And I would bet there is a significant number of owners who never check the coolant.
My friend was shocked to see no oil on the dipstick of her 1999 Jetta. She has the oil changed every 3k but on a visit to a service station a while back she thought she would be more owner repsonsible and check the oil. She added 2 quarts before it registered full on the dipstick. Since then it drops a quart every 1k with no leaks. After checking the VW Jetta threads I see it is quite common. Not to mention referred to as "normal" by the dealer. No more "normal" to me than the coolant loss experienced by VDC owners.
Juice: Despite missing my guess, we had a great day celebrating your event that hasn't happened yet - my birthday boy picked dinner - hot dogs cooked on the campfire (we got looks, though - campfire in 90 degree heat??!!), cupcakes & ice cream.
Out of computer range for another couple days, so if the blessed event happens over the weekend, congrats in advance!
So I'm leaving the gym this afternoon after a good workout, when I see this guy getting out of an Outback, which was parked behind my Forester. I said: "How do you like your Subaru? I see it's a VDC;" just to start a conversation...
Well, it turns out this "guy" works for SOA—and may very well be Patti's boss! His name is Keith Tilton, and he's VP of Customer Relationships and Loyalty! He was there to attend a wedding, as the gym I belong to also has an event area that they rent out for such affairs. Talk about a small world!
He's a heck of a nice guy, and we had a very enjoyable and interesting chat.
I just got done logging significant seat time in a base Mitsubishi Lancer. Alamo rents these as an intermediate, BTW. (Okay, clean up your coffee from your spit take now.) I went over to read Edmunds' review of the car and it pretty much sums up what I'd have to say about it.
Woefully underpowered car, very cheap and nasty inside. Switchgear especially cheap and all in that monotone plastic that, as in the Galant, messes with my depth perception. A broad swath of gray-black plood across the dash is very glossy and reflects light back at the driver. Wipers are very slow, on a par with 1960's cars (found this out in a sudden downpour). The weirdest thing is the steering; it has the biggest on-center dead spot I've ever felt in a car. The car always wanted to go straight and it took additional effort to get it out of the center dead spot. It's almost as if there's a big dip in the steering rack that the pinion wants to stay settled in. (Sorry about that description but my techspeak is failing me at the moment.)
The car does have its merits, though. Despite that on-center dead spot, it handles nicely, even in the wet. I was able to quickly find a comfortable seating position, and rear seat leg room is adequate. Impreza sedan owners will cringe to find that it has a split folding rear seat that manages to incorporate a fold-down center armrest. That will be a feather in the cap of those EVO VII/VIII supporters looking to tout a minimal edge in practicality over the WRX/STi.
As for that EVO, it had better have performance in spades over any WRX - and a gutted interior, refurbished by MOMO and Sparco - to be even worth considering against the WRX or STi. The base Lancer is an improvement over the ghastly Mirage, but there's little to recommend it over, say, a Civic, and it definitely doesn't stand up even to an Impreza RS or TS.
I also got my first drive of an '03 Forester on Saturday, but that's another story.
On Saturday I drove an '03 Forester XS Premium (white, without leather seating) for about an hour. If I had been blindfolded I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference from driving my '00 S. Fortunately I wasn't blindfolded so I can say that the ergonomic improvements were noticeable.
The new dash and instrumentation layout is much improved over the last generation, at least in terms of not having to take your eyes off the road for very long to view the various gauges and controls. I must say I didn't spend much time fiddling with the automatic climate controls, though. Some other observations:
Armrest extension is shorter than last-gen and of little use to me. Caveat: as a short guy (5'7")even the last-gen doesn't help me much.
Leather steering wheels, shift knob feel nice in the hand. Do they get smelly and dirty with hand sweat over time?
Other cleanup stuff: I still think the dimpled dash will collect dust and grime. I also have to wonder if the faux-aluminum console will get scratched up over time.
Side mirrors seem smaller than on my '00 S, still larger than last-gen L. Didn't actually measure them for area.
Seat cushions seem a little shorter than before, but I have gained weight so it could be subjective. Again, didn't measure them.
The skylight - er, sunroof - over the seats is impressive.
