9/11/2013
We're happy to report what we already knew! Consumer Reports recently rated cars with the best and worst visibility, and Subaru's make up 2 of the 6 featured "Best visibility" vehicles (Forester & Outback). Read The Detroit News article about the results here:
Some new vehicles have bigger blind spots
Posted 9/21/2011
This past Sunday, Planet Subaru joined other sponsors, dog lovers, and lots of dogs at the 17th Annual Doggiepawlooza at Wompatuck State Park, Hingham, to support the Standish Humane Society . Our official greeter, Blue (left), his owner and our General Sales Manager, Dale Lathrop, and friends of Planet Subaru joined many others on a fun 3-mile trek. The event helped to raise awareness and money for the Society which operates a no-kill shelter and adoption center for cats in Duxbury, MA, and provides funding for spaying/neutering both cats and dogs.
Much thanks to all those who organized and participated in this fun event!!
Blue and his friends had a blast! Check out more pics of the event on Planet's Facebook Page !
Honk, Flip-off, or Curse...what's your pleasure?
9/19/2013
According to a recent study, women prefer to curse and give the finger when peeved by other motorists, and men prefer honking the horn. See which other aggressive road-rage behaviors men and women disclose in Insurance.com's survey, summarized by Jim Gorzelany on Forbes.com...
Women Curse, Male Drivers Lean On The Horn When Miffed, Survey Says
9/11/2013
Cars have improved over the years to accommodate people of all different sizes, offering now common things like height-adjustable seats, tilt & telescoping steering wheels, height-adjustable seatbelts, etc. But many vehicles' styling often create blind spots or high "belt-lines" that reduce visibility, especially for shorter people. The Subaru Forester offers excellent visibility and accessibility for people of all sizes, which is why it made Edmunds.com's
7/31/2013
This picture from autoblog.com shows a heavily camouflaged 2015 Legacy. You can see that the side-view mirrors are positioned on the front doors to provide better visibility at the corners, and the wheel arches seem less flared out. Check out many more pics on the autoblog site.
Big, Slow, and Ugly Cars Best for Teens?
Posted 7/25/2013
The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)  suggests that big, slow, and ugly cars are best for teens, according to this USA Today article . The idea is that such a car will be boring for a teen...less power to go out of control, big enough to provide protection, and mundane styling to discourage showing off. But having a modern car with some of the latest safety features (like a Subaru)  is also cited in the article as important. A Subaru Legacy or Forester will fit the bill. Ugly? Neither is ugly, but they don't exactly project the image of a fast sports car either. Slow? No, but not super fast either. The naturally aspirated 4-cylinders have about 170 hp, plenty of power to get out of their own way safely, but not too much for a teen to handle safely. Big? The Legacy is a mid-size sedan, the Forester a crossover SUV, both large enough to provide excellent crash protection. And each are IIHS top safety pics. In fact, the 2014 Forester has received the difficult-to-achieve IIHS "TOP SAFETY PICK+"  designation!
*"Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net"
Posted 4/17/2013
Edmunds.com recently ranked the Subaru Tribeca as one of the top 10 best vehicles to safely transport your pet. Read the article here.Â

Posted 4/5/2013
A new study by the Erie Insurance Group suggests that daydreaming and being "lost in thought" accounts for 62% of fatal car crashes compared to 12% for mobile phone use, as reported in this Bloomberg article . According to the article, the study suggests that rubbernecking, chatting with people in your car, eating, and moving something, say a dropped phone for instance, while driving are main culprits of distracted driving. Rubbernecking, by the way, is craning your neck around looking at a car crash or an attractive person on the side of the road, for example. This is one study, and I think it would benefit from further analysis by other independent groups. I wonder how much of this "daydreaming" can actually be attributed to drowsy driving, a major factor in auto accidents. Just type in "drowsy driving" in a web browser for tons of links about this or check out //drowsydriving.org/. So what can we do about this? Well, of course being aware of this problem can help remind us to stay focused on the road, and there are lots of techniques for combating drowsiness, the best of course being to get enough sleep! But despite our best intentions, there will be times that most of us will be distracted or drowsy on the road. New technology offers some promising solutions. One example is Subaru's EyeSight technology which can alert you if you start to depart from your lane, or apply pre-collision breaking. But always try and stay focused, awake, and arrive safely!! - Dave Gardner, Planet Purchase Partner
Relationship Power Struggles: Do Men or Women call the shots when buying a car?
