What’s the Release Date and Pricing of the 2022 Subaru Forester?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Forester is the most popular model in the Subaru lineup. It’s easy to see why with its blend of rugged and premium styling, off-road capabilities, fun-to-drive nature, advanced technologies, and high-level safety. Subaru recently announced the details of the 2022 Forester. Find out its pricing and release date information.

2022 Subaru Forester: Release date and pricing for each trim

2022 Subaru Forester | Subaru

Prospective buyers of the 2022 Subaru Forester will not have to wait much longer. The compact SUV will arrive at dealerships nationwide in October 2021. 

The 2022 Forester offers a choice of six different trims: Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Touring, as well as an all-new Wilderness model. Pricing starts at $25,195 for the Forester Base trim, up to $35,295 for the top-of-the-line Touring trim:

Base: $25,195
Premium: $28,195
Sport: $29,765

Wilderness: $32,820
Limited: $31,875
Touring: $35,295

The 2022 Forester Wilderness trim provides enhanced off-road capabilities

The significant addition to the Forester lineup for the 2022 model year is the new Wilderness trim. It features many exclusive mechanical, functional, and design features to take the off-road capabilities of the Forester to an entirely new level. 

The Forester Wilderness trim has 9.2 inches of ground clearance, which is half an inch higher than the other Forester models. The extra clearance enables the Wilderness to drive over rocky and debris-laden terrain with greater ease. Excellent traction, especially on gravel or muddy surfaces, comes courtesy of the Yokohama GEOLANDAR all-terrain tires. The tires wrap around the unique 17-inch alloy wheels, which have a matte black finish and elevated white letters. For peace of mind when hitting the trails, the Wilderness trim has a full-size spare tire that’s located under the cargo area. 

The exclusive exterior and interior details of the Forester Wilderness are an excellent complement to its enhanced off-road capabilities. Exterior features include a prominent hexagonal front grille, hexagonal LED fog lights, large wheel arch cladding, an anti-glare hood decal, and front skid plates. Also, the Wilderness trim has a ladder-type roof rack with a dynamic load capacity of 220 pounds. When parked, the roof rack can support a total weight of up to 800 pounds. This makes the Wilderness a good option for rooftop tent camping. 

Inside the Forester Wilderness, the seats consist of StarTex material. They are water-resistant and good for bearing the brunt of mud, dirt, and whatever else you bring in from the outside. For staying well-connected and entertained on your outdoor adventures, the Wilderness offers a Harman Kardon premium sound system .and an 8.0-inch multimedia navigation system.

What else is new for the 2022 Subaru Forester?

Overall, the entire 2022 Forester lineup has a slight redesign with a bolder appearance. This includes new designs for the grille, front fascia, grille, fog light covers, and headlights. The suite of driving assistance technologies in the Forester has some upgrades, with improved performance and the ability to function in a greater variety of driving conditions. Also, the Forester Premium trim offers an option for an automatic emergency steering system.

RELATED: Consumer Reports Prefers the 2021 Subaru Forester Far More Than the 2021 Lexus RX

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Toyota Will Launch Hydrogen-Powered Corolla and Prius in 2023

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Toyota will launch all-new hydrogen-powered vehicles, the Corolla and Prius in 2023. Toyota has been historically ahead of other automakers as far as environmental friendliness but one of the slower automakers into the electric vehicle scene. It seems to be taking a different approach. Toyota has pushed hydrogen as a viable carbon-neutral fuel. It has a planned heavy-duty truck fuel cell module assembly in Kentucky, as well as the Mirai fuel cell car. . It has offered hybrid options on every vehicle in its lineup other than the GR86, GR Yaris, and Supra. Now furthering the progression of hydrogen as a fuel source, two of its most popular vehicles will become hydrogen-powered.

