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Subaru Crew - Meet The Members

in Subaru
continuation of the general Subaru Crew topic.
Please remember we also have the following topics
for this Club:
Subaru Crew - Cleaning Interior & Exterior
Surfaces (Topic #11)
Subaru Crew - Dealers & Pricing (Topic #12)
Subaru Crew - Future Models (Topic #14)
Subaru Crew - General Maintenance & Repair (Topic
#15)
Subaru Crew - Modifications (Topic #16)
Subaru Crew - Events (Topic #17)
Enjoy!
Bonnie Rick
Conferences Manager, Town Hall
Edmunds.com
Please remember we also have the following topics
for this Club:
Subaru Crew - Cleaning Interior & Exterior
Surfaces (Topic #11)
Subaru Crew - Dealers & Pricing (Topic #12)
Subaru Crew - Future Models (Topic #14)
Subaru Crew - General Maintenance & Repair (Topic
#15)
Subaru Crew - Modifications (Topic #16)
Subaru Crew - Events (Topic #17)
Enjoy!
Bonnie Rick
Conferences Manager, Town Hall
Edmunds.com
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Patti has been with Subaru for 18 years and has worked in various roles, most involving retail customers.
She is currently responsible for training and QC in Customer Dealer Services Department. She will try to be as responsive to your needs as possible.
I'll let Patti introduce herself to you all, and let you welcome her to this great Club!
Bonnie Rick
Conferences Manager, Town Hall
Edmunds.com
Thanks!
Patti
My name is Colin and you can find out a little bit about me by checking out my profile (clicking the hyperlink on my name).
I already have a question.
Dealers are receiving brochures for SPT (Subaru Performance Tuning) accessories and interestingly enough STi (Subaru Technica International) shirts, keychains, etc. are in there. This is a nice start, but when do the real STi parts arrive, such as suspension? Or STi seats? ...although the sticker shock on those might scare some folks.
Thanks and welcome to the crew!
-Colin
Questions:
What's the latest in terms of ETA for the new Outback H-6 (LL Bean & VDC)? I've heard this coming October, is that true? Any word on pricing?
Can you give us any updates on the new Impreza? I've heard it will come next winter and will be a 2002 model. I know there will be a turbo. Will it be like the euro-spec turbos, or a full-blown (pun intended!) WRX, like what is sold in Japan and Australia?
There are some rumors going around that the H-6 may replace the 2.5 H-4 in the Legacy lineup for 2002. Any truth to that?
Will there be a new Forester for MY 2003, using the new Impreza platform? There have been rumors hinting at that. If it's true, do you know if it will be a roomier vehicle, more along the lines of a CRV or Escape/Tribute in terms of interior space?
Hopefully these are areas you "can" talk about, in some detail, without getting in trouble.
Thanks in advance.
Bob
One more question:
A lot of us on this board often have suggestions as to how we would like to see Subaru and their products evolve and improve. Can you make sure those suggestions get into the hands of product planning decision makers at SOA?
Bob
Since this is a Meet the Members topics, I'll share a directory of my web pages, all Subaru related. There's even a photo of
Bob in there.
One of Bob's questions is referring to an article in Autoweek that said the H-6 would be the standard engine in ALL Legacys for 2002. That made some happy, while others worried about price escalation.
Generally the Crew felt both engines should be kept, the 2.5l in the L and Brighton models for value, the 3.0l in the GT and Outbacks, for pulling power.
We're diving right in. These are the main issues we've been talking about in the past several months.
-juice
Bob
Welcome aboard! Please thank the person in SoA that agreed to allocate the resources for you to represent Subaru here at Edmund's. As Bob said, this shows SoA cares about their customers (loyal I might add; I'm on Subaru #2).
I'll start you off with an easy one:
Any Cherry Hill sightings of the new honcho?
..Mike Smith . Silver Spring MD . 00 GT wagon
..Mike
Mark - you must own a shop or be some kind of craftsman! You know we now fully expect your RS to be able to fly within a year of ownership, right? Ok, maybe not fly, but at least it has to be amphibious.
You know what would be cool? Put some hydraulics on a Forester so the ground clearance varied from scraping the ground to four feet in the air!
Let me come back down to earth now...OK, I'm back.
2ndwnd: nice cargo carrier! Looks sturdy and big, too. I'd get creative and find a way to mount it on the wall when not in use.
