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Comments
Looks are important to me too, and I just don't care for the cladding, white letter tires, and the other SUV-style accoutrements on the Outback. But to each his own. Outback's a great car..just not my style.
Thanks!
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"here are your instructions, this works, even though it does sound hokey.
1) Turn key to on position-don't start.
2) After first set of chimes click seat belt in and out 20 times within 30 seconds.
3) Turn off key.
4) (IGNORE THIS STEP!!!) [Repeat 1, 2, 3 again]
5) Turn key off and re-start
To clarify:
turn on car = on but not started
beeping starts = first set of beeps when you turn on the car "
Here are the latest Outback and Legacy reviews links. Please post any updates, additions or corrections you'd like to see. Geesh...this is becoming an encyclopedia!
Enjoy! -KarenM-
http://members.cox.net/kamartin/2005outbackreviews.html
I've found the ability to get through snow sometimes depends more on the type of snow (wet vs. powder) than a few extra inches of clearance.
Here's a great page that summarizes the differences:
http://www.cars101.com/subaru_new.html#legacy-outback
Ken
As always, great job with the the summary!
Ken
I absolutely love my new Outback XT Limited 5MT and would buy it again without question. Does that mean I think it is perfect? Not by any means. But I do think it provides incredible performance, value, and capabilities. I have been nit picking the car myself on this forum, but generally it was just that, picking nits!
Lack of lights on the sunroof buttons? Who cares. Cheap stereo? Yeah it is not exactly premium but it is better than average, especially with CDs. I do find the FM radio a bit lacking. Lack of steering mounted radio controls? A small annoyance for sure, but I LOVE that Momo steering wheel and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Narrow seats? I'm a big guy and I do find them a tad narrow, but they are certainly better than average and better than anything in this price class. Not Volvo seats for sure, but adequate.
Carpet hooks breaking? Yeah, broke off the first time I used the car, very stupid system. But hey, the carpets are staying put, so no big deal. Turbo lag? Well, it is a turbo, but lag is not noticable in most circumstances, and I'd much rather have that huge torque curve than no turbo. I think most people are actually bothered by the "auto tranny" lag; turbo lag is just a fraction of a second.
Automatic Climate Control? yeah, this one is bothersome. It is nearly useless and I found myself just not bothering with it anymore and doing my own climate controlling. I also wish it had a bigger gas tank and memory settings on the seats.
But look at it this way: you get significantly better performance than a BMW 330i for less than the price of a bare bones 325, and you get a lot more equipment, better reliability and AWD at that price too.
This criticizing is what Subaru gets for nibbling at the big boy's heels, so they do have a few small lessons to learn to survive those direct comparisons, but if you factor in the price, it is really no contest. The car provides smiles and enjoyment in spades.
I find it hard to believe that Subaru's obviously very talented engineers are not capable of producing a decent ACC system. This is a disgrace on Subaru and the single biggest annoyance I have with my otherwise brilliant Outback XT. It should be renamed RCG for Random Climate Generator.
How about starting a petition and demanding that Subaru recall these units and provide a fix for the ACC? Afterall, when I bought this car I did expect an ACC and I paid for one. The fact that this ACC system is really worse than having none at all could be construed as false advertising.
I think we should all start writing to Subaru right now and complain about this useless ACC.
Peace.
So if you set your temp at say 72, it will actually cool (or heat) several degrees beyond that before slowing down. It will sometimes go the other way too and oscillate like that. The results being that it is really never at 72 degrees. So I find myself having to fiddle with the temperature knob because I get way too hot (or cold) before it settles down. But sometimes, just moving the knob 1 or 2 degrees will cause a sudden blast of cold (or hot) air when it is neither needed nor wanted. I also often have to switch to manual because it is blasting cold air in my face when I don't need it.
It often gets fooled by sunshine and will blast cold air when the inside tmeperature doesn't demand it. It uses the A/C way more than needed: when the outside air is several degrees lower than the inside air, it should just use fresh air to cool things off, with out using A/C.
The other problem is that there is no temperature sensor on the passenger side, so it can't really control the temp on the passenger side, it seems to only output a "temperature difference" with the driver's side, which is often not right, since if the sun is on one side or the other, the cooling (or heating) requirements can be vastly different.
We rented a Volvo XC-70 last summer and we were able to set the tmeperatures once and forget about it, and we were neve uncomfortable because of excessive cold or hot air when it is not needed.
As it is on my Subie, it's a lot easier and more comfortable to just leave it in manual and make it do what I want. But even that can be a challenge, as simply pressing one button causes other settings to be set for you automatically.
