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That was a LOOOOONG time ago, however, and it has not been updated since.
Isn't that GM's M. O.? Let vehicles age until they die a natural death?
The dual range transmission has a reduction of about 20% on the lower range and you can shift on the fly. The usual conditions apply that you try and do it with wheels straight ahead and backed off from throttle so drivetrain load is minimised.
The slight gearing reduction was very good for towing heavier weights, particularly uphill or when backing. I also found it useful in dirt and mud where low second was often useful.
Cheers
Graham
Bob
There must be a test for plow operators in MD - and those who fail get hired.
Overconfidence is a big factor. They drive faster, take an exit that has ice, and lose it. Hope they weren't hurt. :sick:
It's Europe so I'm sure the Subie had snow tires as they are typically required there
It looks like the Subie provided some extra traction - I don't think it actually pulled the truck. You can hear the truck changing gears as it's moving. Loaded, the truck weighs 80,000 lbs.
-Frank
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aFS8VLyDSyuQ
Took my son sledding with a little buddy of his, and his mom got their Honda Ody stuck. To be fair they live at the top of a long, steep uphill climb.
I picked him up when we went again on Monday, as she didn't want to take any chances. :shades:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/22/video-man-wins-india-supreme-court-case-for-m- - ountain-goat-cla/#continued
Bob
That's pretty ba-ha-ha-ha-had.
kcram - Pickups/Wagons Host
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1c530a/341#MSG341
You'd have to be legally insane to buy one of these over a base Miata, especially given Mazda's incentives put pricing fairly close.
$42k sticker for a GLK 350 with the package that includes heated seats and a power hatch, and iPod adapator a-la-carte. Subaru needs to offer that, at least on the Tribeca, and maybe the OB Ltd and F-XT Ltd, too.
The lease deal they had was $479 for that model, FWIW.
Very nice inside. I like the perforated leather, always have, as it "breathes". The carpets are plush and look and feel like they're made from real wool (probably are). The plastics are all padded, more so than even the Mercedes C-class, which I compared back-to-back. Above and below the glove box, you get soft touch trim. The glove box has a nice velvety lining, too.
They wrap the A-, B-, and C-pillars in a nice fabric that matches the headliner, which itself is padded and fabric-covered. You see where the extra cost goes almost everywhere you look.
In the trunk area, again you have nice finishes. Plus wool carpets not only reach the edge, but wrap around all the seams. The bumper cover wraps over the edge, so the bumper lip is protected.
The wood trim inside is real wood, and convincingly so.
19" rims were bigger than expected, too.
The twin moonroof reminds me of the Forester's. Total size is similar, but Benz seperates them. Not sure which I prefer, but I love 'em both.
Twin exhausts, also like the Forester.
Love the power seat controls that are a Mercedes trademark. Others should just pay them a licenseing fee and copy those.
Dislikes? Seems a bit small, probably a tad smaller than our Forester, for both passengers and cargo. The armrest cover looks like vinyl to me, not quite matching the seat leather, plus it could be more padded. Nit pick. I'm still not crazy about the styling, sort of bulldog-ish to me, but that's subjective.
I think if Subaru does another Tribeca, they should take a look at what Mercedes offers for about $40 grand, even if it is smaller. It's a clear step up from the brands that aspire to go upscale, and perhaps offers a benchmark of what they should do to get there (not just Subaru).
I like it too but it's not leather. It's MB Tex premium vinyl upholstery. Mercedes has used it for years and the only way you can tell it's not leather is it lacks leather's distinctive smell. It's so nice in fact that most buyers see no reason to pay $1,250 extra for the real thing.
Dislikes? Seems a bit small, probably a tad smaller than our Forester, for both passengers and cargo
You're right. Compared to my previous gen Forester, the passenger space is a bit larger while the cargo area is slightly smaller. But the GLK isn't marketed as a people or cargo hauler (MB has several other larger SUVs to meet those needs), it's actually aimed towards people who want to downsize from their current luxury large SUV.
-Frank
Is there any way to (reasonably) compare it to a current Forester, knowing full well it is like comparing apples to oranges, at least in terms of customers? Do you ever see the GLK being cross-shopped with top-of-the-line Foresters, even a little bit?
Bob
-Frank
We're pretty happy with it. It's solidly built, a pleasure to drive and instills confidence that it can easily handle most situations. Gas mileage isn't anything to brag about but we knew that going in. I'm not familiar enough with the new Forester to compare the two. However, compared to the last gen Forester, the GLK is as quiet as a church on the hwy and obviously has a much nicer interior. Of course it's not as fun to drive as my manual F-XT and certainly not as tossable but it's a good vehicle for Laura to commute into downtown DC in.
-Frank
From 24th to 10th! :shades:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1238374/Top-Gear-takes-decades-acco- lade.html#ixzz0azqYPAPA
I watch it on BBC America whenever I can; even got a book and T-shirt on Top Gear for Christmas!
Bob
BTW, I am the Stig.
Yeah, it might make you cringe every now and then, but everything about the show is incredibly well done.