Espe: why buy new? Well, you've got a powertrain warranty for the next five years (60K miles or until 2005, wow!), and they're reliable to begin with. That means you can rest easy during those 60 payments you'll probably make, since expenses will be predictable.
I used to not care much myself. Until I had a baby about a year ago, then you wouldn't believe how much you begin to care about safety and reliability.
So the 2001s offer 4 air bags, ABS, AWD, rear LSD, crumple zones, side impact beams, and even seat belt pre-tensioners, force-limiters, and height adjusters. Every Subaru meets or exceeds all car safety standards, whereas many SUVs do not (roof crush resistance, side impact, etc).
Finally, they're relatively efficient, and meet LEV emissions standards. I'm averaging over 26 mpg in my Forester. Save the earth!
-juice
PS What's important to you? Perhaps if you let us know we could address your question more directly.
Nice to have you aboard. I have an issue that has bugged me since I bought my Forester 13 months ago. Why doesn't the gas cap lock? For that matter, why isn't there a remote release for a locking lid?
-juice
Motorweek finally aired the Forester test ... at least on Speedvision. Good review .. but they should have played in the mud a little
- hutch
Stephen
Personally, I couldn't justify/afford new. And frankly, much of my decision for the 97 sport was based on (1) a decent 97 Legacy GT with the 2.5L was proving hard to find (2) I knew that If I got a used Legacy L, I would forever regret not getting a new one.
If you want a used forester, most of them are still on lease so it will be harder to find but not out of the question.
There are lots of used Outbacks on the market here in Western Mass. So if you want an Outback, I'd say test the new and used and decide if the extra cost is offset by the design improvements, the full warranty, a clean car, knowing the car's history, etc.
Cars loose a lot of value as soon as they're sold ... but Subarus don't loose as much as others and you get more with new.... If I really had the dough, I'd buy new.
My favorite part is when they compare the sunroof to the Texas sky. And 9.1 seconds to 60 for an auto 4 banger with AWD? Unreal! That's better than their V6 Passat 4Motion by 7 tenths!
They also reviewd the RS. Solid review, too: "beats the pants off just about any other compact performance model for stability and feel."
Here's a used car buying tip. If you buy a 2 year old model, you have 3 years left on the warranty. See if you can afford payments on a loan no more than 3 years in length. That way, you're covered.
-juice
Two questions for you:
1) Will VTD ever make it to the US? I noticed that Subaru offers 4 different types of AWD systems in Japan (VTD, VDC, plus the two types offered here in the AT and MT).
2) Does Subaru have plans to mate it's H6 with a tiptronic 5-speed automatic transmission? Many of the "near luxury" vehicles the LL Bean and VDC Outbacks will compete seem to have this feature.
Ken
98 Forester S
I was thinking about buying new but was still very hesitant because I'm basically cheap and then the '00 OB came out. What a difference! Better low-end torque, much quieter, vastly improved interior. I could get exactly what I wanted in perfect condition for around $2,500 more than a good used OB. And then when a dealer had exactly what I was looking for, that hadn't been driven by anyone (10 miles on the odo., protective tape still on body), I couldn't pass it up.
Now the '01 Forester has all the improvements also.
All in all, considering this was my first car purchase to exceed $6K, new ended up being my choice.
-Brett
big, too. I'd get creative and find a way to mount it on the wall when not in use.<<
Good idea, actually that wouldn't be too hard to do. The hard part for me would be to free up enough wall space!
Dave
Stephen
Sightings of the new President: Yes, Mr. Saito has been with us for a few months. He was with FHI (actually Subaru of Canada) for some time before this. He is very articulate and friendly and I think he will do a fine job. Also, the two gentlemen that were promoted to Exec. VP's, Tom Doll and Fred Adcock have played key roles in Subaru's success so things should be fine. George Muller, the outgoing President did a great job for Subaru and he was wonderful to work with. We're going to miss him on a personal level.
Product Suggestions: I promise that I will compile your suggestions and forward them to the higher ups in our Product Planning Department. They really enjoy suggestions so they will be welcomed.
H6 and VDT - We have a few of the H6's at the office but they are early production. I wouldn't bank on much earlier than September for the LL Bean car or the H6. Pricing? Nothing official. I'll try to get more tomorrow (I'm doing this from home tonight), but, from what I have heard, we should all be pleasantly surprised. Of course, because production will be a bit limited in the beginning, I would expect dealers to try to get premium bucks for awhile. Anticipated demand is really going to exceed production so. . .
