Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

lilbluewgn02 · November 2014

OK, guys, time for a new used Subaru. I'm sold the WRX wagon and I'm now looking for an Impreza, 2008-2010, possibly and outback Sport. If you here of one, let me know by email, bluerex02@yahoo.com
Thanks, and have a great Thanksgiving!

Mr_Shiftright · November 2014

Not a good idea to put your e-mail in a public forum! May I suggest you remove it and just be sure your user profile is "public" so that people can contact you buy clicking on your username.
Also tell everyone where you're from if you want a heads up on a car. (I think it's PA, right?)

lilbluewgn02 said:
OK, guys, time for a new used Subaru. I'm sold the WRX wagon and I'm now looking for an Impreza, 2008-2010, possibly and outback Sport. If you here of one, let me know by email, bluerex02@yahoo.com
Thanks, and have a great Thanksgiving!

rsholland · November 2014

Hope everyone is having a great gobble-gobble!

hondafriek · November 2014

<Just traded my 2010 Mazda3 GT for a 2015 Kia Forte SX luxury Turbo. This model is in short supply so it might be a wait before I get it.

Cheers Pat.

xwesx · November 2014

That's an interesting switch, Pat! What were the motivating factors for you?

hondafriek · December 2014

Well when I saw the new Mazda3 my jaw dropped, I hate everything about it, the body looks all out of proportion especially the hatch which is my preference. The info center is stuck on top of the dash, it looks like someone got a cheap aftermarket system and planted it there.

The new Kia Forte5 has been getting great reviews across the board, from consumers and professionals alike. Gets great scores from JD Power.
The level of equipment is astounding, leather with power Drivers seat with memory settings, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, HIDs, power folding mirrors, cooled drivers seat, navigation system 201HP 1.6 turbocharged engine 18' alloys wheels and on and on.
Took it an extended test drive and was sold. It was the runner up with new Golf GTI for the AJAC car of the year award in Canada

Cheers Pat.

xwesx · December 2014

What did you end up paying if you don't mind me asking? US MSRP on it all optioned up breaks $26K! That's a lot of money for a little car.

hondafriek · December 2014

Canadian MSRP is $31K But that's in the ballpark of a lot of other compact cars. VW Golf Highline with similar options is more money as is the Mazda3 GT Optioned up Impreza is in the same ballpark. It is not such a little car. I paid $27.5K+taxes at 13% That include Admin fees $799 plus I added an auto start and block heater. So all in all I am happy with the deal I got.
Also KIA is keeping the premium model to about 2% of total output so it makes it a hard car to get, dealers are using this as leverage in negotiating.
Cheers Pat.

dcm61 · December 2014

xwesx said:
The "bucks" certificates can be redeemed in any amount now. The retailer accesses a Subaru ePortal to verify the balance on the certificate and redeem it, so it shouldn't be an issue regardless of the certificate's face value.

If I recall correctly, the notification letter stated 6-8 weeks for the final certificates (assuming 9/29 was the start date on that timer). So, I'm not really concerned about not having received the Bucks yet, but I am concerned about not having received the cards. Currently, my Subaru MasterCards are still working, but I have to assume they'll shut them off at some point.

I received my final Subaru Bucks certificate yesterday. I still have not received my new Freedom card.

xwesx · December 2014

dcm61 said:
I received my final Subaru Bucks certificate yesterday. I still have not received my new Freedom card.

Thanks for the update!

I'll check my mail again tomorrow, but as of Monday I did not have any certificates and one of two cards are in-hand. I actually went online to request a replacement card from Chase for the one I did not yet get. The site indicated a 3-5 business day turnaround, but, two weeks later, nothing yet. I'm a little annoyed.

I'm glad I don't spend a lot of money! My Subaru cards were the only two cards I had, so this whole thing is proving to be highly disruptive.

dcm61 · December 2014

dcm61 said:
I received my final Subaru Bucks certificate yesterday. I still have not received my new Freedom card.

I received my Freedom card today.

P.S. I have several other cards *, so it wasn't a big deal that I didn't receive it; I was just wondering where it was at.

