And yet another award for the Forester

The IIHS just finished testing the roof strength of small SUV's. Guess who is at the front of the class....again!

2010 Outback Spy Pics

Although this story refers to the car in the picture as the Legacy wagon it is in fact the 2010 Outback wagon. Evolutionary in styling it is much larger in real life from what I have been told. Expect to see it on our lot this fall!

Subaru: 1 Hump or 2?

What sounds like the beginning of a joke
and looks like a photoshopped image is actually a smuggling attempt. The story goes like this: a Bedouin resident of the Negev desert is thinking of ways to maximise his income, so he somehow stuffs his two camels into his trusty Subaru to drive them to the West Bank.

Subaru's Record Month in February

While we at Fenwick Subaru are tracking at 166% of objective, the highest increase in the Central Zone. The rest of Canada has fared just as well. The Forester is a runaway success along with the Impreza. Great programs on the build out year of the Legacy and Outback along with the Tribeca being more successful than ever are turning new people to the brand as well as giving experienced Subaru owners a reason to finally trade in their trusty old Subaru.

The Avg Age of the Car on the Road Reaches an All Time High

RL Polk has just released figures showing that the avg age of a car on the road in the US is now 9.4 years (up from 9.2 years). It has never been so high in history. One reason is that cars are better built than ever. Also, of course with fewer people buying cars they are staying on the road longer. So those of us who are optimists look forward to the day soon when the economy starts to claw its way back and the average person not only wants to, but has to buy a new car. Then there will be a dramatic surge in car sales because of necessity and it is one of the true feel good purchases that we all enjoy.

More on the iX-onic Concept from Geneva

I guess I just really like the looks of this one because I keep putting links and story's up about it! Click the headline to find out more details on this hotrod concept car from Hyundai.

Feb in Canada: Hyundai Up 28% / Subaru Up 8.1%

Overall the Canadian new car market mirrored our friends south of the border. Some devastating drops in sales and some shining stars that are doing all the right things. Amidst all of the turmoil, Hyundai and Subaru put together record months. As the attached picture shows, we do have some reasons to cheer!

To Nitrogen... or Not to Nitrogen

One of the most common questions that we receive in the service department is, "should I be putting Nitrogen in my tires in place of air (which is approx 78% nitrogen!) Follow this link to a recent story from Popular Mechanics.

Feb US Sales- Not Good...Except for Subaru, Hyundai and Kia

Well lets talk about the good news in the US. Subaru was up 5.6% on their daily sales rate and Hyundai was up 2.6% on their daily sales rate (dsr= number of cars sold per day that the dealerships are open and I think that last year was a leap year with an extra day to sell cars in it). Other than Kia being up also, every other manufacturers sales were in the tank by double digit numbers. Sadly Volvo was down by over 50% as it ownership troubles continue to hurt an amazing car and an amazing brand.

Hyundai Sales History Made in January

For the first time ever, Hyundai Canada had two cars in the top ten for sales. The Accent and Elantra finished 4th (behind the Civic) and 8th (behind the Focus). As well, the amazing Hyundai Santa Fe finished just behind the RAV4 and the CRV in the top ten trucks sold in Canada. These are historical times for the company that came here with the Pony 25 years ago.

When the Going Gets Tough....

While others cut and run, Hyundai commits to a $6 Billion USD investment for 2009 to continue developing manufacturing plants and the worlds most environmentally friendly cars. Click on the headline to read more.