Subaru Legacy/Outback

paisan

Just lookin out since we see tons of cars come in every week to get our security upgrades and wer are convinced the thieves in NJ are surfing NASIOC.

-mike

postmodern

It's been rather busy! I've been listening more than posting, but here's a quick synopsis of the recent past...

I'm now in B/300, attached to the eData team. After more than 20 years as a programmer I'm finally an engineer (my degree is in EE). Test data is a foundry contract deliverable, just like wafers, and reviewing/straightening out the problems keeps me on my toes. I laughed about you getting an OBW at Hertz recently, but now I know to ask for it on my next trip to Burlington. My dept is primarily BTV based, and I need to go for a visit in the next few weeks.

On the home front... DH and I are planning our move to the Poconos. We'll be building just off I-84 about 10 miles west of Milford in a community called Hemlock Farms. Construction is expected to start in June. The commute will be longer but less curvy than the Taconic. I've done the trip several times already, so I know what I'm getting into.

We're now a 2 Subaru couple, picking up a 2001 Legacy L last December when the Neon bit the dust. Unfortunately we couldn't wait for the new 2005s, but so far Blue has performed well. Both cars will really come in handy as we shift all the stuff over to the new place. The Poconos are also Subaru country!

We're now officially empty-nesters. Our daughter was married last Saturday to a nice young man she met in Athens last summer while backpacking in Europe. He's here in the US on a 90 day fiance visa, so the wedding (really an elopement plus) needed to be performed by early April for him to legally remain here. This weekend will be spent moving them down to Philadelphia. I've been drafted to drive the rental truck, while my daughter follows with SueBee. Pray for nice weather for the move!

Lyn

pathtomax

Hello everyone.

I replaced the OEM Firestone Wilderness on my '01 Outback Ltd at 45,000 miles with the Turanza LS-H. There was a nice 2-3 inch snow storm in NH last night and got to try them out. They are great! I also drive 120 miles/ day all highway and they are also a lot quieter. The combination of the recommendations from Tirerack.com and Consumer Reports clinched my choice.

Great on the highway! Highly Recommended.

ateixeira

Good to hear from you, Lyn. Congrats on the freedom of the empty nest, too.

-juice

fibber2

That is great news all around. Sounds like you have been busy indeed. When you mentioned building West of Pt Jervis, I was worried that maybe you were taking early retirement! You will certainly rack of the miles on your OBW (twin sister of mine...).

Note on Hertz - the OB is not a C-class, and will cost you more if you reserve it. The accounting [non-permissible content removed]'s will beat you up big time. But if they are not busy, adding a little begging, nice smile, etc., at the counter will probably secure it at the approved rate.

Did you know that SteveK works in B/330, so there are now 4 of us?

Steve

mwatc

I just bought a used 03 legacy SE with 8500 mi on it.
  I plan to get an Oil Change at 9000 mi is there any tips re: other maintainance I should do to maximize the Car

I want to drive it till she won't go no more.

postmodern

Actually the switch in jobs last July, 3-1/2 months before I hit the magic 30, was what led me to think about the Poconos. I'm now having too much fun to retire early! Being able to work from home a day or 2 a week once we move would sure keep me happy.

SueBee will pass 43K tomorrow on the trip to Philadelphia. Blue (2001 Legacy L) has just over 36K, so once the weather becomes more Spring-like it'll be time to give her a vacation and let Blue catch up a little.

No, I didn't know about SteveK -- maybe we should have a lunchtime meeting in the B/330 cafeteria...

Lyn

philliesfan2

Hi there Subaru fans.

I own an 03 Legacy SE Wagon. This is my first car with a moonroof and last summer, I found I used it very seldom as the air noise with the moonroof open was too annoying.

With summer approaching, I am thinking about using it again and was considering having a moonroof air deflector installed.
I'm curious if others who have these would recommend them. Do they help to cut down on the noise that comes with opening up the moonroof?
Is there any impact on the gas mileage with having one?

Thanks in advance to those who post. David

c_hunter

The deflector would definitely help on cars with a single pane moonroof that drops into the roof (like my wife's Forester). I am not sure it would help much on the Legacy, however, since the front roof already pops up. Plus, you're still going to get noise off the rack side rails no matter what.

You did remove the rack crossbars, correct? They make the most noise.

