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Comments
Krzys
You guys are absolutely right.
You are forgetting about the LL Bean Forester
-Brian
BTWI, lots of Outbacks and Foresters and Legacy sedans all about here in the Boulder area (I was at IBM doing BCRS testing). Probably about half the Outback/Legacy's were turbos. Lots of older wagons too.
-Brian
What is it with Subaru and no M/T? Well, what is it with the Americans not wanting to drive them?! :confuse:
Traffic.
*shrug* I grew up in an AT household, so never really learned to drive a manual very well. I did have fun "rowing my own" a dozen or so times in a tiny '70s Honda hatchback CVCC (like driving a little bumper car!), & driving my wife's college car kinda counted... a little. It was a VW Bug with an "Auto Stick". No clutch pedal, just press down on the top of the gearshift (which was, in this case, a baseball!) to engage the clutch. I do really enjoy driving, and can see the appeal of a manual, but 75% of my driving is in situations where it's really more practical just to have an automatic. Subaru's Sportshift automatic does allow me to have manual shift control if I want it, but it's certainly not the same.
I rank my previous Outback XT with the 5EAT as one of the most enjoyable powertrains I have experienced in a vehicle. That was, and remains, the only car I have owned with automatic transmission that did not make me miss having manual. It was a blast to drive, and in sport mode the engine and transmission made a great pair. Seriously, don't write off the 5EAT -- it couples well with the turbo powertrain, far better than other Subaru motors and auto transmissions. If you want to know what an auto-trans STi would feel like, I think this comes pretty close (at least in a straight line). It's really got a lot of character. My new Acura RDX also has a turbo-4 + 5AT and AWD, but it doesn't have nearly as much character under the hood as the XT did. Actually, the Subaru powertrain in the Acura body would be a nice combo.... Subaru has a chance to do something like this in the next generation Forester, so I will be interested to see what they come up with.
Craig
Jeffmc- I had the same experience with automatics as a kid. But, after spending a month in Germany during my senior year in high school- EVERY car, including Taxis were manuals there. So, from then on, my next 3 cars were manual (Sentra, '96 Outback, and '98 Pathfinder). The next two cars ('00 Maxima and '01 Outback" were automatic due to my commuting to Boston. You are right on....TRAFFIC!
I work from home now and drive to see customers when necessary. The manual could work very well for me now.
I visit Europe every year and in every country there- you just have to drive manuals
As for turbo failures, having seen roughly 200-500+ subarus come through my shop, I think we've seen 1 turbo failure and that was due to a kid doing sometheing very wrong with his car to get him to that place.
-mike
You found the needle in the haystack. Enjoy that ride!!!
1.) Would go with the White Satin Pearl because I would like beige interior
2.) The seating is SO MUCH more supportive than those in my 01 Outback (sport bolsters on the side help)
3.) The shifter felt sort of tough to shift but I think I am just rusty!
4.) The passenger seat is in a lot better position now compared to sitting on the floor in my 01
5.) That sunroof is HUGE. I love two on my Limited but that one is a monster! I like the little windshield that comes with the front pop-up.
6.) Great sound system
7.) I love that you can fold the seats in back flat without having to take off the headrests or bringing the bottom up.
While I was there, I did take a look at the new Tribeca. It just didn't give me a "fun" feeling like the XT
I went to a great low pressure dealership in NH (Singer Subaru) and that was perfect. I have to make sure that my family member still wants my 01 before I make any big decisions.
The fall should be a good time to pick one up anyway.
Re #1, watch out for the beige interior -- it is very light and shows dirt/scuffs easily.
Re #3, I remember thinking the same thing when I test drove an XT with 5-spd manual back in 04. The shifter has long throws and does not have the best feel. At the time I was used to the short shifter in my WRX, and the XT shifter felt like it belonged on a tractor! Perhaps the short-throw kit improves the experience a bit (though effort will increase).
Re #7, that is truly a nice feature on the Outbacks -- I appreciated that all the time when carrying cargo.
Craig
Thanks!
05 LGT Wagon 5MT the last 1000 miles has been mixed city/highway driving commuting during rush hour to work, getting 21.5-22mpg consistently.
