Subaru Crew Cafe

ateixeira

I guess it would also reduce your capacity if you were hauling, say, mulch.

Simple solution - make the sides of the bed taller.

xwesx

At the 3/4 ton and under level, a 50x100 box, with no wheel well intrusions, is the perfect size. Even a load of loose material, such as mulch, is a better fit for this type of bed than one with more overall width but with intrusions because the load is easier to remove due to the dimensional area (no nooks, crannies, etc). As far as capacity goes, a 50x100 bed with 18" sides will hold two yards mounded. Even mulch will "overload" a 3/4 ton at two yards.

If the load is on a pallet, you can slide two in side by side and they're not going to shift in transit or get hung up on anything while loading.

I suppose for the odd load, there could be an occasional advantage. Or, if one is using the truck for a 5th wheel or goose neck, having those nooks and crannies can be advantageous.

As Bob stated, though, I think the lockable storage space without having to give up the bed length for a cargo box at the front of the bed is a major step forward. Now, if they could figure out how to integrate a useable front step into the bed along with the boxes, it would be a new golden age of pickups. :shades:

ateixeira

For a Harry Homeowner like me, 48.5" by 96.5" is probably enough, with tall sides. Big enough to fit a sheet of plywood.

Loose small stuff would go in the drawers. Usually you buy lumber and then bolts/screws whatever. You'd have space for the little stuff, nothing would shift around.

Oh and with a light duty diesel powertrain.

kyfdx

I have a friend with a truck... :P

ateixeira

That's the BEST!

It's like a boat, or a pool. Better to know someone who owns one, than to actually own one.

Bob: Note I did not say "trailer". LOL

KCRam

Unfortunately, Chrysler got caught in a perfect storm - the 2009-11 Ram 1500 was locked in back in 2007 and shown to the public at Detroit in January 2008. The rear coils and RamBox were intended to make the 1500 the premier "consumer half-ton". Then we had the big fuel run-up and the financial crash which both killed the consumer truck market. Without body configurations that were desirable to commercial buyers, and the fear that the coils couldn't "work for a living", Chrysler lost out on half-ton sales the last few years.

Adding the RamBox to the 3/4-ton 2500 and to the 6-foot-4 bed which is available on all 3 series will indeed help the take rate of the option. But the Ram 1500 needs to add a Quad Cab with 8-foot bed and a crew cab with the 6-4 bed to compete with Ford and GM and improve availability for light-duty commercial buyers.

Another boost for the 2012 Ram 1500 will be the addition of the Pentastar V6 this fall. This will give Ram a competitive engine to the F150's 3.7L V6 and a new 6-speed automatic to replace the 545RFE. In the Chrysler 300, the Pentastar gets 18/26, so a Ram 1500 could be looking at 17/23 with the right transmission and axle gearing. The ZF 8-speed automatic is expected to be ready for MY2013, when the whole Ram line will get its midlife refresh.

kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host

KCRam

Ford is already catching criticism for the taller bedsides of the current F150, and their response was to add the retractable side steps. Commercial buyers prefer to have their feet on the ground when they reach into the bed, and they don't want to deal with lifting something any higher over the sides than necessary. Ford uses the higher sides to market a cubic-foot advantage, but it's somewhat irrelevant when the additional cubes are due to 2 inches spread over the area of the bed.

kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host

ateixeira

Yes, buuuuuuuuut.....

Think about it - if you had boxes and drawers accessible from the side, you would never have to reach over the sides of the bed for anything small.

And big stuff you open the tail gate anyway.

I don't see that as an issue.

And BTW, I'm not just talking about one Ram Box, I mean all sorts of pockets and drawers that could be there, accessible from the side.

It would even steal van sales for plumbers and such.

ateixeira

URL if you don't see the image above:

http://thumbnails.truveo.com/0021/49/EC/49ECBF3226CDBC378E367F_Large.jpg



URL again:

http://www.realtruck.com/images/products/geneva-truck-bed-storage-drawers/thumbs- -120x90/76150_5-drawer_universal_6ft_bed_allsteel_black.jpg

This give you an idea of the concept:



URL:

http://www.adriansteel.com/img/product_image.php?image=2841artlg.jpg&width=360&h- eight=240

KCRam

Boxes like that, especially the first one, I find useful and I had considered them in the past. I would say that plumbers would probably not be likely to us open-box pickup or utility bodies, despite the fact that most of what they install is touching water all day.

kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host

fibber2

I had a '76 F-150 pickup when I was younger. There was an optional body a few years prior that had a 'hatch' in the lower side for storage. Spare tire or whatever. Given that most gas tanks are now inboard, there is plenty of space in the 'saddle bag' area for secure storage. Or, like Honda did, in a bay between frame crossmembers, above the driveshaft.

ateixeira

The catch is that's impossible to access if you have a load of mulch in the bed. I was thinking access from the exterior of the bed. A simple tool area on the driver's side would make lots of sense.

tsy

I just bought a golf TDI last week! I thought about a Jetta but the golf is acutally made in Germany and just seemed a little better. The car is incredibly tight- apparently it's laser seam welded like the new Audis, and the interior is incredible for what is an entry level car.