* Discover More - using for online purchases this quarter (5%); gas next quarter (5%).
* AAA Visa (Bank of America) - backup gas card (3%).
* Barclays Arrival + - rec'd $400 sign-up bonus. Earns 2.2% when redeeming rewards against prior travel purchases. Used for England trip - has chip/PIN + no foreign transaction fees.
* AMEX Blue Sky - rec'd $400 sign-up bonus. Earns 1.3% (must redeem toward travel). Has many bonus offers throughout the year.
* AMEX Blue Cash Everyday - rec'd $150 sign-up bonus. Earns 3% on grocery, 2% on gas and select department stores, 1% otherwise.

xwesx · December 2014

Wow! That's some serious variety! I wouldn't be able to keep them straight. I need simple in my personal life; work is complicated enough. LOL

xwesx · December 2014

And, all is now complete with regard to the Subaru card closeout. Both of my close-out certificates were in the mail today (another $200 bucks, yea!), along with both the originally-mailed Freedom card that I was missing (nice of them to send it so quickly! ) as well as the replacement copy I requested nearly three weeks ago on Chase.com. It's always good to have a spare, right?

Honestly, though, I don't see any reason to have two separate Freedom cards, so I'll likely cancel the newer of the two accounts and just go with the one. I had two Subaru cards due to the annual $500 rewards limit, and that made a lot of sense for me.

rob_m · December 2014

Got the final certificate this past week (courtesy of the down payment and $1000 of accessories added to the 3.6r) and the new card arrived yesterday. Gonna miss the old card, though. Used it for extremely large purchases and work travel and the Subie Bucks did add up. Paid for most of the maintenance on both cars.

Good luck with the new ride, Pat! I'd pick a Mazda over a VW any day ...

rsholland · December 2014

Happy Holidays everyone!

hondafriek · December 2014

tried posting pics of new car didn't work. Why is this site so much more complicated to post pics than other forums I belong to.

Cheers Pat.

stever · December 2014

Assuming you have the photos on your computer, try dragging and dropping 'em into the posting box.

More details here, but it's easiest to ignore the toolbar and just drag and drop. If you still get stonewalled, feel free to email them to me and I'll post them for you.

hondafriek · December 2014

Here are a couple Pics. of my new car 2015 KIA FORTE5 SX Premium in Steel Blue. Wearing it's winter alloys and tires. And it worked thanks Stever.

Cheers Pat.

grahampeters · December 2014

Pat,

Nice looking car. Here in Australia, they are badged Kia Cerato and are regarded as very good value. Enjoy

Cheers

Graham

stever · December 2014

Nice colour - sort of silver but prettier. Fancy wheels for winter too. I always ran steelies with my studs (well, I usually had steelies for summer too, just with hubcaps on 'em).

Good strip mall too - pizza and a thrift store. My kind of joint.

rsholland · December 2014

Looks really nice Pat. Kia has come a long way in a very short time.

hondafriek · December 2014

I hate steelies in winter with a passion, if you want to make a nice car look like a clunker steelies without hubcaps will do it.
Yeah there are lots of those little malls around Ottawa.

Cheers Pat.

hondafriek · December 2014

Graham, I think the Cerato gets the 173HP NA 4 cylinder, in north America The ForteSX and SX premium get the 201HP 1.6 turbo engine but only in the Hatchback. The SX sedan has to make do with 173hp NA engine. I believe the PRO Ceed gets the turbo engine in Australia.

Cheers Pat.

hondafriek · December 2014

Graham this is the front end of the Turbo SX,

Cheers Pat.

stever · December 2014

Looks like my Grand Caravan in the background. Except mine's dirtier (good thing we moved to the high desert - it'd really look filthy in snow country).

I don't know how you do it Pat, your's looks showroom.

grahampeters · December 2014

hondafriek said:
Graham, I think the Cerato gets the 173HP NA 4 cylinder, in north America The ForteSX and SX premium get the 201HP 1.6 turbo engine but only in the Hatchback. The SX sedan has to make do with 173hp NA engine. I believe the PRO Ceed gets the turbo engine in Australia.

Cheers Pat.

Pat

In Australia, the 150kW engine (about 203bhp) turbo engine is available in the Pro_ceed and Kia Cerato Koup, a slightly different three door hatchback style to the hatch and sedan.

They are popular but probably a little less common than Hyundai. One of my sisters is on her third Hyundai and swears by them; my other sister and myself have kept the one car (me a Toyota Kluger and my sister a VW Golf) during the same period, so think we might be shrewder.