I find that I can get up to about 50 mph on my Outback with the moonroof open (front popped up and back panel opened 2/3) before it gets too noisy.

With a deflector, my wife's Forester gets up to about 65mph before becoming too noisy.

Craig

rob_m

David, my Legacy GT sedan came with the moonroof deflector installed. I took it off after 2 weeks. I couldn't tell if it helped with the noise, but was a PITA with the snow, ice and rain. Just my opinion! Rob M.

pathtomax

I had one installed in my Maxima and it helped tremendously during my highway commute.

I have the dual moonroofs on my Outback Ltd so I don't think it would much.

srhom

Does anyone know the dimensions of the hard plastic hood deflector for a Legacy wagon? I need to know how much of the hood is protected. Thanks.

subearu

on my '00 Outback, the OEM hood deflector covers the hood and just a smidge past to touch the front fenders a bit. However, mine is a '00 version, they did change the design a bit for '02, which still should fit yours. I'm not sure of the dimensions on the 'new' design.

-Brian

srhom

Brian, thanks for the info. Do you know the front to back dimension? I'm guessing they are about 6-8 inches to cover most of the front of the hood exposed to rocks or bugs. Do you know how it changed in 2002?

subearu

they changed how it mounted to the hood. Mine clips onto the hood between the grill and the headlights (on each side and then screws into the underside of the hood above the headlights.

As for coverage (with the '00 OEM version), the hood area above the headlights is covered by about 3" or so of deflector. Then as you get toward the middle of the deflector, coverage area increases to about 5" or 6", with a lip at the upper edge.

You might also try posting over in the Subaru Crew threads here as well.

-Brian

srhom

Brian, for the info - just what I needed to know.

paisan

Shoot me an e-mail. My best friend lives in milford, just built a house about 2 years ago.

-mike

pathtomax

I was wondering if anyone has purchased and had opinions on the following accessores for their Outback or Legacy (mine is an '01 OB)

- Cargo bin- I purchased the cargo net (that I have yet to install) and think the bin might be a better solution. I have things sliding around my trunk all the time

- Bike Rack. I found a good deal on one at Allsubaru.com but wondering if I should consider a different brand?

paisan

hmm, i race a 4eat with 155K miles in my impreza. They hold over 300hp on the "generic" 4eats. I plan to push 240+ out of the impreza when turboed and race it to prove these are robust units.

-mike

rob_m

Mike, I have the cargo net in the GT sedan. It has worked very well. I am not sure if it would be a nusiance in the wagon. My 03 wagon has a lot of hooks in the back. I just use bungie cords.

I have a set of Thule racks for the wagon. I leave the cross bars on most of the time. The ski and bike racks are on/off in 2 minutes. Thule has a set of angle holders with tie downs which are neat. Rob M.

fibber2

In '02 they added another clip to the hood deflector for added attachment strength. It requires that you remove the center grill as part of the procedure, but it does stiffen the assembly.

I added the hitch kit for both pulling a light duty trailer and for a bike rack. I am too old for hefting bikes on and off of the roof!! ;-)

Steve

nygreg

good to hear from you. You've been a busy girl. I guess I won't see you on the Taconic, maybe 84. Congrats to your daughter. I hope your son-in-law understands the requirements of marrying into a Subaru family.

Greg

blackbean

Anyone using Bridgestone RE 950's on their Outback? The owner feedback from the Tire Rack looks great on these tires. They look to be slightly better than the Michelin Pilot A/S from the ratings (and cheaper!).

Any thoughts?

Matt

lloydl

I can offer this:
I have BR 950 tires on my Infiniti G20 (195x60-14), and they seem perfect for that car, which one can fling around quite nicely. Wear is, however, quite noticeable early on. More than the previous Muichelin MXV4 set. That's why they flog that UT tread stuff, I think, in the ads. A little noiser than some options, too.

You didn't say what model year or tire size, so I am assuming that you need the later model 225x60-16 fit? If so, you have limited options, so the 950 series would seem a good choice.

If you have an older model like my 1998 and can use the 205x70-15 fit, think seriously about the Michelin "X" tire at Costco not at TireRack -- although the "Symmetry" may be similar. We have 2 Costco sets on 2 Soobs -- they have been wonderful. Super in the wet, great ride and great mileage -- better than you will get from those 950 "performance all season" shoes.