It is comfortable, quiet, and handles pretty well (it comes with a sport suspension and 225 17" tires), and acceleration is much better than a Prius.

Drove a lot last weekend (mostly freeway) and, at least according to the computer, was getting a little over 50mpg! I'll have to fill it up and see how I'm really doing, but based on mileage and how much gas is left, I'm probably averaging in the 40s.

So so far so good. Not sure how it will do over the long haul, although maybe Subaru will bring a diesel over by then. (Please!!!) I really wasn't too excited about buying another VW, but there isn't anything out there that has a manual option, gets good mileage, can fit 4 comfortably, has reasonably good performance and is fun to drive, and is bigger than my bicycle!

All in all, happy with the car. Now I have something to teach my other son how to drive stick!

I was thinking I would use this as an autocross car as well, but I'm looking at a different project car now. . .

tom

fibber2

Nice! Fill me in - the new Jetta went soft, but the Golf is still true to the past design?

tsy

Yes, the car drives very well.

Here's an Edmunds Video:

http://bcove.me/r7z68wgg

Oh, and a Fifth Gear Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fximoEOhL4&feature=player_detailpage

The slalom speed is impressive- I think it was faster than the GTI (although I'm sure conditions were different)

It's on all hard season tires, so I suspect it can do quite a bit better with real tires, even grippier all seasons!

I tried pushing it hard into a turn and it will lift up the inside rear wheel and you can actually get it to oversteer! :surprise:

The car is very rigid and tight, which is probably why it handles well. It's not as fun to drive as a mini S, (not much is) but it's a reasonable compromise- more space, much better ergonomics/interior, better mileage, and well put together. I think the TDI is more fun to drive than a base cooper though.

tom

ateixeira

Congrats, Tom.

I really liked the previous Jetta TDI, but the new Jetta disappoints.

Your Golf is the old-school VW so kudos, I would have done the same thing.

I just recommended a TDI to someone, join that discussion:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1a9dde/2812#MSG2812

rsholland

Congrats Tom. Sounds like you may have gotten one of the last good VWs. I don't like the new Jetta and Passat, as they've down-graded those cars. I bet the Golf is next.

Keep us posted, as many are interested in the VW diesel.

Bob

colin_l

Congrats! I think the Golf TDI is a great car. I also agree with Bob that the new Jetta is definitely a few steps in the wrong direction... but I haven't read enough about the Passat yet to be sure about it yet.

I would across a Golf TDI just for giggles. I wouldn't attempt to be overly competitive in it, but I'm soooo over competitive autocross anyway. It's a sport best done casually. :P

tsy

Thanks guys.

Yes, the new Jetta is a big step backwards and quite disappointing. There are plenty of Jetta diesels on the lots. I had to reserve my car over a month in advance- it just arrived 4 weeks early! The Jetta sedan and wagon and the base golf are built in Mexico. The Golf TDI and GTI are still made in Wolfsburg, Germany. I will say the interior is impressive- almost Audi, and I would say equivalent to an A3, very close to the new A4. But then again, Golfs in Europe get up to the $40k mark, so I guess that makes sense.

Colin, I think it would be fun to autoX the TDI just for kicks. I would love to beat some of the serious guys in a Diesel! I don't think it would be possible in a Prius.

I do think with summer tires, coilovers, stiffer sways, and chipping the engine for more power would make the TDI a reasonably fun track car! But I have other plans for that.

tom

colin_l

But I have other plans for that.

Tom, I'm very sorry to hear of your impending divorce. :P

Unless you have started shopping for a 4-wheeled vehicle that weighs 150 pounds and has 40 horsepower... ? LOL

EDIT: and in regards to the uber-expensive European Golf trims... I would buy a Audi RS3 in a heartbeat if it were here in full-spec and under $40k. (Cue the airborne porcines)

tsy

Yup Colin. It was the car or the wife.

