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Comments
Loosh...try not to laugh too much after the procedure.
Get well quick!
Jim
Edit: I typed this before reading all the intervening posts.
nj - There are other possible ways to get a hernia grunting while seated...and no, that's not how I got mine.
-juice
I live in Southern AZ and a 4 X 4 truck/suv is primarily for 4 X 4 designated road use and not bad weather driving. I like a car ride but I can't take a Acura up a primitive dirt road. So, do you know just how much off road capability the Outback has? I've gotten away with using a car on maintained dirt roads but a unmaintained dirt road is a challenge for even a vehicle like the Tacoma PreRunner, which has the clearance of a 4X4 but not the drive system. Pictures would really help. I'm not talking about rock crawling, just the occasional use were and encountered washed out road would require one tire would be fully off the ground.
8.4-8.7" is as good as you'll get on anything that is even remotely car-like, so Outback will fit the bill as good as anything.
-juice
I frequently take my Outback (00, 02, now 05) to my inlaw's cabin which has a steep washed-out dirt road. It is in pretty bad shape. Some people take regular cars but end up scraping bottom pretty badly, lifting wheels off the ground, and getting stuck. They have to navigate real carefully. With the OB it's a piece of cake -- the extra ground clearance and long-travel suspension makes it feel very secure. In snowy or muddy times of the year, the Outback is pretty much the only car inthe family that can make it to the cabin.
As Juice noted, the ground clearance is about as good as you will get for any of the regular SUV choices. The Outback's smaller size, lighter weight, and sophisticated AWD system actually make it superior to most SUVs in my opinion.
Craig
Why do you say an automatic is better for doing off-road driving? I would have thought the manual is better. Or is is the same way they say an auto is better for towing?
Loosh- good luck.
Mark
In offroading, you're often driving a lot in part-throttle conditions. With a manual, it means you'll be feathering the clutch quite a bit.
Also, I've heard that the auto AWD on Subies do less front-to-back power swapping compared to the viscous coupling on the MTs so they are a little more stable going up dirt roads.
Ken
That said, mine survived a full week on the sand at the OBX and I still have the original clutch at 67k miles.
-juice
http://autoweek.com/files/specials/galleries/a3/pages/1.htm
http://www.audi.co.uk/newcars/model.jsp?section=/models/a3/a3spor- - - - - - tback&liveConnect=true
This new A3 might provide a hint of what we might expect from the next Impreza in terms of looks and content. I believe the A3 is coming to the USA next spring.
I could see the next Impreza wagon being compared to it. It's got a 101" wheelbase. Priced at $25K, with a 200hp 2.0 turbo. AWD will come later.
Bob
~c
Yep, it the same reason as they are preferred for towing. You can get a lot more finesse control with an auto -- the torque converter happily soaks up what would be a lot of clutch slipping on a MT.
ATs are really good for ascending steep hills. With a MT, you'd have the choice between healthy throttle (which is likely too fast) and slipping the clutch. Do that up a long hill and the disadvantage becomes very apparent. With an auto, you can creep up the hill nice and steady.
Craig
http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/sia_trail/SIA_Trailride.html
http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/index.html
The constraint on the Outback is not the underbody clearance or AWD system which is better than most fancier 4WDs, but rather the rear departure angle.
I use my Outback, here in soggy Southern Australia, on rather more severe roads and tracks than you will normally see in the USA. After owning it for 5+ years, the only real problem I have had is the towbar scraping and a slightly embarressing collision with a volcanic rock I did not spot whilst traversing a paddock (field to you).
Driven sensibly, I have not been bogged once in the time I have had the car, a first for any vehicle I have owned in the last 25 years. Obviously, it is not a Toyota Landcruiser but the ability on farms and muddy trails is outstanding.
I am hard-pressed to think of any car that offers stunning highway performance whilst also being so competent off road. The handling on road is amongst the best for a medium sized wagon (probably the best) and off road, it has few vices.
Sorry I can't post some photos but the more interesting places I get to are a bit too overgrown for decent lighting. Our forests have multiple layers meaning that winter sun is very weak.
One useful tip - if the brakes start to squeal or bind through mud build up (this only happens after many miles (25+) on two inch thick gloop, the disks may have a build up. Stop and reverse with the brakes on to shake off the mud.
Auto is better in 4WD conditions than Manual. Ours come with Dual range but clutch is not fantastic and auto gives better power delivery.
Incidentally, a batch of 3.0 Outbacks have just hauled caravans through the Outback. The 4wd magazines are raving about how they are the best tow cars around for desert conditions.
Kind regards
Graham
Will the Impreza move up that much? Right now I think the VW still has nicer materials, it should catch up to the Golf before it aspires beyond it.
VW will have a new R32 with more power rumored.
Thanks mike. That's my green one in the first two pics, no problem getting through those deep ruts. That's Ed's Forester (which he just traded in) crossing the water, I went right before him.
It's more than most trucks see in their lives.
-juice
Ed
I still have my old G4, so I can gradually *learn* OSX. OSX looks pretty wild. Tuesday I'm taking an OSX course, which takes about 4 hours.
Bob
Bob
Bob: Congrats!
Ken
Craig
Apple is also just about to release a new 30" monitor—at $3,200 a pop!
Bob
I hope you like OS X. I had to help someone with OS 9 recently, and it reminded me how cumbersome and clumsy it was. Once you get over the learning curve for OS X, I think you will find it is a whole lot nicer. It's way more stable too. I recently had to reboot my computer after an OS update, and checked the uptime beforehand -- up 138 days! That's pretty good for a machine I hammer on heavily 5-6 days a week. I don't think I ever went more than a couple weeks with OS 9 or Windows.
