New Orleans Subaru: Two Milestone Features that You Must Know About

Subaru reached two milestones this year. Aside from building its 15-millionth Boxer engine, the Japanese car brand has also rolled out the 14-millionth Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system. Both were lauded by industry experts and car aficionados as game changers in the car market. 

 

It is unknown exactly which Subaru will get either or both milestone components; however, the auto manufacturer owes its success to what many consider as one of the brand's underdogs: the Leone.

Introduced in 1971, the Leone was designed with compliance to new emissions regulations in mind. It wasn't exactly the most beautiful vehicle at the time, but it served as a test bed for the brand's newest systems like the horizontal engine, and Symmetric AWD Subaru standardized these innovations into future models even after the Leone's discontinuation in 1994.

So how did these two make Subaru into the competitive brand it is today? Here's a closer look. 

Subaru's Boxer engine operates on the principle of "counterpunches," similar to those of a boxer (hence, the name). Typical combustion engines produce vibrations, which must be minimized to reduce energy loss and allow for a smoother ride. It's a puzzle engineers have strived to solve, mainly by adding special components, which only added more parts to worry about.

By positioning the reciprocating pistons at a horizontal orientation as in boxer engines, the vibrations cancel each other out. This allows for a low-profile engine that spreads its weight horizontally, providing the car with a lower center of gravity, which translates to stability. This is great when you want your Subaru near New Orleans to turn those tight corners. 

Subaru continues its symmetrical profile with its AWD system. An AWD provides power to all four wheels, giving it better traction than front-wheel and rear-wheel drives. What makes this AWD system special is its "smart" technology. The system knows when to add more power to a tire or two, like when that tire is cutting through a puddle of water. 

The Symmetrical AWD has been thoroughly tested in wet road conditions, perfect for the 64 inches of average annual rainfall Louisiana gets. The system also prevents oversteering and understeering, which often plague front and rear-wheel drives. In slippery driving conditions, they could mean danger when turning sharply. 

You can find these technological marvels in just about every Subaru in your local New Orleans Subaru area dealership such as Baldwin Subaru. Needless to say, if you're planning to purchase a new ride, you can expect a high degree of safety and reliability from a new or used Subaru.