At O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru, we take great pride in the safety features of our models because the security of our drivers is our highest priority. In fact, we are thrilled to know that Subaru is the only manufacturer able to claim that all of its models have earned Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick designation for four consecutive years (2010 – 2013). Now, we’re carrying that legacy on with the 2014 Subaru Forester.

That’s because the all-new Forester has earned a Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) award from the IIHS, making it the first 2014 model year vehicle to earn the designation and the third Subaru model to earn the TSP+ award. The TSP+ award is reserved for cars that achieve “Good” or “Acceptable” ratings in the new small overlap frontal crash test on top of the base “TSP” award conditions.

The 2014 Subaru Forester is also the first model to pass every aspect of the small overlap front crash test (an extremely challenging test!) with flying colors as well as the only model to earn an overall rating of “Good” in the test (of 13 submitted). With all of that in mind, our dealership is celebrating the fact that the 2014 Subaru Forester is the country’s small SUV with the most awards to its name. And we couldn’t be prouder.

When it comes to the 2014 Subaru Forester, Ft. Myers drivers can be sure that the model was built with protection and prevention in mind thanks to engineer design and foresight. Come on in and see for yourself! Test drive a 2014 Subaru Forester and join a legacy.

At O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru, we have so many hopes for the drivers of our vehicles. We want you to be happy, we want you to be safe, and we want you to enjoy driving a Subaru for a long, long time.

That’s why we do all that we can to ensure that we provide our drivers with high-quality, reliable vehicles that are rich in safety features. If you’re looking for a new vehicle at your local Subaru dealer serving Naples, then we invite you to dive into the safety features of the Subaru brand and see why all of them combine to help you drive securely and love the Subaru brand.

After all, the purpose of safety features in our vehicles is to help you live a long and happy life behind the wheel. The tools and technology that Subaru utilizes for its drivers are state-of-the-art and have helped the brand achieve the unique position of being the only manufacturer with all models named IIHS Top Safety Picks from 2010 to 2013. Safety designs and priorities include:

• Inherent preventative design
• Protective systems to build passive safety at every moment
• Subaru EyeSight® to ensure active safety
• Stability and control to keep you in charge of your journeys
• Power and traction to help you move ahead with safety and confidence

But if you want to learn more about how our safety features perform under fire, see why fans love Subaru by reading through their personal driving stories. Read stories from Subaru fans throughout the country about the success they’ve had with Subaru safety technology and see why staying safe in a Subaru is the best option for your next vehicle.

As spring gets under way, we at O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru are looking back at April as a time of new beginnings. But it wasn’t only the start of a new season – for the Subaru brand, it also marked a new milestone. That’s because April 2013 will be going down in our history books with the best-ever sales figures for the month at 32,943 units sold.

That marks a 25-percent increase over April 2012, and we think that’s extremely exciting. But we also think it’s only the beginning.

For our dealership, this is a sign of big things ahead, and we hope you’ll join in, Ft. Myers! The Subaru Forester, which saw a 65-percent sales increase alone last month, is just one of our growing model lines. If you want to see why our models are making such a big splash in the marketplace, come on in for a test drive and get a taste for Confidence in Motion.

When you drive home in a new or pre-owned Subaru, you’ll be joining a legacy that is both strong and dynamic, and growing more exciting every day. Take, for instance, our recent achievements, including five consecutive years of sales growth and surpassing the 300,000-unit sales mark for the first time in company history. Or, consider the fact that both of these achievements were celebrated within the same year (2012).

Now, 2013 year-to-date sales have seen a 17-percent increase over the same period in 2012. As our legacy and our brand continue to grow, we’re eager to welcome more drivers to the Subaru family. Join us and make a new beginning for your family!

Earlier this month we tipped you off on an exciting update from the Subaru brand, and we’re thrilled to announce that we have an even more exciting update to share with you today! We hope you’ll join O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru as we tune into “Launch Control”!

The first episode of the bi-weekly web series aired April 17 and introduced viewers and fans to the Subaru Rally Team USA and the Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team as they took on the 2013 race season. As the series progresses, expect to get a sneak peek at race prep procedures, driver interviews, in-car videos and more. You’ll see what goes into gearing up for a race as well as the obstacles that may come up along the way to success.