Hydrogen-powered Toyota Prius

The 2021 Toyota Prius Prime hybrid model | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

The fuel-efficient Toyota Prius is well-known for being an eco-friendly machine. The first-ever mass-produced hybrid vehicle was the Prius in 1997 and over the years, it has become a model synonymous with never needing to stop for gas. Though still using the same plug-in hybrid technology, in 2023 it will be powered by hydrogen. As a result, like a traditional Prius plug-in hybrid, it will have the benefits of running on a battery but uses hydrogen instead of gasoline. The process is notably different from the above-mentioned Mirai. The Mirai uses a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in fuel cells to generate electricity to power its motors. The Prius and Corolla will operate as a traditional vehicle does, only replacing gasoline with hydrogen.

Hydrogen-powered Toyota Corolla

A hydrogen-powered Toyota Corolla races in the Fuji 24 Hours Race
Hydrogen-Powered Toyota Corolla | Toyota

In 1966, Toyota started production on the Corolla and it is available today in both standard and hybrid models. However, like the Prius, it will come in a hydrogen-powered variant beginning in 2023. Toyota recently competed in “The Fuji 24-Hours” race using a Corolla with a hydrogen-powered combustion engine in a Corolla hatchback. The 1.6-liter turbo three-cylinder engine was converted to run completely on hydrogen using a Denso injection system. This technology was pioneered using the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell sedan. The Corolla has four hydrogen tanks that can hold up to 180 liters, or 47.551 gallons. These tanks sit behind the driver’s cockpit, surrounded by carbon fiber crash structures. This race helped spark the desire to release a hydrogen-powered Corolla in 2023 alongside the Prius.

Why not electric?

With the automotive industry surging into the electric vehicle market, it seems odd for Toyota to be moving in a different direction. Toyota’s primary goal with hybrid, electric, and hydrogen vehicles is to reduce emissions. According to Forbes, in 2019 a Toyota Spokesperson said the vehicle giant is capable of producing 28,000 electric cars per year vs. 1.5 million hybrid cars. Therefore hybrids are a priority because 1.5 million hybrid sales per year reduce carbon emissions by a third more than 28,000 electric vehicle sales. Toyota’s goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2050. The automaker did announce the production of its first completely electric vehicle concept, the “bZ4X”, in April 2021.

Toyota seems to have reduced emissions prioritized as they give consumers a multitude of reduced-emission vehicle options. Toyota is taking big strides to reduce carbon emissions. A full lineup of hybrid vehicles is already available, and hydrogen-powered vehicles are being added in 2023. The incoming production of their first electric vehicle in 2022 is will launch Toyota to the top of eco-friendly manufacturers. The hydrogen-powered Toyota Corolla and Prius will release sometime in 2023.

RELATED: The Hydrogen Toyota Corolla Might Save the Planet and the Exhaust Note

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DeLorean’s Founder Was Tried For Attempting to Save His Firm With Cocaine

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Back to the Future DeLorean is an iconic car from the blockbuster film of the 1980s. Yet even being one of the most famous cars of all time could save the DeLorean from failure. And when DeLorean founder John Z. DeLorean realized that his company was struggling financially, he did everything he could to try to save it. According to authorities, he even tried to sell cocaine to keep things afloat. Though DeLorean was tried for cocaine distribution, he was acquitted. Unfortunately, the DeLorean still met its demise. 

DeLorean DMC-12 | DeLorean

John Z. DeLorean left General Motors to start his own company

Although the DeLorean first came about in 1981, its origin began six years before that. John Z. DeLorean was an employee of General Motors. Before the DeLorean, he was most famous for coming up with the Pontiac GTO. Then he left General Motors to start his own car company, the DeLorean Motor Company. 

The DeLorean Motor Company operated out of Northern Ireland. It made the first DMC-12, the car from Back to the Future, in 1981. Yet it only made 9,000 before DeLorean was no more. 

The DeLorean DMC-12 was iconic but expensive

In 1982 the average cost of a car was $10,000, according to The New York Times. A high-end car like the Chevy Corvette was $18,000. And the DeLorean DMC-12? It cost $25,000. This high cost is partly responsible for the DeLorean’s ultimate failure. 

