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Karl's Daily Log Book
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Comments
That's a tough one. I am very fortunate. Without getting too deep into it, let's just say my wife had a very close friend of hers die suddenly a few years back. She was in a professional jogging event in San Diego, and shortly after it started she collapsed, went into a coma, and died. Her friend was 38 at the time.
I was already talking about getting the car, but nothing was definite yet, and she said to me out of the blue "Get the GT." This was shortly after her friend's death. I think she (and I) feel that while you can't live a life of irresponsibility, you can't sit around saying "someday" forever, either.
Life's too short.
Now we find out you are rich!!!
Can we say "credibility gap"...
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I'm going to be out of town August 14-19, and also during the last week of August. Otherwise I should be around.
What part of SoCal will you be in?
Life's too short.
Thank you. Your point is well taken
Hey, in It's a Wonderful Life the main character, George Bailey, was described as "the richest man I know."
Just kidding.. I love that movie..
And, we'll still tolerate your financial excesses...
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Where is the GT built? Wixom? You should have let me know you were in MI.
So you drive 100 mile round trip to work each day?? That is quite a bit and must take a while with CA traffic.
I have read a lot of real estate statistics lately and CA has really been skyrocketing (103% in 5yrs.) - did you have real estate investments? Just curious.
LOL!!
Looks like a few days are available! Would it be OK to bring my 16 year old son along?
The GT is painted and primarily assembled in Troy, then it goes to Wixom for drivetrain installation and final assembly.
My drive isn't too bad, because PCH is pretty consistent most of the time (yes, it does have it's moments...like last winter when the heavy rain caused mudslides...). I can usually make it right around 60-65 minutes each way.
I bought a condo, then bought a house but kept the condo and rented it. It was all very tight financially; for several years I had NO money left after paying bills and feeding the family. Let's just say the vacation and fancy-clothes fund has been pretty much non-existent until recently. I figure I've definitely paid my dues.
Those are some great roads, plus there are some prime spots in Ventura County. Just have to watch out for Johhny Law. Something tells me the GT won't go unnoticed...
And are you on the list for a GT500?
Maybe in the sometime in the near future we could have an American Exotics test - Corvette Z06, Viper SRT-10, and GT.
Definitely on our "to do" list.
Unfortunately, the interior doesn't leave that same impression. Everything seems a bit over-styled in an attempt to look "cool," but it all ends up just being hard to figure out. The Fuel and Temperature gauges, for isntance, are off in these obscure pods on the side of the gauge cluster, making them hard to see/read.
Our test car has the navigation system and the same screen also serves duty for the audio system. But unlike other, similar systems, when you have the map up there is NO telling what the audio system is doing, even as you tune radio stations or change volume. In most cars, even when the Map is up a small window will pop up whenever the audio system is engaged to let you know exactly what you're doing. Not so in this one. When I first started fiddling with the radio I couldn't tell what station I was on or what the volume was set at, and for several minutes I simply thought there was no information screen for the audio system. I finally saw the small "Audio" button under the screen and hit it, but I've never had this happen in another vehicle.
The screen is also very far away, which wouldn't be so bad, except it's operated by touch and you really have to reach for it.
Finally, the engine feels/sounds a bit harsh. Normally I feel like Subarus offer plenty of power and relatively smooth delivery, but this one feels/sounds a bit raspy, making the vehicle seem underpowered. I think it may be slightly underpowered, but the way the engine seems to struggle under the weight of the Tribeca makes everything seem worse than it really is.
It handles pretty well, and the seats are comfortable, but overall I'm not impressed.
I understand what you mean about the housing market. I can't say I'm happy about it; my family finally reached the "we can buy a house now!" stage right as the NorCal market went nuts and we've been perpetually one step behind, but hey, when life's good to you, don't waste it.
That British automotive journalist, Jeremy Clarkson, finally asked Ford for his money back after his immobilizer didn't de-immobilize it for him, and then the car alarm kept going off and he kept getting "your car's been stolen" text messages (it was mostly the alarm that did it for him). If you report anything similar, my perception of Ford is going to go down the tubes completely. Good luck!
So what's not to like? The looks? Well, people are pretty split on that one, but most people we encounter like it. The most common comment: "It looks so much better in person."
