Subaru has always targeted a niche audience with its vehicles which cater to the buyers who refuse to travel the beaten path. This philosophy is what has made them so famous over the years. But by dropping the manual transmission for the US market, they have chosen to appeal to a larger audience.
Why did they do this?
Subaru chose to go with the Lineartronic CVT in the 2015 Legacy in order to improve fuel efficiency and it has made a huge difference with the Legacy getting a two mpg gain as compared to the previous model.
Loyal fans have expressed their disappointment with the direction the Legacy has taken. It is now bigger and more luxurious. But the removal of the manual gearbox has taken away some of the sporty character that Subaru is known for. Many fans swear to Subaru's off-road capabilities and that is going to be difficult without the manual transmission.
Sales
This certainly hasn't hurt the sales of the sedan in the US though. 60% of their sales is from owners who are switching to Subaru for the first time. November 2015 saw a whopping 97% increase in sales in comparison to the same period in 2014. The company may have alienated some loyal fans by getting rid of the manual transmission but it has also captured the attention of quite a few new buyers.
Subaru enthusiasts
While most car owners believe that their vehicles are good enough in their stock form, there are some individuals who prefer altering the characteristics of a vehicle with some heavy modifications. Take the example of the Subaru Legacy Wagon which is currently for sale on eBay.
The stock engine has been replaced by a WRX STI engine and a number of additional off-roading features have been added to the car. If a high performance engine wasn't enough to make you take notice, then perhaps the pickup truck axles, Supra transmission, 12 - 14 inch ballistic shocks and huge monster truck tires might.
This is pretty profound to do something like this. Many people believe it is strange and not a terrific use of money but for those die hard 4x4 folks who love Subaru, it’s what gets them going!
Modifications
There are a number of things which can be done when modifying your vehicle. You can choose to enhance its performance, add various kits to it so that it becomes more aerodynamic and give it a fancy paintjob so that it becomes unique and easily identifiable in a crowd. This crazy car is the perfect example of a buyer who actually took all of these ideas and made them his own.
The wagon is currently on sale as an unfinished project which needs a little work before it becomes road worthy. It has only done 60,000 miles so far and looks amazing, to some, if you can take out the time to make it work.
You can easily imagine it fighting through 3 feet of snow or mud. It had earlier been listed for $8,000 but didn't sell. It has now been relisted at $5,000. It appears as if the seller is really trying to get rid of this work-in-progress monster since he claims to have spent more than $32,000 on the project already. It is hard to believe the project still isn't complete after spending so much money and if you're considering making an offer, you better be ready to spend a significant amount of time getting it to work.
If you can finish this project, you do not have to worry about too many floods or snow storms anymore that is for sure.
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