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Comments
Here in NYC they won't break into your car for the stereo, they'll steal the whole thing. Rarely ever see a car broken into, especially not subies and isuzus.
-mike
-Frank P.
I'd be a lot more worried about rust in other places than the cladding though. Of course, rust is not an issue in Oregon. No salt, just sand/gravel. The many sand blasted chips on the front of my Outback can attest to that.
Rust under cladding? My Dad's 13 year old Cherokee has similar cladding. He took it all over the state, including the coast and mountains. It is still in excellent condition. No rust.
I hope Foresters keep the cladding. I don't like the look of the painted cladding either. I wanted the XS Premium with unpainted cladding when I bought mine but... nada. Can't get it. :-(
Rebecca
Young drivers want MP3... for now. The next big thing will come along soon, so offer a input jack instead of MP3 built in... new iPods use a new file compression that is not MP3 but is smaller and sounds better - AAC I think is the moniker. MP3 will not last forever. Give me the jacks to plug in my player/phone/pda, and a place to put it, and another 20% will be happy.
For the rest, just make sure the system has the means to be removed without being easily stolen, and does not also include all the heating, navigation and seating controls like some new models (Honda, I'm talking to you!).
In other words, OEM upgraded sound systems may be more, less, different from what many buyers would choose if given unlimited options, and are usually more expensive than an equilavent after market system of similar capabilities and quality, but the overwhelming majority of buyers dont want to fool with replacing their radio or getting one installed elsewhere if reasonably good sytems, consistent with the car in price and listening environment, are provided from the factory.
Tires, on the other hand, are a different matter entirely ( no pun intended)!
Mark
-mike
Another (related) topic: "Inexpensive and built to stay that way", wasn't that the old Subaru credo? Please don't lose sight of that in the rush to move upmarket. Historically, the Subie loyalists have valued Subarus for affordable versatility. I hope that Subaru will continue to offer "entry-level" versions of their cars. I for one, would like to see an unpainted cladding, slightly de-contented XT. (And, yes, I DO remember that the Brighton was a failure).
-james
Bob
#11908 of 11910 Self levelling suspension by grahampeters Aug 13, 2003 (4:45 am)
G'day
Put very simply, it works. The shock absorbers have some sort of oil reservoir and the valving works to centre the suspension in the middle of its travel after a few bumps. No, I don't understand the technicalities but its a super system and particularly good when the car is fully laden or towing. The suspension loads up and sinks but by the time I hit the nearest cross street, it has levelled up.
I've had my Outback for 4 years and 65000miles and no problems with the units either. And yes, they do get regularly loaded up.
Cheers
Graham
We have so many family members and friends with widely varying temperature preferences that the zones are often adjusted to be 20 degrees or more apart. Dual temperature dials rather than buttons also makes it much easier to adjust the temperature quickly.
Dual zone A/C must be a common need because the feature is showing up on so many cars.
Dual Zone A/C -- my solution is to have the cold person wear an extra layer. It's easier to heat than to cool in the summer time. ;-)
Ken
-Frank P.
P.S. I'll go crawl back into my cave now.
Bob
-Frnak P.
Please, please, with sugar on top!
:-)
I would argue that dual zone A/C is as important or more important a feature for a luxury or near-luxury car than many other "luxury" features. Buyers are demanding it. That's why cars such as the Honda Accord and the Audi A4 added the feature, and now even the minivans are offering dual-zone front A/C in addition to front and rear zones. Another important feature is to provide adjustable vents for the rear seat passengers.
With my family and our friends and my kids' friends, the most common complaint or request is to change the temperature. We often have one side set at 60 degrees and the other side set at 90 degrees.
I remember when cars had outside floor vents separate from the heating and A/C system. We would put the heat on for my wife, and I would open the floor vent to get enough cool air. Very simple and much better than opening a window. However, this approach is not in favor these days with manufacturers.
Otherwise, Subaru will have a bunch of (still) very frustrated customers.
Bob
Jim
They must also offer the 5 or 6 spd in the top model, as well as the base. (i.e. Forester XT premium)
Mark
You hear about "thin paint" that chips easily, do you hear about thin cladding? Nope.
Like Bob said, ask the man who owns one (from the last decade, I'd add).
Self-leveling shocks? These could be part of a towing package, maybe. Cost concerns me a bit, I heard one quote of $280 per corner, and it's definitely not worth that kind of expense.
If it could be grouped with the tow hitch and not double the cost of that option, then I'd want it.
-juice
-Colin
-Frank P.
And yes! You have to own one because then you'd get to see first hand the beauty of self-repairing bumpers. Seriously, several Forester owners have had dents that popped themselves out! LOL
Didn't you have a sore back last year? Would you rather wax a Forester, up on your feet, or a Legacy (where even the side skirts are painted), on your hands and knees?
After his first self-repairing bumper dent, I think even joybell will change his mind. ;-)
-juice
Ken
it's a styling faux pas, nothing more.
-Colin
Once again, thank you Sean for your help!
Patti
Jon
-mike
I recieved many compliments from people who couldn't believe it was a 10+ years old car. Even the lady I sold it too was impressed with how good it looked. Sure, I tried to park in 'safe' places in mall parking lots but I also had to park in a commuter train lot 5 days a week.
I like the cladding and actually wish that Subaru would consider plastic doors and side panels.
Ron
-Dan-
-juice
-juice
MikeF
-Frank P.
My wife prefers monotone, I prefer subtle two-tone or light cladding.
Just don't overdo it. :-) From the looks of the Euro pics, it needs just a little cladding (or heavier duty paint along the bottom) to differentiate it from the rest of the line.
pasian - very good point about Colin being in the Midwest. Obviously, he's never been driven in the Pine Barrens or NYC. :-)
Also, make a turbo an option for the OB (maybe the same tune as the XT/Baja).
"Taste Great! Less Filling!" ;-)
Despite of its practical worthiness, I'm not too fond of unpainted plastic claddings; they look furry after some encounters with sand/stone over time.
-Dave
(in spite of the fact that when mine was only 3 months old it took a hit just over the tire by a shopping cart which did about $400 worth of damage ... i'd have preferred the cladding to go even HIGHER than it does !!)
Brenda
I'd also like to see, in regards to a towing package:
* The self-leveling rear suspension.
* Dual-range trannys (both manual & automatic) for aiding in pulling a boat out of the water on a steep boat ramp.
* An electric brake control that is nicely integrated into the interior.
* A driver-controlled brake assist of some sort (larger brakes with an extra set of on-demand calibers?), that will allow for unbraked trailers up to 3000 pounds.
* A hitch receiver and plug that is intigrated into the rear bumper.
Bob
Well, I'd buy one, anyways!
-Frank P.
It's actually been a whole bunch of months since I mentioned anything related to towing—and my post was only prompted by another poster in another forum. I guess it's sort of a knee-jerk reflex on my part; it seems I just can't help myself.
So I guess the best way to shut me up, is for SOA to give me (and others) what we've been asking for—better towing.
Bob
Jim
Bob
So if my tirades about Subie less-than-stellar towing have become tedious to some of the regulars here, just try to remember I'm trying to affect change. It's really no different than an ad campaign done by an ad agency. My apologies to those who feel otherwise.
Bob