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Subaru Legacy/Outback

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I wasn't disagreeing, just being more specific. I'd say I'm thinking of the WRX but I'm not sure.

    W12 is a mess. Way too complex for the given output.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    My '96 L w/o the cat and the O2 sensors in place doesn't even throw a CEL! I have to throw the OBDII scanner on it one of these days and see what it says.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That might just be OBD Level I, not II. I could be wrong.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Oh, I thought it was '97, guess not.

    -juice
  • oregonajoregonaj Member Posts: 21
    I'm sure this must have been discussed before but I haven't been able to find it. Assuming you have chains that will fit an '03 Outback, does it make any differrence which axle you put the chains on? (Or do you need to put them on both axles?)

    Thanks, Jim
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    Which axle to install chains (or new tires) is a discussion item with very strong opinions on both sides.

    Here's MY opinion: if you're only putting them on one axle make it the rear. If the front has more traction than the rear, there's a greater chance of the rear end coming around and spinning the car. Yes, many people argue that it should be on the front because the front controls where you are going...but if the tail swings around, you're not going where you intended anyway.

    I'm sure someone will chime in with a convincing argument for putting them on the front axle.

    If the situation warrants chains, I'd do both axles or postpone the trip. (It reduces the potential need to change underwear! What was Bill Cosby's line?..."First you say it, then you do it.")

    Jim
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Crew chat starts in ~ an hour. Link's on the left.

    Steve, Host
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Get low clearance chains and put them on both axles, I think Z-chains makes a model that fits Subies.

    -juice
  • kmcleankmclean Member Posts: 173
    I say park the car, head to Hawai'i, and come back in April.

    Cheers and Happy New Year from the snowy PNW!

    Ken in Seattle
  • oregonajoregonaj Member Posts: 21
    Jim, Thanks for the input, if I have to put them on I'let you know what I do and how they work,

    Ken, Love the Hawaii idea but I'm stuck trying to get to our home in southern Oregon in the next few days.

    Thanks, Jim
  • pathtomaxpathtomax Member Posts: 215
    Hello,

    I have about 40k miles on my original Wilderness tires and will probably look to change them out around March. I generally drive about 25k miles/ yr. The choice for me is probably the Michelin MXV4's as I have had them on front-drive cars and had amazing results in snow...can't wait to have them on my Outback!

    Any comments about plus sizing them? I live on the seacoast of NH so I have to deal with snow, sleet, freezing rain etc for about 5 months of the year.
  • emtemt Member Posts: 39
    Looking to buy a used 2002-03 Legacy sedan. I heard somewhere that there were problems with the exhaust manifolds on the 02's. Can anyone give me any insight? Also, do the rear seats fold in these cars? I have a 93 Legacy that has treated me well, that is why I am looking to buy another.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Exhaust manifolds? Maybe they meant head gaskets, even then few 2002s have that issue.

    2000 was the first model year for that body style, by 2002 they had ironed out most issues. We have a 2002 Legacy L that has been reliable.

    -juice
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Michael,

    Assuming they would fit (and I don't believe anything bigger than 235mm would), it is the wrong way to go for bite in snow.

    Steve
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    To my knowledge, the rear seats do not fold in 2000-2003 Legacys. It does have a small pass thru for skis & stuff.

    Jim
    2000 Legacy sedan
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Something we will check on the US-spec 2005s at Detroit!

    -juice
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    Yeah, I sure hope Subaru starts to include them. I'm sure there are people who remove Subie sedans from consideration because of it.

    Jim
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    according to the subaru owners manual, i believe that they are supposed to go on the fronts. Why? Cause when you are turning the rear wheels gripping, aren't gonna help you turn, yes they'll help you GO, but not turn however.

    I'd put em on both, but if I had to choose 1, I'd do front.

