Agreed. WTF is happening at Subaru that allowed an icon like this to become so boring?
...budget and sales margin?
I really like the styling, whatever bland cues we may all be able to find. I like that they put a CVT
option in there to open it up. I will miss the hatchback, but it doesn't resonate well with many North Americans - not unless they made it the XV STI. Face it, CUVs sell better than hatchbacks. ...and 'boy racer' is a limited niche as well.
If Subie wants my $35-40k, they need to provide me with some serious luxury at that price. I love my Fozzie XT at $35k, but I only got it because it was $8k cheaper than a comparable X3. The 2014 XT at $38k narrows that gap - I'm likely buying mine out and moving away from Subaru in a few years. Shame. I love my Subie, but it's just getting too expensive for what you get.