Having the gearshift indicator in the instrument cluster is nice for those who need it - can't say I ever have, though.
It still could use an extra 15-20 hp for passing and onramp/offramp maneuvers.
Colors are subjective, though I still like the gray interiors over the tan - clashes less with the painted gray or unpainted cladding. New green and blue are very nice. Nice to see that you can get black again without having to get the monotone.
I also drove an '02 LLBean. Since I drove a VDC in the past, and since it was sunny, I couldn't tell the difference under the conditions. I find the split wood/leather steering wheel disconcerting as I slide my hands over the different surfaces rapidly during all but the most sedate driving. How do you LLB/VDC owners stand it?
I also saw my first '03 Legacy, an L Special Edition. Seems like a good deal for the price. New grille has honeycomb mesh reminiscent of Impreza and WRX. Special Editions also look like a means for SoA to get rid of its inventory of the last two generations' worth of Legacy GT alloys.
Nice write-up, Ed. I also just sat in a '03 XS w/leather today. I agree with everything I've read about the more upscale interior. Subaru has definetly made improvements there.
Haven't driven one yet, but I'd love to try out that Hillholder someday.
I've been lurking on these boards (and intending to post) since I bought my Subaru a little over three months ago. It's a blue 2002 Impreza TS, my first new car and the first car I bought myself. I love it, but the main reason for my post is a little story...
I'm about to fly to New York (from California) for several days of camping at a folk festival. This year I decided to make brownies for the big first night dinner with a bunch of friends, but when I wrapped them up in foil this morning I realized they were more fragile than I had expected and I needed something to transport them in. I started searching and immediately spotted the little cardboard box for the cabin filter I installed in my car -- they fit great, and I was amused by the fact that this box of brownies is labelled "Subaru genuine parts."
We'll have to add brownies to our standard menu, which already includes grilled Turbot and Rally Bread (long story). Plus home fries. Mmm...
Congrats, I remember my first new car and it's all I could think about for weeks. The Crew hosts a weekly chat tomorrow night, so stop in and tell us all about it!
OK, baby update. Doctor felt the head, whoa! But still 1cm dialated, 80% effaced. Doc wanted to induce, and talked us into it. We have an appointment at GW hospital at 5am.
If that's the case, who would win the pool? Well, Patti had 7/21 and Graham had 7/29, so we'd have a tie. :-)
The weight is still anybody's guess, though. And I could not talk the wife into the name "David Michael Teixeira", so the name will be yet another surprise, and I'm not telling until he's born.
Let them start to induce - if your son handles the "stress" okay, have them stop it and go home. From my personal experience and some other's, Lana will have an amazingly quick delivery in a few days. Good Luck and we'll all be thinking about you!
...was born today at 2:06pm. Both mom and baby are healthy and happy. Delivery was very smooth, a lot easier than our first (smaller) kid. And get this - she was having contractions when we arrived!
Since it happened in the PM, the winner for the pool for the birth date is Graham. :-)
The official weight? 9 lbs, 5 ounces. Can someone scroll back and announce the winner for me? I'm a bit short on time! ;-)
He's a big boy, 21.5" long. His lungs are healthy and his cry is a wail that I'll never forget. Daddy juice cut the cord and everything, wouldn't have missed it for the world.
The lil' fella has more hair than I do! It's hilarious. I now have a Mini Me.
Pics ought to come in the next day or so, we only had the 35mm camera with us today.
He's huge. Big hands, big feet, big....hands. LOL. Gotta keep it PG-13.
Side note - the way he throws his hands and legs around to grab traction tells me he's a natural fan of AWD...
That's the news a lot of us have been holding our breath for! Wonderful! 9 pounds 5 oz? Hardly a "mini" me! Hope you can take a day off to celebrate and enjoy the new family.
The birth of your little boy is wonderful. Birth is such a miracle to behold! I sometimes even have womb-envy (but then I realize how much of a wuss I am when it comes to pain...) LOL! Enjoy every moment w/the little one. They grow up fast!
Remember Conway with the Trooper like mine @ the Pine Barrens? He just had a Son in mid-June. So in a few years you 2 can bring the sons along for some 4x4ing!
