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Comments
I have an H6 3.0 (Beaner) and made these few notes: (in Mph for comparison)
-40 Mph (Normal in-town speed) is about 1200- 1300 RPM
- 60 Mph (Posted highway speeds here) 2100-2300 RPM
- 80Mph (Speeding) is just under 3000 RPM (I think)
I neglected to make note of the engine speed at 108 Mph, but we don't need to taklk about that anyway..
Just my two cents
123mph- 6500rpm (3rd gear shift to 4th)
143mph- 4600rpm (4th gear)
-mike
Very interesting that Subaru is setting up the future design "cues" in the outgoing model. By the way, it looked great. They should have been selling silver monotone with black skirts all along....
Craig
Looks sharp, Craig. I think they're preparing us for the transition to monotone Outbacks. I like it, thumbs up.
Heck, if I was going to buy a 2004 OB, that would be my exact color scheme!
-juice
Bob
Cheers from (flood-recovering) Seattle,
Ken
What are the drawbacks? My AT shifts too rough
please help!
what type of fluid do you usually put in your AT.
-juice
Does anyone have Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 winter tires? I'm interested in knowing how they perform. How about Dunlop Winter Sport M?? I have a 2004 Subaru Legacy 35th Ed. Thanks,
Fabienne
In the long run they are actually less expensive than the factory paper filters.
I lease my forester so I didn't modify it. I have a K/N filter in my 97 Chrysler Minivan(3.3V6) and you can really feel the difference. My Highway mileage for drive vacations is in the mid to high 20's.
My next Subaru will be an Outback wagon. H4 or H6?
Can't wait for the 0'5s. I wonder if the K/N filter will improve the H4's performance noticeably. I've read so many reports wishing the Limited or GT had more power. I'm just about ready to buy a filter to put in a test drive car.
Has anyone out there used a K/N in an H4?
Cpp788x
Does cold weather shorten the life of a clutch on the Outback? Do we think that clutch judder or shudder will lead to premature wear? Its hard to find data on clutch failure, but there seem to be more posts about the clutch problem than anything else on this board. Was the burning smell and clutch shudder problem seen only with 200-2002 outback and forester?
I am bummed that this clutch has died at 40,000 miles, esp after it was burning up and smelling in the first few weeks I had.
That isnt the way it should be with a quality car.
Tom
When it is cold (and damp) the effects of the chatter are greater, i.e. you notice more. Actually that's the only time I notice at all.
But...my clutch is the original, with 57k miles now, driven hard, off road, towing, heavy loads, etc. I'm happy with the life expectancy of my clutch given the abuse it's been through, and mind you it's still going strong...
-juice
Does anyone else use the portal XM Radio kit in their car? I used to shut my car door on the external antenna cord but don't know with the Subie having no door frames if it will warp the glass if I keep closing it on the cord?
Anyone else using the Delphi kit?
You could probably route the wire through the back hatch and not even worry about it.
Craig
I got the LM22s as Tireracks own test showed they were a little better, however they are also more than a little more expensive than the Dunlops!
Almost got the M2s instead of the Nokians for my Legacy but they gave me a better deal on the Nokians, or at least the idea of a larger % discount seemed very appealing at the time! I don;t think you could go wrong with any of these 3 and you can if you like run the Nokians all summer.
I see from your profile that you are also here in NY, so I don't have to remind you of how bad last winter was! The tires were great - every bit as good as I could have hoped for. They maybe give up a little bit on snow in trade for exceptional all-around performance on ice, wet & dry conditions.
Steve
I'm also looking at Dumlop M3's, which many people seem to like. I haven't really heard anything negative about Dunlop M2, M3 and even their all season tires. Thanks for you ideas.
Mamie
Greg
Greg
On my Forester, I guess the mud flaps tend to keep the area clear.
-juice
Thanks for the response.
cpp788x
I have a current version Outback H6 and it's only drawback is its 4 speed auto. Whilst smooth and quiet it does stifle the H6 a little. Well, you can put those problems to rest with the new H6 with 180kw (240hp) and the new 5 speed sportshift auto! Man this thing goes. No dithering when putting your foot down on the gas, it just lifts up its skirt and pow. Even better in the manumatic mode. Flick the lever down a gear or two and off you go.
Steering has a better feel especially on the straight ahead and it handles beautifully with the new 17" wheels and tyres. Although, I must admit I had put 17" 235/50 tyres on my Outback H6 and that makes a dramatic difference to how the car handles and turns into a corner. Much better, and quieter too!