Posted 3/6/2013
In the msn autos article "Both men and women claim to 'call the shots' on car buying" , it's shown that more women than men influence the car buying decision and that women purchase more cars than men do. But apparently each sex believes they have more say in the final purchase decision than the facts show. We all like to think we pull the strings, don't we?
Posted 1/16/2013
In last month's issue, Fortune Magazine's Alex Taylor III looks at how Subaru is "winning the highest marks for quality and safety."
Read the full Fortune Magazine article here.
Posted 9/10/2012
David, one of our Purchase Partners, pulled into a mower repair shop in Duxbury recently and the repairman looked at his Legacy sedan curiously and said "Where's the mower?". David popped open the trunk and the repairman was very surprised to see the Toro mower sitting there. And David was very happy it fit - so he didn't have to borrow someone else's truck or SUV. So if you like the ride and style of the Legacy but think you might not have enough space for chores, you might be pleasantly surprised!

Posted 9/7/2012
Deb and her '02 Impreza continue West. Today's log entry: "Frosty/steamy morning in Yellowstone......"
Posted 9/5/2012
Our internet manager, Deb Brewster is currently trekking across the country from Plymouth, MA to Alaska to give her 2002 Impreza wagon to her daughter. She writes in an e-mail "12 miles down a rough dirt road to the remote campsite in Badlands,SD and I'm camping in the middle of a herd of bison... Loving this trip!" So is her 11-year-old Subaru with over 150,000 miles. Here's a shot from the campsite:
Subaru EyeSight Technology Explained
SubaruWRXfan loves his BRZ!
26 Year Old Subaru Legacy Rises from the Deep...and Starts!
Read the story at topspeed.com: "1986 Subaru Legacy starts after being submerged in lake for three months"
Posted April 1, 2012
Happy April Fools Day! Click here to read the press release. See how the automotive blogosphere featured the story here .
Posted 3/6/12
2013 Subaru XV Commercial
Posted 3/1/2012
Subaru earns the top spot on Consumer Report's report of the manufacturers with the best road tests and reliability ratings! Read this Automotive News article for all the details.
Posted 1/11/2012
Planet Subaru is among only a handful of all dealers in the United States that have earned Subaru's highest awards in both Sales and Service six years in a row. See the awards and read more here.
Posted 12/20/2011
One reckless driver in Santa Fe, Texas must be grateful he was driving a Subaru when he launched his Impreza WRX into the air, smashed it through the roof of a septic business, and lived to lie about it to police. Read the story here.
Posted 11/23/2011
For the third year in a row, Subaru has been awarded Automotive Leasing Guide's (alg) top honor for Residual Value for a "Mainstream Brand"! What does this mean to you? If your car holds its value more over time, you'll get more for it when you trade it in or sell it on your own. That means more money in your pocket. Check out the full article here.
Posted 11/2/2011
Click here to read all about it.
Posted 10/6/2011
When it comes to car color, white is white-hot, according to PPG Industries, which released its annual color trend popularity survey Wednesday. The Detroit Free Press reports that 21 percent of 2011 model-year vehicles around the world are white, bumping silver, which fell to second place, where it's tied with black. Both silver, the most-popular vehicle for 10 years straight, and black claimed 20 percent of the market, with gray coming in next at 13 percent. The four colors are popular because they not only are available in every vehicle segment, but look good on any type of car, according to Jane Harrington, PPG's manager of color styling and automotive coatings. Plus, a car is a big purchase so many buyers don't want to get locked into a too-trendy shade. She theorized why white has become so beloved: It connotes cutting-edge. A recent PPG survey found that 77 percent of car buyers said that exterior color was a factor in their purchase, and 31 percent said they'd be willing to pay extra for a color that expresses their personality.