You know, I did look at Karts again, but the thought of going off course and rolling one onto my head still just makes me nervous.

Hmm, airborne porcines. Is that like the probability of the prolonged existence of solidified H2O in a deep, dark, pain filled place of significantly elevated temperature?

I will say, it would be nice if Subaru made interiors like VW/Audi. I mean, if VW can make a Golf like this, other manufacturers don't have much of an excuses. Of course, the Jetta is another story!

Anyway, for my next project/track car I'm looking at a Porsche 944 Turbo that's been semi track prepared by a guy who races them (I think he said he races GT2- his 944 turbo has over 500hp at the wheels). There are guys that have a kit to drop an LS1 into them as well.

tom

colin_l

The 944 Turbo sounds pretty good. I'd be worried about classification though, for sure, if you intend to do any real racing. If you're just wanting to do HPDE and open track days, then no worries. (My opinion: don't try to race unless you have a very large pile of money to set on fire.)

I wouldn't worry about rolling a kart. First of all you have a neck collar on which provides a good amount of protection at kart speeds. Secondly, I'm a lifetime dirtbiker, and I've crashed every way possible from speeds of 10-50 mph with a vehicle of similar weight and never been seriously injured. I think if you researched it a bit, you'd probably find karting to be stastically safer than automobiles on a track due to differences in speed and weight. And I mean safer in every way-- total incidents, rate of incidents, severity of incidents.

ateixeira

Best way to make a small fortune in racing?

Start with a big fortune.

tsy

Nope, no racing for me. I don't have the time nor a million dollars!

Colin, at my age rolling in the bathtub is a 3 week healing process!

Also, from what I understand medically, in a serious event those neck collars will not really reduce neck injuries. They do help take some of the weight of the helmet off of your neck onto your shoulders so in reality are more of a comfort item than something for safety. I need to get a HANS device if I'm going to be more serious on the track.

Juice, so true!

tom

colin_l

I like the R3 devices a lot better than HANS, having looked at both but worn neither. There are others, too, and I do encourage you to get something. It's maybe twice the price of a good helmet-- and I wouldn't go without a helmet for anything, so I think this is just a cost you have to count on including.

BTW, don't let anyone take the 944 Turbo out for a spin... even if they swear they are a professional enthusiast!

saedave

BTW, don't let anyone take the 944 Turbo out for a spin... even if they swear they are a professional enthusiast!

It couldn't be any worse than when I let one of my employees take my Norton Commando for a ride..........and I couldn't afford to do much about it when he crashed it!

rsholland

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/06/fuji-heavy-idUSL3E7I607420110706

Bob

rsholland

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/12/2012-morgan-3-wheeler-first-drive-review/#con- tinued

I wish... This is just sooooooooo cool!

Bob

rsholland

The Tribeca version?

http://inside.saab.com/the-saab-9-6-in-pictures/

Back when I was managing Straightline, I posted spy images of a 3-door (!) version. It's pretty clear from these images as to how this morphed into the current Tribeca's styling.

Bob

colin_l

As for grouppos, I've always liked Shimano because it's bulletproof. I like the new SRAM stuff, but it doesn't seem to be quite as bulletproof and the thought of something breaking 100miles from home is not good.

I've had SRAM on mountainbikes and it is bomb-proof provided you to do basic care and infrequent adjustment.

I don't ride 100 miles from home, however, but I would still find it very inconvenient to be stuck on a more typical 20 mile ride. I have full faith in SRAM, but the main reason I like it is that they're kicking Shimano's butt on comparably priced products. All of the shifter/brake lever housings are slimmer and work better than Shimano. No accidental braking and thinner is more comfortable to most people, over time. The components are lighter, too.

I've tried Shimano 105 and SRAM Apex back-to-back in a LBS. Same with Rival and Ultegra, or Force and Dura-Ace. And Red stands alone, for me. (Plus Lance rode it last year in his final TdF )

I do have Shimano on my hybrid bike. It's all Deore XT MTB stuff. Why? It came with half the Deore gruppo stock and I added the cranks. Better performance per dollar spent than switching everything to SRAM and I like Shimano's MTB trigger shifters just fine.

tsy

Hey Colin

I too like SRAM and I think the competition has been good for the consumer. I may try Red when it's time to replace my Dura-ace stuff, but I've talked to guys racing on SRAM and they tell me it's just not quite as durable.

Di2 is pretty cool stuff I've been tempted by as well.