STI - Performance Parts - I got word today that a press release was about to go out that they are now available at your local dealer!! We're all glad about that because we have so many request.
Impreza Turbo - This is all a bit secret. I read somewhere that in Europe, they are paying premium bucks for sneak photo's (no - I don't have any - darn). Everything is still a bit quiet on this. Advertising plans are in the works. I should have more information on this in a couple of weeks.
H6 replacing H4 - I haven't heard that, but I seriously doubt it. While some folks want the POWER (myself included), with the current fuel issue, I don't see them doing that anytime soon. Fuel economy is still a big issue for owner's so I don't believe they would want to turn away that part of the market.
2003 Forester Changes - I had heard 2005 for the next major makeover. But...I may be wrong. Subaru used to take a lot longer to implement changes. In recent times, I've seen a trend to respond more quickly to the market and customer demands. Like the STX concept car. They moved very quickly on designing that using a lot of computer technology and meetings. We were able to have an actual concept vehicle from the idea stage to the actual build in a remarkably short period of time. So, as I hear, you'll hear!!
More to come - Sorry this is so long!
VDT - I think we will start to see some tranny changes (maybe the VDT) in a few models soon. I'll scope it out.
H6 and a 5-speed - I hope so. It might even help me overcome my dream issues of owning a '57 Chevy ragtop! Seriously though, I don't see that being too far away.
My next two post might be a bit lengthy, but hopefully helpful.
The knock that you feel/hear is a characteristic of the power steering system in certain models. The power steering assist is created using hydraulic pressure. This pressure is generated by the pump and then distributed through the steering rack, to the appropriate sides of the rack as indicated by the internal valves. The system maintains pressure on both sides of the rack, in order to provide quick steering reaction and a positive feel. When your driving straight, the fluid is just there to provide lubrication, while keeping the equal pressure. When you turn the steering wheel the hydraulic pressure is greater on one side, while maintaining pressure on the other. When you turn the wheel, even a little bit, on roads or uneven surfaces, the tires will send a reactive force through the rack in response to the surface change. This causes the hydraulic pressure in the input lines to go back against the residual pressure in the free side lines. When the higher pressure hits the lower pressure, knocking noise/feel is generated. This is more obvious on our vehicles with wider or lower profile tires because more force is applied than with narrow tires. They could try to modify this, but the positive control and feel may be impacted.
Too much information? Please feel free to tell me. I don't get insulted too easily!
You should always have the brakes checked to make sure they are operating okay before assuming that it is the "perception" of excessive brake pedal travel or the pedal stroke being too low.
The adjustment that the dealer made (must have been within 12 months/12,000 miles since it is an adjustment and not a repair), is an adjustment to the brake pedal booster rod. It doesn't change the braking performance but it does change where the brake pedal rests.
A dealer really must do this because the measurements look pretty intricate along with testing things out. Plus, you do not want to cause a problem with the master cylinder while checking it out.
Since this is a "perception", most people just get used to the feel and do not require and adjustment. But, if it really bothers you, let your dealer know - or give us a call!
Well that STi bit got my attention. The contrarian in me can't wait to juice up my '99 OB, even though it is the least track-worthy model in the lineup. Can you give us more details about what parts will be available? A U.S. market catalog would be ideal. Will big ticket items like turbos be available? I am impressed with the packages TRD offers here (like the supercharger upgrade for 4Runner, suspension package for Camry), and wonder if Subaru has similar plans. How about that Eaton blower from the ST-X for the 2.5? ;-)
Any details you may have would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Lucien Walsh
'99 OB 5spd.
'til next time. And once again, thanks for the great welcome. I enjoyed your profiles and links to interesting sites. I think I'm going to like it here!
The downside of used-car shopping for Subies -- at least in the area where I live -- is that there just aren't a lot of them on the market. Finding any recent (my personal definition here for "recent" is no more than 3 years old) used Subies at all was hard, and finding one of the two models I was interested in, the Forester or Legacy sedan, was extremely tough (Outbacks and Legacy wagons are a bit easier to find around here). I pretty much just lucked out in finally stumbling across a really nice '98 Forester L (though I had to travel 100 miles up Interstate 35 to Waco, to find it). But that might be a bit of a regional shortage; I strongly suspect Subarus in general just aren't as common in Central Texas as they are in snowier climes.
