In a town where alternative forms of transportation are considered way cooler than cars, there is one brand of automobile that even hardcore proponents of public transit can appreciate: Subaru. As someone who grew up in Montana, I am familiar with Subaru’s reputation for building vehicles that are equipped to handle all varieties of terrain and weather conditions. It’s a car that just makes sense in Montana. But Missoula takes our state’s affinity for all things Subaru to a whole new level. In Missoula, it’s almost like driving a Subaru earns you a membership in some sort of secret “cool” club. And adorning your Subaru with bumper stickers exponentially increases your coolness.

Seriously — next time you’re tooling around Missoula, keep an eye out for clever, colorful additions to the tail ends of our city’s seemingly endless supply of Legacies, Foresters and Outbacks. I did this over the course of several days, keeping my camera at the ready for every possible photo op. What I found is that Missoula’s Subaru drivers are an extremely passionate, opinionated bunch.

They know where they want to go…

 

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And they aren’t shy about asking for directions.

 

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They give love freely…

 

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Unless you tick them off.

 

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They are proud of the work they do…

 

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When they’re actually working, that is.

 

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They are cultured and clever with words…

 

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But they don’t think too highly of themselves.

 

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They understand the importance of being cautious…

 

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Especially when it comes to procreation.

 

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Brooke is a 2010 graduate of The University of Montana, where she ran track and cross country for the Grizzlies. She is currently working as a writer and editor in Missoula.

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