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Comments
Dave
paisan: I think you're right about newer tanks being plastic (or some poly-something or other).
Awesome 4 wheel drift. You west coasters have the best locales. I can never find that kind of room.
Dave: keep in mind the roof only carries 150lbs, and the smaller hard cases (Subaru's OE for one) and soft carriers like mine offer plenty of room. 13 cubic feet is like an extra trunk, and soft ones fit odd-shaped items particularly well. In 5 hours of rain mine arrived dry inside, too.
Michelle - mileage for me has improved markedly over time. I'd say I'm getting about 4-5 mpg better at 27k miles than when new.
Nick: wow, a Forester over a Lincoln LS and a Maxima? Must've been that enormous moonroof! Or AWD. Or premium fuel prices (yikes - $2/gallon near me). Welcome and congrats; time to update the profile!
Shane: ask the dealer to check it out. Could be a loose heat shield. Hard to find, but easy to fix.
Skip: major bummer. I'd pose the same questoin under Maintenance & Repair - there seem to be some experts lurking there.
DS: love to hear those 188k mile stories, you made my day! Perhaps the entire seat tracks can be moved back. You'd have to remove the seat to find out, but it's worth a shot. You can't with the newer ones, I've heard.
-juice
Just read your post about your brand new Forester! Congrats once again.
Without any better information, I'll take a stab at that 'rattle' you mentioned. When I first took ownership of my Forester, I also heard a very faint rattle when I let off the accelerator. It turned out that the clamp that holds the fuel pump needed a little grease.
Ken
check out www.impreza-rs.com; the owner is probably posting there.
I am having a tech problem. A squealing noise from the right side of the car, matched to rolling speed, NOT engine speed. VERY intermittent; haven't heard a peep for 2 weeks, then it appeared for 10 minutes last night, now it is gone again. Sounds almost like air escaping, but the tires are fine, so I guess it is something rubber that is, well, rubbing. I have not had it looked at yet, but I hope it isn't serious. any ideas?
Dave
He wrote that he had owned another Subaru that had 162k maintenance-free miles, which I'm sure influenced his decision somewhat.
It's nice to read about what cars people like, but what they spend their cold, hard cash on carries more weight, dontcha think?
They also featured a brief tidbit on the Legacy GT. They said with the rear LSD it offers better traction than most SUVs, plus it was roomy inside and compact outside (the way they like it).
They're doing an AutoFile on the Legacy, so that's an issue worth picking up for you GT owners. Should be next week's, but I'll keep you posted.
-juice
The car in San Rafael, if silver, was Alex "Imprezer" Shikhmuradov's (the owner of www.impreza-rs.com). It has Advan (yokohama) wheels, WRX badging, STI5 wing, Cusco side skirts, Remus dual exhaust, Bridgestone S-02 PP tires, Borla headers, TEIN coilover suspension, and now Electromotive TEC-II programmable fuel injection.
He is a Russian citizen going to school here and most likely at least somewhat wealthy. Very nice guy, mature beyond his years (21-22).
-Colin
Any photos of his ride?
-juice
2001 Forester owners out there, is that true?
Bob
Dave
and the smaller hard cases (Subaru's OE for one)
and soft carriers like mine offer plenty of room.
13 cubic feet is like an extra trunk, and soft ones
fit odd-shaped items particularly well. In 5
hours of rain mine arrived dry inside, too.<<
I really wanted to get a hard case so that I could put it on top of the cross bars and off the paint. Coincidentally, Sears had two of theirs on sale starting today, a 15 cu. ft. and an 18 cu. ft. Turns out they both use the same bottom piece, and the 18 just has a taller top half. I opted for the 15, looks like it will be plenty of room and will be more aerodynamic. With the accessory kit, it all came to $93. I'll update after I get it put together and installed. Maybe take a picture. Speaking of which...(see next post)
Dave
dab4@aol.com
Australian NCAP '99 Subaru Liberty crash test
But I'll find out soon, I guess. QSubaru just shipped it out to me yesterday, so I'll install it (and post photos and instructions, of course).