Comments
My friend was shocked to see no oil on the dipstick of her 1999 Jetta. She has the oil changed every 3k but on a visit to a service station a while back she thought she would be more owner repsonsible and check the oil. She added 2 quarts before it registered full on the dipstick. Since then it drops a quart every 1k with no leaks. After checking the VW Jetta threads I see it is quite common. Not to mention referred to as "normal" by the dealer. No more "normal" to me than the coolant loss experienced by VDC owners.
bit
-Brian (papabear)
..Mike
..Mike
Out of computer range for another couple days, so if the blessed event happens over the weekend, congrats in advance!
Cheers!
Paul
Thought I'd pop in and say hi, 'cause if I'm out for more than a day people think the baby has arrived.
-juice
Well, it turns out this "guy" works for SOA—and may very well be Patti's boss! His name is Keith Tilton, and he's VP of Customer Relationships and Loyalty! He was there to attend a wedding, as the gym I belong to also has an event area that they rent out for such affairs. Talk about a small world!
He's a heck of a nice guy, and we had a very enjoyable and interesting chat.
Bob
Bob
Hmmm - no post from Juice on 7/21? Could that have been the day??
Patti
Or maybe not? Juice's last post was late afternoon on 7/20. I may still have a chance!!!
Bob
Patti
Talk about six degrees of separation! Now you know who to deliver our positive feedback on Patti!
Ken
I just got done logging significant seat time in a base Mitsubishi Lancer. Alamo rents these as an intermediate, BTW. (Okay, clean up your coffee from your spit take now.) I went over to read Edmunds' review of the car and it pretty much sums up what I'd have to say about it.
Woefully underpowered car, very cheap and nasty inside. Switchgear especially cheap and all in that monotone plastic that, as in the Galant, messes with my depth perception. A broad swath of gray-black plood across the dash is very glossy and reflects light back at the driver. Wipers are very slow, on a par with 1960's cars (found this out in a sudden downpour). The weirdest thing is the steering; it has the biggest on-center dead spot I've ever felt in a car. The car always wanted to go straight and it took additional effort to get it out of the center dead spot. It's almost as if there's a big dip in the steering rack that the pinion wants to stay settled in. (Sorry about that description but my techspeak is failing me at the moment.)
The car does have its merits, though. Despite that on-center dead spot, it handles nicely, even in the wet. I was able to quickly find a comfortable seating position, and rear seat leg room is adequate. Impreza sedan owners will cringe to find that it has a split folding rear seat that manages to incorporate a fold-down center armrest. That will be a feather in the cap of those EVO VII/VIII supporters looking to tout a minimal edge in practicality over the WRX/STi.
As for that EVO, it had better have performance in spades over any WRX - and a gutted interior, refurbished by MOMO and Sparco - to be even worth considering against the WRX or STi. The base Lancer is an improvement over the ghastly Mirage, but there's little to recommend it over, say, a Civic, and it definitely doesn't stand up even to an Impreza RS or TS.
I also got my first drive of an '03 Forester on Saturday, but that's another story.
Ed
Bob: I hope your feedback helps Patti.
Ed: I want to hear your Forester impressions, is that in another thread?
-juice
Greg
17' Coleman Fiberglass Canoe.
e-mail me for more details.
-mike
-juice
-mike
On Saturday I drove an '03 Forester XS Premium (white, without leather seating) for about an hour. If I had been blindfolded I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference from driving my '00 S. Fortunately I wasn't blindfolded so I can say that the ergonomic improvements were noticeable.
The new dash and instrumentation layout is much improved over the last generation, at least in terms of not having to take your eyes off the road for very long to view the various gauges and controls. I must say I didn't spend much time fiddling with the automatic climate controls, though. Some other observations:
Armrest extension is shorter than last-gen and of little use to me. Caveat: as a short guy (5'7")even the last-gen doesn't help me much.
Leather steering wheels, shift knob feel nice in the hand. Do they get smelly and dirty with hand sweat over time?
Other cleanup stuff: I still think the dimpled dash will collect dust and grime. I also have to wonder if the faux-aluminum console will get scratched up over time.
Side mirrors seem smaller than on my '00 S, still larger than last-gen L. Didn't actually measure them for area.
