National Press Release

- Awards Join Growing List of Accolades for Popular Subaru Models -

CHERRY HILL, N.J., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2009 Subaru Impreza, Subaru Impreza WRX STI, and Subaru Forester have each been named a "Best Bet" by Cars.com, the leading destination for online car shoppers. According to Cars.com, the two Subaru Imprezas are each a "Best Bet for Sports Cars," and the Subaru Forester has been recognized as a "Best Bet for SUVs and Crossovers." To qualify as a Cars.com Best Bet, models must meet three quantified criteria: a "Good" rating in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests; average or higher reliability ratings; and average or higher gas mileage within their class.

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"We are proud to accept these awards from Cars.com," said Tom Doll, COO and executive vice president of Subaru of America, Inc. "The editors who have named the Subaru Impreza and Forester 'Best Bets' evaluate scores of vehicles, so this recognition comes from true automotive experts. The Forester and Impreza models offer safety, reliability and performance -- and are fun to drive."

"Our Best Bets help narrow down the options for buyers by vehicle class," said Cars.com Editor-in-Chief, Patrick Olsen. "These are vehicles that any of our editors would drive."

This latest recognition by Cars.com adds to a growing list of accolades for the Subaru Impreza and Forester, both of which were also named 2009 "Top Safety Picks" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Kiplinger's Personal Finance 2009 Car Buyer's Guide recognized the 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X as "Best New Crossover" in the category of "Small Crossovers," and the 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5i as "Best in Class" in the "Wagons and Minivans" category. Other awards received by the 2009 Subaru Forester include: Motor Trend's 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year; a "good" rating (the highest available rating, indicating a vehicle's roof is more than twice as strong as minimum federal safety standards require) in the new IIHS roof strength test; the MotorWeek Driver's Choice Award for Best Small Utility; and the R.L. Polk award for consumer loyalty in the Compact SUV category.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru boasts the most fuel efficient line-up of all-wheel drive products sold in the market today based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy standards. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero- landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

About Cars.com

Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI), The McClatchy Company (MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (WPO).

    Contact:
    Heather Ward
    Subaru of America, Inc.
    856-488-5093
    hward@subaru.com

    Michael McHale
    Subaru of America, Inc.
    856-488-3326
    mmchale@subaru.com

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.