In case you missed it, the premier episode followed side-by-side updates from Rally America Champion David Higgins as he trained in his Wales, UK, hometown and the technical crew at Vermont Sports Car, which acts as the home base for both Subaru rally teams, as they prepped the 2013 WRX STI for its upcoming work in the 2013 season.

While the web series kicks off in the race off-season, viewers will soon learn that the SRT USA team is working to advance a winning legacy. At the end of the 2012 season, the team earned its second consecutive victory at the Rally America championship and its sixth in seven years. The RallyCross team faces new and different challenges, competing in the Global RallyCross Championship with its world of new rules, venues, race formats and cars.

If you missed the first episode, don’t worry – the second episode is set to air this Wednesday, May 1. Join your Subaru dealer serving Naples as we cheer on the Subaru racing teams in the 2013 season!

What do you use your Subaru for? Is it your morning/evening drives to work? Is it play dates and softball games? How about joy rides through the neighborhood or trips to meet your best friend over coffee?

Whatever you use your Subaru for, we’re sure you’ve thought of what else this vehicle is capable of. As you may know, Subaru models hold a distinguished position in the racing world, and that means they’re capable of a whole lot! Are you ready to learn more about what the brand is capable of? If so, then we hope you’ll join your FL Subaru dealer as we gear up for one of the most exciting features of the 2013 racing season – Subaru Launch Control.

Through this exciting feature, Subaru drivers can keep tabs on their favorite brand’s progression through this year’s race season. Subaru has developed the original web series to help racing fans stay on track with the drivers and cars of the Subaru Rally Team USA and Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team. With this behind-the-scenes look at the racing team and its many journeys around the track, Subaru fans have a greater opportunity to cheer on their favorite team and celebrate their victories!

Click here to see a Launch Control teaser, and keep checking back with our O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru blog to see the first episode, which is scheduled to be online soon! To learn more now or see what else the Subaru brand us up to, check out the Subaru Facebook page and like the brand or follow Subaru on Twitter and Instagram (#SubaruRally) to stay on top of all Subaru updates!

At O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru, we’ve always been proud to carry the Subaru brand for our customers. To us, a legacy is about more than just a car name – it’s about maintaining a brand that can last through changes in the industry and driver preferences, and we’re proud to be a part of that goal.

One of our proudest moments was just a few weeks ago, when monthly sales reached their highest point ever in March 2013. With 36,701 units sold, Subaru of America, Inc., saw a 13-percent increase over March 2012 sales while year-to-date sales continue to exceed the same period last year (showing a 15-percent increase as of the first quarter of 2013). These figures have led Subaru to celebrate its best sales month ever and best first-quarter sales ever this March!

Leading in unit sales last month was the Subaru Outback that Ft. Myers drivers love. The Impreza WRX and Forester models saw 44- and 46-percent sales increases over March 2012 as well. Overall, our models continue to speak for themselves and draw customers who desire sustainability, performance and reliability in an affordable package.

Subaru March and first quarter numbers are a great sign of the brand’s growth because 2012 is a hard year to top! Last year’s sales helped Subaru reach 300,000 annual sales for the first time in company history as well as five consecutive years of sales growth. The brand’s position in the marketplace continues to improve with exciting new achievements, like its first-ever hybrid model (the XV Crosstrek Hybrid introduced at the 2013 New York International Auto Show), and our goals continue to reach higher and higher.

At O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru, we’re dedicated to carrying cars that meet your everyday driving needs, no matter what those may be. That’s why we’re excited that the time has come again for us to share exciting model news with you as part of the Subaru role in the 2013 New York International Auto Show!

Whether you’re visiting your Subaru dealer from Naples or tuning in for updates from the show in the Big Apple, we put your satisfaction at the forefront of all that we do. That’s why we are ready to share with you all of the thrilling details on the new SUBARU WRX CONCEPT, which debuted last week at the auto show in the Jacob K. Javits Center.

We think Subaru did a nice job of stealing the show with grace, and that’s because the automaker came in with a model that is focused on all-wheel drive grip, impressive turbo power and impeccable handling. With these great features wrapped up in an athletic body that is rippling with energy, we can’t help being excited for the future of our brand, and we hope you’ll join us and take a closer look.

