What is the "Subaru image" where you are?

shirohniichan

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May 9, 2009
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10 km due east of Disneyland
In Southern California there is very little need for an AWD or 4WD vehicle for the vast majority of the population. Those who buy Subarus generally have one of two distinct images: 1. the Eco-Nerd, 2. the Adventurer.

The Eco-Nerd (alias Tree-Hugger) dons Teva sandles, a tie-die shirt, and stubbies made from hemp whilst communing with nature. He/she (sometimes a combination thereof) drinks organic coffee or tea at Wicca meetings and foams at the mouth at any politically conservative remark. Their Subarus are plastered with "Earth First", PETA, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and other decals, and they are known to be close friends with Toyota Prius owners.

The Adventurer looks like Paul Hogan from his Subaru advertising days. The roof rack on his Subaru always has a mountain bike, kayak, skis, or surboard attached. He can sometimes look life the Eco-Nerd with his unshaved face and messy hair, but he will run over the endangered desert tortoise the Eco-Nerd will sacrifice his own life for. He'll likely have less decals on his Subie, and those he does have usually are from the local bike shop or STi. The Adventurer has friends who drive the SUVs Eco-Nerds key in secret.

What are the stereotypes (fair and otherwise) of Subie drivers where you are?
 
For the most part, Subarus are joe shmo vehicles around here as there are so many of them and they perform so well in our variable colorado weather. of course we have the "eco-hippy" stereotype, but for the most part subaru stereotypes around here are not very common. Definitely don't have the typical "lesbian" stereotype around here.
 
On my recent trip to Queensland, I was surprised to see the word "offroad" in a large Forester ad placed in a Gympie supermarket. Subaru seemed to be avoiding that word since the L series days.
 
Well my partner can you tell you i am not lesbian :) (but then again i dirve an outback).

Here in NY they are basically viewed as durable, get you there in any kind of weather cars.

nipper
 
Virtually invisible here in Jacksonville Florida.

I'll see one,maybe two other than mine on the road on any given day.
Will either be a young kid in an STI or old people in an Outback or a Forester.
 
nipper said:
Well my partner can you tell you i am not lesbian :) (but then again i dirve an outback).

Here in NY they are basically viewed as durable, get you there in any kind of weather cars.

nipper
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+1, In NY we have them to survive the snow (big tough trucks get stuck, Subarus do not, haha).

I see a few of the young kids with their pimped rs2.5 imprezas and an occasional wrx, no sti's. Either way they both are turn offs for me.

Then there is always the eco hippy with an abundance of stickers.
 
Interesting thread. Well, I bought the Forrie to go bush- simple. And because they are easy to work on. I bought the WRX for a differnt type of fun, and also because it is easy to work on. And I talked my old man into getting a Liberty because they were reliable, easy to work on cars that are great to drive and are so refined.

Well, I am no eco nerd because I do not believe man causes global warming- especially since it has been stable from about 1998 till 2002 then cooling since then.

As for being the Hoges type- well, I reeckon I am closer to him than a greenie, but not a stereotype by any means. Speaking of which, on one trip outback I saw a ripper bumper sticker, hope this offends no-one. It read, "The only true wilderness is between a greenies ears".
 
We have all kinds around here. Subaru's are just well fit to the mountains here. I'd have to say that there is probably a 50/50 split between eco-nerd and adventurers, plus all the others who get them for their practicality. Especially if you head up north of here, you've also got a class of hillbilly/redneck Subaru owners.:cool: They love them, especially old school L series, you see many more '80's Subaru's around here than any other vehicles.
 
Here in NewZealand most Subies are slammed to the floor have loud exhausts, drivers with marginal licences, pods out of the door posts and look like fast and curious wannabies with Front mount IC's and no bumpers.

It's a shame because the real car enthusiast gets tarred with same brush and get extra police attention and scrutinous vehicle testing. I'll send the wife to get a WOF as the testers look at a young guy with a turbo'd car and get the fine tooth comb out.

As result mine's always muddy and has roofracks
 
I think the image Subaru has been promoting here is that of a shopping trolley with airbags. They really play the safety card here.

If you read the 4x4 mags, though, the Forester is usually the top selling soft-roader.

Still, if you could see the mud on mine at the moment, you'd recognise there's more uses than as a safe mum-mobile :p
 
In the USA the Forester is doing well as people are moving from the huge SUV's. Even though the fuel bill is alot lower, i think they may be getting tired of getting hit with huge maint bills for oil changes and tires.

Sobby sales are down 6% from one year ago, but in this economy, that can be considered a 40% gain.

Here in New York Imprzzas are choped lowered or riced out, at least Outbacks and Foresters are spared that humiliation :)


nipper
 
Hmm. There's a few seriously disturbed people here who lower Foresters. Can't imagine why, but I always get a laugh as I hear them crunch going over the speed humos in the carparks.
 
Bumper said:
Hmm. There's a few seriously disturbed people here who lower Foresters. Can't imagine why, but I always get a laugh as I hear them crunch going over the speed humos in the carparks.
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Real Lyte said:
I love watching those massive fail moments. :lol:
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So do I, it cracks me up everytime I see it. :rotfl:
There's nothing better than seeing the look on their face when it happens & hearing the sound of a scraping exhaust. :lol: :twisted:

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
My cousin lives in the Snowy Mountains area and says that Subaru's are all the rage around there. Unfortunately, there are areas in Sydney such as Brighton-le-Sands and Auburn where they are popular with a certain demographic who are into doof doof music and give some of us a bad name
 
Yeah, you've really got to be careful of those WRX drivers! :raz:
 
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