Subaru Legacy/Outback 2005+

sweet_subie

Letter doesn;t work. CALL THEM !!!!!!!!

kens

Joe,

 

I'm confident Subaru will do the right thing for you. It looks like your dealer is responsive and you've contacted the right peoeple. You've already got the most important part down -- being patient and cooperative. Believe me, that goes a LONG way when working through these types of issues.

 

When I bought my first Subaru (a 98 Forester) it had a number of issues that was making me question my decision to try out a new brand. I think I treated very fairly and that satisfaction has led me to purchase my second Subaru (a 05 Legacy GT wagon).

 

Also, if you do run into issues, you can always come to the "Crew" for more help. Let us know how it goes.

 

Ken

sduford

Those surveys are reasonably useful when there are LOTS of reports and reported miles on a specific tire. That way the anomalies even out, but they should only be used within a single category.

 

For example a 9 for dry handling on a passenger tire is not comparable to a 9 on a max performance tire.

 

Same goes for All Season vs. Winter vs. Studless Ice & Snow.

 

Sly

locke2c

For example a 9 for dry handling on a passenger tire is not comparable to a 9 on a max performance tire.

  

Same goes for All Season vs. Winter vs. Studless Ice & Snow.

 

right-- I totally agree Sly. the Tirerack's customers *might* be on to something-- the Triple Tred might be the best (or one of the best) passenger all-seasons. but why would you mount those when your Subaru comes with high performance all-season tires?

 

of course, I use dedicated summer and winter tires. I have had a passenger all-season before... on a boring Ford Taurus that handles like that boat that it is.

 

~Colin

alpha01

Thanks, Ken. I left work past the time that the Subaru 800 line ceases operation, but should be good to make a call first thing in the morning on Monday. Certainly, Ive gained some good information and tactics from the Crew, and am glad that I waited to call until I posted my plight and illicited some reactions/opinions.

 

Juice- you're right; they could have done a lot worse than the Lancer. Then again, they could have done a lot better. This Lancer really demonstrates why Mitsu is in the position it is- I took it out for a spin, and everything about the car is alright. But theres not a single competitive advantage. An EVO would have been AWESOME! (Of course most awesome would have been an H4 block that did not spew coolant at will, but I digress, lol...)

 

Good luck to everyone in NJ/NY with the impending 'Blizzard'!

 

-Joe

alpha01

Just curious- is anyone going? Im taking a day off to go in on Feb. 7th. Would be happy to meet up with anyone in the area for a tour of the Subaru exhibit.

 

-Joe

dcm61

Joe,

 

I just mentioned in the Meet the Members thread that I plan to be there on Monday, 2/7. The free tickets that I signed up for (got a postcard from SOA) apparently cannot be picked up until 5:30 pm. My brother, my parents, and I plan to take the train down and have dinner at HRC prior to the show.

 

DaveM

subden

Yeah, you're dead on there re: availability. I had to pull some strings to get mine 6 weeks ago. Discount Tire national sales office said they were out of ALL 17" snows when I called then! (stores still had some brands/sizes but it ws hit or miss).

xwesx

That clearly demonstrates the reactive nature of peoples' buying habits. Here's to planning ahead! ;-D

kyfdx

I noticed.. when looking for some tires for a co-worker... that Sam's Club lists Goodyear winter tires (specifically Eagle Ultra-Grip GW-2) on their website..

 

You can order on-line and they drop-ship them to your local Club..

 

That might be worth a try, if you can't find them anywhere else..

rsholland

Several are going, but I don't think a day has been selected. Juice wants to go, but won't be able to go on a week day, as he will be very busy at work at that time.

 

Bob

rob16

Happy to report that after waiting for a week or so for the part, the problem is fixed. Originally, they had tried replacing just the "sending unit".,..didn't work. They have now replace the whole "hub unit". The part number is 28473AG00A if it's of any use.

 

Anyway, I've only put about 40 kms on it since fixed so I hope we're done with this! I'm very happy to have my ABS and cruise back as well.

 

Cheers!

timo1745

Hey gang!

 

I hope everyone here in the northeast and vicinity is fairing the beginnings of the storm well. I've been looking forward to this since Aug when I first got my OBXT!

 

We've got about 6-7" on the ground right now in Western NJ, and it's about 11 degrees outside. I just went down the mountain for some bourbon (you know, just in case!) and had a chance to really try out my OB not to mention my new studded WinterForce M+S tires I just mounted. The roads were totally unplowed, and I must say the Subie did incredibly well. I could get her to slide when I wanted to by getting on the throttle, but other than that, she tracked nice and straight. I didn't notice any shifting of torque from front to rear...she just kept pushing through no matter what hill I decided to take on. On the way home, I decided to go the back way up the mountain (there's one shart bend which us well over a 20% grade) just to see what she could do. There was a wee bit of tail-wagging on the way up, with both rear tires sending a plume of snow into the air (gotta' love limited-slip) but I made it up no problem whatsoever. Man, what a car.