Most important, every time I watch that show—I learn something interesting. Seriously, I can't think of one TG show that I've seen in which I didn't learn something new and/or fascinating about some vehicle that they've tested. Besides that, and the incredible stunts/stories, and gorgeous photography, and the obsessive attention paid to even the minutest detail—it's funny as hell.
Did you see the one shown this weekend of them driving to the North Pole? ...With Jezza taking Captain Slow for a ride on the Hiluxe's "Bumper Dumper"? It was hilarious!
Bob
Bob
Lutz it too old to start over at Chrysler.
No way, no how will Toyota give up on the Tundra.
unemployed Mercury spokes-babe Jill Wagner will become the next Mrs. The Mechanic
At least he makes gutsy predictions.
I sorta liked the idea of the poor man's hybrid, but I agree the execution was off. The back seat was too small, for starters.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/aston-martin-cygnet-available-only-to- - -aston-owners/
There are no plans to sell it in the USA.
Bob
Bob
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I got home on the back roads - a 15 mile drive that had me passing 20 cars and assorted busses and trucks that had spun or slid off the road in various places. There didn't seem to be any Subarus among them. :-)
On one moderate hill a RWD car was spinning its tires uselessly. Surprisingly my '09 Forester with Nokian WRG2's could accelerate up the same hill without the VDC light coming on.
I had to be careful on slush or wet ice as "White Fang" (name of my Forester) will oversteer if accelerated hard.
There were other cars moving around OK in this bad weather. But it's surprising that Portland OR folks were not better prepared for this, given the worse snow we had last year.
That's what makes it so fun.
You should see here in MD. We got 18" or so, more in some places, and people just abandon their cars on the side of the road.
Our last real blizzard was in 2003, so people never get enough experience driving in the snow. They freak out, and either get stuck or just give up and walk home. It's crazy.
On my street a 626 and a Corolla got stuck. They had *NO* business being out in that much snow. Not to mention they blocked the plows. I helped dig the 626 out and made him promise he would park it immediately.
I rather fancy the Toyota IQ but it is not yet sold in Australia. At some point in the next year or two, I need to buy a small hatch, but intend to retain the Toyota Kluger. My daughter had her first driving lesson yesterday and I want a manual two door but with lots of safety features. The IQ has those.
The retrimming of an IQ as an Aston Martin is interesting. A lot of British folk have several flash cars in their garage but drive a hatchback or similar to the station to commute to London (Their Intercity trains travel at 125 to 140mph so it is convenient to live a long way out of town and commute).
It would make sense to own something like the IQ for that run to the station, although I still think it would be thief bait as much as leaving an Aston Vantage would be.
A mate is an Aston, Bentley and Rolls expert and I have recently seen more quality metal lying around his workshop than you would normally expect to see in years. Very interesting stuff.
Cheers
Graham
kcram - Pickups/Wagons Host
I thought it was a Bentley.
-Frank
Just back from a 6-day road trip in the GLK. I must say it's a great vehicle for driving long distances at highway speeds. Even at 75mph, road, engine & wind noise were all nicely muted while rough roads, expansion joints, etc. flew by without notice. In fact, at one point I puzzled why other drivers kept moving over to the left lane when both lanes were empty. It took a while for me to figure out that it because the right lane was so rough. In the GLK I hadn't even noticed but in the Forester I almost certainly would have joined the crowd in the left lane.
As a bonus, while Laura was driving, I had the opportunity to reread the voluminous owner's manuals and learned several new things the GLK could do. For instance, the driver's seat has a power (up&down) headrest but I also discovered that you can adjust the tilt angle of both headrests making them much more comfortable
-Frank
Sylvia, "Who would you name as Automotive Person of the Year for 2009?" #1, 14 Dec 2009 7:31 am
Some say Mulally from Ford, but I say Obama. Without him GM and Chrysler would be dead and buried.
Bob
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/05/geneva-preview-opel-releases-next-gen-meriva-- mpv-with-rear-hing/
I also like the styling. Wonder if it will come over here badged as a Buick?
Bob
http://www.autoobserver.com/2010/01/in-dismal-year-subaru-sets-new-sales-records- - .html
http://media.subaru.com/index.php?s=43&item=137
Bob
Both have 256 hp 6 cylinder engines, the Outback is much quieter and seems to be just as fast, the G8 may handle a little better but not that much better. The Harmon Cardin stereo i (440 watts) is far superior to the Blueatik (230 watt) and the overall soundness of the doors and interior is much better on the Outback. I think the G8 has great exterior styling and I did get it for much less money than the loaded Outback. The Outback is my wives and the G8 is mine I'm jealous at this point.
That said, it's a very small car, smaller than a Mazda5 or Kia Rondo, which are already borderline too small for the USA.
Apply that design language to the bigger Zafira and sell that in the USA. It could compete with the Dodge Journey.
Subaru had a 33 percent gain last month, pushing its industry-leading advance for the year to 15 percent
Now the question is, when sales pick up, can Subaru maintain its market share? If so they stand to gain even more sales.