Someone on another forum nicknamed his ACC "HAL", after the out of control computer in 2001 Space Oddissey who decided to take things into his own hands, because he "knew what was best for the mission".
Someone here jokingly said that the problem was really with the owner, and that once the ACC had beated the owner into submission, things worked just fine.
I suspect that those who think it works fine live in hot climates where you can never get too much cold air. But here in more temperate climes, where it needs to produce only moderate cooling or heating (for now, soon it will get VERY cold), it overdoes it and takes way too long to settle down.
It's also nice to see that a number of folks have either bought a 2nd Suburu or recently traded up, makes me feel a bit better. Trading in my 02 will represent the first time that I haven't driven my car into the ground...
Oh, and dc_driver, I'm in the exact same boat you are except I'm in NYC. I'm starting to lean Legacy Wagon ...
Jil
Shop around for other FM modulation units, but keep in mind this one fits right into the sunglass compartment. If you want yours on the dash, or elsewhere, the unit's form is a factor.
See http://www.theharrowgroup.com/articles/20040329/20040329.htm#_Toc- 67729177 and scroll down to "Your Car May NOT Be Your Friend!"
But this is not my biggest complaint; my biggest complaint is toxic fumes coming in from the outside when the car is stopped.
BTW, I live in New England, western Mass., near the VT. border...not exactly a 'hot clime'.
I like the HAL moniker. Ver funny!
Peace.
Honestly, I've yet to find any climate control system on a car that requires absolutely no fine tuning. Every system I know of uses just a few measurement points to try and estimate what's comfortable for the driver. It may also be that I don't expect an auto climate control to read my mind, similar to an automatic transmission.
sduford -- I wonder if maybe there's something wrong with either the cabin temperature thermocouple or the solar sensor on your vehicle. It's hard to believe we're talking about the same system!
In addition to the dealer checking those out, you may also want to look into the fix used by some Forester XT owners. One fellow added a very tiny fan to draw cabin air directly over the thermocouple. I don't recall where the modification was posted, however.
Ken
My recommendation - a new Outback is easily a better choice than a used allroad.
The article states that if the FBI could listen in without disabling the emergency response capabilities of the system, the court wouldn't have an issue with it.
Thanks for the info!! I'm jealous of all you new Outback/Legacy owners!!
Let me start off by saying "Been there, done that". My fiancee and I were contemplating the same thing; a C.P.O'ed Allroad looked like the perfect car for us. I guess the "mistake" I made was to spend some time researching Audi's reliability, cost of ownership, replacement parts and the general opinion of people who've owned these cars. Yikes! So much for that idea...
Just my $.02, but don't waste your time on an Audi Allroad...solid AWD system, but not-so-solid motor (I believe the 2.7T is 'history') and lots of neat gimmicks (like air suspension) which break and cost jillions to fix. Enter Subaru. Kinda' looks like a "poor man's Allroad" if you ask me, but that was one of the things which drew us to the 2005 OB. The performance, versatility and reliability was the deal-maker for us. Besides, an '01 Allroad was going for more than I paid for my '05 OBXT Limited!
Hope that helps knock you off the fence!
Rgds,
Tim
'05 OBXTL 5MT
Compared to the RE92's and RE070's I had previously, I feel these are much better tires for the types of driving I do (mostly highway).
Brian
The lack of lights on some buttons doesn't bother me at all, they are all vey easy to find anyway, so it is a very minor annoyance at worst. As for the lack of memory on the seat or VDC, didn't you know that before you bought the car??? Yes, I would like to have both of those options on mine, and would have been willing to pay for them. But when I decided to buy the Outback XT I was willing to live without them. If you're not, then you obviously shouldn't have bought the car in the first place!!
The TSX is more comparable to the Legacy GT than the TL. The TL is not as sporty and more of a luxury cruiser. I have tried a TL myself and thought it was a very very nice car, certainly a notch above the Subaru in terms of comfort and luxury. However, you have to be willing to live with wicked torque steer and no AWD. I personally would much rather have AWD and no VDC or memory seats then the other way around!
I hope they find a fix for you, I agree, it not only shouldn't happen but is potentially dangerous (Carbon monoxide binds your blood much more effectively than oxygen- so it stays with you a long time!). If it makes you drowsy it's a potential liability for Subaru.