In the end, it's like Coke/Pepsi, MB/BMW, STi/Evo. Great stuff, people just have their preferences.

tom

volkov

I still much prefer Shimano mountain triggers to the SRAM. I just don't find them as intuitive and the second thumb lever always feels in the way to me. Two full seasons and I still have to think. Same issues with X9 versus SLX saw Dra choose the cheaper bike when we got her a new one this season.
I have bought matching XO twisters which a friend loves and I am going to try on my Ibis.

colin_l

I'm not a huge fan of the triggers, but I have a lot of trouble with twist grip accidentally shifting. It's usually the left shifter I grab, too, probably because that's the side on a dirtbike it's ok to wrench, and you gotta be steady freddie on the throttle side.

However I know some people love them, so maybe I should consider it. Downshifting with a trigger totally sucks! --All of them!

Oh, and I pulled the trigger on a road bike today. I had been debating buying parts & pieces on eBay and was getting a feel for the market, but watching as auction after auction either went beyond desired price or was cancelled early.

Anyway, I bought a Lightspeed M1 Rival from Competitive Cyclist. http://www.competitivecyclist.com/frame/2011-Litespeed-m1-sram-rival-complete-bi- ke-9479.html

I found several reviews of the bike online with the SRAM Apex group, and they were very complimentary of it as a $1999 bike. I honestly have no earthly idea how Competitive Cyclist built one with the full Rival group and can sell it for $1449, but I had to get one. I upgraded the wheels to Mavic Ksyrium Elite which set me back another $400, but I didn't want the Aksium wheels (and couldn't sell them for squat, because no one else wants them, either) so I figured I couldn't do better than just paying the incremental difference up-front.

I used Competitive Cyclist's fit calculator and I was very pleased that they were able to tell me exactly how long of a stem, how wide of bars, how big of frame. (I was actually leaning towards the med-lg size, and they suggested XL or L at smallest! I would've been way, way off.) Anyway, with some luck I'll have it by next Friday.

lucien2

Those guys know their stuff; anyone who doesn't live someplace with a good LBS scene ought to buy from them....but for you I guess they ARE the LBS, right? They're getting ready to launch their own frame, having bought the "Merlin" brand from Litespeed this year.

Anyhoo, congrats on the purchase and good call on the rims. I am riding them currently and am a happy camper.

I run SRAM on my Mtb and have been generally very happy with it, although it can get sloppy at times. I'm considering switching my road bike to Force, but I just like my campy too darned much, I'm not convinced. Plus my 2004 gruppo looks like art, not machinery. It may be a little heavy, but it works well (bombproof, actually) and I'm not sure I should fix what ain't broke, when what ain't broke still has sex appeal in bike terms. Perhaps the compromise would be an upgrade to Record from 2009 on eBay or whatever.

Anyway, nice bike, nice build, go ride! :P

tsy

Congrats on the new ride! That's quite a deal! I'm sure it will be just fine. Those Ksyrium's are very stiff- great for Criteriums- you'll have to tell me how you like the ride.

As you do longer rides you should find a good saddle too. Long rides can be a, uh, numbing experience.

I've got a box full of saddles trying to find one that works well!

tom

colin_l

Loosh-- I do have local bike shops, but not much variety. One of them has mostly Trek (and Gary Fisher), with a few Fuji and Felt low-end models. The other has better bikes overall and carries Specialized, Cannondale and Cervelo. It's a pain because competing between similar models of different brands doesn't really happen when your two finalist choices are at the same LBS.

There's one other decent-sized shop by their premium brand is Giant. There's no one selling the small brands and foreign makes like Competitive Cyclist does.

At the price I paid, the LBSs couldn't offer me anything similar. I was considering getting a Roubaix or R3 Rival, but that's $2700 - 3200 and I wanted something cheaper for my first road bike.

colin_l

Tom-- actually my #1 problem for longer rides is saddle fatigue and numbness. I've tried several saddles too, both in ones I've bought and some my dad has bought (whether riding them on his bike, or installing on mine) and I am starting to find my favorites.

I definitely like seats with a center cut-out. That seems to help a lot.

amsbear

Hi All,

My 2009 Outback (~36,000 miles) will be needing a new set of tires in the near future (certainly before winter), and I was wondering if the crew could offer some opinions/favorites. I live in NJ and would need some snow/ice capability naturally during the cold months, and the Lizard is primarily used for commuting with a mix of local and highway.

On my previous Outback (98 OBW) I had Nokian WR's, and then Yokohama Avids which both had their pros/cons. That was with 15" rims and certainly different handling dynamics when compared to the 09 with 17"ers and lower profile tires.