I thought Subaru made a mistake when they moved models to the 225x60 profile. Typically these are only available as "high performance" tires, raising the cost. I don't know many people who would race or toss an Outback around that much. Good all-seasons should be sufficient.

blackbean

Thanks for the reply Llyod.
I have an '02 Bean - so the 225/60-16's are my size.
I agree about the not needing "performance tires" on the Subaru in general, and it would be nice not to be required to use that speed rating - or higher (per CostCo policy).

We just put the Michelin X's on my wife's Civic, and I had to have a little conversation with the service manager to "let" me do this. My argument - a valid one I think - is that you can put an X on a minivan, but not a Honda Civic???? They agreed and put them on for us.
Matt

dudleyr

Why would he not let your use the tire on a civic - what was his argument?

blackbean

As per CostCo's policy on "Speed Rating"
"Tires will only be installed if the speed rating is the same or higher than the speed rating that the vehicle manufacturer equipped the vehicle with from the factory."

The Civic EX came with H-rated tires, so the S-rated "X" would not be be allowed. My wife never goes over 75, so I am not really concerned with the speed rating. I do believe that the higher speed rated-tires do have better construction and heat resistance that can benefit even "slow" drivers, but I think setting that minimum threshold at more than 50MPH over the max legal speed limit is a bit too much. Especially when other family cars are allowed to use these so-called "unsafe" tires all the time.

blackbean

The Michelin website says:
"When replacing speed-rated tires, you must use replacement tires with ratings equal to or greater than those of the original equipment tires, if the speed capability of the vehicle is to be maintained."
So...My wife ONLY has a 118 MPH Civic now and no longer a 130 MPH Civic. Hope she doesn't get too mad at me!!! :-)

sibbald

Hi all, looking for an opinion on a Dealer recommendation. I have been quite happy with them in the past but now have concerns about my next checkup which is 60,000 miles(96,000 K.). They are wanting to include the timing belt in this service even though I pointed out that it is not called for until 100,000 miles. They stated that they have seen failures at 72,000 miles and for the sake of an extra couple hundred bucks, I should have it done as the 2.5 is an interference engine.

Has anyone heard of premature failures with the 2.5 2000 Outback engine timing belt or do you think this is just a money maker for the Dealer?

Cheers, Tom

rob_m

Tom, I believe that the 2.5 calls for the timing belt to be replaced at 105k. I did mine at 99k out of convenience where the dealer had the car for the day. The only reason for early replacement should premature wear detected on one of the periodic inspections. Rob M.

c_hunter

If the dealer is recommending service not called for in the 60K Subaru maintenance routine, then they are just trying to rip you off. I'd go somewhere else.

Craig

subearu

you are only required to do what's in the owner's manual at the given mileage increments. The dealer's service should be marked 'recommended' and not required.

-Brian

paisan

If their reason for doing the timing belt is that it NEEDS replacement and you don't replace it. You WILL be liable for the damage done by it. Because at each interval 30K, 60k, etc, it states "check timing belt, replace if worn/cracking" the 105K is for "normal" wear but could need replacing before that.

-mike

subearu

if they say it needs replacing, have 'em show you the cracks and wear. otherwise, if it looks fine, you should be ok. You could get a second opinion as well - any other dealers in your area? Or even a mechanic of your choice.

-Brian

sibbald

Thanks for your responses...... :-)

They have not previously looked at the belt, this is just a standard procedure for this dealership which is the only one within a hundred miles. I do realize that what gets done is my decision and not their's. I was just wondering if there was perhaps a problem with this model which would justify the early replacement of the timing belt.

Otherwise, I will not have it done until later in the service schedule.

Thanks, Tom

joelog

I just purchased a 2004 Outback Wagon this week 2.5cyl Auto w/ air filter, auto dim mirror, cargo net, rear bumper cover & secuity sys. for $21,773.(incl. rebate) + tax & insurance. I live on Long Island. Purchased from Brown's in Patchogue. I also traded in my 2001 Ford Taurus Wagon SES w/67,000k on it. They gave me $5100. I had gone to the dealer in Pt. Jefferson but although they quoted a somewhat lower price on the Outback would only give me $3500. for the trade.
Anyway anyone have any info on the Patchogue dealer as far as service goes? Also they offer the Gold Plus Added Security Ext. warranty for $1700.00 Is this the usual price? Is it worth it?
BTW I've been a Ford owner for may years. This is my first none Ford car although I've had good luck with the fords and have been reliable (my sister got my '95 and had over 200k on it), I wanted a change and an AWD. So far I love the car.
Joe

hypov

joelog-
I don't have any experience with the Patchogue dealer, but I can certainly recommend Metric Subaru in Huntington, NY.

