Business & Tech

Moving To Skokie Was Best Thing Evanston Subaru's Ever Done

Rob Paddor, the owner of Evanston Subaru in Skokie, says business has thrived since he moved onto the four-acre site. He's having a Monday pizza party to intro Subaru's first hybrid, and you're invited.


In 2009, Rob Paddor moved Evanston Subaru just a couple of blocks over the border to Skokie, and he's never looked back.

Since arriving in the 25,000 square foot building on a four-acre site at 3340 Oakton Street, near McCormick, "my business has increased exponentially," he said.  

It doesn't hurt that Subaru often gets safety awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, is usually rated highly by Consumer Reports and has two models that are selling so well that Paddor typically has only seven days' worth of inventory on hand.

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Those two rapidly-selling models are the Forester and Crosstrek.

"We're up about 35 percent versus prior years," Paddor said of sales for those models.

On Monday, Oct. 28, Evanston Subaru will have pizza from Skokie's Village Inn on hand from 6 to 9 p.m. for anyone who wants to stop by to see the Crosstrek hybrid, which is being introduced that day. 

"Dealers have been asking Subaru for years to come out with an alternative-fuel version. Now they've gotten on the hybrid bandwagon," Paddor said.

Subaru and Toyota did a joint venture, with Subaru helping Toyota engineer all wheel drive technology in the Scion line, and Toyota helping Subaru engineer hybrid technology, he explained.

The Subaru XV Crosstrek 2014 hybrid gets 33 mpg on the highway and 25 mpg in the city, according to the Subaru website. The site also says the SUV is built in a zero-landfill plant, where 100% of waste is recycled or turned into electricity. 

Subaru's lineup includes the BRZ, Impreza, Legacy, Forester, Outback, Crosstrek and Tribeca. 

Paddor says he also stresses the safety features, such as the Eyesight system, which can help prevent collisions and keep fatigued drivers from drifting into another lane, according to Subaru materials, and the BOXER engine.

"The BOXER engine sits lower in the engine compartment, giving you a lower center of gravity," Paddor said.

He also said Subarus are built to handle snow and ice well, and many of the models have a relatively high ground clearance--about nine inches--to get down snowy streets.

Subaru built about 600,000 vehicles worldwide last year, Paddor said, and 300,000 of those were sold in the United States. The company is opening a new plant in Lafayette, Ind. in 2016-17 to produce Imprezas, which are currently built in Japan.

Looking ahead, Subaru will preview the 2015 Legacy, a new version, at the February 2014 Chicago Auto Show, and preview the 2015 Outback at the Los Angeles Auto Show in April, Paddor said. 



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