Non-Colors are Top Car Colors
(12/18/13)
Black & White, non-colors according to some schools of scientific thought, are the two top "color" choices of car buyers in N. America, according to The Detroit News. White at 21% and black at 19%, virtually unchanged from 2 years ago. They're closely followed by Gray (17%) and Silver (15%), revealing that 72% of new cars on the road are various shades of non-colors. See, according to the "Color as Light" color theory, BLACK IS NOT A COLOR! Black is the total absence of light, and therefore the absence of color (because visible light implies color).  And WHITE IS A COLOR because it's made up of all visible colors (which are revealed in a rainbow).  HOWEVER - and hold on to your black hat - according to the "color as pigment" color theory, BLACK IS A COLOR and WHITE IS NOT A COLOR! I know, I know, this is all very disturbing, especially if you have a white or black car and now you don't know if your car has a color or not!!? Well, you can read more on this disturbing debate here. Personally my car is an awesome Ruby Red, and I can find it easily in a parking lot (unless it's covered by snow, nature's colorful colorless cloak. I personally don't care what color (or lack thereof) you choose, as long as it's one we have in stock!  - Dave G.
Posted 8/23/2011
Subaru releases a short film that brings you behind the scenes of the Subaru Rally Team USA's rise to the 2011 Rally America Championship. Here's the YouTube link:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlYbtQSQl_Q
Posted 7/27/11
Click here to read all about it!
Posted 7/19/2011
You'll probably never drive your Subaru at 150mph, but if you want to see what it would look like from the driver's seat, check this out...
Posted 7/5/2011
Subaru of America has millions of owners in the United States and stays in touch with them by sending every Subaru household a copy of its DRIVE MAGAZINE. In the most recent edition, Subaru recognizes Planet Subaru for its generous contributions to Special Olympics. Click here to see!
Posted 6/22/2011
The March '11 earthquake hobbled Subaru production. Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, initially warned investors and dealers that production might not resume to pre-quake levels until the end of the year.
The quake did not damage Subaru's facilities, but some key suppliers did lose some or all of their capacity. Also, electricity shortages have limited the hours that factories can operate their assembly lines. But the Japanese people and their economy are resilient, and they have speedily solved supplier bottlenecks. Some suppliers have even handed over their design blueprints to competitors who did not lose production capability in order to keep the auto manufacturers rolling.
New vehicle shipments to Planet Subaru in July and August will match pre-quake levels. Planet Subaru currently has 49 new vehicles on the lot and an additional 47 scheduled to arrive any day. If you were waiting on the sidelines for better selection, your wait is over...now is the time to find your next Subaru at Planet.
Posted 6/10/2011
It's always great to hear about companies who care about the environment, but it's even better when that environmental stewardship leads to saving money and improving people's lives. Click on this link to read more...
Bloomberg Businessweek: "Subaru of Indiana, America's Scrappiest Carmaker"
Posted 4/20/2011
Images & Info.
YouTube Video
Posted 4/10/2011
Click here to read the article.
Online Auctions Revealed!
Posted 4/10/2011
Click here to see what a real on-line used car auction is like.
Posted 4/10/2011
Click here for some tips to save money on gas and repairs for your car.
Posted 4/7/2011
® Kelley Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc.
Posted 4/4/2011
Click here to read the article in their Best Practices section.
Posted 4/2/2011
Planet Subaru has sold cars in 42 states. Click here to see a happy Planet customer picking up his STi in Hanover and driving it all the back to Alaska. We gave him some snacks for the ride back. Surprisingly, this is the not the farthest someone has come to buy a Subaru at Planet. We also sold a Forester in Hawaii!
Posted 4/1/2011
Click here to learn how Planet Subaru is "Bringing Sexy Back."
The Boston Globe picked up this story and it went viral. Here are a couple of examples, from a Dallas paper and one in India!
//topics.dallasnews.com/article/05XS1mj0Y4gKT?q=Mother
//oneclick.indiatimes.com/article/05XS1mj0Y4gKT/quotes?q=
Posted 3/15/2011
Be Car Chic's "Industry Pulse" posts Planet Subaru's thoughts and comments on the effects of the earthquake on the North American Subaru business...