The new H6 motor is also available in the Legacy (in Japan only at the moment) and the journos over there are comparing the motor and the car itself favourably to the BMW 330. They believe the new H6 is a gem and I'd have to agree with them. It is quiet, refined and super responsive.
Some of the features we get on the new Outback here are:
180kw (240hp) H6 motor
Trip computer
Fly by wire throttle
5 speed sporshift
Momo leather steering wheel
Audio controls on the steering wheel
Full size alloy spare
I think the US is getting the new Outback in 2004 is that right?
Bob
Ralph
P.S. You ditched the stock alloys and got 17" alloys??
-juice
I second the request for the memory seating! Are they also included?
Took the 2005 Outback H6 for a test drive the other day. Very tempting. 5 Speed Auto is dramatically better than the 4 speed in the 2.5i.
I will write up a more detailed review on Sylvia "Town Hall Test Drive Team" Oct 30, 2003 7:00am
We have a very long weekend here in Melbourne. It is Melbourne Cup day here on Tuesday, an almost religious holiday in this city. Most folk take a day's leave on Monday, pull the kids out of school and have an early break. It's the traditional time to plant out tomatos as the last possibility offrost has passed.
Cheers
Graham
The Blizzaks are mounted some time in Nov and taken off in March or April.
MNSteve - '98 OBW Ltd 30year edition w/5 speed
But...Subaru might do what they do now, give the GT a lower profile tire than the Outback.
-juice
They're the only tires I've ever seen that are all-season with the snowflake on the sidewall, identifying them as winter tires! I'll let you know how they actually perform, but I thought I'd let you you all know, last winter was bad in NY, and I toyed with getting snows since I was due to change tires again, but these seemed like a great compromise.
Car still runs great, very few problems after so many miles, and still feels nice and tight. (Of course, it's almost all highway on fairly decent roads, but still, an impressive run so far!) Vince
Well I felt so good about my car that I gave it a good detailing to day at work .
I now feel alot better and I'll just have to learn to live with the noise .
Mike
No driver memory for the seats etc as far as I could tell and it does look as good in the flesh, actually better I think.
I kept the original rims in case whoever I sell the car to wants originals back on. I'm seriously considering going for the new Outback H6 standard spec as I don't need the leather, VDC or sunroof.
Goosegog?,
Interesting name. (I'd be interested in everyones names they us on these sites and how they come up with them). Anyway, The 17" rim/tyre combo is the same overall diameter and width as the previous Outback 16" set up. Having said that, the vehicle is a complete redesign so they coud make the tyre well to fit. The new Outback tyres are 215/55 aspect not 50 aspect. The ones I put on my current Outback H6 are 235/50 aspect so the side wall height is the same as the 215/55. Probably not too good for offraod but the worst I encounter is just dirt roads, no serious stuff.
I actually bought the H6 for two reasons:
1) self levelling rear suspension, as I sometimes carry weight for my business, and this is a good feature for this.
2) the only way to get the H6 was in the Outback.
Ateixeira,
The GT has 215/45 17", so yes, a sportier tyre setup. The new Outback is 215/55 on the H6 only. The 2.5i gets the standard 215/60 16" as they are now.
1) Replaced OEM Firestones with Bridgestone Turanza LS-H. These tires got very good ratings from TireRack (review and survey results) and Consumer Reports. They are rated 400 wear, AA traction, A temperature, 98H load rating. CR claims the new UNI-T AQII compound does work and performs better for wet and snow traction than other tires as they wear. So far, the ride and noise are at least as good as the Firestones. They do seem to be a bit grippier in turns. Wet performace is good, but not enough miles on them to really compare. It's all subjective anyway without a side by side test. Main downside is the possibility of higher wear with the 400 rating and 50,000 mile warranty that is quite a bit less than many top quality T rated tires. See:
http://www.consumerreports.org/main/content/display_report.jsp?FO- - LDER%3C%3Efolder_id=340821 (Subscription)
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&- - tireModel=Turanza+LS-H
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/gtas.jsp
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testResultsModel.jsp?tireMode- - l=Turanza+LS-H&tireMake=Bridgestone
2) New battery- Exide Nascar Select 35-84N. Was a top rated model by CR. Had a nice 18 months guarantee which was good enough for me. Installed easily, as expected.
