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Comments
On an automatic trans you only need 1 hand on the wheel
But on a serious note, on long trips, I'd like a driver side handle to hold onto just to rest my arm. It's a nice change to hang your arm up there instead of just resting it on the arm rest. Just a thought.
-mike
Mike (Torricelli), there IS a driver's side O.S. handle on the Outback. If the driver has to let go of the wheel to grab onto that, well, there definitely must be trouble. But, it's there just in case.
I'm still befuddled by the door lock setup though. The manual button slides back to lock, the power button slides forward to lock. Huh??????
Mike (Smith), be sure to report back about the rendezvous. I should have gone -- we planned a day at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, but ended up staying home. I just helped to can some pickles, and now we're going out to shop for new curtains and get some Mums. Help me!! The only consolation is that I get to eat some of the pickles in the coming months, and we'll probably take the Soob shopping!
I would like to make it to the Fall Foliage gathering in late October -- Charlottesville is really nice that time of the year, and it would be good to meet some of you guys. And Patti, I would love to check out an H6! I'll be up there in early October for the Apple Festival and some hiking, and am looking forward to driving through Skyline drive in Shenandoah NP with the Outback. I used to scare my passengers queasy in the curves when I had a Prelude (had to test out the active torque transfer system (ATTS), right?), but I'll probably tone it down some in the OB. Though, the AWD sort of acts like a front-to-back ATTS . . . . hmmmm.
Have a good weekend, all.
Craig
-mike
I "only" spent 3 hours there with my wife with and two children and ran out of time to do everything. Kids loved exploring the LL Bean tents; they liked the three "room" tent the best -- one for mommy and daddy and one for each of the them. Now they think they want to spend the night in one -- which is great! We'll try it in the back yard for starters.
I was wearing my Coventry City Football Club jersey emblazoned with SUBARU (photo) and boy, wasI treated like royalty! Every Subaru representative I saw asked me where I got the shirt. Funny thing is that the SoA district service operations manager (who has a lovely 52 Bentley and of course an 01 Outback) has the same shirt -- he convinced an associate in Subaru UK to procure his.
I met a marketing rep from Subaru of Canada and mentioned Ash's fuel injector problem and the high-sulphur fuel issue (thanks Colin); she hadn't heard of either problem (but then again, she's in marketing not service). Several SoA reps for DC introduced themselves, including Mike Smit (yes, that's my namesake missing an H). Always great to talk Subes with the factory reps. I voiced our desire to move the H-6 into the GT and of course turbos into the whole line (including one for Kate's next Forester).
Also ran into Bill (an Edmunds lurker) who is going through the same evaluation process I did (Passat wagon vs. Subaru wagon). When I mentioned Edmunds, he wanted to know if I was the one and only juice (he read juice's opinion of the Passat). Turns out he lives about 1 mile from me. Small world, even in the megapolis of DC.
I sat in an LL Bean 3.0; didn't care for the feel of the leather on the Momo wood steering wheel. Might have been that it was a pre-production version. I like my GT's leather wheel better (just personal preference). Wish I could have driven it around but I had fun salivating over the H-6 anyway. I've got the 01 brochures and I'm digesting them. It's funny though: through the miracle of modern computer graphics, they re-used the photos in the 00 brochures and changed the colors (like the GT Limited sedan from Rio Red to Winestone Pearl). I wouldn't have noticed except that I've memorized every inch of that lovely GT photo, so I remembered its color.
Craig, if you like coasters, there is ERT (Exclusive Ride Time) on Superman at Six Flags Largo this Saturday. The event is organized by the Coaster Zombies and though that page is mum, the date is this Saturday 16 September. I've ridden the coaster and it r00lz; lots of air time. It's no Millennium Force (see this post), but it's definitely worthwhile. Email me if you want to meet up.
Well, I'm really glad I went to the Subaru Outback Rendezvous. If there's one heading your way, go to it! Thank you, SoA and the other sponsors!