Cheers

Graham

hondafriek · December 2014

Well Steve that was just the day after I brought it home from the dealers, my cars do get dirty but not for long I hate a dirty car.

Cheers Pat.

hondafriek · December 2014

This is the 2010 Mazda3 Gt I traded against the KIA Forte5.

Cheers Pat.

stever · December 2014

Yep, showroom.

I washed my windows today and promptly spent 3 hours driving on dirt.

rsholland · December 2014

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year!

xwesx · December 2014

Thanks, Bob! Back at ya!

hondafriek · January 2015

A happy and peaceful new year to everyone.

Cheers Pat.

declansdad · February 2015

After a 3 year hiatus, I'm back (technically the DW) in a Subaru. This time around, after 2 Foresters (2000 S & 2005 XT), it's an Outback. The DW's minivan was so problematic that I talked her into looking for a new vehicle. Looked at some different cars and I found a loaded 2012 CPO Outback Limited with 30k on the odometer. We bought the Outback in August and it has been flawless, including a round trip from Maryland to Montreal.

Gas milage has been north of 28 mpgs, but the "winter gas" has not helped recently (it's also affecting my Toyota Avalon Hybrib too). I regret not getting some winter tires, but our snowfall here in my part of Maryland hasn't been significant and the Continentals have performed admirably.

Looking forward to being a part of the community again.

Michael

xwesx · February 2015

Welcome back, Michael! We've been pretty quiet around here lately. The switch to "vanillla forums" was not kind to the "crew" at all.

ladywclass · February 2015

This looks weird .. LOL

stever · February 2015

heh, was just thinking about you a day or two ago too Bren. Good to see some ~~old hands~~ revered members checking in!

rsholland · February 2015

declansdad said:
After a 3 year hiatus, I'm back (technically the DW) in a Subaru. This time around, after 2 Foresters (2000 S & 2005 XT), it's an Outback. The DW's minivan was so problematic that I talked her into looking for a new vehicle. Looked at some different cars and I found a loaded 2012 CPO Outback Limited with 30k on the odometer. We bought the Outback in August and it has been flawless, including a round trip from Maryland to Montreal.

Gas milage has been north of 28 mpgs, but the "winter gas" has not helped recently (it's also affecting my Toyota Avalon Hybrib too). I regret not getting some winter tires, but our snowfall here in my part of Maryland hasn't been significant and the Continentals have performed admirably.

Looking forward to being a part of the community again.

Michael

Welcome back Michael. Been pretty slow here as of late.

Bob

ladywclass · February 2015

It's ok .. I'm an 'old hand' lol Still driving the 2001 Outback. We put some $$ in it last year to keep it going and it got me through all the snow and 'polar vortex' events without a problem. Trying to get it to last until I get the daughter's student loans paid off!

xwesx · February 2015

Wait a minute, Brenda.... isn't your DAUGHTER supposed to do that?!

I'm considering the replacement of my Fiesta with an 08/09 Outback XT. What are some thoughts on that?

jfl · February 2015

Hi Brenda, good to recognize a name from the past. Hard to believe I've been on this site, off & on, for 15 years!

ladywclass · February 2015

My daughter has student loans of her own. I divorced when she just had two more years of high school. We paid for her college education the only way we could ...

xwesx · February 2015

ladywclass said:
My daughter has student loans of her own. I divorced when she just had two more years of high school. We paid for her college education the only way we could ...

Ah, I gotcha. As long as she isn't getting off scott-free. Hahahah!

It was a real milestone when my wife and I finally managed to pay off our SLs, and neither were really all that much. But, when even a small debt is well over your annual income, it seems like a looming mountain to conquer.

hondafriek · February 2015

Good to see some old hands posting again, I was afraid these forums were getting deadly moribund.

Cheers to all Pat.

fandc · February 2015

xwesx said:
I'm considering the replacement of my Fiesta with an 08/09 Outback XT. What are some thoughts on that?

Loved my '08 Spec B, which had similar mechanicals. Comfortable, bulletproof and the turbo was a bonus (big grin) especially when merging into traffic. Nice size too, later models have become larger and, in my opinion, not as pretty. If you can find a nice one, go for it.