Speaking of which, Darlene quoted me $49 for the hood delfector people were asking about, and $35.10 for the rear gate bar, no shipping charge or tax outside Texas.
-juice
PS Guess what I got for Father's Day? Yep, the Casio Forester watch. I love it! Nice and sturdy, and the face seems to glow at certain angles so you don't need to use the light.
The only fast food cups I have are the large plastic cups with the shaped bottoms from Taco Bell. They have to fit at a slight angle away from each other. They can't fit in with the bottoms of the cups straight in the holder. You would have to drink some of the soda before putting it in the holder. If you can think of something else you would like to have tried in the holders let me know...
Juice...Congratulations on the watch. I gave one to my husband for Father's Day and he is quite pleased with it. Now for the cap... :-)
I tried not to say anything until the title is in my pocket so as not to jinx the deal, but I found a 97 off lease with just 24K and in great condition. I had another Subaru dealer check it out yesterday. Because the car is so clean, the mechanic wasn't completely thorough, I think he assumed too much. Anyway, the only thing he found was a little seepage from the steering rack.
Unfortunately the windows rattle when they're down. I know people have posted on this with recommendations, but don't remember what to do. The salesman said he would make sure his mechanics check it out but warned me that they may not be able to correct the problem because of the window design.
The front tow hooks are still on the car and I'm wondering if I should have them removed because of the air bag concern or if the risk is so slight that it's better to have the tow hooks in place.
As soon as I post this, I'm going to double check the service bulletins on the cars.
I expect to have the car by the end of the week and am very excited and will be so relieved to be out of my old Honda. Of course then I'll have to start reading the cleaning section. The first thing I want to do is get the obnoxious "Sport" sticker off the side of the car. I've decided that I don't need to upgrade the stereo because the boxer engine provides plenty of base, he he.
Mary
..Mike
..Mike
In my 98 Forester, the fuel pump is located in the engine bay, right below where the driver's side wiper arm pivots. As I wrote earlier, I could hear a very light rattling noise coming from the engine area when I let off the gas pedal. The noise became louder depending on how quickly I let off the gas.
The mechanic who found it basically opened up the hood and had me (in neutral) repeatedly tap the gas. He began grabbing pipes and lines in order to isolate the problem. When he grabbed the fuel line, the noise stopped. Turned out the clamp which holds the fuel pump needed a little grease.
Hope this helps!
<<img src=http://www.autoshowny.com/press/prod_large/new2000subar_outback.jpg>>
Bob
Now I would like to share my experience - so far in buying my deep blue mica 4 door subie impreza 2.5RS with the more sporty 2 door wing.
I rolled up to the first dealer (in my fully souped up, bright orange 1980 Civic CVCC complete with shaved handles billet grill and 17" rims.)
click here to check it out I walked around the dealership (lee galles) looking for the right RS for 20 minutes and was disappointed that nobody came up to talk to me. I may not have looked like the status quo car buyer but that was their loss not mine. I was pissed not to mention that when I went up to the salesperson to ask about the impreza one of the first things he said was "the impreza 2.5RS is a Special order car and we don't go down from the sticker price" So I went to the other dealer, and had much of the same response. also they could not answer any of my questions with more than a basic knowledge (which I already had from the Internet and my own experience ) they also said that it would be impossible to get the 4-door with the 2 door wing. they did not even know that it would swap perfectly without drilling new holes.
I was about to quit on Subaru. after 4 or 5 trips to the dealers here It had not even been offered to let me take a test drive. Meanwhile the honda dealers was happy to let me drive the civic SI and were fighting over my business.. One thing was missing from the SI in my book and that was originality (not to mention AWD).
So I went back to the subie dealer for the last time and met Ron, a new salesperson who had worked with subaru on the east coast.
I was pleased to see that he
A. knew alot about the car and gave me usefull information
B.did not feed me that "we dont budge on price deal"
C. called SOA and found a way to get the wing I wanted on the 4 door that I wanted.
so I bought the 2.5RS (from rich subaru for anyone in albuquerque) and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.