Oh ya, Congratulations!

-Dave

fibber2

Congrats - sounds like the price on the OBW was decent, but only $5k for an '01 Taurus? Man, that hurts. I wonder what the resale / private sale market on LI is like for them.

The decision on the Gold plan is hotly debated on these boards, but personally, I did get one. But don't feel rushed. You can get one from any dealer in the country, via the internet, up to the 3yr/36k point. It is available in various time/mileage units, so first analyze your driving & ownership style. I went 6yr/85k w/$0 deductable for around $700 last year. I would think you should be able to find 7yr/100k/$0 for around $1100-1200, if you are willing to work a bit.

Steve

bat1161

Joelog-

Congrats on a nice choice!

Mark

joelog

Thanks for your replies. Yes, the trade in value was a big ouch, but it was within $200 of the Kelly Blue book and $400 within the Edmunds. When I tried to sell my '95 Taurus in 2001 had 120k on it and I got no takers. They really depreiciate. I figured I'd trade it in while there was still some value left. Anyway, it's done. I drive about 20k mi /year so I would reach the 100k mark in 5 years. I may go for the ext. warranty. I think they throw in oil changes at the dealer.
Joe

nygreg

Congrats.

Greg

lfdal

The fact that I tend to trade every 4 yrs and the absolute horrid depreciation on the Taurus & Sable line was the ONLY reason I didn't consider an 04 Sable LS. I had great luck with them overall (14 yrs), but they're so ubiquitous, they just don't hold their value.

Larry

ateixeira

Conversely used ones can be cheap, almost free. ;-)

But...after seeing my dad's repair bills on a '92 Taurus, no thanks. Prolly coulda bought a new car by now.

-juice

oregonaj

We have an '03 Outback 6 with a very quiet turn signal flasher that I'd like to replace with a louder one. The flasher sounds like it's located behind the dashboard but there's no obvious way to get to it. Can any one help?

Thanks, Jim

lloydl

Part of the push for same-rating replacement is of course the liability issue, which seems to transcend almost every other rationale available these days. That begs the question of whether the original fitment was -- due to a "deal" between mfg and tire company (common) or a "safety" consideration. I have never skimped on tires, since they are so obviously the first margin of safety. But there is a lot of hype and unneeded expense in the replacement market. Buyer, beware -- always.

capriracer

My experience is that the vehicle manufacturer tells the tire manufacturer what they want, and that's pretty much the end of it. What goes into the decision making process at the vehicle manufacturer seems to vary widely, but the issue of speed rating doesn't seem to be the result of any deal making, as this generally makes the tire more expensive for the vehicle manufacturer.

Hope this helps.

toca

Current vehicle is '98 Outback w/ 131k miles. Snooping around the dealership over the weekend looking for deals on '04's I found a OB sedan w/ spoiler and 5K miles on the odometer. Dealer is offering $23,500. I'm in New England and Subaru prices are higher to the dealer than in other areas, but I'm roughly $1,900 under invoice. So, why am I hesitating? The '05's will be here in May. Need....Desire. Any thoughts from others on the fence?

Also, a more technical concern is the 2.5 engine. Have they straightened out their engine issues (ie., gaskets and pistons) with the 04's?

Thanks.

ateixeira

They're getting the coolant conditioner right from the factory.

There is a $1500 dealer incentive, so they're giving it to you for $400 under invoice. They'll make no profit, but 5k miles means it's basically used.

I'd pay $400 more and buy new, no doubt.

-juice

toca

Us New Englanders are at the mercy of Subaru of New England. Dealers here pay more for vehicles and higher destination charge than the rest of the Subaru Dealer network - lucky us. Therefore, the rebate on OB Sedan is only $1,000. And invoice on the OB Sedan w/ Spoiler is $25,396. Gets me to $1,896 under my CT dealers invoice. Probably should drive the 5 hours down to Fitzgeralds.....

c_hunter

If you tried to sell that car used with 5K miles, you'd get dinged a whole lot more than $1900. You should be paying less for sure...

Craig