 

As for my new tires, the size 225/60-SR16 WinterForce M+S tires I just bought from tirerack.com on steel rims (cost was under $500 for the whole package) seem great in the super-fine snow we're getting right now. What makes a good snow tire (as I understand it anyway) is that some of the tires' sipes hold onto snow to promote better traction (snow tends to stick to snow better) while other areas of the tire are self-cleaning, allowing the tire to maintain a biting edge. And that's exactly what these tires seem to be doing. Since I also had these tires studded, I can also feel the studs digging in nicely in spots which have melted and re-frozen like this one parking lot I pulled into. Ideally, I should've gotten a 215 width instead of 225 (to better slice through the snow/slush) but found these tires to be excellent. My only complaint is they're a little noisey at highway speeds, but having owned trucks the last several years, it's not a big deal to me.

 

Here are some pics for anyone who cares:

http://home.earthlink.net/~timo1745/_images/subie_images/subie_fi- rst_snow/subie_snow%20003.jpg

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~timo1745/_images/subie_images/subie_fi- rst_snow/

 

And for $61/each, how can ya' beat that? I'm a big fan of these tires, and an even bigger fan of these cars. So glad I found this board!

 

Anyway, thanks for the bandwidth.

 

Rgds and be safe,

Tim G.

'05 OBXTL-5MT

dougb10

The worst storm of the year today in Ontario.. 3F and high winds with blowing snow...can't see 50 feet in front of you.

Brought home our '05 Outback Limited (silver with black leather).

Almost too cold to sit out in the garage and set the radio stations...but I did it.

Want to drive it but the roads are too crammed with yahoos who think their Escalades and Navigators will stop as well as they go!

This car is a very big difference from the '97 Outback we traded.

Doug

rob_m

Cool pictures Tim. I'm like the color scheme on the silver Outbacks. Rob M.

crashton6

Tim those are some good looking tires. Nice & open, with studs no less. I don't think snow or ice is going to be a problem. Did those wheels come painted silver or did you have to paint them? One word of caution, those valve stems stick out beyond the rims. Be careful with curbs when parking. I bought a set of Blizzak's for my wifes Audi & they used the same long valve stems.

 

Chuck

liv4today

Well this is the first snow storm here in Brooklyn New York and I must say that my brilliant silver 2005 Legacy 2.5i Ltd wagon is not performing like I thought it would. I explain below.

 

Coming off a red light I slightly pressed on the accelerator. Around 20 MPH I gave it some more gas and she started pulling to the left. I watched as the back started coming out under me to the right. Is this normal? Shouldn't she stay in a linear line?

liv4today

How many of you who are affected by this storm plan to take out the shovel and how many plan to just gun it out of the driveway???

njswamplands

what fun like riding in soft sand in a sand storm.

 

the entire road to myself, forget your car, just open the garage door, get a good head of speed up and dig hard.

drdave25

I'm not convinced yet that our 2005 2.5i does as well in the snow as the previous design (I had three of those, starting in 1997). I'm wondering if the lighter rear of the car and maybe suspension "improvements" make it less capable in snow. In other respects (steering, noise level, interior design and quality, controls, etc.) the car is a quantum leap better than the previous model.

sweet_subie

I would like some feedback from VDC OB owners on its snow performance

supercaley

Thanks Rob will be going back to my dealer next week, hope your problems are over and weather not too bad.

 

Mike

[Deleted User]

Yes, it should do that if you break traction. AWD doesn't mean you're invincible in hazardous conditions. It only gives you improved handling. If you goose the throttle on a slippery road, you're likely going to slide. Same thing if you break too hard or corner too fast.

 

When the weather gets foul, my rule of thumb is to treat all my AWD vehicles as if they're front wheel drive, which leaves me extra room in case I make a bad judgement call or need to respond to a dangerous situation. Now, that said, shortly after I motor out of the garage during a new storm I will usually find a safe spot to push the breaking and acceleration capabilities to see how much traction I have for the given snow. It's always changing, so I just do a little test to see where the traction ends and the slippage begins.

 

I've owned/operated AWD systems from Subaru, Honda, and Dodge, not to mention traditional 4X4 systems from Toyota and Jeep. When it comes to icy/snowy roads, none have compared to the my Subaru's (manual tranny).

 

-Ty

[Deleted User]

Shovel every time. Not worth the potential damage you can cause or the possibility of getting stuck.