I am not here to bash the dealers, and from most of the posts that I read most of you have had good experiences. and If it werent for all the good review's and posts I have read from you guys and other boards about the car and the company
I would have bought a honda.
I am glad that did not(although honda's are great cars but one is enough)
Thank you for all the great info
I look forward to participating in your board and modifying my car extensivly.
eagerly awaiting my subie , Mark
Juice, I also got my watch. First glow watch I ever use, its very nice. I only use my Movado on formal occasions now.
Not matter if Subaru says that the cupholder can handle a big bottle, I prefer not to hold those, just in case. I like the idea of keeping the Forester well conserved.
"The king is dead. Long live the king. Second to the Impreza in 1999, the Legacy has turned tables with a near perfect score. Only its fuel consumption merits a grumble. All other aspects of ownership elicit feelings that range from content to delight. On the road, it’s well mannered, a trait shared by its low-priced dealers. The integrity of its mechanicals and electrics is beyond question and its build quality makes the Grand Canyon look transitory. In short a redoubtable, classy winner. And definitive proof that, for customer satisfaction, Subaru is in a premier league of one"
The Impreza (98 points) and Forester (93 points) also did extremely well (just below the Legacy), but the comments were not as complimentary. I guess in petrol-expensive Europe, the fuel economy is not impressive enough.
"Despite its top 10 placing, the Forester has its problems. Niggles surround its hi-fi, fuel consumption and troublesome transmission. Excellent dealer care, build and road manners redress the balance"
"Champ for two consecutive years, and now runner-up. It’s a thoroughly rewarding car to own and drive, heavy thirst for fuel and wind noise aside. There’s only one sense in which an Impreza is second best"
Mark: Wow, 17" on a CVCC?! They've got to be worth more than the car! Wild!
Too bad Subaru has unique offsets, I doubt they'll fit your new RS sedan (and congrats, BTW). Feel free to bash bad dealers and praise the good ones, we have a topic just for that!
The reason I know about the offset is that finally, after months of talking about it, I've placed an order for a Plus One set of alloys and tires. More details later...
There's also a "Mods" topic I imagine you'll feel right at home in. Check out the early posts for several links to shops that specialize in Soobs.
Drew: thanks for sharing the great reviews.
-juice
MB (and BMW) does and the wheels are a major PITA to mount since there are no lugs sticking out of the hub to support the wheel while you attempt to put them back in place. To make the situation worse, the ML's large tires (255s, 275s, or 285s) are heavy! Because of all of these difficulties, I was literally inventing new swear words when I rotated my tires a few week ago; I spent about 20 minutes per (sic) wheel, even though there was some one helping me.
I've rotated my tires and it was cake, guess they are lug-centric.
The problem is with the unusual positive offsets (48-55mm), and the little clearance from the rear spring base. The wider rims have a lower offset, but only slightly so they don't bulge out and look silly, or worse, screw up the suspension.
I'll keep the steel wheels, and maybe throw them back on in the dead of winter. The stock 205s are more narrow and the tread is more aggressive, so it may be better suited. When they wear a set of Blizzaks or Pirelli winter tires would fit nicely (maybe overkill in DC though).
A lot changes, here's the breakdown:
Before After
15" diameter rims 16"
6" width 7"
steel alloy
205 tire width 225, 2cm wider
5.6" sidewall, soft 5.3" sidewall, stiffer
S rated H rated
light truck tires performance all-season
7.5" clearance at diffy 7.7" clearance
Unsprung weight probably won't change. Alloy is lighter, but the rims are bigger. I'll weigh them and take before/after photos. I'll also measure clearance changes.
Every change listed was very much desired. I need tires soon anyway, so the alloys added less than $300, a bargain. 15" alloys invoice for $447 had I ordered them when new, 16" were $460 from QSubaru without tires, and those are 6.5" wide, while mine are 7".
Plus, they're unique looking, and the offset allows the wider tire (225).
The diameter is a tad bigger, but only 1.3%, well within tolerances. That means revs will be lower at highways speeds, helping gas mileage (though the wider tires hurt and will likely offset that).