Alan
2009 Outback 2.5i SE

xwesx

For full-time use, the Goodyear TripleTreds I had on my '96 Outback were sure fantastic - definitely the best snow/ice all-season tire I have ever experienced, and by a large margin. They also have the added benefit of excellent tread life, which means you'll make up that steep price tag (steep to me, anyway!) over time.

I need to get a new set of tires for my Forester due to a sidewall "incident" , but since I only use the all-seasons during the warmer six months of the year, I wouldn't be able to get the full benefit (both tread life and snow/ice) out of the TripleTreds. So, I'll probably go for a "cheaper" tire (for a 17" rim, that seems to be in the $130 range) that has a 50-60K tread life, as that will last me ~7 years, which is long enough that they'll be due for replacement even if the tread is sufficient.

tsy

My favorite long ride saddle- Selle SMP. By far the least 'numbing' of my saddles.

http://www.smpselle.com/smp4bike/

Downsides? It's heavy, and expensive. But I've tried all of the typical comfortable saddles, and this has been the best. I have yet to try a brooks saddle though.

Good luck!

tom

colin_l

What model are you using?

tsy

I have the Avant

I feel it's a tiny bit too wide, but on long rides it helps a lot!

I've had Fizzik, specialized, sella italia, WTB, Serfas, and Terry saddles. For short rides most are fine. After 12 hours on a bike, the SMP has been the most comfortable by far though.

Of course, everyone's bum is different!

tom

colin_l

12 hours in the saddle?

Yeah, I don't see that happening. I get numbness after 45-60 minutes now. There is one seat currently on my dad's road bike that works pretty well... I did a 2 hr ride with no problems using it. It's definitely a Selle Italia but we have like 3-4 of them so I'm not sure which model. I think it might be a C2 Gel Flow.

I'm not overly surprised by this numbness, though. Despite many years of riding motorcycles, I could never do the "Iron Butt" type stuff. I get numb after 1-2 hours on a typical road seat, too. I can dirtbike nearly all day but you spend some time out of the seat and stop every 30-60 minutes for breaks.

I'm hoping steadily increasing my bicycle seat time, with the right seat!, will help. My butt isn't at all sore the next day so I have basic saddle fitness for sure.

tsy

12 hours over a day, not all at once, of course.

One thing in addition to the saddle of course is to make sure the bike is set up properly. Height, fore/aft position, and rake. It's amazing how just a few degrees of rake can make all the difference between comfort and numbness in the legs and, uh, groin.

tom

ateixeira

Very cool to see that. Basically confirms our conspiracy theory was true after all.

colin_l

With pedals it weighs 18.2 pounds... slight improvement over my hybrid bike which is 27.6 pounds. Did a very short test ride-- love it!

Riding in the morning before work for a bit, then doing maybe 15-20 miles Saturday morning before it gets ridiculously hot. The OE seat seemed fine, will know more in a few days.

tsy

Shave a pound and a half to two pounds for the pedals, and that's a very respectable weight.

Enjoy Colin! Early morning rides are nice- less people, less heat!

tom

colin_l

Actually my pedals are Crankbrothers Eggbeaters, which are only about a half pound for the set. The seatpost, stem and bars are all inexpensive FSA aluminum units. They work great, but certainly aren't the lightest things.

Here's a few quick pics.

No discomfort on a 15 mile ride Saturday morning! The Selle Italia XR seat is cheap, but it must be the right size & shape for me. I adjusted the seat angle to my liking on Friday, also.

tsy

Nice ride! Umm, that cogset is a little too clean though!

Don't forget the cleats weight too. Some pedals are heavy with light cleats, some are light with heavy cleats. It's all just in the accounting.

I have speedplays, the pedals are lights but the cleats are heavy!

Unless you're competing, spending a lot of money saving a few grams is hardly worth it. Get some nice riding light wheels/tires and you'll feel like somebody installed an electric motor!

Have fun Colin!

tom

colin_l

Actually my cleats are only 30g. My tires are a little heavy, 325g each, but they're puncture resistant which I do like. (I rarely carry tubes or inflators.) I'll ride them until I wear out the rear tire or I get enough flats to want a better tire.

I do have the lightest enthusiast-grade wheels available, 1550g for the set.

Oh-- Schwalbe Lugano 700x23 and Mavic Ksyrium Elite. I rode my hybrid bike this morning before work.. it definitely soaks up the cobblestone roads in our neighborhood a lot better.