reclamation. Deposed French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte followed it in 1815 to take back his throne. We want to see if the Japanese can reclaim theirs as kings of the simple, affordable, well-built, great-handling sports coupe. We plan to drive the BRZ hard over the route in pursuit of its bona fides. Hopefully, it won’t end as badly for us as it did for the little guy.

The BRZ (and its Scion FR-S twin) would not exist without Toyota’s cash and additional sales volume. But, by all accounts, every mechanical part—the heart and soul of the car—is Subaru’s work. As we drive the grand old sea-hugging boulevards of Cannes at the outset of our trip, gawking pedestrians holler, “Est-ce une Subaru?” and, “Que bonne!” This confirms either that the styling—which Toyota drew—has hit its mark or that the French love design restraint.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-subaru-brz-limited-road-test-review

Long-Term Intro: 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Hatchback Manual

Months in Fleet: 3 months
Current Mileage: 5256 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 25 mpg
Range: 363 miles
Service: $0
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0

Subaru’s latest Impreza is familiar to small-car buyers in one way—it offers standard all-wheel drive—and fresh in another: It actually boasts competitive EPA fuel-economy ratings. Our manual example (what, did you think we were going to order one with the CVT?) is pegged by the EPA at 25 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway, which compares very favorably to the previous manual hatch’s 20/27 ratings. (With the CVT, the 2012 five-door fares even better, returning 27/36 versus 20/26 with the old four-speed automatic.)

So far we’re averaging 25 mpg, which is decent for a Subaru. Some of the newfound efficiency comes courtesy of a new engine; a 148-hp, 145-lb-ft, 2.0-liter version of Subaru’s new FB architecture has replaced the last-gen Impreza’s 2.5-liter. And while the interior is more spacious, Subaru says it managed to trim as much as 165 pounds from the car. It also trimmed power, however, as the new engine is down 22 hp and 25 lb-ft on the 2.5.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2012-subaru-impreza-20i-long-term-test-review