Subaru Crew: Suggestions for Subaru - READ ONLY

2332 messages, Last post on Aug 08, 2005 at 9:54 AM

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Your Community Leaders are ateixeira and rsholland.

What would you like to see in future Subarus? Share your comments here!

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#2273 of 2332 Enthusiasts not a representative sample by ateixeira Jun 14, 2005 (8:20 am)
When you come to a site like this, you get enthusiasts that don't necessarily show a representative sample of your normal customers. We crave the performance models, manual transmission, and higher-end stuff like HIDs, Nav, DVD, etc. They conduct marketing studies with a random sample of customers, which is a more scientific sample, and then determine what to sell. If it were up to us the lineup would look something like this: Forester XT with cloth and unpainted bumpers, 6 speed manual only WRX STi wagon only, 6 speed manual only Legacy GT, 6 speed or 5EAT (the only concession) Legacy STi, 6 speed manual only Legacy Spec B, 6 speed etc. A very fun but not very practical lineup. Our suggestions and product planning would have them in the poor house. I do, however, believe that there is a major halo effect that cars like the STi create that is very difficult to measure. I also think a Legacy STi would do the same for that lineup. When SoA approaches FHI, it's a tough sell. "We will lose money on the Spec B, but we want to sell it anyway" is not going to be a strong enough argument. -juice Replies to this message: dino001 (Jun 14, 2005 9:15 am)
#2274 of 2332 Suggestion by ateixeira Jun 14, 2005 (8:22 am)
I guess I should make a point after all that, eh? My point - I'd like to see Subaru offer engine options that aren't packaged along with several thousand dollars worth of equipment. Unfortunately it seems that MY2006 is doing just the opposite, the turbo engines in the Forester and Legacy/Outback will now require higher equipment levels. -juice
#2275 of 2332 Re: Enthusiasts not a representative sample [ateixeira] by dino001 Jun 14, 2005 (9:15 am)
Replying to: ateixeira (Jun 14, 2005 8:20 am) We also need to add that the market research is done around "what sells now" rather than more intangible qualities such as brand "buzz". It is of course a valid point of view, but if you continue alienating enthusiasts, you may lose in long term big time. Best examples are GM, Nissan or Mazda. The latter two found their ways back, but see what was happening to them in 90s when they were chasing Camry crowd. They did not get them, but they lost enthusiasts. I don't even want to talk about GM, it is not worth it. I generally have no probolem with AT being an option, or even standard, as long as manual can be at least special ordered. Similarly with other stuff. I understand conflicting forces here, between simple configs, easy to manufacter and market, but part of a niche/upscale segment is choice. Back to enthusiasts: for big guys like Toyota, one enthusiast may be per 50 regular customers (in case of Camry the ratio is probably 1 to 1000 ) . Subaru's ratio is much, much lower - you must be some kind of a nutcase to go for it at the first place (try to explain to your Camry neighbor why you paid 5 grand more for something smaller or try to explain you BMW neighbor why you think AWD is better). Most of their customer choose them for very particular reasons, whether it is technology or image or otherwise). If they keep ignoring those who care to tell them what they like, the future may not be as bright (fortunes sinking ?? ). I have my WRX for over 2 years and will probably stick to it for another 2-4, depending on many things. My next car will be midsize, this I know. I like 6 cyl, I also like manual, 6 speed would be nice, I want wagon. Choices? BMW, Audi (not right now, but wil be available in the future) and... that's it! I like their concept and technology, I just want to give them a chance to bring to me something I will like and something I will not have to give my arm and leg for. I may go with Legacy GT Ltd, by why oh why do I have to give up 6 cyl?
#2276 of 2332 By the way by dino001 Jun 14, 2005 (9:18 am)
What makes Spec B profitable in Europe/Japan that it not in USA? How many of those did they sell in Europe?
#2277 of 2332 Spec B by ateixeira Jun 14, 2005 (10:47 am)
Who knows if it is profitable? We only know that it's sold in those countries, and that most likely it costs them less to certify those models for sale in those countries than it does in the litigous USA. Spec B is coming here, but might be watered down a bit. It'll get the Bilstein suspension and big rims, probably some special colors, but not the 6 speed manual tranny we've asked for. -juice
#2278 of 2332 dont know about u guys but i am waiting for spec c by njswamplands Jun 14, 2005 (10:58 am)

#2279 of 2332 If the stock reaches D I think we should sell by ateixeira Jun 14, 2005 (11:05 am)

#2280 of 2332 bet ya juice doesnt fall of the fence before spec e by njswamplands Jun 14, 2005 (1:39 pm)
hey stop putting everything into the title
#2281 of 2332 I'm short by paisan Jun 15, 2005 (12:48 am)
I short a few Spec Bs actually. Anyone have any good offers on Spec Bs? I'm a 25K bid. -mike
#2282 of 2332 Loose thought about marketing research by dino001 Jun 15, 2005 (5:15 am)
I just recently run across several interesting comments about scientific marketing research in so called focus groups. First, it appearch all Detroit uses the religiously for their product development. We can see the effects of it, so perhaps all that "science" in not working very well. If Subaru uses similar groups than God save us all! Another thing is that very often focus groups are used just to confirm intuition of executives (especialy male), but are afraid to admit as such and need "scientific" data to back them up. They simply throw away results they don't like and repeat studies until desired results. I just hope Subaru doesn't use those methods in their marketing research. Another one: manual transmission. How many times I hear: it won't sell. Hello? Did you even try? How do you expect to sell them if you have one stripper on your lot? It is easier to sell automatic to a manual guy (oh, you won't find any around, I will give you a great deal on this one, and look how much better resale it will have) than the other way around. It is all about playing safe, which of course creates self-fullfilling prophecy. I personally know several manual people going automatic because of availability issue. Those people are different ages, differen walks of life, not very similar to me.