I think so too. This is the best SUV for under 40K on the market, especially if you actually enjoy driving. I expect more power and even better handling to come. It'll always be an SUV of course, but no one's perfect.
Life's too short
It seems to me you should figure a way to get that motto into the license plate of the GT.
:-)
I don't know how many letters/numbers you're allowed on SoCal plates, but in Ontario, Canada it's now 8 letters.
ONLY1LIF
ONLYLIV1
Do you get seven or eight characters in CA?
COLLFUND, COLLGFND, or CLGFUND (7 letters)? (if it had been me...Karl says this is still safe).
1 – Congratulations! I know that you will drive it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I think you will! (Some will likely live much of their life under a cover in climate controlled slumber.)
2 – I have wanted one since the roadgoing version of the GT40 (the Mark III) was announced.
3 – I will live this dream through your prose.
(No pressure there!)
Seriously: Best of Luck!
- Ray
Not so fortunate in Real Estate . . .
Subaru powertrains have never been models of refinement. I've always thought their engines were coarse sounding and feeling (and not high on power, either). Is it that boxer 6 cylinder?
A couple of points:
1. It's hard to take seriously as 'unbiased' comments on the B9 from someone identified as "b9driver".
2. karl pointed out a number of ergonomic problems with the B9 interior. Are you sure you aren't confusing the terms "stylish" with "ergonomic"? If you DO understand what the term 'ergonomic' means, what items about the B9 represent a "great ergonomic leap over most others overall"?
Actually you're mistaken about that.
When you touch any audio control, including the volume buttons on the steering wheel, the bottom part of the NAV system displays the audio info. Same when you tune into a different frequency.
If you still have it, check the bottom 1/4 of the screen, it comes on every time. You must have not noticed.
If you hit "Audio" you get more detail, but that is not required. I never had to use that screen.
-juice
Like all the others, I'll be awaiting your report. That's an automotive "wet dream" (if I'm allowed to use that term).
I've always been way too conservative to spend that kind of money for a car, although I could see my way clear to do so. I've spent half my life saving my nickels and dimes. Now that the next couple of future decades will be my last in the "working world", I'm beginning to indulge a little more. Plus, I have to fund my "sports car" addiction well into my twilight years.
I'm still trying to get over the fact that I've got over $60K worth of automotive iron sitting in my driveway. My neighbors think I don't spend enough on cars to begin with. I'm sort of an anomalie since they have BMWs and Benzs, whereas I've got Fords and Toyotas.
Maybe it has to do more where I live (OH), but the closest I've come to a GT was roped off at the car shows. Every dealer I've talked to in a 100 mile radius has no allotment for a GT. Plus, I wouldn't trust any service done on a $150K car by those who can't even figure out how to do a proper brake job on a Focus.
On the other hand, I'd really be interested if you do, indeed, score a Shelby Mustang GT500 into your stables.
Pic as proof.
-juice
As previously pointed out, I'm not sure if your opinion is 100% unbiased based on your user name, but here are the sub-$40,000 SUVs I'd rather drive than a B9 Tribeca (and I've driven them all).
1. Volkswagen Touareg: More refined, better ergonomics, better interior quality, better handling.
2. Acura MDX/Honda Pilot: More refined, better ergonomics, better interior quality, quicker, (handling is about equal)
3. BMX X5: More refined, better ergonomics, better interior quality, better handling, quicker
4. Lexus RX 330/Toyota Highlander: More refined, better ergonomics, better interior quality, quicker, (handling is about equal)
5. Volvo XC 90: More refined, better interior quality, safer (ergonomics, handling and acceleration are about equal -- unless you get the V8, which is faster but more expensive)
So, it's obvious that I find the B9's refinement, ergonomics and performance lacking. The interior quality isn't terrible, but it's not great. Handling and comfort are fine, but they are not by any means "class benchmarks."
For the record, I do like the Tribeca better than the equivelant GM or Mitsubishi SUVs, and I like it better than the Murano (but I think I'd probably take a Pathfinder over it). I'd also prefer a current Explorer (excellent interior space, handles well, plenty of power, good value, interior quality and ergonomics are as good or better than B9).
Regardless, the B9 is NOT the best SUV for under $40K.