Rob

rsholland · February 2015

fandc said:

xwesx said:
I'm considering the replacement of my Fiesta with an 08/09 Outback XT. What are some thoughts on that?
Loved my '08 Spec B, which had similar mechanicals. Comfortable, bulletproof and the turbo was a bonus (big grin) especially when merging into traffic. Nice size too, later models have become larger and, in my opinion, not as pretty. If you can find a nice one, go for it.

Rob

The current WRX is close to the old Legacy GT in size. It is more hardcore though. It's a real "driver's car" and handles like it was on rails, but bad roads will punish you.

Recently had a loaded '15 Legacy Limited 2.5 as a dealer loaner for 6 days while my WRX was in getting a new steering rack and steering pump. It had everything: Eyesight, navigation, Starlink, etc. I put nearly 600 miles on it (including a 350-mile trip), so I really got a chance to learn about this car.

The Eyesight was great. Loved the adaptive cruise control, which slows your car if a slower car is in front of you. It will even bring the car to a dead stop if the car in front encounters a red light. When the light turns green just tap the resume button or gas pedal and the cc takes over.

The all-new navigation is a HUGE improvement over the previous system and is much better than my Garmin too.

Finally, pairing my iPhone with Bluetooth was a snap. Loaded my phone book and recent calls too. The Bluetooth is MUCH better than the unit in my wife's '13 Forester.

Played with Aha and Pandora, but don't know enough to really comment about those apps. It looks like they could be very useful. The phone has to be hard-wired to the car for it to work. It also has Bluetooth streaming, but not sure how that works. My daughter thought that going through that may mean you don't have to hard-wire the phone? But I don't know that for sure?

The CVT worked flawlessly. I was just driving the wife's '13 Forester which has the old 4EAT. The new Legacy's CVT is a huge improvement over that. CVTs have come a long way, or at least Subaru's have.

This car has moved to the top of my "short list" for my next ride. It's very refined and very impressive; perhaps the best kept new car secret out there.

xwesx · February 2015

That's interesting to know, Bob. I'm not a fan of nanny tech, so I'd probably pass on most of the stuff that appeals to you about the car, but the general improvements in handling and appearance have certainly made it come back off the "black list" where the 2010-14 model found itself!

Honestly, though, I'm not going to buy a new (I mean, a truly new) car. I don't want to spend a lot nor get a new one. I'm in a spot where I want to make a change (selling Fiesta, not Forester), but only if that means getting into a specific subset of vehicles of a specific age, feature set, and mileage.

Get this, though: I am actually considering the option of an auto tranny on an XT rather than strictly limiting myself to a manual. My wife gave me crap about that! Now I'm thinking that maybe I can't win. Ever. Hahaha.

stever · February 2015

A Forester owner in Chile could use some help.

rsholland · February 2015

xwesx said:
That's interesting to know, Bob. I'm not a fan of nanny tech, so I'd probably pass on most of the stuff that appeals to you about the car, but the general improvements in handling and appearance have certainly made it come back off the "black list" where the 2010-14 model found itself!

Honestly, though, I'm not going to buy a new (I mean, a truly new) car. I don't want to spend a lot nor get a new one. I'm in a spot where I want to make a change (selling Fiesta, not Forester), but only if that means getting into a specific subset of vehicles of a specific age, feature set, and mileage.

Get this, though: I am actually considering the option of an auto tranny on an XT rather than strictly limiting myself to a manual. My wife gave me crap about that! Now I'm thinking that maybe I can't win. Ever. Hahaha.

Yes, the basic Subaru "goodness" remains. The older I get (just turned 70), the more appealing nanny tech has become. Now if it could only change the "Depends"...

Seriously, all the teckie stuff is now very good. Not sure if it makes much sense up in Alaska though.

xwesx · February 2015

My wife is a big fan of the tech stuff with regard to safety (e.g., the way they sell the nanny tech to folks). I'm not. So, the problems come in when I'm driving and she's in the car. I turn the functions off.... Hell, strictly by coincidence, I'm sure, breaks loose simultaneously. I'm not sure what it is.

So, safest bet? Get the car without that stuff in it.

fibber2 · February 2015

Despite the snow and unseasonably cold temps, I am still alive (and still driving a Subi! - two of them alternately...)

Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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