Subaru Crew Cafe

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  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Not necessarily true, according to the August issue of Motor Trend. Here are some interesting points made by this article (page 30)

    • Despite the millions of $$ spent by Chevy, Pontiac, Dodge and Ford in NASCAR, their road-going versions of their racers are barely holding market share in terms of sales.

    • The reasons for this are: 1) The race cars bear little or no resemblance to the production street cars, and 2) NASCAR is more about the drivers, than the cars.

    On the other hand, rallying, which uses street legal cars, proves the adage is still true.

    • Subaru's (USA sales), because of its success in the SCCA Pro Rally series, are twice as strong as expected, with 10% of Subaru sales being the WRX.

    • In Europe, where the Peugeot 206 is leading the World Rally Championship, the Peugeot 206 has just become Europe's best selling car, unseating the VW Golf (which is not rallied by the factory)!

    The article concludes by suggesting that NASCAR go back to its roots, and again race cars that are closer to being stock.

    I've been saying that for years...

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I don't think it has to do with the rallying heratige. It has to do with 227hp for $23K.

    I bet if you took a survey of WRX owners about 10% of them would even know what a rally was and/or followed it. You could bump that up to 30%-40% of WRX owners who would respond "I've heard of it but don't know or care what it is"

    Don't forget the I-club and "car-oriented" sites are a skewed group to pull feedback on how well rallying effects sales or owners.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    in Motor Trend, came from JD Powers.

    Bob
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Interesting numbers, Bob, thanks. I agree w/mike, though, I think price/performance has more to do w/WRX succes. hmm, maybe Gran Turismo familiarity, too.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Hi Greg,

    Hope I'm not too late responding. My in-laws recommend the Marriott Long Wharf or Boston Harbor Hotel. Both are on Boston harbor, near the aquarium, and expensive (like many big cities). My brother-in-law is also a good resource; I'll ask him. What are your wife's interests?

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Oh yeah forgot about that mikesmi! That is probably the #2 reason after the 227hp for $23K

    -mike
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    It all started with 'shine runners in production cars on dirt backroads in Virginia and the Carolinas. Never mind Watkins Glen and Sears Point, NASCAR needs a dirt event on the schedule.

    NASCAR even ran on the beach at Daytona in the early days. Now that'd be a sight, wouldn't it?

    Ed
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    being such a great bang-for-the buck doesn't hurt.

    That argument can't be applied in Europe however, where the Peugeot 206 has just taken over the sales lead. I know it's a different audience and all, but still...

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    You're right, *early* NASCAR is very similar to current rally racers, in both concept and fact.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    ascar runs TONS and TONS of dirt events! If you ever watch late night ESPN2 you'll know that there are a lot of dirt tracks in every county from LA to Upstate NY! The world of Outlaws etc. All dirt buggys and quite popular. :) I agree though Ascar should run more "stock" type cars. I do think that they help sell brands. Ascar doesn't necessarily sell the models that are represented by the shells on the Ascar vehicles, but you can bet that if a guy is a Chevy fan, he'll be damned if he's gonna go buy a Ford when it comes time to get his next Pickemup Truck.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Yeah, I agree, but you gotta wonder, if Detroit pulled out of NASCAR in terms of support, what would happen to their overall sales?

    It seems funny (or a shame) that all they can garner from this is just maintaining market share. You would think (hope) that their sales would go the roof, but that's not the case.

    Bob
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Not open-wheelers or modifieds with flat sheets of metal passing for bodies, but full-fendered, production-car-based racers in the dirt. I've been to Flemington in NJ, Myrtle Beach in SC and grew up not too far from Darlington so I am more familiar with NASCAR than sometimes I'd care to admit.

    The Craftsman truck series is just silly IMO but there's no denying that it strikes a chord with someone out there.

    Ed
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    But I bet that Dodge spent a ton of $$$$ researching that they could gain some market share by getting back into the Ascar game.

