Why is Subaru the only mainstream car maker to offer AWD sedans?
02-08-14, 08:43 AM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Why is Subaru the only mainstream car maker to offer AWD sedans?
AWD is the rage among luxury cars. I realize that it provides an added benefit to snow belt customers, who might otherwise shy away from luxury cars that are RWD. Many luxury features trickle down to more mainstream cars after a few years (nav, heated seats/steering wheels, memory seats, etc, etc.). Why hasn't AWD made this list? Sure, you could get a Subaru or a VW CC 4-Motion (can you still get an AWD Fusion?); and I suppose you could add the Dodge / Chrysler flagship sedans to that list. But how about an AWD Camry, Accord, Altima, Maxima, Mazda6, Malibu, etc? Seems like it's an untapped market.
02-08-14, 09:02 AM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
The Ford Taurus/Fusion, Buick LaCrosse/Regal offer AWD. So did the Suzuki Kizashi sedan, if you want to look at a used one a couple of years old....Suzuki, of course, no longer sells new vehicles here in America. The Toyota Venza and Honda Crosstour offer AWD, though their rear rooflines don't necessarily qualify them as "sedans".
Subaru sells almost all of its American-market products with standard AWD because, except for the RWD BR-Z sports-coupe it shares with Scion (FR-S), Subaru decided that, as of 1995, that AWD would be its primary marketing strategy in the U.S. One cannot argue that, especially with the Forester and Outback, the standard AWD policy here has worked very well for them.
Subaru sells almost all of its American-market products with standard AWD because, except for the RWD BR-Z sports-coupe it shares with Scion (FR-S), Subaru decided that, as of 1995, that AWD would be its primary marketing strategy in the U.S. One cannot argue that, especially with the Forester and Outback, the standard AWD policy here has worked very well for them.
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-08-14 at 09:07 AM.
02-08-14, 09:03 AM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
The Fusion still offers it on the Titanium model.
I imagine the reason it hasn't taken in the mid-size sector yet is pricing, perhaps. I'd guess that they're not predicting enough demand for it to justify the expense of developing AWD systems for these models and offering them at a premium.
I imagine the reason it hasn't taken in the mid-size sector yet is pricing, perhaps. I'd guess that they're not predicting enough demand for it to justify the expense of developing AWD systems for these models and offering them at a premium.
02-08-14, 09:13 AM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
The Fusion still offers it on the Titanium model.
I imagine the reason it hasn't taken in the mid-size sector yet is pricing, perhaps. I'd guess that they're not predicting enough demand for it to justify the expense of developing AWD systems for these models and offering them at a premium.
I imagine the reason it hasn't taken in the mid-size sector yet is pricing, perhaps. I'd guess that they're not predicting enough demand for it to justify the expense of developing AWD systems for these models and offering them at a premium.
02-08-14, 09:57 AM
#5
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
I agree. Honda CRV and CrossTour could be adopted to Accord. Toyota Venza to Camry/Avalon. Mazda CX 5/7/9 could be adopted too.
02-08-14, 10:04 AM
#6
small % of buyers get them, thats why. For a long time Toyota has had AWD versions of all of their smaller cars in Japan, but never sold them outside of Japan. For instance, both Yaris and Corolla have AWD versions in Japan.
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02-08-14, 11:01 AM
#8
Lexus Champion
Subaru = Japanese Audi (in the way that both carmakers are promoting their AWD platforms ; quattro for Audi and Symmetrical All Wheel Drive for Subaru)
I guess in the field of Marketing, something like this would be considered as their "Unique Selling Proposition" (i.e. their push for promoting ALL WHEEL DRIVE vehicles).
Personally, I love what both Subaru and Audi are doing and I know they will continue with this approach because it works well for them
I guess in the field of Marketing, something like this would be considered as their "Unique Selling Proposition" (i.e. their push for promoting ALL WHEEL DRIVE vehicles).
Personally, I love what both Subaru and Audi are doing and I know they will continue with this approach because it works well for them
02-08-14, 12:06 PM
#10
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Subaru = Japanese Audi (in the way that both carmakers are promoting their AWD platforms ; quattro for Audi and Symmetrical All Wheel Drive for Subaru)
I guess in the field of Marketing, something like this would be considered as their "Unique Selling Proposition" (i.e. their push for promoting ALL WHEEL DRIVE vehicles).
Personally, I love what both Subaru and Audi are doing and I know they will continue with this approach because it works well for them
I guess in the field of Marketing, something like this would be considered as their "Unique Selling Proposition" (i.e. their push for promoting ALL WHEEL DRIVE vehicles).
Personally, I love what both Subaru and Audi are doing and I know they will continue with this approach because it works well for them
02-08-14, 12:10 PM
#11
AWD adds cost, and hurts MPG because it increases power train losses. Consumers seem to desire less costly cars and better MPG more than they desire AWD. Because most cars we are talking about here aren't performance oriented anyways, AWD would add almost no benefit to the driver. These drivers aren't encountering wheel slip upon corner exit.
Auto manufacturers, too, must meet fleet average MPG, so unless the cost of the option makes up for the cost of a lower average, they'd prefer to not offer it. This is why we see it only offered on top trim levels, and why it mostly remains a luxury item.
Auto manufacturers, too, must meet fleet average MPG, so unless the cost of the option makes up for the cost of a lower average, they'd prefer to not offer it. This is why we see it only offered on top trim levels, and why it mostly remains a luxury item.
02-08-14, 05:02 PM
#15
AWD adds cost, and hurts MPG because it increases power train losses. Consumers seem to desire less costly cars and better MPG more than they desire AWD. Because most cars we are talking about here aren't performance oriented anyways, AWD would add almost no benefit to the driver. These drivers aren't encountering wheel slip upon corner exit.
Auto manufacturers, too, must meet fleet average MPG, so unless the cost of the option makes up for the cost of a lower average, they'd prefer to not offer it. This is why we see it only offered on top trim levels, and why it mostly remains a luxury item.
Auto manufacturers, too, must meet fleet average MPG, so unless the cost of the option makes up for the cost of a lower average, they'd prefer to not offer it. This is why we see it only offered on top trim levels, and why it mostly remains a luxury item.
Plus a lot of people don't live in regions that would benefit greatly from having AWD