Finally, I'll be honest, even though I'm inclined to make a virtue out of necessity (like, "oh, it's better to buy used so you don't lose out on depreciation"). The truth is that if I could afford it, I'd almost certainly buy new rather than used, but new Foresters are simply well outside of my budget.
Stephen, what do you mean by a rattling effect? I have a '00 OB Limited w/auto as well and have noticed a slight clunking noise that comes from the front of the car going over bumps at slow speeds. Is this what you mean? If so, this is an excerpt from a post in the Maintenance and Repairs Topic:
"Had my 00 OB into the dealer for oil, filtre and lube and for correction of some other probs as follows:
1. Clunking coming from front suspension area when going over bumps at low speed (ie. 10 mph going over curb when leaving parking lot etc.)
Resolution: replaced front stabilizer links with new design from Subaru. Seems to have solved 90% of the problem, but too early to tell. Will need to drive it another week or so."
Hope this helps.
By the way, have you seen www.new-impreza.com? I've always wondered if SOA / SOC employees followed our little Impreza turbo rumormill.
-Colin
2. I have a 2000 Impreza RS, I have about 8900 miles and I have a couple of questions:
-My A/C cycles on and off, not just under accelleration, but under cruising as well. It will stop, the air will get warmer, and then it turns back on with a sound like gas escaping a valve, then it gets cold again. Is it off to a dealer for me?
-I have some major paint concerns not resolved by my dealer, including a spot where the paint is obviously a different color. If you want details, please email me, I don't want to gum up this board with the long story.
-Clutch shudders, (sometimes).
-Very happy with the car overall, it's great, just had a couple of questions.
-I understand that you can't release much about the Impreza Turbo, but what about the STX? STi parts at dealer, woo-hoo!!
If you want to answer these questions great, if not, forward them please, me and my selling dealer are not getting along so great right now
JJ
jcassa@usa.net
Both my wife and I are really enjoying this vehicle. However, we have one question. My wife is short(4'11") and has some difficulty with the front passenger seat on long trips when I am driving. The seat is a bit high and tilted upward, consequently, it affects the circulation in her legs and results in numbing. This of course doesn't happen when she is driving due to the adjustable drivers seat. My question is: Can the front passengers seat be adjusted by the dealership to accommodate my wifes needs? Incidentally, please give my regards to Gina in your office. The reason we are Subaru owners today is primarily due to her efforts.
Thank you,
Ed
>>Too much information? Please feel free to tell
me.<<
Patti
I seriously doubt that anyone is going to tell you to give us less information! I for one am hanging on every word. Thanks for sharing your time and expertise.
Dave
1) The rear seat center headrest is not well made. I have heard several mentions of this and I agree that it seems flimsy and in some cases, slightly crooked. Another poster once mentioned that she went back to the dealer and looked through his stock to find a better one, and they were all like that.
2) The rear windshield wiper should have more than one speed, or if it must have a single speed, it should be intermittant. It is very rare that you need to have the rear wiper moving continuously as with the current design. My Plymouth Voyager had a rear wiper with just one speed, it would sweep about every six seconds. I found that this speed was optimum. The Chrysler engineers apparently did some research and figured out what works best for most conditions.
Otherwise, I love my Legacy and wouldn't change a thing.
Dave
I don't understand why more vehicles don't come equipped this way. It's a great solution to finding the right speed the rear window.
Two other items that the Explorer has that I wish Subaru would incorporate on future models are:
1. Back lit power window/mirror/cruise control switches. These back lit switches are terrific because they are often difficult to find when it's dark.
2. A green cruise control "engaged" light on the instrument cluster. I know there is a light that goes on when the cruise control is turned on, but there is no light to show when it is engaged. My Explorer has it, and Honda has had this feature for years. This is a real safety feature that Subaru should include.
Other items Subaru used to offer and should reintroduce are:
1. Auto-up power windows. I know Subaru discontinued this feature because of safety concerns. I believe Mercedes offers this feature (on all windows) with a anti-pinch feature to address the issue of children getting their hands caught.
2. Hill-holder clutch. A great idea! Why Subaru discontinued it here is a mystery. I know it's still offered in other markets, why not here?
3. Dual-range transmissions. Again, this feature used to be offered here, and still is in other markets. Why not here?
Bob
Tell your bosses we truly appreciate your presense here. Just count the number of posts in the past two days, and the number of different people participating! Both have easily doubled.