..Mike, still jazzed on this morning's coffee
..Mike
-mike
I'm lukewarm about coasters -- I generally have a good time, but some scare the hell out of me. I've flown with test pilots and skied off cliffs -- no big deal -- but am a big baby when in comes to amusement park rides. Probably a bad childhood experience I've blocked out somewhere . . .
Funny thing about brochures and websites -- I've seen several instances where they flip an image around to recycle it. Look closely at the pictures on Subaru's website -- I saw two or three that were "backwards".
Craig
Craig, coasters are pretty lame compared to a ride with a test pilot! But no prob, thought I'd check as you just can't beat ERT.
Toodles.
..Mike
..Mike
I always hated coasters cause it's generally some teen aged kids who are paying more attention to the chicks than what they are doing running em... That scares me.
-mike
PS: Yes... FHI/SIA/Isuzu/GM fire is still a brewin!
Ken
Since we are also a FORD dealer, I see all of the recall info.....I'd personally be afraid to get behind the wheel, might get out with it in my hands.
Darlene
Ken
During my time there, I drove a sampling of almost every vehicle class. Here's some of my impressions:
Small SUVs: I got to drive the Escape. It looks and feels the largest of all the other small SUVs. Interior finish was okay but acceleration was impressive. Handling not too bad and it did well over the "off-road" part. And, no, the steering wheel didn't fall off.
I also drove the CR-V, RAV4, GV and Forester as well. While the acceleration & torque award goes to the Escape, the handling award goes easily to the Forester. The all the others felt pretty sloppy in the slalom. The two vehicles I was least impressed were was the CR-V and RAV. Both had lethargic power and handling was pretty soft. The CR-V flexed quite a bit over the bumps.
I also got in trouble with the Forester. It was the very last vehicle I drove during the day so I really pushed it. I ended up swinging the tail end in on of the hairpin turns knocking over three cones. Got yelled at by an attendant -- sorry guys! ;-p
Near Lux Sedans: Drove the IS300, BMW 323 and Acura 3.2TL. The IS300 was a blast. I had the rear tire squealing through all the turns. Great feel and acceleration. The TL was very comfy but gave a well-controlled ride. The least impressive was the 323. It felt heavy and sluggish through the slalom.
juice was right on his advice. Get there early! Your reservation time slot and vehicle category mean nothing! You can show up way in advance and drive any vehicle you like all day.
Ken
..Mike
I just took my Forester on the sands of the Outer Banks, and was very, very impressed. What a ball! And I still managed 20.5mpg, in a week of driving off road EVERY single day!
Miracle of coincidences, your loyal chief has already obtained and installed an "oh-poop" bar on the driver's side. Yes, indeed, with Darlene's help we dug up the part number and I bolted on one. The Forester has holes ready and waiting, you just need the part, and some bolts (not included).
Is that hilarious or what? Paisan talks about it, and sure enough, I'd already installed it. Yes, as usual, I have photos to share, probably tomorrow.
Oh, and yes, it was handy. Driving back from the beach, on several occasions it was at sun down. That means sharp rays right in the eyes, and a filthy salt/sandy windshield means zero visibility. So I hung partially out the window, holding my new oh-poop bar, so I could see.
Worked like a charm. I'm dead serious, too.
Bill - looking forward to meeting you, even if you do settle for the wheezy Passat V6.
Sometimes you intend to be funny. Other times it's by accident. Darlene: you gave me the best laugh I've had all year long with post #269.
I can see the T-shirts now: "Friends don't let friends drive Escapes".
-juice
Can you elaborate on the Escape's handling?
I also wasn't impressed much with the 2.0l contingent. It's clear they were launched before all the torque showed up.
The attendants didn't seem to care much here. Oh well, sounds like fun - slipping the tail out. Who says a Soob can't oversteer?
