Subaru Crew Cafe

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  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    (3rd row) do have to be removed. I think(?) you can purchase Suburbans without the 3rd row seats.

    As to costs, I'm not sure. The Avalanches I've seen were in the upper $30-$40K range. You found one for $24K? That doesn't sound right.

    Bob
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Must've been used. New Avanlanches definitely are in the mid 30s and up.

    The backseat interestingly is bigger than a Suburban's. Doesn't have the 3rd of course...

    -Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It may have been a little more. Fitz has them now from $27k to $34k. The low end ones are 2WD.

    'burbans are $33k to $39k, so there is some overlap but not much.

    I imagine the Avalance will appeal more to handy home-owning men, while the Suburban will continue to rule among soccer moms.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    is it can be a "pickup," when need be; and it can be an "SUV, when need be. It's a "compromise" vehicle, and like all compromises, it's not perfect. However, it does seem to work for a lot of people.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That open roof wagon seems even more useful, if they can figure it out. That's because you can have an open or closed cargo area.

    I guess you can with the Avalanche, but it's not nearly as tall when closed.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Get this - the Saturn Ion will offer leopard skin fabric, and matching ... roof rails! Are they serious?

    Also, residuals on the BMW 7-series have been set much lower than for the S class. After a 3 year lease, the Benz holds 55% of its value, while the Bimmer holds just 48% (projected).

    It's that ugly hunchback. And I-drive too.

    -juice
  • fibber2fibber2 Mid Hudson Valley, NYMember Posts: 3,786
    Dave,

    It is not just an Asian thing - for years we did it here also. I remember many a ride in my neighbors wagons of the mid/late '60's packed till the tailgate dragged on the pavement! And remember riding in the open bed of a pickup? Could fit a whole Boy Scout troop in if you packed us right!

    BTW, there are companies that make aftermarket third seats for SUV and wagons.

    Check out www.littlepassengerseats.com or www.mpoineer.com for more details.

    Steve
  • cb70cb70 Member Posts: 226
    Baja did not.
  • artgeckoartgecko Member Posts: 78
    Hi gang,


    I got home from work last night, and was surprised to find that my Dad had bought a new toy!


    image


    It just has 200+ miles on it so no serious playing yet. Plus it has the CVT auto, so I didn't know how well it shifts. He does have the MINI version of the Tiptronic, but they recommend not using it until break-in is complete. Still, it was fun, and I took some pretty tight turns through the sub-divisions, and it does stay as flat as a go kart! Can't wait until he gets it well worn in and I can play a little more. They live in an area with lots of two lane twisty back country roads, but are three hours away. :-(


    Steve

  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Steve,

    Wow, you get to play with all the toys! You lucky bum, you! I like that driveway picture -- got cars on them that I want. :-)

    Ken
  • artgeckoartgecko Member Posts: 78
    You saw the other photo from last week didn't you? These are my good and bad weather toys...


    image

  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Used. Under $20k. Priorities: RWD or AWD, manual transmission, decent speed (0-60 in 7s or less, 15s quarter mile or less.), 4 seats. 4 seats is last because if it's got 'em great, if not oh well. under 75k miles.

    I'm thinking hard about a E36 (1995-2001) M3 or 328, anyone have any other ideas? Also considering a Supra turbo or 93-95 RX7 and yes I know about the RX7's well-deserved reputation. A while ago I was considering an older 911, and you can get into 993s for 30k now (or less sometimes) but that's more than I want to spend so I'm not going to settle for 86-88 Carrera. I might like a 944/968 but it would have to be perfect, and very few of them are.

    -Colin
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    http://motioncars.com/autobuzz/articles19/2003_vw_touareg.html
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    If you click on the link (inside this link), you will see some photos, and comments. There's one photo at the end (of the discussion topic forum on the VW Touareg) that shows an interesting "pass-through" on the front passenger seat. I've never seen this done before.

    Bob

    sswxy "VW Touareg SUV" Apr 28, 2002 9:31pm
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 PAMember Posts: 1,089
    an iced mocchacino...bought and set up a Huffy basketball hoop for Michael this weekend...what a miserable job that was!...when it comes time to move, I'll tell the moving company to just throw it in the truck! At least he likes it...for a short kid, he's pretty good at it.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Did some 4-wheeling in central North Carolina! Maybes I'll get some subies out there eventually!


    http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/unf-04-26-02/


    -mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Cool, Steve, the fleet gets better and better!