    -mike
  • scarwafscarwaf Member Posts: 33
    I needed to replace tires on my 01 VDC Outback. I was going to purchase Michelin's at Costco at $149.00 a pop but before I did I went into the Tirerack site and did some research on Kumho's. I found that the Kumho's were an excellent tire. I had Michelin's before and they never really gave me great wear and ride.
    The Kumho's were $70.00 a pop installed and balanced at my local tire store. I've had them for 6 months and have driven in all kinds of weather and they're proving to be excellent.
    In 10 days I'll be driving up the California coast to Oregon. I'll cut across the Siskiyou Mts. picking up I-5 and heading south to Medford and Ashland, then continuing to Sacramento. I'll cut across the Sierras to Lake Tahoe and then picking up 395 (eastern Sierras) I'll head home to So. CA.
    This should be a good test for my tires.
    Tomorrow I head for the LA Auto Show.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm not a big fan of them as street tires. They get very plasticy after about 10K miles and about 6 months.

    -mike
  • hoodatbehoodatbe Member Posts: 5
    hi guys - so i am *loving* my new outback ltd except for one thing. the element antenna gets terrible reception! its fine if i am in town, on top of a hill, but for the majority of my commute i am on country rds, in and out of the little valleys in the blue ridge mtn foothills. my old power antenna certainly did way better in this country. is there any way to optimize the painted on one that came with the car or am i stuck (yeah, poor me) listening to cd's? any ideas, subaru crew? mucho gracias - b
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    I have them installed on my OB (ECSTA H4) on reviews from Tirerack and a knowledgeable collegue. I am approaching the 10K / 6 months as mentioned by Mike. So far, so good. No pulling, very smooth. Wear is still a question. Not as responsive as the Sport A2s I had on prior, but, the Sports wore poorly. My plan is to ride them out this winter and hopefully buy snow tires for next year. BTW, need to rotate them this week.

    Greg
  • sheroshero Member Posts: 2
    Hi,
    A reporter from the NY Times would like to speak with Legacy and Outback owners. If you are interested, please contact him directly at hakim@nytimes.com before 12pm ET, Thursday, January 8th.

    Thank you,
    Sheryl
    Edmunds.com
  • otis123otis123 Member Posts: 439
    My Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires on my LLBean now have 13K miles. Seem to be wearing very well. Finally got to test them in snow and they were fine - same as original Wilderness tires.

    When new I could go through 2" of standing water at 70mph w/out hydroplaning - like riding on rails. They seem to be losing a little of their cutting edge now, starting to slightly hydroplane in the same situation. BUT, any other tire would hydroplane way earlier....

    Dry performance is the same as when new - outstanding. Noise is the same, too (average). If they go to 30K miles I will buy them again - even though they were $158. a pop.

    Ralph
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    We were doing 80-100mph in standing water on the NE Extension of the PA Turnpike during the 48hrs. My 245-45-16 SP5000s on the SVX handled it well with 30K miles on them.

    -mike
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Was trailing the SVX at those speed range with the WRX wagon wearing 205/55-16 SP5000s [NEW] and they held well.

    -Dave

    p/s my max speed on that trip was 106 mph until my speed limiter started nagging ;-)
  • otis123otis123 Member Posts: 439
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    And I was trailing along at the end with my year old Dunlop Sport A2's on my 00 OBW at the same speeds with no problem.

    Mark
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    We should get Dunlop to sponsor us next year! Adam had SP5000s on the STi as well!

    -mike
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    No cupping of your Sport A2s as they wear? How many miles on them? If not, what is your rotation routine? I suspect X rotation might help the cupping issue. I rotated front/back which will be changed to X going forward.

    Greg
  • vetmatsvetmats Member Posts: 71
    Have you thought about a satellite radio? that should pick up anywhere.
  • pathtomaxpathtomax Member Posts: 215
    I agree with the antenna point on one occasion: When I use the rear defrost my reception suffers and it remains staticy for about 5 minutes.

    FWIW- I have the XM satellite rigged in my car and it is wonderful!
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Greg,

    I haven't noticed any cupping on the Dunlop's. As for the rotation pattern, I have been a lazy person having the dealer do it. At this rate I will never get into the OCD club. I have approx. 20k miles on them with no problems so far.

    Mark
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    Wow, by then mine were making a racket. I am really curious to find out how your dealer rotated them.

