TO THE EDITOR:
The Future Product Pipeline stories on Mazda and Subaru (Sept. 9) mentioned that Mazda wants to become a premium brand and Subaru has added the Touring XT trim to the Legacy to target near-luxury buyers. What's wrong with being a medium-priced brand?
Mazda and Subaru engineering is second to none. Mazda has made its cars light so they will have the spirit of the Miata. Subaru sedans and crossovers can go most places any heavier-duty crossovers can go, and they will still last forever. Mazda styling makes most in its field look boring, and the interiors of both brands have more style than anything coming out of Germany.
The smaller cars have more features than many lower-priced cars for not much more coin. Options aren't as expensive as those of the Germans, and your financing won't have to be as long, either. The future Mazda rear-wheel-drive platform with the inline-six could send the Germans back to the drawing board.
The medium-priced field was always where the action was as far as styling, engineering, comfort and value. Now if the management of Mazda, Subaru and Toyota want to do something, they will remember they are linked together. They should take their engineers to dinner and drinks. If everybody can work together, they could have a platform that is electrified and all-wheel drive with a rotary engine battery extender. That would be a great midpriced car.
CHARLES WININGHAM, Alton, Ill. The writer is an archivist for Lambda Car Club International's newsletter, Driveshaft.