Craig
I think I'd probably spring for a 19" LCD if anything, though. (Still ticking away fine on a 17" Nokia 447x Pro, 6+ years of 10x7 @100hz...)
~c
Cool monitor Bob. Great for watching movies! ;-)
I agree that OSX is much more user friendly- which version did you get? I'm running Panther which seems to run a little quicker than Jaguar did. Although the next version, Tiger, I believe, should be coming out soon.
I guess I'll have to stick with my lowly 19" for now. ;-).
tom
Not sure? Whatever the last dual-boot G4s were running.
Bob
Other than forgetting to export my internet bookmarks and some minor printing issues (old printer w/o OS X drivers) it's great.
Jim
Bob
tom
2004/5 BMW 330i Performance Package 6-speed, barring that:
2004/5 BMW 325i 5-speed, but my local BMW dealer is a jerk, and I can't afford the 330i PP. The 325i is in my price range, however, the crummy dealer situation still applies.
I drove the G35, Passat, and TSX and came away nonplussed with them, the G35 was best of the bunch. I drove the Legacy GT 5-speed on a whim and loved it. I also drove a 2.5i automatic Legacy. Not as fast, but still impressive. My main reservation with the Subaru is the lack of stability control. I know AWD helps, but it doesn't do everything a stability control system does.
In reading about the other Subarus (but not driving them), I'm now confused. Here are my impressions:
1) The Legacy GT is nice with the manual but suffers from turbo lag with the automatic (I never drove a GT automatic).
2) The Forester XT is reputed to be faster than the Legacy GT sedan. I haven't driven one.
3) The Impreza WRX is also a contender for my consideration, although I haven't driven one.
4) There is a great lease deal on the Legacy base and GT, but no prices posted for the Limited. I would probably be buying so it's not that big of a deal.
Essentially, I'm looking for a great handling car (or Forester
Is the Corvette really a bargain?
Just wondering if anyone with more experience has any thoughts.
tom
I drove my GT a bit in this past heavy rain and found the AWD quite well planted. You can steer the car with the throttle and feel the balance between under and oversteer (it's a little eerie feeling the front wheels scrub and then the back wheels slide- but still in control). I'm not sure how much VDC would add to this. In theory it may improve traction but unless you hang out at 9/10 all the time, I doubt you'll need it. And I doubt any 3 series, stability control or not, is going to keep up with the AWD of any of these cars.
It's a hard choice. I almost bought the FXT because it's so fun to drive- in Japan they have an STi version- it must be really fun! But the GT LTD is much more refined inside and so quiet.
Just drive them, and then flip a coin if you can't decide! ;-)
tom
if you want a 330i six speed, get a CPO if you stay with BMW. I definitely would not settle for a 325!
the Legacy GT's turbo lag is minimal but is noticeable coming from a 330.
~c
It's OS 10.3.5. So I guess it's a Panther version.
Bob
http://www.revetec.com/website/
Bob
That Revetec engine is really neat! In theory it generates much more power because the pistons can fire more frequently (if I understood the technical stuff right). Maybe FHI could plop one in one of their WRXs!
Colin- it sure seems like the vette is a bargain. My question was with engine and suspension and tire upgrades, can you get a 4 door Impreza to equal a vette on the race track while remaining a livable car. I would say your evo borders on hard to live with on a daily basis- the roads around my house are much too bumpy for that car!
tom
FYI, summer tires are generally great in the rain, it's snow and slush where they go to pot. Even high-performance all-seasons (like Michelin Pilots) suck in the snow, compared to low-performance all-seasons (which suck compared to dedicated snows).
The Legacy is really new, so Cobb Tuning doesn't have cool stuff out for it yet, all the mods for the FXT looked tempting. I would probably be happy with a non-turbo Legacy model if it had the sport suspension setup of the GT. Also, I had (and loved) a 325i non-sport package. The acceleration was fine with a manual. The handling and road feel was better than anything else in its class. The dealer was an idiot who couldn't get the paperwork done without resorting to corrupt practices. I turned the car back in after having it eight days, on the advice of my counsel. Worst car buying experience ever! The local Subaru dealer appears to be very reasonable in comparison!
mine is that you don't need side airbags in any car, but in particular in a corvette.
when you get broadsided, the car's structure and luck are all that matters. if the door/chassis holds, you will probably survive. if not, you probably won't. an airbag's protection against glass and whiplash is ultimately meaningless in the chassis intrusion question.
~c
Cheers Pat.
Craig
Bob
I'd rather not need them than needlessly overprepare. I own a lot of helmets but don't wear any of them on a daily basis in the car.
~c
When the side of the car caves inward and the car moves inward while your body lags behind due to inertia (ie, Newton's 1st law), would you rather crack your elbow/shoulder/head/ribs on the door frame or a firm pillow?? I'll take the pillow! You'd have to be in a wicked extreme impact for the difference between the door frame and an airbag to be negligible. For everything else, the airbag has to help.
Craig
Also more pixs in gallery.
Bob
Nicholas
Now they pile up.
One exception was an excellent article written about Ayrton Senna, the F1 driver from Brazil that died at Imola. It was written warts-and-all, uncensored, and IMO very accurate.
Bob: 23"? Wow. Size matters, eh? ;-)
-juice (on a measly 18" LCD)
It does when you have menus out the wazoo filling up your screen, like I often do.
Bob