    Greg
  • scarwafscarwaf Member Posts: 33
    Paisan,
    The Kumho's I'm refering to are ECSTA H4.
    Keep in mind, if the Kumho's are as good as or almost as good as the Michelin's, they're still a better buy at half the price.
    Was at the LA Auto Show yesterday. Subaru didn't have their '05 Legacy out to show. All the other auto makers had massive amounts of their SUV's from the small ones to the huge ones. There were pickup trucks and mimi vans. Next came the compacts and sub-compacts and then a few family size sedans.
    You can see where the trend is going. The big auto makers are leading the buyers to their big SUV's.
    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The problem is that they get hard and slippery quickly. Also had a lot of Ecstas blow bubbles after hitting a few potholes.

    -mike
  • sebberrysebberry Member Posts: 148
    on my new BF Goodrich Traction T/A tires has been great.

    I opted for the "V" speed rated (149Mph) because of their stiffer sidewall construction for better cornering grip.

    They are a bit "knobbier" than the OEM Potenzas, but that will give better "all-road" traction.

    Sideways drift grip in the snow and slush is great, and the car is quick to respond to corrections.

    Taking rain-soaked curves at high speed is certainly less dramatic than the Potenzas, and it is easy to show off to fools in their lowered Civics trying to race on wet roads...

    Cornering grip is also great, thanks in part to the stiffer sidewall construction and fairly aggressive tread design on the outer edges.

    I do notice a slight slip under hard acceleration in a corner from a stop, but they claw in pretty quickly.

    Overall, I am very happy with the tires. It is early in the game, but my first impressions are good.

    Of course this all comes with a downside. They are slightly rougher and slightly louder than the Potenzas at 28,000Kms. Again, this is due partly to the sturdier construction. I'll keep you posted on my findings.

    More info on them here:

    http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/bfgapp/promo/traction.jsp
  • kops1kops1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2001 OB base wagon (automatic) with dealer installed leather and 49k miles. My lease is expiring and I will owe approximately $2.7k with excess mileage, disposition fee and charges for minor bumper damage. My purchase option is $15.7k including tax. Therefore, I am looking at a true cost of 13k for the car given that the $2.7k is lost money. I average approx. 15k miles per year and I do not have an extended warranty. Is it worth it or should I consider a 2004 for which Subaru is currently offering $1,500 manufacturer to customer cash and $500 manufacturer to dealer cash? Thanks.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If you like yours so far, buy that one. It'll be cheaper in the long run.

    Besides, the 2005s will be out soon, so your new car will be the "old model" already.

    -juice
  • zmanzman Member Posts: 200
    Are the '05 outbacks coming out in May, June, or July? Did you see any at the Detroit Auto Show or are they waiting for Chicago to do the US unveiling? Where can we get specs?

    The Mudge
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm gonna ask you to hop over to Subaru Crew - Future Models, because we've talked about that and a whole lot more that you'll be interested in.

    -juice
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    So you're the one that beat me to my username!!

    Karl
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Subaru will raise the Outback's height from a minimum of 7.3 inches to as much as 8.7 inches next year, and will make other adjustments, like altering the position of the rear bumper, to meet light truck specifications.

    Significantly raising the ride height can have a hazardous effect on a vehicle's stability. Part of the current Outback's appeal is that it performs better than S.U.V.'s on rollover tests."

    To Avoid Fuel Limits, Subaru Is Turning a Sedan Into a Truck (NY Times)

    Steve, Host
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Well the news from Down Under is that ride height on Outbacks has always been above eight inches with no apparent impact on rollover tendency. I think you are chasing a red herring.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • jay_24jay_24 Member Posts: 536
    Also given next years model could be longer and wider (hoping) and also redesigned in other ways, the extra 1.5 inches in height could have no effect on rollover.

    --Jay
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Make stability control standard. End of story.

    -juice
  • outback_97outback_97 Member Posts: 130
    I like the idea of increased ride height. I'm probably in the minority on this, but I've taken our OB where normal passenger cars aren't expected to be seen, for camping trips and such. The approach angles were sometimes a greater limiting factor in off highway utility than clearance though.

    Are the approach angles being improved to help utilize the ride height? Or is this being done solely for the fuel economy loophole like the PT Cruiser? Guess I can't scoff at the PT's anymore if that's the case, SOA's doing it too.

    utahsteve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Both, I'm sure. I bet the angle of departure will be much better with the revised bumpers. We'll see.

    -juice
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    the boxer engine. One main advantage is it's ability to be set low and back in the chasis to keep cog low.

    Greg
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