Seat cushions seem a little shorter than before, but I have gained weight so it could be subjective. Again, didn't measure them.
The skylight - er, sunroof - over the seats is impressive.
Having the gearshift indicator in the instrument cluster is nice for those who need it - can't say I ever have, though.
It still could use an extra 15-20 hp for passing and onramp/offramp maneuvers.
Colors are subjective, though I still like the gray interiors over the tan - clashes less with the painted gray or unpainted cladding. New green and blue are very nice. Nice to see that you can get black again without having to get the monotone.
I also drove an '02 LLBean. Since I drove a VDC in the past, and since it was sunny, I couldn't tell the difference under the conditions. I find the split wood/leather steering wheel disconcerting as I slide my hands over the different surfaces rapidly during all but the most sedate driving. How do you LLB/VDC owners stand it?
I also saw my first '03 Legacy, an L Special Edition. Seems like a good deal for the price. New grille has honeycomb mesh reminiscent of Impreza and WRX. Special Editions also look like a means for SoA to get rid of its inventory of the last two generations' worth of Legacy GT alloys.
Ed
I gotta drive one, I'm curious about the quicker steering ratio. Noone's really commented on it.
-juice
Ed
Haven't driven one yet, but I'd love to try out that Hillholder someday.
Ken
Fitzgerald Subaru has not let me down. Our purchase included 3 free oil changes (the 1st, 3rd, and 5th, oddly).
I should have taken it myself, so I'd have an excuse to sample a new Forester.
-juice
I'm about to fly to New York (from California) for several days of camping at a folk festival. This year I decided to make brownies for the big first night dinner with a bunch of friends, but when I wrapped them up in foil this morning I realized they were more fragile than I had expected and I needed something to transport them in. I started searching and immediately spotted the little cardboard box for the cabin filter I installed in my car -- they fit great, and I was amused by the fact that this box of brownies is labelled "Subaru genuine parts."
Teresa
-Brian (papabear)
We'll have to add brownies to our standard menu, which already includes grilled Turbot and Rally Bread (long story). Plus home fries. Mmm...
Congrats, I remember my first new car and it's all I could think about for weeks. The Crew hosts a weekly chat tomorrow night, so stop in and tell us all about it!
OK, baby update. Doctor felt the head, whoa! But still 1cm dialated, 80% effaced. Doc wanted to induce, and talked us into it. We have an appointment at GW hospital at 5am.
If that's the case, who would win the pool? Well, Patti had 7/21 and Graham had 7/29, so we'd have a tie. :-)
The weight is still anybody's guess, though. And I could not talk the wife into the name "David Michael Teixeira", so the name will be yet another surprise, and I'm not telling until he's born.
-juice
P. S. - I'll defer the pool to Graham!
Patti
Don
Teresa-welcome to the Crew.
Mark
Then it could be A.S. Texeira or Apple Sauce Texeira instead of Apple Juice!!!!!
Teresa - Congrats on your new addition.
Greg
Since it happened in the PM, the winner for the pool for the birth date is Graham. :-)
The official weight? 9 lbs, 5 ounces. Can someone scroll back and announce the winner for me? I'm a bit short on time! ;-)
He's a big boy, 21.5" long. His lungs are healthy and his cry is a wail that I'll never forget. Daddy juice cut the cord and everything, wouldn't have missed it for the world.
The lil' fella has more hair than I do! It's hilarious. I now have a Mini Me.
Pics ought to come in the next day or so, we only had the 35mm camera with us today.
He's huge. Big hands, big feet, big....hands. LOL. Gotta keep it PG-13.
Side note - the way he throws his hands and legs around to grab traction tells me he's a natural fan of AWD...
-juice
Steve
Maxwell Charles! What a great name!
Bob
-Brian
Little Tati just became BIG Sister
-Dave
Jim
Stephen
Pass around the cigars (isn't that what American fathers are supposed to do?).
I reckon that this will be be real pleasure (despite the interrupted nights) for Juice, Lana, Tati and cat-dog.
I hope you get as much joy from your litle boy as we get from ours.
Cheers
Graham
-mike
Patti
May your future be filled with good health, incredible fortune, and shiny Subarus.