2009 Subaru Forester - Decked Out!! on 2040-cars

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Mazda CX-5 named Japan's Car of The Year, Subaru BR-Z wins "Special Award"

The Mazda CX-5 stamped its Kodo design and SkyActiv technology authority all over the Japan Car of the Year awards, taking the top prize ahead of the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT 86. It is Mazda's second victory in the last ten years, the 2005 MX-5 claiming the same trophy, and the fourth time the Hiroshima company has won.
The award is decided by 60 local "automotive experts and journalists," and open to any passenger car released in Japan from November 1, 2011 to October 31, 2012 that has sold more than 500 units. Each judge gets 25 votes, his or her top vote getting 10 points, the rest of the points being spread among the judge's choice for the next best four cars.
The second-place getters were the Toyobaru twins with 318 votes, the surprise being they didn't beat or get any closer to the crossover. The Subaru BRZ did claw some mojo back, earning the Special Award given to cars that have made "an exceptional impact." The BMW 3 Series was third overall and won the Import Car of the Year award with plenty of room between it and the second place Range Rover Evoque.

Subaru issues recall over cars that may start themselves

Subaru has issued one of the strangest recalls we've come across in some time. As it turns out, certain Subaru models may randomly start their own engines. The issue is confined to select models equipped with an automatic or CVT and the company's optional Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. If the RES key fob is dropped, it could "randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button."
Vehicles affected include the 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback with an automatic or CVT, 2012-2013 Impreza with the CVT, and 2013 XV Crosstrek with CVT (shown), all equipped with the Audiovox RES accessory. Likewise, certain 2013 Legacy and Outbacks may have received replacement RES fobs that could be affected. All told, 47,419 vehicles are included in the recall.
Should one of these cars start on their own, Subaru says they will run up to 15 minutes, but the vehicle may also continue to start and stop until either the battery in the fob dies or the car runs out of fuel. Of course, if one of these cars is parked in an enclosed area, that means harmful gasses could build up, which could be dangerous if inhaled.

Toyota, Lexus dominate KBB's Best Resale Value Awards

Toyota and Lexus stormed the 2014 Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards, winning a combined 18 categories including best brand and best luxury brand. This marks the third year in a row that both automakers have won the Brand and Luxury Brand resale value awards. In all, Toyota won 11 categories and Lexus won seven.
Honda made a good showing, as well, winning two segments (Accord Plug-In Hybrid and Civic Si) and putting one car on the top-10 Best Resale Value list (CR-V). Chevrolet did even better, winning two segments (with the V6 Camaro and the Corvette) and placing three cars on the top-10-overall list (again, the Camaro and Corvette, plus the Silverado 1500).
The other winners came from Jeep, Dodge, Infiniti, Subaru and Audi. To give you a clearer picture of the Toyota and Lexus domination, their 18 mentions represents more than half of the 34 awards (including the top-10-overall list).