Can't wait to get them. You can bet there will be plenty of photos when they are mounted.
BTW, this should work for any Forester L owner, or any 99 and earlier Outback owner looking for a Plus One.
Ya hear, Lucien?
-juice
is about 40-50 miles east of Knoxville.
Ross
Thanks for all of the information in the past and I look forward to chatting with you in the future.
Patti
Subaru Team
Did I overlook a post?
Maybe I should have saved this for Juice or
our Mayor Mike Smith, but good to hear from
Ya'll.
Later
That's cool...
Thanks.
Paul
Laptops aren't the best things to scan photos into...
- ash
A couple of etiquette suggestion, if I may. Let's not kill the messenger, be friendly, and understand she can't reveal every trade secret they have. Or can you?
That should be easy with this group, Patti. You'll find friendly, helpful folks with a good attitude about their Subarus.
ash: send me some new photos, with the tint and all. I can resize them to fit. I'm updating my pages now, because...
Yahoo! The dual cup holder from the 2001 Forester DOES FIT the earlier models. Did this myself yesterday, in about 45 minutes. With a few tips I'll share on my web site, you can do it in 30 minutes or less. The 3rd bolt was a pain to get to, I didn't even know it was there! It was $15.20 from Darlene.
Also got the leather shift knob for the manual tranny for $30. It just screws right on, and the boot pops onto the bottom of it. Looks stock. Took about 1 minute to install.
Photos coming soon.
-juice
Once again, thanks for the warm welcome!
As promised, here are instructions to add the dual cup holder to pre-2001 Foresters. I believe it may also fit the Impreza and Outback Sport, since they have essentially the same dash.
Also, here are my new shift knob, windflector, and watch.
Check it out, folks!
I'm once again collecting Crew member photos for another "friends" page. Please e-mail me with a photo of you and your Subaru if you'd like to be included.
-juice
here is a pic of my 1980 honda civic CVCC with 17" rims..
- to quote juice -
"Mark: Wow, 17" on a CVCC?! They've got to be
worth more than the car! Wild!"
Yes the car was bought for 250$ and the rims were $900!
some of the mods include: shaved door handles, custom molded wing, custom molded fender flares, shaved roof gutters, shaved license plate lights, shaved side markers, shaved side/door moldings, shaved mirrors, custom exhaust, 17" CEC rims, Accel wires, carbon fiber steering wheel, Billet grill, Del-Sol seats
. I plan to have my subi with this many mods by 2001.. juice thank you for the response to my post.
§. MÄRK
Its kinda fun to see people freak out when they see my door open without me touching anything. next project for this car after my subie arrives is suicide doors. .. I am not selling this car. but after that mod . my subie will get some of its own. but Ill save that for the modifications page.
MÄRK
..Mike Smith
..Mike
My choices have been narrowed down to either an Outback or Forester (like many other posts I've read). I hope to buy new, but since this would be my first car over $3500 I'm still trying to get over that sticker shock! Any comments about why buying new is worth the money are appreciated (to convince me to take the plunge)
So sorry for the long intro....onto my question. I remember reading about a "free maintenance" deal that was available to IMBA or ACA members. Since I'm a member of neither of these groups, I'm wondering if anyone knows if there are any requirements on either of these programs to be eligible for their member benefits. I'm planning to buy within the next month or so, so I don't want to pay the money to join one of these groups just to have them tell me that I can't take advantage of the Subaru maintenance deal until I've been a member for 6 months. Anyone have any first-hand experience with either group?
Thanks to all the members of this board for providing great car buying info. It's nice to get opinions and info straight from consumers instead of from a dealer. Oh, and I went ahead and signed up for my MBNA Subaru card the other day too! Maybe when I'm ready to buy that new MY03 I'll have enough credits racked up....
Also, remember when you come to the Owners Clubs Conference, click on the Topic Title link on the topics page to resort everything alphabetically, so your Crew is all in a group!
Talk to you soon...
Bonnie Rick
Conferences Manager, Town Hall
Edmunds.com