Click here for blog link
Posted 3/15/2011
Special Olympics P.R. Director Dave Greenwood interviews Jeff Morrill, co-owner of
Planet Subaru, earlier this month in our showroom.
Planet Subaru is pleased to be a long-time sponsor of Recycle for Gold , Special Olympics' car donation program that turns your "unhealthy cars and trucks into healthy athletes", as their website states. Since 2000, Planet Subaru has donated 553 cars to date to this great cause, on behalf of our generous customers. Thank you to all of our customers who have helped us support Special Olympics!!
Posted 2/28/11
The Patriot Ledger visited us during President's Day weekend. We made the front page! You might have seen the article in the printed version but in case you missed it, check it out here. You'll see pictures of some of our happy customers and Purchase Partner Larry Terrio of Marshfield.
Posted 2/17/11
Inscribed on a temple in Udaipur, India: "Do not judge your life by your individual well being; but on the contrary, measure it by its consonance with the well being of others."
Posted 1/31/11

Yes, we're putting solar panels on the roof, but we're also working in
smaller ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Our customers can now
enjoy our gourmet coffee, hot chocolate, and tea in our new more
eco-friendly cups! Instead of Styrofoam which we previously used, our
new cups are made of 100% renewable plant-based sources and 24%
post-consumer content. For more information on these cups and other
green products, click here.Posted 1/4/11
Subaru owners are known for keeping their cars for a long time, and for good reason: Subaru's are very reliable, even in very harsh climates. Here's a link to an article on Vehix.com about "10 Used Cars That Seem To Run Forever" . Subaru tops their list.
Clean Up!
Posted 12/27/10
Planet crew (Nate Roman, top photo; David Spellman, bottom photo) having way too much fun cleaning off the Subaru's after last night's big nor'easter. Cleaning the cars off was a lot of work, but pulling them out was easy...thanks All-Wheel-Drive!!
Goofy Subaru ad video (Who are the ad wizards?)
Posted 12/15/10
We get excited when we get a new car too!
Posted 12/9/10
Dave Gardner, a Planet Purchase Partner , just ordered a 2011 Legacy for his new wheels. Says Dave, "I've been waiting for some time to get the new body style Legacy. I love the extra space and AWD with awesome fuel economy! I'm tall with long legs so the extra leg room with telescoping steering wheel is perfect for me. And I'm getting a backup camera which - my co-workers would probably agree - I could use! [o.k. - I've had a couple minor accidents on the lot, but only two in almost 5 years!] :-) Can't wait to get it! It's in Ruby Red Pearl - here's an idea of what it will look like..."

Video of Jeff's Cats Singing Sweet Caroline
Posted 12/9/10
Well, they're not really singing, because cats can't sing. But they're meowing to beat the band.
Why is Subaru breaking sales records in a industry that got clobbered?Â
Posted 11/5/10
Subaru had its best sales year ever in 2009, and then took only ten months of 2010 to beat that record. The industry pundits have a lot of theories, including: a new advertising agency and campaign, more mainstream styling, and accolades that keep pouring in (including back-to-back Motor Trend Sport Utility of the Year awards for the Forester and Outback). That's the industry perspective, and we think all are factors.Â
On the showroom floor, "where the rubber meets the road" (or at least tile), we see some other reasons that explain the Subaru ascendancy. Starting in 2008 with the Impreza, 2009 with the Forester, and 2010 with the Legacy and Outback, Subaru started building the cars about a half size bigger. We've been open since 1998, and we could have retired by now if we had a nickel for every time we heard someone say, "it's just not big enough." Americans are relatively big, and they have a lot of stuff, and they'll pay more for cars that are a little bigger.  Whereas the cars used to be sized for the Japanese market (smaller drivers, less stuff, different tastes), now they're sized for the American market.
Second, in times of recession, more people consider "value" as a primary consideration when buying a car. And "value" has always been one of Subaru's strong suits. You get a lot for your money. You can buy an Outback Limited , loaded with creature comforts and features for around $30,000. The comparable BMW or Audi is at least $10,000 more! BMW and Audi build fine cars, and have excellent reputations, but $10,000 is a lot of money for no more car.   Ten thousand!















