no bows but I did buy a car this year .. the Outback was having quite a few problems that were electrically related .. figured I got my 15 years out of it! ended up buying a 2013 Honda CR-V with all the bells and whistles (dark gray with light gray leather). I really wanted a Forester, but couldn't afford a brand new one and couldn't find a 'gently used low mileage' Forester. I do like the CR-V so far, though. I've had it about 4 months ... (oh .we still HAVE the outback and husband drives it to work some ... )
I was really hoping to get 2 more years out of it as the daily driver! But the alternator catching fire (albeit a very small one) really makes me leary ...
I was just pondering if I would ever lower my standards to contemplate a Ford or GM product, this being prompted by the plaudits attaching to the Ford Everest, which derives from the Thailand built Mazda BT50 /Ford Ranger utility. At this stage I am thinking not in this lifetime.
My Mercedes B250 is not a long term car. Our recent trip to South Australia reminded me that it is a fine car, if you are cruising the suburbs or the smooth freeways, but ill suited to two lane highways and remarkably tiring to drive, despite all the gee-whizz technology. The low profile tyres and harsh ride are awful on poorer highways at speed. It is great to have a 250kph performance but if you are controlling a bucking bronco at 90kph, it is not much fun. A low point was when I became bogged in 5mm of soft sand, to the immense amusement of Judy and the girl in the car next to us. Remedy was to get out, dust off the soft sand from behind the tyres and reverse back for a second run up. Not the ideal car for our lifestyle!
The Subaru Forester is currently in run out in Australia and its half life refresh, which has already hit the Japanese Domestic Market, tidies up a few of the issues I have with the current model. It gets the improved Eyesight system and a few other safety tweaks. I am also contemplating the Mitsibish Pajero Sport or Toyota Fortuner, which are more seriously off-roader and, like the Ford Everest, derive from utility cousins. The Toyota Hi-Lux is famously rugged and very popular and the Fortuner carries over the majority of its underpinnings from the HI-Lux.
So, any cars with bows on them going to appear in Crew driveways this year? The wife says if that ever happens at our house, it HAS to be a two-seater with three pedals for your feet
AJ (juice) just got a loaded Hyundai Sonata. Being the "techie" that he is, he's in seventh heaven playing with the infotainment, etc. He traded his Miata in for it.
So, any cars with bows on them going to appear in Crew driveways this year? The wife says if that ever happens at our house, it HAS to be a two-seater with three pedals for your feet
AJ (juice) just got a loaded Hyundai Sonata. Being the "techie" that he is, he's in seventh heaven playing with the infotainment, etc. He traded his Miata in for it.
Very kewl Bob. Amazing how you young'uns get into the tech...LOL
Well, it's been about a year since anyone's posted here, but perhaps a few of the regulars still monitor the board.
In any event, my wife had a seemingly minor rear-ender with a car that stopped short in front of her a couple of weeks ago in her 12-year-old Pathfinder that's been bulletproof and has 176K miles on it. I've toyed with the notion of replacing it with a Forester over the past year or two, but haven't seen the need. . .until now. Turns out that the PF is totaled, which seems a shame, but maybe a blessing in that I won't have to deal with the CL flakes to sell it.
Either way, is there anything in the land of Subaru and Foresters that's changed, for better or worse, over the past year or two? I looked into Foresters a couple of years ago, but didn't act on it then., but now I have to.
Well, I think that Foresters are in a really good place in terms of their driving dynamics and reliability right now, but I sure don't care for their looks (on the Gen4 models, 2014+). I'm hoping that Subaru comes out with an attractive design for Gen5 in MY2019, or my 2010 will be the last new one I buy for sure.
Unfortunately, I think that their techno-nanny, AKA "EyeSight," may be standard in their top trim (Touring) now, but I'm not sure. www.cars101.com would have that bit of info. Also, a manual transmission is limited to base model now.
You might want to check out the XT....
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Forgive me crew but I'm about to leave the fold. I've picked up an Audi via European delivery and just dropped it off for shipment to the US. I'll find a new home for my Impreza when the Audi arrives.
Forgive me crew but I'm about to leave the fold. I've picked up an Audi via European delivery and just dropped it off for shipment to the US. I'll find a new home for my Impreza when the Audi arrives.
Well....! [storms off in a huff]
Congrats on the new ride! What Audi did you get, and how was your European Vacation?!
Got an A4. Vacation was Christmas markets in Austria and Germany. Highlights were: food, Christmas lights, Porsche museum & production line, Audi production line, BMW museum, and Mercedes Benz museum.
Another highlight - doing 115 mph on the autobahn! (Quote from my daughter to me: "115 mph?! I feel like the parent with the reckless teenage driver! Be safe!") This car is speed governed to 130 mph and I didn't want to over rev a new car 'too' much.
Wrt the Forester, the '14 redesign got tweaked for '17. My '17 XT's interior's quieter, ride's less harsh, steering ratio's quicker, interior electronics improved (but not as nice as '17 Impreza), and option of saddle brown leather on some color choices. Eyesight remains an option throughout the line, but on XT it offers torque vectoring (can't comment on that as my XT doesn't have eyesight). Nav only comes with Eyesight, and HK system goes from 10 EQ bands to only 3.
Got an A4. Vacation was Christmas markets in Austria and Germany. Highlights were: food, Christmas lights, Porsche museum & production line, Audi production line, BMW museum, and Mercedes Benz museum.
Another highlight - doing 115 mph on the autobahn! (Quote from my daughter to me: "115 mph?! I feel like the parent with the reckless teenage driver! Be safe!") This car is speed governed to 130 mph and I didn't want to over rev a new car 'too' much.