What made the DMC-12 so expensive? It had a stainless steel body, a 130-hp Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V-6 engine, and its doors – well, everyone remembers its doors. It was cool, it was unique, and it was prohibitively expensive. 

DeLorean’s founder tried to save the company, but ended up arrested

The DeLorean factory in Northern Ireland was riddled with accusations of circumspect business practices. The FBI got involved when rumors began that they were also dealing in drug trafficking. The FBI organized a sting operation to try to catch John Z. DeLorean for drug trafficking. According to History.com, DeLorean was “arrested and charged with conspiracy to obtain and distribute 55 pounds of cocaine.” 

Although DeLorean was acquitted, his troubles were far from over. DeLorean then faced charges of fraud. He owed millions of dollars to people and lawyers. 

If there’s a silver lining to the DeLorean saga, it’s that the DeLorean DMC-12 is forever a part of our movie history. Originally space-time transport in the Back to the Future movies was supposed to be done via a refrigerator. While the movie was in preproduction, there was concern that kids may be inspired to climb into refrigerators, and that idea was scrapped. In part due to the notoriety of the DeLorean DMC-12, it was chosen as the literal vehicle for space-time movement, and the rest is history. 

The DeLorean DMC-12 is so famous that it’s included in the National Historic Vehicle Register. The National Historic Vehicle Register keeps track of the most memorable and important cars. It’s only the 29th car ever to be added. And, iff you’re in London and want to see a DeLorean on stage, you can do that now at the Adelphi Theatre.

RELATED: SpaceX Will Try to Catch Largest Ever Flying Object With Robot Chopsticks

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Consumer Reports: How to Find a High-Quality Car Repair Shop

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It can be overwhelming trying to get a car fixed when it isn’t running correctly. There are shady car repair shops all over the place, but Consumer Reports has a few tips on finding a quality shop. Don’t be afraid to ask around locally in addition to doing research online.

Consumer Reports on finding a quality car repair shop

Consumer Reports on finding a quality car repair shop | Klemantaski Collection/Getty Images

If you aren’t educated about cars, there are many things that you might need fixing on a car, truck, or SUV. Finding a trustworthy car repair shop is step one in the process. Consumer Reports says that RepairPal is also a good tool. RepairPal is a partner with Consumer Reports, but it can also be a good source. RepairPal shows similar issues that other owners had while also offering pricing estimates.

“Lots of shops and national chains have big, beautiful facilities, but that’s where the investment stops. Ask questions and look around,” says Jill Trotta, a vice president at RepairPal. Trotta noted that sometimes an extensive, beautiful facility could be misleading.

Tips for finding a car repair shop

John Ibbotson, the chief mechanic at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, has some tips. He suggests asking around for recommendations. If you know anyone with a similar vehicle, that’s even better. Good mechanics often have a good reputation in the community. In addition, you can always find reviews online. Local shops will likely be on various sites like AAA, Angi (Angie’s List), RepairPal, Yelp, and Facebook. Local Facebook groups can also be a good source.

If you search for shops that service a particular vehicle brand, these specialty shops often have better training. For instance, European shops are extra knowledgeable about European vehicles like Mercedez-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Volkswagen. Some places specialize in Japanese cars, and some focus on classic or vintage cars.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) will certify some quality shops. Technicians need to pass specific tests before getting qualified and have to be retested every five years.

Utilize sites like the Better Business Bureau and RepairPal

If others have an issue with a shop, it can often show up on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. Businesses can respond to claims and fix problems. If you find a shop with a ton of negative reviews, that might be a bad sign.

You can also give the car repair shop a trial run. This can be changing a tire or tire rotation, an oil change, or a filter change. At the time, you can also ask about warranties. Consumer Reports says, “See whether the shop stands behind its work with a guarantee of some kind. To compare shops, inquire about their warranty for a common repair, such as brake work.”

While none of these options are fool-proof, using a combination of the tips will likely get a better outcome. Consumer Reports has a lot of experience with car maintenance, car repairs, and car buying, making CR a good source for finding good sources.

RELATED: Consumer Reports Says You Should Consider Buying Your Leased Used Car

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