I read this story too, and was somewhat surprised that Clarkson let an alarm decide whether or not he kept the car. An engine failure? Repeated electronic gremlins? Multiple interior components repeatedly falling off? Any and all of those would have been cause for major concern. But a faulty alarm?
Return the alarm, not the car you've been dreaming about for 40 years (his words, not mine).
I can tell you this much after touring the Ford GT plant. They have a combination of QA/QC processes that would put most exotic car companies (and production car companies, for that matter) to shame. I don't know about European alarm componentry, but I have 100% confidence in the product itself.
I was looking directly at the NAV screen while adjusting the volume and tuning, and there was no corresponding information on the screen. I had to hit the "audio" button before I could see what was going on.
We still only get 7 characters in CA, but I reserved my plate over three years ago. Of course you can't reserve a plate for a car that doesn't exist yet, so I reserved it using my 1970 Plymouth GTX, and it's been sitting patiently on the GTX since the summer of 2002. I did the same thing when I bought a Bullitt Mustang back in 2001 (reserved the plate on the GTX first to ensure no one else got it). For the Bullitt I had:
NU BULIT
For the GT I wanted my plate to refer to the original intent of the original Ford GT40. The public goal was to beat Ferrari at Le Mans, but as anyone who has studied their history knows, the Ford GT40 was really about a personal vendetta between Henry Ford the 2nd ("the Deuce") and Enzo Ferrari after Enzo turned down Ford's attempt to buy his company. "The Deuce" wanted very much to beat Enzo after that, and it was a very personal thing. The Ford GT40 simply became the public method for doing this, thus my plate:
ENZO BTR
It will be bolted onto the Ford GT before I drive out of the dealership (I'll worry about getting the registration switched over from the GTX to the Ford GT as soon as I can get around to it). And yes, I know that driving a Ford GT with this plate, in Southern California and along PCH, will raise the distinct possibility of it being seen by someone driving an actual Enzo Ferrari.
So be it...
Let the games begin!
Must have been customized by the previous driver.
Mine showed the info, I'm certain, because we used the map the whole time and adjusted the volume/changed stations often.
So it may be programmable on/off, but it's certainly capable of showing that information.
Wish I still had it - I'd get a pic of that. Maybe an owner can do that?
-juice
The B9 just looks weird from the front with its pinched grill and headlights that are set too high. It took me a while to figure out what bothered me about the headlights. Most cars have headlights that start at the bottom of the grill and end at the top. VWs (sans Beetle) are perfect examples of this. Most of those that have headlights that finish above the grill look decent because the grill swoops up and back in a continuous line to the headlights. The Honda Accord is like this.
The B9 headlights, on the other hand, not only finish about the grill, they START above the grill and that looks goofy.
There are very few cars that break the headlight/grill rule and those that do look odd. Cars without grills, like the New Beetle, are, of course, excepted.
[Quick edit] Karl, what do you mean by "refined"?
I almost included the looks element in my earlier post, but realized I'd be opening myself up to the whole "Looks are too personal -- you can't quantifiably say car X looks better, or worse, than car y" response. For the record, I completely agree with your assessment, right down to not really liking the RX 330's looks, but willing to put up with them because of the car's other strong points.
By "refined" I mean not feeling or sounding like a $30,000-plus SUV should sound. The engine is very "thrashy," meaning it makes a lot of noise and feels like it's straining to move the car. I actually kept thinking it wasn't upshifting into the top gear at highway speeds, but then I looked at the tach and saw it was around 2,000 rpm at 65 mph. That made me realize it was in overdrive, and the engine simply vibrates a lot while making a high-pitched raspy noise, even at rpms as low as 2,000. The thought of driving this back-to-back with a RX 330, or even a Highlander, and then realizing that the cars are supposed to compete with each other makes me cringe. For Subaru's sake, I hope potential B9 buyers don't do this...
Other issues included the embarrassing recalls, how late he recieved the car, the price increases during the wait, and getting a diesel Focus wagon as his first loaner car.
The upside is that the suspension fix involves making the pieces out of billet aluminum, which costs Ford more money (likely the reasons for the price increases) but also means some pretty sweet A-arms under the car.
A lot of people have been quick to yell "See, Ford can't build this type of vehicle" but my attitude has been, "Wow, Ford, a volume car seller, is attempting to build their first exotic car in almost 40 years, a car that is among the top five sports cars ever built in terms of performance, and these are the only problems they've encountered? Impressive."