I would think your dealer could at least find a leak somewhere- even small leaks in the exhaust are quite loud.
tom
Karl
I'm wondering if there is some leak either in the the exhaust or the turbo up/down pipe. Can you smell the exhaust fumes by the engine bay if you have someone rev the engine while in neutral?
The complaints I've heard about people getting warm air through their vents have mainly been from people not realizing that the HVAC unit, unless turned down to 65, will add some heat into the fresh air flow. Certainly not to the note of 101 degrees, however!
Ken
A new Subaru puts out nowhere near that level of emissions. And besides, you have to be in fully enclosed air for some time for carbon monoxide to be dangerous. It doesn't happen just idling in the street, no matter what you smell.
--Anyway enough about that. On this problem car, is the engine running OK? Good gas mileage, idles normally, strong acceleration, smooth operation?
~Colin
Carbon monoxide can cause cardiac depression to the point of causing heart attacks. Also considered bad. There are further disturbances on a biochemical level which I won't go into.
Please don't diminish the dangers of Carbon Monoxide. Will the CO coming out of your car kill you if you're young and healthy?- probably not. Is it unhealthy?- yes. Can small amounts make you sleepy and nauseous?- yes. Is this bad while driving?- yes. Are there neurologic deficits associated with chronic CO poisoning?- probably, there's some evidence to suggest this, but we're still finding out.
While we shouldn't be alarmist, we shouldn't take it casually either. CO exposure is a serious problem not to be taken lightly. Just because exhaust fumes were ok in the past doesn't mean it's ok today in a modern automobile, and I certainly wouldn't accept it in a car that I drive my children or parents around in.
Sorry for the long post.
Uh, I still really like my LGT Ltd. It really is fun to drive without being punishing. It's almost 2 cars (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), one a quiet, comfortable commuter, but it also can really tear up some road once you get the revs up!
tom, M.D.
I just ordered a new GT and decided to add the arm rest extension to it, but my dealer does not have any info on the item. They checked with parts but did not come up with anything.
Anyone have any info on this item and its availibility?
Thanks
Don
Don
you *won't* die from carbon monoxide poisoning from any vehicle in the open air. have you ever been trackside at a motorsport event? nascar or NHRA, it doesn't matter, the air quality is AWFUL and yet strangely no one dies. headaches and annoyance, perhaps so.
also, did you notice that I was attempting to discern the nature of the vehicle's problem? I assumed that the problem was a severe annoyance, but still heartily refute that it is a *danger*.
~c
I just ordered a new GT and decided to add the arm rest extension to it, but my dealer does not have any info on the item. They checked with parts but did not come up with anything.
Anyone have any info on this item and its availibility?
Thanks
Don
Ken
No, you won't die of CO poisoning at a Nascar event. But prolonged and frequent exposure to CO is probably not a good thing, whether enclosed inside your car or your home. That's all I was trying to explain. I'm sorry if you didn't understand it, but everything I quoted was medical science, not religion. If you have some scientific evidence to the contrary other than your own observations, I'd love to hear it. If not, please don't mislead other people based on your opinions.
I'm just trying to explain something with some simple facts so people don't get hurt, whether you are driving or trying to BBQ inside your house (which I don't recommend!).
Most of the time I like listening to your opinions and they're usually good ones, but in my professional opinion I strongly disagree with your this time. ;-)
Wow, are you having a bad day? Hope it gets better!
tom ;-)
~c
ps, no I do not smoke. but yes I have been around high CO emissions a lot and am no worse for it.
The outside temperature was 9C (48.2F). I started the car and set the ACC to 22C (71.6F). After a few minutes of driving, once the engine was warmed up, as expected the ACC went to full heat for several minutes. It kept full heat on until it reached 26.5C (79.7F) at which point it started to gradually slow the fan down and reduce the heat. The inside temperature still increased a bit and peaked at 27C (80.6F).
The temperature then gradually came down and after about 6-7 minutes it settled at around 23.5C (74.3F). Note that is still 1.5C above the setting. Since I was wearing a jacket, this was a little too warm so I turned the dial down to 20C (68F). The ACC immediately switched to the face vents and turned the A/C on. So now I was getting some uncomfortably cold air blown straight in my face. The temperature dropped to 19.2C (66.5F) before the A/C turned off and the temperature slowly settled back up to 20.5C (69F). But it was still blowing air in my face, something I don't like or need this time of year, so I manually switched the mode back to feet and windshield.
What did I expect? Fast heating to about 20-21C, then gradual slow down until the temp settles at the requested 22C, and then stays there without further fiddling. If I have to fiddle with it, then what is the point of having ACC?