 

Oh, and don't be like these guys if you ever get stuck (language warning; I think one curse word is used):

 

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/index.php?e=snowtow.wmv

 

-Ty

xwesx

I will usually find a safe spot to push the breaking and acceleration capabilities to see how much traction I have for the given snow. It's always changing, so I just do a little test to see where the traction ends and the slippage begins.

 

Ditto. It's always best to know with what you are dealing. Conditions change from day to day, even if they look the same. The biggest factor (at least up here in Fairbanks), is the temperature. At -30F the exact same ice-covered road is not nearly as slippery as at +20F....

alpha01

Great to see everyone in the NY/NJ area is doing fairly well in the Storm of '05!

 

DaveM- Re: the Philly show, I actually might have obligations on the night of the 7th, so Im probably going to the show a bit earlier in the day. I'll keep you posted, and I plan on heading over to check out the Meet the Members thread after I dig out today.

 

Best,

-Joe

gearhead4

Here is Chicago, we are experiencing a rather snowy period. My 2005 2.5i sedan (MT)is handling the snow very well (comparable to my old 2000 Legacy sedan). I have been able to steer around two motorists who lost control of their vehicles right in front of me (the compact pick-up truck spin out was predictable, the Jeep spin out was a little surprising).

I also had a 2003 Legacy Wagon (4EAT). I found the wagon to be lacking in slippery conditions. It was heavier than both sedans, but also had an automatic trans, and therefor a different front/rear torque split mechanism.

Bottom line, I think the new Legacy handles snow every bit as well as the preceding models.

 

-Jim

rsorganize

My '05 VDC wagon has been great (+18,000 mi.). Two possible problems have just emerged, however.

 

First: Twice in the past few weeks, after significant snow, the car has vibrated significantly at all speeds, but especially at higher speeds on the Interstate. In each case, when I backed out of our garage, I backed up through substantial snow. All I can think of is snow packed in the wheelwell or around the wheels/brakes. The vibrations at 70+ are disturbing, but there is no pull in the handling - left or right. No problems at any other time. Any thoughts?

 

Also: Two days ago, starting the car after a sub-zero night, the VDC-off and 'Check Engine' lights came on - and, stayed on for 2 days. Not on today, however. Gas cap was tight, so that wasn't the problem. Car is always garaged overnight. Again...thoughts/similar experience?

 

This being said, in response to the question about VDC performance in the snow: awesome! Stable, solid to the road. Decent speed on barely plowed roads and I feel solidly in control. Feel more secure than in my XC.

 

Peace.

rsholland

The vibration might be due to some snow/ice packed on one or more of your wheels, most likely on the inside where you can't see it.

 

Bob

sduford

Yeah, most defnitely snow in the wheels. The 05's wheel design is particularly prone to capturing snow. This has happened to me twice so far.

 

Sly

poisson

Same here - just today I had to pull over to use my ice scraper to get ice/slush out from the inside of my front wheels. Must have looked strange to the folks passing me.

I think next year I'll pick up a set of steel wheels/snow tires to avoid this and get better traction.

Even with the stock set up, my XT does reasonably well. The tires do leave a lot to be desired though.

c_hunter

Depends on which transmission you have. The 5MT cars can get tail happy real easy if you push them too hard, whereas the 4EAT cars will understeer (plow) until you slip the fronts, at which point they can kick the tail out.

 

If you drove primarily FWD cars all your life before getting AWD (like me), the thing to remember is that AWD sends power to the rear, thus the car has potential to oversteer and kick the rear out in any situation where a lot of power transfers aft. They can act similar to RWD. FWD cars always plow no matter what, so they are kind of benign when they slip.

 

In snow the other night, I noticed that I can easily get my OB XT to break loose with moderate throttle, just because there is so much power available. With gentler throttle, the car was fine. So it's just a matter of exploring the limits of your car and then backing off a little.

 

Craig

c_hunter

Thanks for the report and pictures Tim!! You've got me thinking about a similar set of tires now. I didn't realize they were so inexpensive. Would be good insurance when I drive into the mountains to ski.

 

Craig

c_hunter

I always gun it right out of the garage (got to have some fun!!). Our driveway is pretty steep going up to the street. Of course, we rarely get more than 10" of snow in my part of VA, and 1-4" is more typical. Still, it was nice to not worry about shoveling snow when we had two Subarus. Now that my wife has a regular car (TSX) I'll probably have to shovel if we get a big storm.

 

I was just watching my neighbor barely make it up his nearly-flat driveway with his Expedition. That was a fun show. Somehow, owning a Subaru makes me a real smug SOB sometimes....