With a taste of the next-generation WRX, the concept model debuted at the auto show demonstrated its superior steering and chassis with ease while accentuating its carbon-fiber roof, which refines the low center of gravity that the WRX already held and reduces its weight for enhanced driving performance.

In other words, Subaru has constructed a vehicle that is worked out and more than ready to get to work for you! Stay in touch with our Ft. Myers Subaru dealership for updates on this fun new model and the many others that represent great strides for the Subaru brand and exciting opportunities for its fans everywhere.

With the official beginning of the season behind us on March 20 and April showers and May flowers waiting in our near future, we at O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru are gearing up for one of our favorite times of the year. It’s time for spring cleaning, but have you ever thought about cleaning out your garage?

Our dealership is gearing up for this exciting season with the Subaru Love Spring Event, which helps drivers like you start fresh with a new Subaru Outback or Subaru Forester. Ft. Myers drivers are invited to visit our dealership for a test drive and the chance at a great deal for a new or leased car to show your love for the arrival of spring this year. But you have to act fast because this amazing deal ends April 1!

To get started right now, long onto our O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru website to start browsing, or go through the larger Subaru website to learn more about financing and leasing options or enter your zip code to see the great deals near you. We can’t wait to help you ring in spring with a new vehicle that meets all of your needs, including your price point.

The best part about getting a clean start to spring with a new or leased Subaru is that you can begin planning for the rest of the year. Maybe it’s your summer road trips or your holiday visits to family that will be keeping your Subaru busy this year, but whatever it is, we hope that you will consider getting started with us right here right now. Spring into action with O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru!

Hollywood’s awards season may be wrapping up, but for players in the auto industry, the fun is just about to begin, and we couldn’t possibly let it all go by without inviting you to join in! That’s why O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru would like to remind you to get your calendar out and make note of a big day that is coming up soon for our brand.

It’s the 2013 New York International Auto Show, and it’s right around the corner! Beginning March 29, automakers from around the world will gather to share their latest innovations and creations, and you can be sure that your local Subaru dealer will be your eyes and ears at the event. We consider it our privilege to share the ongoing auto news with drivers shopping for their next Subaru Legacy in Ft. Myers. The show wraps up April 7, so check back in with this blog to see all of our updates from the Big Apple!

As a Subaru dealer, we’re particularly excited for the reveal of the Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid vehicle, which will make an exciting debut as the first-ever production hybrid model for the brand at the event. The car’s Hybrid system and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive are crafted based on Subaru-specific engineering, which means that they’re ready to perform.

Beyond the XV Crosstrek Hybrid, Subaru will also introduce a brand new performance concept car that is sure to breathe plenty of energy into the show. We can’t wait to share all of the details on these two thrilling models, and we hope that we can be a resource for your future car shopping no matter the model you seek.

Often when car dealerships think about how to share their inventory with the community, the focus is all about the driver. At O’Brien Ft. Myers Subaru, the safety and happiness of our drivers is certainly a prime concern, but we understand that you’re not always alone in your Subaru. That’s why we do what we can as an automaker to ensure that your vehicle is strong enough and safe enough to be trusted with your most precious cargo: your friends and family.

And pets. Now, Subaru is taking special measures to test pet car safety restraints for owners’ peace of mind through a partnership with the Center for Pet Safety, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit research organization and pet-safety advocate. To date, no testing or performance standards have been determined for pet travel products, but Subaru is ready to change that. They’re teaming up with the Center for Pet Safety to establish standards for testing restraints while reporting to the public those pet restraints that currently shape up the best.

An existing Center for Pet Safety pilot study (that featured crash test dogs and not live animals) has found that a majority of pet safety restraints are not adequately able to protect pets in the event of a crash. By partnering with the organization and creating groundbreaking research, Subaru plans to improve the future for pets that have the great luck of taking a ride with their owners.

If you’d like to learn more about what you can do to protect your furry friends in your vehicle, visit your local Subaru dealer serving Naples and surrounding areas. We’re happy to have your support as we join the Center for Pet Safety in conducting research that will directly affect your driving experience and the safety of all members of your family.