3) New wiper blades all around. Used Bosch Micro Edge Excel from rockauto.com. I've used these on our other vehicles, and they're the best I've found for quiet, clean wiping and long life. Fairly pricey, though.
4) Oil & Filter change. Not too exciting, as always it's nice to be able to change these without ramps. Had a few extra Subaru filters around and have begun changing oil again since the free maintenance plan we got through IMBA expired at 3/36k.
5) ATF & Filter. It's great to have a spin-on ATF filter. Sucks that it is $40 from the local Subaru dealer. Anyone found an aftermarket replacement or ultra cheap online retailer for this part next time? Used Mobil1 Dexron III ATF. Took 6 full quarts with the filter change; I measured what came out exactly.
6) Front differential fluid change. Replaced with 75W90 Mobil 1 GL-5 Gear Oil. Took 1.25 quarts, again I measured what came out and double checked with the dipstick. Requires a 21mm socket. I reused the OEM washer- it didn't appear to be a crush type.
7) Rear differential fluid change. Replaced with 75W90 Mobil 1 GL-5 Gear Oil. Took 0.75 quards. Requires a 1/2" socket driver.
8) Air filter. Easy enough, but I lost the bolt that holds the filter section of the housing to the round bracket:-( It's somewhere in the engine compartment, or has fallen off on the road since. Have to wait a week for a replacement...
Overall, not a bad morning's work, except for the tires which I had done at the local Firestone dealer who beat the TireRack's price by 5%. Next is brake fluid and spark plugs, though I may let the dealer tackle those unless someone has some good tips as I've never done those before on this vehicle- and never changed brake fluid at all...
Incidentally, pretty good reliability so far after over 4 years and 45k miles. It did need a new radiator last summer, but fortunately that was covered under the 3/36 basic warranty. We also had a loose rear window motor and a driver side vanity mirror (light failed) replaced under warranty.
Does anyone out there 'winterize' their car? I have to bring mine in for a routing oil change and wondered if I should have them get it ready for NH winters- and what that may entail.
But, isn't there a regular screen type filter that needs to have the pan dropped as well?
Just asking.
Larry
It fits fairly well, but did require about a half-hour of fussing and fiddling and repositioning before it seemed right. After three weeks of driving around with it, including a 650-mile roundtrip this weekend (without the dogs, though), it is still tight and rattle-free. I have some lock-tite ready if it becomes necessary.
It fits best about 5 inches from the seatback, which, if the retractable cargo cover is not installed, leaves enough of a gap that my Brittany thinks she can squeeze through. Even if she can't, it is likely that she will get stuck and probably rip up the seats/tear the leather with her claws. Consequently, I have put the cargo cover back in to block the gap -- I never used it so had taken it out and left it in the garage.
I would prefer the guard fit closer to the seatback so I could dispense with the cargo cover.
At this point, I would recommend it, but it is pricey and the pressure-mounting system is still a question mark in my mind. However, it appears to be better than anything else I've seen on the market.
--K9Leader
2000 OBW Ltd, 41,746 miles
Check the belts, a top to bottom inspection of brakes, boots, linkages, etc. At this time of year, I buy a set of winter blades. Also a good time to look at tread left on the tires.
Most garages/dealers have some kind of "Check-it-for-winter" specials. Just read the offer carefully and see what it includes (or omits).
I admit to being OCD about maintenance.
HTH
Larry
Larry
Good going, Tim! You've been busy. I'm approaching 60k on the Forester, so pretty soon I will, too.
Check the fluid level in your batteries, first and foremost! I used almost half a gallon of distilled water in our fleet.
-juice
My impressions so far after approximately 10k kms; In dry conditions- nice riding, maybe slightly noisier than the touring tires they replaced (duh!), a little squirmy at the cornering limit, but still decent lateral traction. Minimal tramlining. Wet traction and cornering seems good, aquaplaning resistance should be excellent as well, due to the large grooves, but I haven't actually tested them in those conditions. Now for the fun part, winter weather. Calgary has been blessed with a fairly good start to winter, cold temps and lots of snow that, of course has turned into about 3" of ice. The Nokians have been excellent. Great snow traction, adequate ice grip, and overall very confidence inspiring. The maker brags that their focus is on lateral grip in snowy conditions, and I would say they've done well. I would recommend these tires, maybe a little more $$$, but worth it.
Regards,
Owen
Yes, full size ALLOY spare. for the Outback