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Dang, you be a hill billy! :)

    I get tons of Ascar stuff from the people upstate NY near my place in the Adirondacks. They eat-sleep-drink (alot) Nascar!

    -mike
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    I am not a hillbilly. I am a flatlander. And yet I function so well in civilized society.

    Ed
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    I will check into those hotels. We basically want to see the typical Beantown attractions with the kids. Maybe hit a beach or two also.

    Greg
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bob: I may be in the minority, but I don't like the front end of the S2000. It's too "beaky". The lights look like those off an old Camry. I do like the fenders, but the face is ugly to my eyes.

    Look at my Miata - nice and clean. Pure design. No beaks, grilles, wings, spoilers, nothing. OK, except the pop-ups, but I rarely drive it at night.

    But maybe Subaru could go after Jaguar or Mercedes, or even Alfa. The pulled back headlight look is getting tired, and how far will they go? They're vertical now, in the G35 and the CTS, even the ES300.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    PS Ed: yesterday's Washington Post had an article about the new Navigator, but the Trivia question asked when Studebaker introduced the Hill Holder! :-)
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    That was the year the Wagner "No-Rol" first appeared in a Studebaker. Pontiac and Graham also used it briefly, but it appeared in all MT Studebakers until 1964.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I like your Miata, but I like the S2000's front better. I'm not a fan of pop-up, or hidden headlights.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hidden, they look good, deployed, not as good.

    I don't like the new Miata as much. The cats' eyes aren't appealing, nor is the hump in the trunk. You can tell it was face-lifted, not original.

    Ed: That's the same year he wrote. If you had said different, I would have believed YOU.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    for the new Miata's looks much either. It may be a better car, but something was lost in terms of looks.

    As to hidden/pop-up lights, I just think they're a waste of money, and besides, they're just one more thing to break. How do you (quickly) flash an on-coming car, if you need to? I had them on my old '88 Accord, and hated them.

    Bob
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    ASCAR.. I love it. Hadn't heard that before (nor thought of it). In-laws have Speed channel, so my kids and I watched the WRC Acropolis.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I was thinking yesterday that I was actually spelling it phonetically! It's nAscar with a "silent" N hee hee.

    I will be on vacation starting Friday->July 14 and I have Speed on my Sat dish upstate NY. I'll be watching tons of SPEED :)

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    On my XT6 and most other popup headlight cars they flash the fogs as well as the headlights. Besides when you see a cheese wedge coming at you @ 80-90mph you'd move too! :)

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bob: you don't (flash a car). You honk.

    Cheese wedge, LOL!

    Saw an S2000 on the road today. I like the rear view, but not the front. It looks like a cheese wedge carved out on the sides.

    I'd take one, though, for the drive. ;-)

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    << On my XT6 and most other popup headlight cars they flash the fogs as well as the headlights >>

    That may work *if* you have fogs. My '88 Accord didn't have fogs. If I wanted to flash a car with my high beams (and the lights were off), I would have to hit a button on the dash to raise the headlights, which took a second or two, then hit my high beam switch.

    Needless to say, it was worthless to even try...

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Also on the few itterations I've seen (Probe/XT6/etc) if you pulled back on the flash-to-pass stick it would automatically flip up the lights as well. Guess the Almighty Hondah didn't take that into consideration? hee hee

    -mike
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    ...don't tell I told, but the long awaited "new and improved" search is up and running. It's still in its infancy, but I figured the Crew could be trusted to play with it. :-)

    Here's an example:
    To find every message posted by rsholland, click on "Search" at the Subaru Crew top folder level. Or use the one in the sidebar, but it will initially return nothing found. Enter "rsholland" as the keyword. You can do either of the following:

    Search for discussion body text in all Boards.
    Search for discussions in Owners Clubs
    *If you use the sidebar search while you are IN a discussion, you will also get an option to search that discussion alone.*

    You will notice that on the list of discussions that rsholland has contributed, there are direct links to the posts!

