ok, i can totally appreciate the jewelry box analogy. but then are you not just talking about a luxury feature? must premium always refer to a car's appearance and a car's interior? what about how it was engineered? does the extra time, thought, and money put into the mechanical and structural details of a car alone - which then causes the cost and retail price of the car to increase - make it not a premium car over others in it's class?
how about a land rover defender 90 vs. a jeep wrangler? you're paying a lot more for a car that has a crappier-looking interior than the jeep, yet is probably more capable at what it does due to it's superior engineering and build quality. and the defender is priced at a serious premium over the wrangler - partially because of it's snob appeal, yes, but mostly because it is a premium vehicle over the wrangler because it is a better, more expensive tool for the job.
as for the boxer engine, it's just another cool feature on the list. i'm sure it helps a lot more in a high performance car like the WRX, but the whole idea of the engine - giving the car a lower center of gravity, must surely be useful in any application in the subaru line.