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Comments
Saw an Aztek on the way to last Sunday's autocross. It was black and parked right out in front of the dealership, which was in a smallish rural Kansas town. I feel pretty confident in saying that more locals laughed at it than lusted after it.
-Colin
But they list the CR-V under "good design", and it has the tail lights straight from the dust-buster minivans, one of them the old Pontiac!
-juice
Stephen
-juice
give this thing a chance to dig in. Just keep
it out of my yard. Don't have a problem w/ my
Lane.
I just can't imagine being seen in one, even on a test drive. this from the world's largest auto company. Bill Mitchell and Harley Earl, the icons of GM styling from the 30s through the 70s, must be gagging in their graves.
FWIW, I think the Chrysler Airflow is actually pretty attractive, but it was clearly too far ahead of its time.
Drew
What really gets me (after the exterior is ignored) is that the perspective buyers (I know of a total of 3)think that AWD, large brakes, independent rear suspension, and a cooler offered together is about the neatest thing since the Corvair! Hello?? These things have been offered in Subaru's for years! I guess this says more about the degree of buyers than the marketing gurus at Pontiac.
Stephen
I also think that the Airflow is pretty groovy looking car, definitely ahead of it's time though. Whoooaah...I hope they don't say this about the Aztek! I may be holding onto my Outback for a lot longer than I originally thought!
Stephen
The Outback was stuck pointed towards the road, which makes me think they made it out over the really soft stuff with some speed on the way in, but high-centered on the way out. A big ol' 4x4 tow truck was just arriving on the scene. For kicks, I tried the area in 2WD and just barely made it. Soobie should offer a package or vehicle in their line-up that a beginner could drive onto the beach without fear.
-B
I'll be landing in approximately 5 hours, so look for my test drive report (assuming I do get picked up in the wagon and am "allowed" to drive it) at around 10 am Pacific time when I get settled and get my Internet connections setup.
Should be interesting...gotta go, this is connection is costing me $4 a minute!
Drew
-mike
S4 is sweet. S4 Avant is sweeter. $40k for a subcompact is a little painful, but still. C&D has an article on the RS4 in the current issue, with 375hp. And that's a WAGON!
Beanboy: was that a 2000 model, or the earlier ones? The 99 and previous had 6.8" of clearance and 205 section width tires. The 2000s have an extra half inch of clearance and 225 tires, which should help.
What do you drive, B?
No fair, Drew! You da man.
-juice
I also went into the Stop-the-Aztek web site -- what a hoot.
But seriously folks ... the FUNCTIONAL ideas behind the Aztek are great and probably very appealing to the type of people (us) who buy and love Subarus. Maybe, that's why the Aztek generates interest on this Subaru site. But cool functionality and flexibility are only two of our reasons for loving Subarus. We also like the cast-iron quality, the great reliability, and, yes, the looks. There is also the great driveability and willingness to offer a decent 5-speed manual transmission.
And to someone who said he liked the 1930s Chrysler Airflow design, I will admit -- while the design appeals to me about as much as the Aztek -- I have to acknowledge that it was a breakthrough effort, and the engineering in it was excellent. I also have to acknowledge that more than one European car (even a custom-bodied Rolls Royce I once saw) copied the design in one way or another. Still -- we also have to remember that Chrysler quickly ratcheted back from the Airflow and brought out a second line of cars that were more attractive (albeit conventional looking.)
But, at least it's slow and gets poor gas mileage. Did I mention it's ugly?
-juice
bill for the tickets didn't come out of my pocket.
Also, since I have a close relative working for Air Canada/Canadian Airlines, the tickets were much much cheaper than that.
Anyway, I was picked up by my friend and there it
was in the airport parking lot. A - brand new with
2900+ kms on the odometer - White (monocromatic
paint job, I might add and with fender flares) Subaru Legacy Lancaster 6 wagon. I was "allowed" to drive it all of the way to my hotel, BTW. My first surprise after getting behind the wheel and starting the wagon was that the headlamps were HID Xenons!! I was surprised and excited by this. The lights were great and were noticable brighter with a more even spread, as expected, than the North American halogens. I would definitely be willing to pay extra for this option.
Once I got used to the right hand drive
arrangement and the narrow streets, I really
started to enjoy the drive. The H6 engine makes the typical boxer engine sound. It was throaty and
sporty, but not loud or annoying at all. Power
comes on smooth and strongly right from the get-go, despite the H6 wagon weighing more than the H4. The first thing it reminded me of was the V6 in my Camry or the Nissan Maxima.
Although power is readily available from a dead
stop, the H6 opens up noticably around 3000 rpms
and keeps on pulling nicely to redline. Believe me, all of you will NOT be disappointed. I know I
certainly wasn't. The larger engine changes the
character of the Outback completely, much as the V6 changes the Camry from a rather boring car to one which is somewhat actually fun to drive (though the Outback is fun to drive even with the H4). I admit that a semi-automatic gearbox would've made the experience even more enjoyable, but with the current gated shifter and the strong engine, I wonder if it's needed.