-mike
Wish i was getting that on my 06 Bean OBW. Overall since I've had the car (10/06) my average is 17.7 mpg. Then again I've only put 18360 on it so far.
Need more 48hrs runs!
Mark
trying to decide between gt vs 3.0 r
we have a 3.0 r 2005 outback - test drove the gt limited
numbers say the gt limited is quicker but our 3.0 r outback seems smoother and stronger.
any thought please?
also - not a show stopper but wife would like 'twilight sentinal' like on the maxima.
if we purchased the remote starter, could she leave the engine running with the lights on and then shut the car off remotely to turn off the lights once she got in the house?
I'd suggest a simple alternative - motion detector lighting. That's what I put in my house. I have one in the car port, another at the front door.
As a bonus it works for guests and other times when I'm not in my car.
When it comes to the engine, it sounds to me like you've already decided. The H6 is smoother and feels stronger, even though the turbo makes better numbers, so go with the H6. :shades:
Anyone have a similar problem or any thoughts?
Martin
Have you considered running some fuel system cleaner through it?
Have driving habits changed recently? Maybe the car "learned" Martin one way, but now there is a different Martin behind the wheel! :P
I don't expect the full capacity to drain out, so I don't want to buy too much fluid just to have it stored for a while. (My wife's Honda drains out about half of the capacity.)
Please let me know what to expect.
Thanks in advance.
Mike F.
Hickory, NC
-mike
What, if any problems have you experienced or heard about concerning brake grinding, clunking noises? I was told by my service manager that "it's movement of the brake pads"!
Everyone I speak to says unacceptable to have any grinding at this point.
Hope you have a safe and great holiday weekend
Meg
Some surface rust on the rotor is normal, but you should only see that if the car has not been driven overnight, and even then only for the first couple of brake applications each morning.
You should not hear a grinding after you've been driving for a while and that surface rust wears off.
How do the rotors look? Are they smooth, or grooved?
I haven't heard anything regarding that, nor have I had any of those problems.
Bob
-mike
On my Contour, I would typically only hear it in bad weather, but it was still there. That system would actually get mad and give up a lot quicker (it is looking to get a baseline speed for all the wheels to synchronize).
Any ideas? How to safely remove?
Should I take back to the dealer, as it is still under warranty?
Thanks!
Mike F.
-mike
The finish on the wheels of my '05 is pretty weak, so I would go for the softest cleaning agent available. I got the stains off with Maguires Gold whatever Car Wash and some scrubbing wiht a sock. I have also used Maguires "all finish" wheel cleaner, as I think mine are actually painted a gun metal gray color.
I would avoid things like simple green or other degreasers as they can be very hard on the finish. They are designed to be used on unfinished metal. If you do need to use something that strong, dilute it as per the bottle.
Ken
Seriously, it protects the paint and keeps brake dust and ice from sticking to them.
Seriously, it protects the paint and keeps brake dust and ice from sticking to them.
XXXXCelent point. I do every season.
The 03 wasn't rough, just more direct and Subaru made fewer efforts to hide NVH. I knew that with the 2005 redesign Subaru was trying to bring the Legacy platform closer to class-leader standards but I never realized the difference between revisions was as great as it is. On paper my new 08 is not appreciably different than the 03 - and this is one reason why I delayed buying. But now that I have the 08 in my driveway I'm thinking that I should have replaced my 03 sooner.
Perhaps the best praise I can offer is, oddly, that I feel guilty when I look at, sit in and drive my new Outback. It's so much nicer than the 03 in those "touchy-feely" characteristics that I actually feel like I made an extravagant purchase, like I'm living above my means (I'm one of those people who max out their 401(k) contributions so I'm sensitive about money). However, I look at the price paid ($22,040) and realize I simply got a lot of vehicle for the money. It's funny that the magazines and the media focus on the Limited/L.L. Bean high-trim packages and the 3.0 H-6. Why? The real deal is with the high-volume 2.5i model. Good one, Subaru.
Like you said, nothing wrong with the earlier style, but the newer models were a big leap forward. We felt guilty as well, getting rid of a vehicle that served us well & had nothing "wrong" with it. I get over than feeling when I drive the either of the new ones, though.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0