2014 Subaru Touch Up Paint (26 OEM Colors)

The 2014 Subaru Vibe

2014 was the year Subaru fully embraced its "mountain chic" identity. While the rest of the world was drowning in a sea of grayscale, Subaru went to the paint booth with a sense of humor and a 26-color palette that looked like it was inspired by a camping catalog and a bowl of citrus fruit. This was the era of the XV Crosstrek standing out in the parking lot with Tangerine Orange Pearl Metallic and the WRX reminding everyone that World Rally Blue is a personality trait, not just a color. From the rugged Forester in Jasmine Green Metallic to the BRZ in Galaxy Blue Silica, Subaru was painting cars for people who actually intended to get them dirty.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2014, the factory robots had become so terrifyingly efficient that they could stretch a gallon of clear coat across an entire fleet of Outbacks and Legacys. The "Robot Efficiency" of this period means your factory finish is likely thinner than your last paycheck. While these colors like Desert Khaki and Burnished Bronze Metallic look incredible, the clear coat is notoriously "soft." If you look at a 2014 Impreza hood under a magnifying glass, it probably looks like the surface of the moon thanks to every pebble on the interstate. These thin coats are prone to deep chipping and "sticky" clear coat issues that make buffing a nightmare for the uninitiated.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2014 Subie, you have to fight the urge to be a "one-coat hero." Because the factory finish is so thin, a giant blob of touch-up paint will stick out like a sore thumb. Therefore, you must build your layers slowly. Use a fine-tip applicator to place a tiny amount of pigment into the chip, let it dry, and repeat until you're level with the surrounding clear coat. If you're working with a Tricoat like Crystal White or Satin White Pearl, patience is your only friend. Don't try to fill the crater in one go; thin, patient passes are the only way to respect the robot-thin precision of the 2014 era without making your Tribeca look like it has the measles.