I guess it all depends on how you look at it.
as a GM guy, i usually like my GTs with an O on the end, but in this case, a GT with no "O" is better.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homologation
Oh, they'll sludge alright. I know my brother had sludge ruin the engine in his Corolla a few years back.
Of course, it didn't help that he didn't change the oil for better than 20k miles....... :sick: :confuse:
Or, maybe just driving it for a year, then getting your money back out of it?
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2. Acura MDX/Honda Pilot: More refined, better ergonomics, better interior quality, quicker, (handling is about equal)
3. BMX X5: More refined, better ergonomics, better interior quality, better handling, quicker
4. Lexus RX 330/Toyota Highlander: More refined, better ergonomics, better interior quality, quicker, (handling is about equal)
5. Volvo XC 90: More refined, better interior quality, safer (ergonomics, handling and acceleration are about equal -- unless you get the V8, which is faster but more expensive) >>
You do realize that almost every professional review does not agree with you? I'd be happy to post them if you like. The B9 goes through the slalom faster than all of the above cars (See Motor Trend's test) and Car and Driver also compared it's handling with the X5. It's 5K cheaper as well. Ergonomics on the B9 are better than any SUV I've tested, though the MDX was also excellent. The Taureg is astonishingly slow and dated inside. I'm 6'3 and found the Volvo too tight inside for my legs. The Lexus and X5 are the closest, but both generally over 40K in the end. My B9 cost 35K with tax and does everything they do and actually fits a tall driver. Puh-lease don't mention the Honda Pilot as it's not even a full time AWD, handles like a cow and shuts down AWD during ABS breaking. Not in the same class, but it's not supposed to be either. The Explorer is also not in the same class and you couldn't give me a Ford product for free. My friend's 2004 Explorer is on it's second transmission in 45K miles. Again, no thanks.
I found faults in my B9....no driver's seat memory, no telescoping wheel, awful cargo cover, needs revs to get sporty type power, a bit too much body roll and so on. But I found faults with ALL of the others, some of which were deal-breakers. Subaru's Tribeca is the bang for the buck SUV at this point, less so if you buy a loaded one with Nav and DVD, but that goes for all of them.
If you like the looks of the Tribeca (We get a lot of compliments on ours) you get a SUV that's not part of the "me-too" crowd and a level of comfort and safety that's premium level.
Ergonomics are not a specific thing. What works for one person certainly won't work for another. I found the B9 far ahead of the pack and with a sharp looking interior as well. I also liked the MDX, but the X5 was positively 80's in it's design approach.
Is the X5 better than a B9? In some ways. Is the B9 better than the X5? In some ways. The point is that they're VERY close. So close that people are having this very debate on other forums. But the B9 costs less and looks distinctive. That "look" may not be for everyone, but those who like it will not be unhappy with a B9. So far as performance goes...please give me a break. Buy a WRX because no 4000 lb SUV is going to be a great performer by comparison. Want crazy power for your SUV? Good, but be ready for 12 MPG. That said I took the B9 to 120 MPH and found her quite stable. There's plenty of passing power, though the chassis could easily handle more.
Yes, I own a new Tribeca B9 and NO, I don't think buying a X5 or even a Murano is a bad move. These are all pretty great little SUVs. The point is that they all evolved to this point and Subaru managed to get it mostly right from day 1. In two years I look forward to trading up to a B9 with a turbo and even better handling....what the heck, right? Tomorrow a 3 screen DVD system is being installed because we didn't like the stock unit.
Robert B
NY
The B9 has lower noise levels at 70MPH and the same under hard acceleration. The boxer engine simply makes a different type of sound as does the engine in my Outback or my friend's WRX. I've heard people call boxer engines "thrashy" before, but they're just different motors with their own note. The 1st time I drove a WRX I thought something was wrong with it. Not any more.
Cabin noise in the B9 was 2DB less than Lexus 330 as noted by Car and Driver and Motor Trend. In fact, the B9 is quieter than a 50K Mercedes ML500, which is 3DB louder at 70MPH according to road and track.
At 70 MPH on black top we can't hear the engine at all. Most everyone who's been in our car as made this observation to varying degrees.
Robert B
NY