I had an opportunity to try out the VDC in an empty parking lot (not many of those here) and it performed as expected. The system had a slightly higher threshold than I expected though, and only activated when necessary, unlike some of the lesser and slower...ahem, GM and Lexus...systems out there. Of course, the full-time AWD provides a lot stability in the first place, even without VDC. FYI, the slightly rear ward bias is to reduce the vehicle's tendency to understeer.
Regarding the interior, assembly quality was
excellent and the materials seemed to be of high
quality. From what I could see in the
semi-darkness, the real wood trim was very
tasteful. This vehicle was fitted with the
obligatory (in Japan) double din GPS navigation
system with a huge LCD screen that was above the
also double din Mcintosh headunit (which sounds
excellent, I might add). The automatic climate
control buttons were moved above the LCD screen.
The GPS system was pretty incredible with 3D
Birdseye view mapping and dynamic traffic
notification (if you have a traffic jam, it will
inform you and offer an alternate route). Of
course, it was all in Japanese, so I couldn't
understand what my virtual co-pilot was telling me. There were visual indicators though, which were simple enough to deduce.
The Momo steering wheel thick and pleasant to grip
(very MB like!). I'm still not so big of a fan of
the split wood/leather arrangement, but at least
this one was made nicely and of high quality. I
also noticed that it had a prominent "Momo" badge
in the centre, instead of Subaru. I actually sort
of like this better; everyone will know its a Momo
:-)
If any of you have questions, please let me know
and I'll see if I can answer them. I will be
leaving back for Vancouver in about 19 hours though (it's 2:33am here).
Drew
Drew: is the Lancaster our GT, or the Outback equivalent? Fender flares? XENON? RHD, that's right. Maybe it was good that it was auto (imagine shifting lefty).
Man, that sounds great. Especially the non-intrusive traction control.
Can't wait to try one.
-juice
-Colin
I rested most of 10 hour flight here, so I'm not fatigued at all. Since it is a long weekend back home, I'll have Monday to recoup.
Juice, the Lancaster is our Outback equivalent. Interestingly, the dual moonroofs are an option (my friend's wagon didn't have it). Like in North America, the H6 is only currently available on the Lancaster lineup. HID headlamps are standard equipment.
The wagon I drove also had some very nifty gadgets. For example, there are 4 small CCD cameras mounted on the front and sides of the front and rear bumpers. This allows the driver to see traffic (via the GPS screen) with only the front of the car sticking out. It also makes parking in the congested streets a heck of a lot easier. Also, there are little remote power extendable antennas on the edges of the front bumper that allow one to see the front edges of the car. Although I didn't try it, the outside mirrors are also power folding.
IMHO, once this engine is fitted into the GT and even without a standard tranny, it should be a hoot to drive and IMHO an excellent and less expenisve alternative to the Volvo S60 AWD/BMW 330ix/MB C320 4-matic. Have a look at the hp/torque curve:
I didn't get to a chance to take any pictures, but I did pick up one of those Japanese auto magazines that Ken mentioned a few days ago. This magazine has a review (in Japanese, of course) and pictures of the Lancaster 6 wagon, exactly like the one I drove. I'll scan that in when I get home, and perhaps Ken can give us a synopsis of the review.
I also got a chance to have a look at the H4 Lancaster wagon with a manual tranny. I was surprised to see that low range is activated via a seperate lever, next to the handbrake.
Drew
Man, Japan gets some neat gadgets. Those cameras should come on every Suburban/Excursion. Low range, too. You're killing me!
The torque curve does not seem as flat as the 2.5l, but there's more of it througout the rev range. Sweet.
-juice
http://www.blueovalnews.com/
Bob
I wonder if it'll fall off when I drive one at Edmunds Live tomorrow! Yikes, remind me NOT to set the cruise control!
Uh oh, what was the 3rd recall? I'm not sure I feel safe even test driving one.
-juice
PS I'm allowed to tease Ford, I've suffered through two ownerships
Ross
Thanks for the great reporting! I feel like this message board has taken a step upwards with real time reporting.
The H6 sounds promising! I'm jealous you got to drive one. I'm also planning on being in Japan later this year -- maybe I'll be able to drive the new Impreza Turbo.
Send over those articles and I'll be more than happy to give you a synopsis.
Ken
When struggling with Escort problems, we wrote a letter to Ford Co., asking why oh why did they produce such a piece of crap. The reply was a standard "we're doing our best to make sure our cars are of the top quality...yada yada yada)". They refused to buy it back or to reimburse a portion of repair cost. Back then, we decided the only way to punish Ford is never ever to buy Ford product again.
No Escape for us. Probably no Tribute either: it looks sweet, but it got engine and tranny from Ford. My friend has Taurus with low miles and the same Duratec V6: already paid $6000 in repair cost over 3 years: transmission got replaced, engine got blown gaskets plus many many other problems.
No Ford. No way.