The car mags are not as friendly to the IS, but they must be comparing it to a 5 speed 328, not an auto 323 like you and I drove. The Lexus was easily the better of the two, we agree.
-juice
When I sat in the Escape, the first thing I noticed was that the ride height was significantly taller than any other mini SUV. In fact, it almost felt Xterra-like.
The interior was done in a grey patterned fabric that didn't look too bad. The dash and controls had the typical Ford-grey plastic look to it. Overall impression was spartan, but something you would expect for a vehicle in it's price range.
The rear seat was what was most impressive. Even with my friend, Tony, who is about 6" with the driver's seat set comfortably for him, there was ample leg room in the back.
Acceleration felt brisk. The V6 engine is reasonably responsive and flooring it gave you the satisfaction of the 200HP under the hood. The Escape felt the quickest in straight line accleration.
Overall ride felt taut, not springy. Aside from a fair amount of body roll which was to be expected, the Escape felt pretty good in the slalom course -- much better than the CR-V, but not quite as good as the Forester. Ford must have decided to use stiffer springs in the Escape because it just seemed to handle the slalom much better than the Explorer.
On the bumps, the Escape felt quite solid. In my opinion, the GV felt the most solid with the Escape and Forester in second. Body flex was not noticeable and the suspension did a good job of working out the pitching and diving.
On the big "hill" I stopped mid way, flipped the switch to 4x4 "ON" and tapped the gas. The Escape pulled forward with minimal slip unlike the CR-V where I got the front to slip and then feel the rear kick in.
That's about all I could get from the short track they had set up in Golden Gate Fields. Overall, I was impressed with the Escape. Aside from the fact that it is a Ford and it's on it's 3rd recall (not counting the Firestone tires), I would give it a hard look if I were looking for an alternative to bigger SUVs. If I wanted handling, I would go with the Forester.
I honestly felt that the Escape will give just as much, if not more, competition to the Explorer aside from small SUVs. The Escape costs less, handles better and seemed to have as much passenger and cargo space as the Explorer.
Ken
In the meantime, the Escape will sell very well, especially with the Firestone/Explorer scare.
-juice
Garry misspelled Forester (one "r"), though. Oops. I got an SCOA T-shirt so I can forgive him!
He only mentions the event and the date - 10/22.
Hey - it's on a....SUNDAY! Finally!
-juice
FWIW, that page is also rife with bad apostrophes.
I need a new one - Tati ate the innards of the one you see in the photo.
Any suggestions? Just go to Performance Bikes?
-juice
Patti: please do come, it'll be a lot of fun.
Garry said we'll probably meet at 9am, and the first car will leave at 10am for the Gimmick Rally and Tour. Should be beautiful and scenic, with the folliage at its peak.
It should end around 2pm, he said, and we'll gather and check odometers and times. Top 3 get a prize, too.
Don't be surprised if Darlene takes good care of us once again.
-juice
Anyone want to run a "mini-rally" in the hills
north of LA? I know some great ridgeline roads
with sweet up and downhills, plus nice corners as
well which I've run in my Outback. There's a great
place to park and chat while Soobies run the
"course." yes, this is strictly for fun,
non-sanctioned, etc etc. I'm bored with running my
Soob through the hills solo and figured it would be
fun to meet up with some folks and run our
vehicles as they were designed for. Just an idea,
but it'd be a hoot. Anyone interested drop me a
line at dzman7@aol.com. Comments welcome.
dave z
http://www.wave.net/diveguy/Dave
sri bout weird type placement from copying. Sheesh!
Drove to Cuyama and up Santa Barbara Cyn., then left up Dry Creek Cyn. and 7 miles or so up toward Cuyama Pk. ROCKS AND RUTS AND STEEP SLOPES NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED. Put "ruby", our wintergrn. baby, and her ltd. slip differential through her paces indeed. Thought we would have to give up around every other bend. But slow and steady, never missing a step, she hauled us up the mountain with no more to show at the end of the day but a few "knee-skinnings" on her lower lip. (You know what I'm talking about?)
