Subaru vehicles hold a special place in the hearts of many in the Northeast and at the headquarters of The Drive, largely due to various appealing features. However, a highly praised infotainment system has not typically been among them. That may be changing with the introduction of the 2017 Impreza and the updated BRZ, which come equipped with an all-new touchscreen multimedia interface featuring a sizable, high-resolution display capable of running sophisticated applications. Interestingly, it appears they also feature a less conventional option: a birdwatching app.
To give credit where it’s due, this birdwatching app seems to have substantial merit. eBird, developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is a well-regarded program run by an academic department and nonprofit organization that boasts a significant supporter base, as noted on its website. This application offers an exciting tool for bird enthusiasts by allowing them to track millions of bird sightings and navigate to locations where specific bird species have been reported.
However, Subaru didn’t merely add this quirky app and stop there. The 2017 Impreza’s Starlink system incorporates eBird alongside seven additional apps, including tools for locating garages, comparing prices with Best Parking, sharing live locations with Glympse, Liberty Mutual’s RightTrack for safe driving, discovering local events through Eventseeker, and popular options like Yelp and the Magellan Navi apps. Additionally, the vehicle features a digital reference guide that offers quick answers to common questions about the car. In total, this collection of digital resources adds significant value, especially given the vehicle’s budget-friendly price tag.
Yet, the idea of including…a birdwatching app still raises eyebrows. It practically invites Portlandia jokes to flow in.
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