Even our dearly beloved Subaru company is not blameless. I had a '92 Legacy Touring Wagon, and kept it till about 120000 miles. At around 100000, the AT blew. Many mechanics I checked with said that Subaru was known for bad ATs, at least in the earlier days. Even our Subaru dealer acknowledged that the trannies were weak, and that the rear seals would blow out like clock work around 100000 miles.
For a Ford, 100000 miles for a major component might be good (heck, Chrysler minivan trannies only last for about 60000 miles); for Subaru, I found it disappointing.
Randy
Actually from around the world. Seems like the (mostly) immature crowd at the iclub isn't alone in their thinking... although many of the newer threads are indicating that some are growing to like it-- without even having seen or driven it they're progressing from hate to acceptance and soon to desire I would imagine.
-Colin
All the negative knee-jerk reactions to the new Impreza proves this again to be true. I bet a year from now (once we've gotten accustomed to the new look) the reactions to the styling will be much more positive. Especially after the car is tested, and proven to be (functionally) far superior to the current Impreza.
Bob
-mike
Drew
-Beanboy
I've had good and bad vehicles from Chevrolet. '91 S-10 that I turned over to my brother in college, 145k, 0 repairs after the warrantly ran out. '95 Blazer, lemon lawed this one, in the shop 12 times in 18 months prior to 20k miles. '96 Tahoe, bad brakes, brake lines, starter, and a few other minor problems, 75k miles. Just an example to show that a positive or negative experience with one model from a car company doesn't always translate to the same experience from another model.
-Bryan
The caption says "Subie spied....
The new Subaru Impreza is coming to North America later this year- finally- with a turbo. The '01 Impreza sedan caught testing at the Nurburgring has an intercooled, turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer four that makes 215 horsepower.
There will be no '01 coupe- just the sedan and wagon. Impreza retains its strut suspension and gets the Legacy/Outback's all-wheel-drive system, with a 50/50 split and a viscous center differential to shift torque when needed. The wagon is designed to target the Ford Focus wagon.
Phil
-Colin
Ross
Ross. Sort of a game of a sort.
However, my final answer to what the design team
is up to is related to the capturing a different
set of buyers. Unlike the normal group of Subaru
Lovers yet, with a sim.eye of appeal. Taco Bell seems to be able to mix-up the same ingredients, lets say 500 differents ways. Those who wont eat a Taco will gulp down a Burrito.Only real and major difference is the package it came in.
But the "Let give them something to talk about" thought is certainly a strong candidate.
-Bryan
The rallycar uses a FMIC so the scoop is just show on those too.
-Colin
-mike
Sometime shortly after the original introduction, they will also offer, as an option, a vehicle traction-control system similar to Subaru's VDC.
Everything I've read so far far indicates Ford is doing all the right things with this new Explorer. There's a detailed list of the changes/upgrades, along with some photos of the new Explorer with the following link.
http://www.blueovalnews.com/
It looks like a mini-Expedition, only better. This really could be the new benchmark for truck-based SUVs, assuming it is not subject to any v1.0 issues.
Bob
-mike
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Went to Edmunds Live and Ford apparently escaped (pun intended). Guess they did not want customers driving without a steering wheel.
OK, truce.
I did drive all the small SUVs, and rest assured the Forester still leads the class. I'll share my thought in the Events topic soon. Photos to come later.
But since we keep comparing the Passat to the not-yet-driven H6, let me tell you the V6 engine with the auto was LAME! The slowest V6 I tested! Handling was a bit sloppy, and it was slow through the course because the engine never seemed to be on cam. No 4Motions were there, but that would make it slower.
It also has the hardest leather seats I've ever sat in, and had criptic controls, too. It was the car that dissappointed me the most. Heck, I preferred the 1.8T 5 speed with cloth seats I test drove a while ago.
Dare I admit it? I prefered the Camry.
Hopefully the H6 will feel like the one Drew tested, and if it does, trust me, it'll be in another league compared to the Passat's V6.
On the Impreza: make it ugly so noone buys it, then Subaru will offer a $2000 rebate and I can afford one with dealers giving them away at invoice.
Autoweek was way off (rare for them). They had no idea the car was so heavily disguised. The turbo probably will not arrive this year, and the AWD system is the same as the current one (they seem to imply it's new). Finally, it's a niche product and will not target the Focus wagon.
-juice
Yes, the Passat/Audi V6 is not the quickest. Did the car that you test drove have the 4motion system? Can you imagine the same 2.8L V6 engine in the heavier A6 Quattro? Slow is an understatement. ;-)
I'll post the scans from the Japanese magazine later today.
The Passat was not a 4Motion, can you imagine how slow that would be? The A4 they had was FWD, so I passed (lines got long).
VW simply needs to DROP that engine and go back to the VR6. At least that engine had serious torque, and with refinements it could blow away the current V6.
Glad to hear the H6 is Camry-like and not VW-like. Can't wait to drive one now.
-juice
-Colin
Yeah, I'm looking forward to the H6 too.
Randy
2002 will have the new body and the turbo. It will be on the car-show circuit next winter, for delivery fall of 2001.
-mike