Just a song I found...

This may not be everyone's cup of tea but the name of the song alone dictates that I like the tune.

Without further ado.......North End Subaru presents........

SUBARU WEEKEND

The World's Worst Weatherman...

All-wheel drive is to North End Subaru's brand identity what cheesecake is to Junior's. And that has a lot to do with why the brand has been so strong, traditionally, in snow states. But in recent years, Subaru has made inroads in other regions as it has focused as much on cars on the Legacy platform as on its core Forester and Outback crossovers for which the brand has been known.

Now the Cherry Hill, N.J. automaker is making its symmetrical all-wheel drive underpinnings central to a humorous new campaign that makes light of nature's vicissitudes, or at least the TV weather announcers who bring us the predictions.

The campaign, "The World's Worst Weatherman," has the central idea that you can't count on predictions, but at least you'll be able to get around if you have a Subaru. Via AOR Minneapolis-based Carmichael Lynch, it includes TV, the home page at Subaru.com, Facebook, mobile applications and YouTube.

The ads feature a borderline incompetent weatherman, reminiscent of the Ted Baxter character on "The Mary Tyler Moore" show of the '70s -- who can't even get his geography correct, much less talk turkey about weather. In one spot, he starts to talk about weather in Washington, "our nation's capital," except he's pointing to the state. He mispronounces Boise but is obviously proud that he knows the city is in Idaho. In another video, he has absolutely no idea what the temperature numbers mean on the weather map, and the newscasters roll their eyes.

There are also Subaru-produced videos at subaru.com/weather that position Subaru against Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Honda for harsh-weather handling. The site also has games: "Conversation Starters," offering opening lines having to do with other things than the weather; "Time Wasted," a calculator for how much time you spend worrying about the weather; and "Weather Odds" that works out the probability of a person encountering inclement weather in their current location.

Alan Bethke, director of marketing at Subaru, says the campaign has a role in expanding the brand beyond the snowbelt, which has been Subaru's traditional stronghold.

"It's about getting people to understand what the Symmetrical AWD System can do for them, regardless of where they live -- not just in snow and ice. It's good for any road condition. Even for a dry road, it enhances the way the vehicle handles." He says that the brand, which has had three record sales years, recession notwithstanding, has also seen its share grow in the southern states.

Melissa Schoenke, account director at Carmichael Lynch, says the campaign includes five national TV ads that are also available for dealers. "There are also ads more appropriate to certain parts of the country," she says, adding that the creative will reflect the season. "Right now there's an emphasis on rain." Rather than a one- or two-month effort, the campaign will be extended and reflect the changing seasons, per Bethke. "We see it as something long-term; with fall and winter coming into play we see it as something with a long shelf life."

Central Massachusetts carshoppers finding fewer cars available.....

Buyers hearing that summer vehicle shortages are occurring earlier than they had planned, are visiting dealers to get the cars they want. April sales, which where reported last Monday, are expected to be up 19 percent from last year. Dealers say the increase is at least partly due to anxious customers.

The Japan earthquake is on peoples’ minds, said Adam Skolnick, general manager at Toyota Scion Watertown in Massachusetts. “There is more of a sense of urgency because they don’t want to be left without a vehicle,’’ he said. The March 11 quake devastated Japanese suppliers and shut down production at automakers for weeks. Analysts estimate production has fallen by about 500,000 vehicles and will continue to grow.

Toyota will not return to a regular production schedule in Japan until November at the earliest. Although Japanese automakers are the hardest hit, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler have all curtailed production.
“As inventories rapidly deteriorate, April could be the last month that we’ll see strong sales numbers until late summer or early fall,’’ said Jessica Caldwell, an Edmunds.com senior analyst.


Yesterday, Honda warned dealers that the 2012 Civic and other models will be in short supply this summer. It also pushed back the fall launch of the CR-V small SUV by at least a month.

The primary impact will be on brands and parts manufactured solely in Japan. Small cars such as the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris and Subaru Impreza could be in short supply, said Jesse Toprak, vice president at TrueCar.com. “Recovery from this crisis is difficult and constantly evolving … ’’ John Mendel, Honda’s US executive vice president, told US dealers in a letter.

The crisis is beginning to translate into a shortage of most cars and trucks on US dealers’ lots. Prices are inching up on some brands and models, including Mazda, Toyota, and Subaru. For now, there is in many cases, less than a two-month inventory of many models.

Subaru of America, Inc. Supports MS 150

In late September, thousands of bicyclists made their treks in southern New Jersey to help raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Subaru has supported this MS 150 ride for more than 12 years.

Named official vehicle of the MS 150, Subaru provided:

• Twelve vehicles for the organization’s use
• Teams of volunteers
  
  • More than 20 employees participated in the ride as a bike team
  • Approximately 60 employee volunteers helped at rest stops, which were stocked with fruit, snacks, and beverages

A Diesel Subaru for the U.S.?

Rumors and innuendo have swirled around the idea that Subaru could bring its much-anticipated diesel engine here to the U.S. for  over three years now. Between then and now, the company has remained indecisive due to high diesel fuel prices and stringent emissions requirements here. Needless to say, the diesel boxer is still nowhere to be found stateside, but this might change soon.

The company's first horizontally-opposed boxer diesels have rolled out in Europe, and Subaru's executive vice president Tom Doll said, "the diesel engine is a hot seller over there, so much so that Subaru total sales are increasing." Doll tempered our excitement by saying Subaru is not confident that the U.S. is ready for the oil burner just yet and that bringing the power plant here will require a lot of things to fall into place perfectly. Doll told Ward's Auto what will need to happen:

"The emissions requirements in the U.S. are significant. And given the price of diesel fuel, where it is right now, it really does not pay to bring the vehicle into the U.S. We're trying to see what happens. As the market sorts itself out, we'll get ready, and then look at bringing the car (here)."

Our chance of getting this power plant seems slim but new CAFE regulations requiring upwards of 35 miles per gallon by 2016 could convince Subaru that the time to offer Americans a diesel is now.

(Source: Ward's Auto)

Welcome to the Subaru Family......

North End Subaru is very proud to welcome the Benson family into the worldwide Subaru family.

When Peter Benson of Richland, Wa. purchased his 2010 Subaru Outback he began a domino effect on his family here in Massachusetts. While the matriarch of this family, Patricia was visiting her son she had the opportunity to experience the Outback firsthand. She must have liked it.

fr. left: Patricia Benson, Laura Benson, North End Subaru Salesman Bob Waite, Kathy Benson

Just a few weeks ago Patricia decided to replace her car and naturally chose a beautiful 2011 Subaru Outback. She was quickly followed this week by new Subie owners Laura Benson and her sister Karen Benson with their 2011 Subaru Forester's.

When asked why they picked Subaru, all three ladies sited the standard All Wheel Drive and the overall sportiness of the Subaru crossover vehicles. " I really love how my Forester feels" said Laura, "with my new son I was really concerned about safety and the Subaru's have all the features I wanted.

Is your family a Subaru Family? Drop us a line and we will tell your Subaru family story here.

Ken Block and his Subies....

 North End Subaru favorite Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino have both been taken to a hospital for examination after the Monster World rally Team driver crashed heavily during yesterdays Rally of Portugal shakedown stage.

A spokesman from the Monster team said: "Both Ken and Alex have been taken to hospital in Faro for precautionary checks. All I know is that they rolled, but they're okay." 

Just for fun let's take a look at a few of Ken's Subaru adventures...