 

Craig

c_hunter

Excellent advice Ty. I often do a road-traction calibration (both acceleration and stopping) whenever I get a chance in winter driving. It's a good way to get an up to date feel for the road conditions.

 

Craig

c_hunter

Definitely sounds like snow/ice in the wheels. The other possibility is that the tires are flatspotting, which happens and is most noticeable in cold weather. You can alleviate this by bumping up the tire pressure. I normally run a couple psi higher than they door sticker.

 

Craig

rsorganize

Thanks all. So, exactly where/how should I get the snow out? Would steel wheels make a difference? Have great winter tires....Dunlop Wintersport M3.

 

Peace.

sduford

"Somehow, owning a Subaru makes me a real smug SOB sometimes...."

 

I know what you mean. Just this week I came upon my neighbour stuck in the snow bank facing the wrong way after he did a 180 on our icy dirt road. I pulled out my tow-rope and pulled his brand new 4400lbs 4Runner V8 out of the snow bank with hardly any wheel spin. He was rather embarassed, and I plan to make sure he remembers for a long time to come

 

Funny thing is we were both driving Highlanders last year. I elected to go with something smalelr and sportier (OBXT) and he elected to go with something brawnier and more off-road worthy

 

Sly

dcm61

wax the inside of the rims. It works :-)

 

Credits: This message is sponsored by the OCD club (although I am not a member).

 

DaveM

rsholland

Joe, I heard from Patti (she e-mailed me), and she's on your case and will definitely help out.

 

I'd like to forward you her e-mail to you, but I don't have your e-mail address. Can you post it in your profile for maybe a day or so, so I can send it to you?

 

Bob

alpha01

Thank you so much for acting as an intermediary, it is most generous of you. I will update my profile shortly.

 

-Joe

rsorganize

Serious? If so, how/with what?

 

Peace.

zman3

Does this work on the mudflaps as well? One of the few things I dislike about my OB in the winter is how the snow piles up in the wheel wells and rubs on the tires.

luck11

Regular automotive wax I suspect. I don't do it on my winter steelies, because anything frozen usually melts while parked in my garage. However, I certainly wax the inside of my alloy OB wheels every spring before putting them back on the vehicle.

 

I wax the outside of the wheels everytime I wax the car. Makes wheel maintenance a breeze.

 

Cheers,

Jay.

dcm61

Maybe I should rephrase that to "help" eliminate.

 

I don't know if it will totally eliminate the snow build up but it does help.

 

DaveM

ateixeira

I wax the inner side of my rims every time I rotate the tires. They are easier to clean and snow does not stick to them.

 

Steelies are no better, in fact the problem was worse before I got my alloys.

 

Sly: glad to see the 4Runner neighbor got a chance to take it off road. ;-)

 

Philly - gotta think about it, Feb 7-11 is busy time at work, we replace 168 PCs on those 4 days!

 

-juice

bkaiser1

That's one of the funniest videos I've seen in a long while. Thanks for the post!

 

B

natethomas

I live just outside Boston and we got 24"+ of snow over the weekend. My wife and I were shoveling our driveway, which had drifts up to four feet (and at least four feet at the end of the drive from the plow) and I kept having the urge to drive out in my outback xt. After shoveling for about an hour and clearing out about fifteen feet in front of the car I decided to go for it. My wife was a bit hesitant but stood out on the street to let me know when it was clear. Bursting out through the snow was the most fun thing I have done in a long time and it got quite a lot of looks from neighbors who were out shoveling at the same time. I think that most of them were quite surprised to see a wagon bursting through three to four feet of snow. I wish that we had taped it becasue it was so fun. The car worked as a plow as well and there was only the snow left under the car to shovel out of the way. I actually thought that I might get stuck but the awd worked great. I am looking forward to the next storm to do it again.

Oh, and I was just wondering if anyone knew where those terrible towls went during the second quarter of the pats/steelers game. My theory is that it must have gotten real cold and all the fans used them to try to stay warm.

-Nate

bat1161

Tim - Nice pics of a Subaru in it's true environment! The snows look like a good investment. I even mentioned something like that to my wife, but I'm trying to hold off in the hopes of trading up to an '05 OBXT.

 

Mark

poisson

Hi Tim - Thanks for the pictures and the insight into the size/tire from TireRack. I have the same car (silver as well, 5EAT though) and was going to put off getting snows until next winter. However, after driving this past weekend, I realized the 92A's aren't cutting it in the snow.

I will probably keep them for the warm months (until they wear out) but have ordered a set of snows like your's from TireRack. I should have them this weekend.

 

-mark

 

p.s. while the Outback's AWD is in and of itself outstanding, limiting its effectiveness by NOT putting on a good set of tires is really not exploiting its true capabilities.