I want to shout "I LOVE THIS CAR!" from the top of every mountain with anything like a goat trail going up it's side.
Keep me posted on the rally idea. Santa Barbara is not so far from Thousand Oaks and after yesterday it sounds like alot of fun!
Chris
Come on, folks, RSVP to Garry ASAP. Freebies have been secured.
Chris - sounds like a fun run. Did you catch any photos of the trail or the scenery?
-juice
..Mike
..Mike
Sounds like you had a good time, which is cool. Reading the iClub thread makes me sad that I sold my Prelude -- it was a sweet track car (even if I wasn't always the perfect driver).
So, were you the only wagon out there? ;-)
Craig
Sounds awesome, you da man! I should've gone just to see you wringing that wagon around the track!
-juice
To all who participated, it sounds like it was a fabulous outing. Promise not to stop having them until I get back east and can come along on a few, please?!?
Cheers,
WDB
-juice
Hehe WDB, I hope to be doing this as often as permitted by my wife the saint. Lucien and I are already making plans for next year; will keep you informed here. I need to find a PC-based driving simulator/game, preferably w/a Subaru or Legacy, to practice track driving.
I couldn't sleep the night before, the night of, and the night after the track day. Last night I finally got more than 5 hours of sleep in one night. I am still pumped. I didn't realize how complicated driving actually is. I learned an awful lot about vehicle dynamics but I've barely scratched the surface.
..Mike
..Mike
Tell everyone about the bathroom first part, and about what it felt like to pass a Testarossa.
Heck, I'd be bragging to everyone I knew!
-juice
The real difficulty is trying to drive normally on the way home from the track . . . .
Craig
The best part was my instructor for the first two (of four) 20-minute sessions is SCCA licensed in his Integra. Between newbie sessions, instructors get exclusive use of the track. He wanted to show me some things and invited me for a drive. Serious business: roll cage, fire extinguisher, five-point harness, race suspension, Kevlar brake pads, gigantic rotors. Never having belted up in a 5-pt, I learned the hard way to 1) close door and 2) belt in. I reversed the two, couldn't budge, and had to ask someone to close the door. My instructor did the same thing but with his sunglasses, which he couldn't find (they were on the floor). D'oh!
What a scream! Good thing I followed class instructions before the lesson. He completely maxed out the vehicle, threshold braking, sliding, tires begging for mercy.. it was an unbelievable ride. He was either maxing out the brakes or the gas (which is how you race, at least according to the book I read).
To give you an idea of what was happening, I exited turn 3 on lap 1 at 60mph, on later laps at 70mph; he took it in stride at 89mph! (and that's with my BBB (big bum balast)) (BTW I never looked at my speedometer; he read the numbers to me. I just listened to the engine and felt the car's feedback.) We passed every vehicle on the track (more than once), including a Testarossa that we overtook coming out of turn 10. Drivers being passed signal those wanting to pass; though the Testarossa could have overtaken us on the straight we entered after turn 10, we clearly were faster exiting the turns and the Testarossa driver acknowledged that by letting us pass. Links: Summit Point Raceway and track config.
Good grief I am spent for the day.
..Mike
..Mike
..Mike
..Mike
Just gotta keep the shiny side up
Loosh
Any new developments in the SIA Tour this spring? Once I get the Isuzu section of the Edmunds Owners going, I'd like to invite them to tag along. Let's make this happen!
-mike
What's the time table like on the Isuzu topics?
-juice
-mike
Unfortunately, it looks like I'll be flying solo. Wife and daughter are currently in Florida looking at more colleges. And... I'm getting up too early to wake my son, who has absolutely no interest in Subarus, foliage, or waking up early. I don't think I'll be bringing Annie (our Golden Retriever) either, as she has a nasty habit of eating food from tables. Don't think that will go over to well at the buffet.
See ya'll Sunday!
Bob
..Mike