    KarenS
    Host
    Owners Clubs
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    It only worked for the following selection, and not the other choices:

    << Search for discussions in Owners Clubs. >>

    Also, it only went back a month or so. What if I wanted to find something posted a couple of years ago? How do I do that?

    Bob
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    just tried it myself - wow I've posted all of that?!?

    -Brian
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    It seems the choices default to from whatever forum you've launched the search from. For example: If you were in the "News & Views" area, it will give you "News & Views" as a choice&#151;and I've found that's the only choice that works!

    If you launch the search from "SUVs" it will only allow you to search "SUV" posts.

    It also seems limited by memory. Some searches only go back a month or so, if you've posted heavily in that area; whereas other searches may go back several months, if you haven't posted much in that area.

    Still, even with the bugs, it's a very useful new feature! :)

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Forester sets new June record, but Subaru, as a brand, is down.

    Bob

    http://www.media.subaru.com./
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No fogs here either. But I do think the head lights pop up for a flash (of course it takes longer).

    -juice
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    now that's a promsing improvement :-)

    -Dave
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

    Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

    Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

    Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

    Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

    They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

    What kind of men were they?
    Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

    Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

    Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

    Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

    At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

    Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

    John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

    Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

    Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

    They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!

    Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

    Remember: freedom is never free!

    It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

    I received this last year (obviously pre 9/11). Sorry for the long post.

    Jim
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, it's beer, picnics, baseball, and cars! ;-)

    Interesting post.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I agree, but they really have to watch the cost cutting. Lots and lots of Altima owners are complaining, and so are potential buyers that opted for something else.

    The G35 is nice, but honestly that's the interior that belongs on the Altima. Infinitis should be much nicer. They're not even close to Lexus.

    My educated guess is that reliability will drop for Nissan, and significantly. I'm talking about squeeks, rattles, Bose stereos that cut out when they get hot, etc.

    -juice
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    I think Pathfinders are still pretty reliable, not so? But juice's right: reliability and durability of Nissan sedans is way down from what it was in late 80s- early 90s...
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    Took my Forester for 45K service and ECM reprogramming recall today. Went to Santa Cruz dealership: I found their service much better than in other places in the Bay Area.

    Got Neon as a rental (they ran out of Soobs). Horrible car! Can Dodge fall any lower? Talk about non-linear pedals, rough idle, poor handling, poor brakes. Yikes.

    Cannot wait to get Silvius back. He just turned 2 years on July 1 and already has 45K miles on it, poor baby.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The current Pathfinder was designed before Carlos "le cost cutter" Ghosn took over Nissan.

    Sandy will turn 4 on 8/8, does the 6CD changer count as an early b-day present?

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I think Ghosn has worked nothing short of a miracle leading the resurrection of Nissan. I won't go so far as to say ALL of their current offerings are superior in their class, but they certainly compete much better than a few years ago and have some direction.

    But that said on paper I disagree with the new Z. I think it's too heavy and not the performance / dollar spent bargain the trade rags are claiming it to be... The WRX is a bargain, no doubt. $28k for a 3300lb Z with no LSD? Not a bargain. $31k for a "track edition" Z? Not a bargain.

    Maybe I'll shut up after I drive one. I figure around October I should be able to get a test drive if I show up with my bimmer polished and the salesman hoping he can score...

    -Colin
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    well lookie there, Edmunds.com just posted their First Drive of the 350Z.

    like others they tout the bargain... we'll see.

    -Colin
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    including undisguised pixs of the all-new '03 Accord! Just scroll down the page about half way.

    From the rear it looks like a Buick Regal, with those tailights!

    Bob

    http://www.vtec.net/news/
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    And not even the current Regal, Bob, but the last generation. Eww.

    Ed
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Need a pet?

    Just thought I pass this along.

    B.A.R.C. [Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition] http://www.barcshelter.org/

    they are just a block from where I live.

    Volunteers are welcomed - walk the dogs... etc.


    -Dave

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