    Colin: wait 2 years and get a G35? ;-)

    My take:

    240SX: probably not quick enough, but cheap
    Supra: F&F made values shoot up
    RX7: sweet, most likely my choice
    3 series: nice, but a dime a dozen
    3000GT/Stealth: heavy, though
    300ZX: sweet, pricey?
    Monster Miata: just kidding!
    SVX: auto only and not as quick as you want
    Starion/Conquest: electrical gremlins
    944/968: front-engined Porsche is an oxymoron

    Yeah, I'd go with an RX7 given your criteria.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Tauoeaereg (too many vowels I'm sure) looks better than the spy photos implied, ended up looking like a Passat Wagon, Outback style. I bet the price will be at a premium, though.

    paisan: I know you're not-so-subtle hints are aimed at me. ;-)

    Once the wife has her car, maybe I'll replace the Miata with a WRX or something, and set the Forester up for some fun.

    I realize I'm dreaming. While I'm at it, how about a 2003 SVX 2 seat roadster based on the WRX with 10" shorter wheelbase and no more weight?

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    is likely to get a name change. Apparently the name is linked to slave traders from the Sahara. Not exactly the image one wants to be associated with...

    Also, AutoWeek mentioned it had a 112" wheelbase, short overhangs, and has (up to) 12" ground clearance. I believe it will be available with a height-adjustable suspension. They also mention that it was water-tested for a 23" wading depth. So, it sounds like it will be a pretty good off-roader, as well as on-road. I believe it will come with both a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed tip-tronic, and with high and low range. Here's the AW link:

    http://www.AutoWeek.com/

    Yeah, it will be pricey, although no where near its sister, the Cayanne. BTW, I do like this much better than the Cayanne.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I like this new fuzzy math they are doing with ground clearances. :) That would put my Trooper at "up to 20" of ground clearance" depending on where you measured it! What happened to the minimum of X" of clearance?

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    they're referring to the fact that the suspension is adjustable. So at maximum extension, the clearance is 12." They didn't mention what the normal highway setting is.

    Bob
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Thanks for the reply Juice.

    After I posted I search around and had noticed that Supra values are way up. Geez. ($25k for a 1995 with 80k-100k miles? Yeah right!)

    I actually am considering the 240SX as a sensible alternative to a return to ponycars. (A camaro or mustang.) The 240 is nowhere near as fast, but handles well and is far better built. Plus I could get ahold of a wide array of Nissan powerplants that would make it plenty fast. Not sure if I want to go down that road, though...

    I don't care that the E36 is a dime-a-dozen, that actually works to my advantage trying to find a good one for the money. :-D

    -Colin
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I've seen a lot of "max clearance" referring to the highest spot under the vehcile, for instance the new Explorer has a much larger than expected clearance, but that is cause they measure it at the rear pumpkin which is tucked way up high, meanwhile there are other items that hang lower than it that would whack on things beforehands. So I'm trying to get a handle on the "Fuzzy Math" of the new SUV breeds.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It certainly looks much better than the Cayenne. The Passat styling translates much better to a tall form than the Boxster's.

    By pricey I meant way out of my price range. I bet it'll cost more than Pilot and Highlander, too.

    Uh-oh, paisan, that means air bladders. I rode in a Venture this weekend and the self-leveling suspension's air bladders were going. The owner almost passed out when I warned him it might cost $400 per corner.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Get an SVX and drop in a 5-speed and a LPTurbo which will boost it to ~300hp :)

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    PS Subaru uses that fuzzy math. My Forester had about 6.8" of clearance with stock tires, even at the middle section. The rear diffy is way higher than 7.5", so I have no idea where they came up with that imaginary number.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    My guess is that it will start around $33K, and rise quickly, depending on what engine it comes with.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, the GLX 4Mo is already pricey, it'll likely pick up from there.

    On another note, did you fix the Prelude? How'd that go?

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Yes & no. It needed new valve seals and thermostat ($1,300), but we've still got an oil leak somewhere. We're still debating what to do. Right now our daughter has our Forester at school. She's getting ready for finals and will be home in about a week and a half. Sometime between now and mid-summer we'll decide what to do. I'm hoping to get her a new Outback Sport, but that's by no means certain yet. We just don't want to send her back to school (450 miles away) with a car that's somewhat iffy in terms of reliability. If her school were closer to home, that would be a different story.

    Bob
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    how bad is the leak?