Congrats! Brings back memories of my Euro delivery 29 years ago. Bought a 1986 VW Jetta GLi. Picked it up early Nov. 1985 from Wolfsburg, W. Germany and dropped it off 12 days and 2000+ miles later in Emden, W. Germany; car arrived in Wilmington, DE a couple of days before Christmas.
I did a tour of VW Wolfsburg factory, Mercedes Sindelfingen and Emden factories, Mercedes and Porsche museums. Drove the Jetta in 9 countries: W. Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and The Netherlands.
Once I hit the 1000 mile break-in mark, I let it loose on the German Autobahn. The GLi only had a 102 HP, 1.8L N.A. engine but I got it up to between 115 and 118 mph.
I've got the following service manuals from my previous Subaru, a 2000 Legacy sedan. Subaru factory manuals - Sections: 1- General Info 2- Mechanism and Function 7- Body & Electrical 8- Wiring Diagram
I've had the Audi for almost 4 months and 6,000 miles. Pleasantly surprised that mpg is the same as my Impreza running Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 tires. (The stock tires had slightly better mpg.)
My first auto transmission (DSG) in decades. Great power and no problem with hills.
I've had the Audi for almost 4 months and 6,000 miles. Pleasantly surprised that mpg is the same as my Impreza running Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 tires. (The stock tires had slightly better mpg.)
My first auto transmission (DSG) in decades. Great power and no problem with hills.
Four months, so shipping did take a very long time! Man, that wait would have been a killer....
I have had my Q7 for nearly four months as well. Really nice as a car, but it doesn't make for a very good SUV at all. I love the V6 diesel engine, though. Fuel economy is very similar to our Foresters, yet the vehicle weighs an extra ton!
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Yes, it was 11 weeks from drop-off in Germany to pickup at my dealer. The Christmas and New Year holidays hit shortly after drop-off, so that didn't help.
Comments
I was just pondering if I would ever lower my standards to contemplate a Ford or GM product, this being prompted by the plaudits attaching to the Ford Everest, which derives from the Thailand built Mazda BT50 /Ford Ranger utility. At this stage I am thinking not in this lifetime.
My Mercedes B250 is not a long term car. Our recent trip to South Australia reminded me that it is a fine car, if you are cruising the suburbs or the smooth freeways, but ill suited to two lane highways and remarkably tiring to drive, despite all the gee-whizz technology. The low profile tyres and harsh ride are awful on poorer highways at speed. It is great to have a 250kph performance but if you are controlling a bucking bronco at 90kph, it is not much fun. A low point was when I became bogged in 5mm of soft sand, to the immense amusement of Judy and the girl in the car next to us. Remedy was to get out, dust off the soft sand from behind the tyres and reverse back for a second run up. Not the ideal car for our lifestyle!
The Subaru Forester is currently in run out in Australia and its half life refresh, which has already hit the Japanese Domestic Market, tidies up a few of the issues I have with the current model. It gets the improved Eyesight system and a few other safety tweaks. I am also contemplating the Mitsibish Pajero Sport or Toyota Fortuner, which are more seriously off-roader and, like the Ford Everest, derive from utility cousins. The Toyota Hi-Lux is famously rugged and very popular and the Fortuner carries over the majority of its underpinnings from the HI-Lux.
Cheers
Graham
In any event, my wife had a seemingly minor rear-ender with a car that stopped short in front of her a couple of weeks ago in her 12-year-old Pathfinder that's been bulletproof and has 176K miles on it. I've toyed with the notion of replacing it with a Forester over the past year or two, but haven't seen the need. . .until now. Turns out that the PF is totaled, which seems a shame, but maybe a blessing in that I won't have to deal with the CL flakes to sell it.
Either way, is there anything in the land of Subaru and Foresters that's changed, for better or worse, over the past year or two? I looked into Foresters a couple of years ago, but didn't act on it then., but now I have to.
Unfortunately, I think that their techno-nanny, AKA "EyeSight," may be standard in their top trim (Touring) now, but I'm not sure. www.cars101.com would have that bit of info. Also, a manual transmission is limited to base model now.
You might want to check out the XT....
Congrats on the new ride! What Audi did you get, and how was your European Vacation?!
Another highlight - doing 115 mph on the autobahn! (Quote from my daughter to me: "115 mph?! I feel like the parent with the reckless teenage driver! Be safe!") This car is speed governed to 130 mph and I didn't want to over rev a new car 'too' much.
Congrats on the A4; talk about making an ownership experience memorable.....
I did a tour of VW Wolfsburg factory, Mercedes Sindelfingen and Emden factories, Mercedes and Porsche museums. Drove the Jetta in 9 countries: W. Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and The Netherlands.
Once I hit the 1000 mile break-in mark, I let it loose on the German Autobahn. The GLi only had a 102 HP, 1.8L N.A. engine but I got it up to between 115 and 118 mph.
Subaru factory manuals - Sections:
1- General Info
2- Mechanism and Function
7- Body & Electrical
8- Wiring Diagram
Haynes - Subaru Legacy & Forester 2000 thru 2006 (includes Legacy Outback and Baja)
All I ask is that you reimburse my postage costs (estimated to be ~$7.00 via media mail).
Jim
My first auto transmission (DSG) in decades. Great power and no problem with hills.
I have had my Q7 for nearly four months as well. Really nice as a car, but it doesn't make for a very good SUV at all. I love the V6 diesel engine, though. Fuel economy is very similar to our Foresters, yet the vehicle weighs an extra ton!