    -Colin
    (now seriously digging for info on a 240sx...)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    How mechanically in inclined is she? Do you think she'd check the oil level regularly? Oil is cheap, and you could probably milk it for a while. Besides, it would be hard to sell like that.

    I bet you'd love to know what changes will be on the 2003 OBS, then.

    Remind me - the 2003 Legacy had different rims, chrome trim rings on the speedo, different grille, and VTD+shiftronic on the automatic, right? Plus leather and heated seats.

    While I like that combination, it's going to cost what a GT Limited costs now. She's sort of leaning towards a regular GT or even an L.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Colin: try cars.com. They had 14 within 100 miles of me.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    each time I park it in the driveway.

    When we got the car back, the mechanic wasn't absolutely certain as to whether it was fixed (burning oil or leaking oil) when I picked it up, so I reset the trip odometer, so as to check oil consumption. Well I had to put in oil at 350 miles, because the check engine light came back on. I put in a 1/2 quart, and that seemed to fix it (for now).

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's more than I was thinking, and definitely beyond the specs. Any chance you can trace the source?

    I'd put it up on ramps, and put some newspaper under the engine bay, to help out.

    Or join me on Wednesday and we'll try to get a bulk discount on Subies. :-)

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I like that bulk Subie discount idea! Oh Patti...

    Bob
  • storytellerstoryteller Member Posts: 476
    I found this interesting: http://www.forbes.com/2002/04/23/0422flint.html
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Subie sales down slightly, but the new Forester should reverse that. They can't break the streak - increased sales every year since 1995.

    Meanwhile, I can take advantage of incentives on the Legacy, which are either $500 or $750 as far as I can tell.

    -juice
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 PAMember Posts: 1,089
    On the same page as #585 above, a link to this:

    http://www.forbes.com/2002/04/30/0430ebbersmini.html


    The Big Cheese is gone (thank goodness!)..maybe things will get better around here.

    -The Only Serge-

  • 99gs99gs Member Posts: 109
    What's the club site where owners post parts for sale? I Club or something like that. Thanks. Jack
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 PAMember Posts: 1,089
    http://www.i-club.com/
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Touareg>

    http://TheCarConnection.com/index.asp?article=4859&sid=175&n=156

    S-10

    http://TheCarConnection.com/index.asp?article=4858&sid=178&n=156

    '03 Expedition review

    http://TheCarConnection.com/index.asp?article=4854&sid=181&n=157

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    It's rumored that it may(?) take a more back-to-basics approach, like that of the Xterra, as the Highlander now covers the "love-that-leather" crowd. I think that would be wise if Toyota at least offered a model that would compete price-wise (and capability-wise) with the Xterra. Current 4Runners are way too expensive.

    Bob

    peter78 "Toyota 4Runner" Apr 30, 2002 8:30am
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    USA won't get the 6 speed on the Tour-Egg (he he). $35-50k also, ouch. It'll make the Pilot, Highlander, and Murano seem like bargains.

    Again I think Piech is out of his mind. Originally VW was going to go for luxury, and leave the sporty segments to Audi, but I heard the Passat W8 will get a SIX speed manual option soon. Talk about overlap.

    Kudos to GM for the brilliant "steal" of the Colorado name. VW effed up, big time.

    Ford should update the engines for the Expedition. Even the smaller Aviator gets a more interesting power plant.

    Bob: I bet that 4Runner will be a GX470 clone, and that's a good thing.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yep they will all be clones. The 4-runner will probably get the non-leather (base) and less electronic stuff. Price though will still be high IMHO.

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    IMHO that nose is way too long (to fit the v8 engine) maybe it will look better in person, but the GX470 was nice and boxy at the auto-show.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yummy, GX470, I was drooling over one at the NY Show.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    will be much more capable than the Pilot and Highlander. It will have a V8 option, 6-speed tip-tronic, much better towing and very good off-road capability. Because of the price, I see it more aimed at the 4Runner/GX470, Pathfinder/QX45, ML320, X-5, Grand Cherokee, etc.; not the Pilot or Highlander.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I guess so, but are they offering what the market really wants? I think they're missing the boat on this one.

    Then again, they may offer both. Wasn't their crossover concept called the Magellan?

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    always a market for premium vehicles, no matter what market niche they're in. I think it will do well—if it's screwed together properly. If it turns out to be a reliability nightmare, like many VWs have been, then that's a different story altogether.

    If I were in the market for a $40K SUV, this would be on my short list, for sure. But since I can't afford one in the first place, I guess it doesn't make much difference...

    Bob
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