Brett: hmm, new OB, new exhaust. Sounds like an optimistic off roader had a little too much adventure. I'd shy away.
BTW, here's the photo Stephen mentioned, as well as some other regulars at the Crew.
H6 at the office? Hmm, NJ ain't too far from me. Let us know if they'll be doing any track testing that would be open to a group of fanatics. I promise I won't leak out any information (picture my fingers crossed behind my back).
JJ: sounds like your A/C has a cold (pardon the pun). That's definitely not normal.
Dealers, dealers. They're independent (and therefore inconsistent), but they do get reimbursed for warranty repair, so why all the fuss?
I guess we can share the good experiences, so hopefully we can all find a good one.
Farrish Subaru in VA installed my cruise very professionally, though the sales experience wasn't pleasant (at least the price was).
I've had no complaints at all with Fitzgerald in MD, they did my recall and my dad will likely buy his Outback Limited there next month. Prices are low, and stuck right on the window, no haggling. Service was good, and the mechanic even came and spoke with me briefly (a BIG plus, Patti, please spread the word).
Seems like the smaller markets don't have it as good.
-juice
For the windows, though, I'd settle for express down buttons for all the windows, for those really hot days when you have to air it out.
-juice
Bob
Welcome to the forum. My family and I absolutely love subies (we have every generation legacy, and outback, as well as XT6, SVX, and RS) Anyhow, just wanted to welcome you. (I just bought a 2000 Trooper, the price wasn't much more than the underpowered Legacy GT) I had only wished the Legacy GT wagon had the H6 with a 6 speed this year wouldn't have gottent he trooper. But I still have my '88 XT6 with NY liscence plate AWD [statue] 4ME. Think SOA might want a shot of my car with that plate for advertising purposes?
-mike
There are a number of Canucks here, so if you can include relevant info for us as well (pricing, release dates, features etc.), it would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
Randy
Re: the H6; any idea if a manual transmission will be available for the L.L.Bean or VDC model this year?
Thanks,
Don
Bob
BTW, I was right about the boom in posts. We're in the Top 10 topics at Edmunds.com! That had not happened since the 2000 Outback was released.
-juice
Leather seats, carbon fiber strut tower brace (will it fit the Forester?), exhaust parts, and some cosmetic goodies.
No forced induction. Yet?
-juice
So we have an insider amongst us now, welcome Patti, dont let all of our misplaced questions scare you away. We in the Impreza online community have had fun trying to predict what will become of the Impreza in the US, and jump at any chance to ask questions about it. Especially when someone from SOA is around.
I compete in SCCA Solo2 in my 1999 2.5 RS. Nationally I should be ranked at the top of my class (STS) for the SCCA ProSolo National Series after this past weekends event in Harrisburg, PA. The Harrisburg event was particualarly good for the Subaru because I not only won the STS open class, but a friend of mine drove my car in Ladies Class, won that and was the Ladies Challenge winner also! My car was the only car in the Honda Street Challenge Showdown race, to decide the top Street Touring driver at the event. I was fastest, she was second. I just thought I would pass along that info to you to give you an idea of how capable the Impreza is. And that there are a lot of people autocrossing their cars nowdays, most with great success.
Subaru has started a rather generous contingency program with the SCCA for the ProSolo National Series and the Solo2 National Championship. As a Subaru driver who wishes to get the most out of my car, I sincerely appreciate this. Support of amature motorsports (its not so amature anymore) is a sound foundation for SOA to build on while the image shifts from grocery getter to really fast grocery getter (hehe). But seriously, way to go Subaru. And last year, SOA rep. Ralph Priebe came to Topeka for the Solo2 National Championship and treated the Subaru drivers to some nice trackside amenities. He had a tent we could park under, seats and good conversation the whole time. And with a great view of the South course to boot. Hats off to Subaru, noone expected it, but we all enjoyed it. And I still see the 'oil can' water bottles at local events here and there. Figgs Subaru in Topeka was doing racer special alignments all week, took showroom cars out to the social events. It was really nice to see Subaru going so far for the SCCA membership.
Ok, Ill stop rambling. No questions, just wanted to say hello and tell you how enthusiastic I am about my Impreza, and every other Subaru Ive owned.
Eric Kriemelmeyer
Bob
Cracks me UP! Subaru takes 1st and 2nd in a HONDA event! LOL!
Would that Ladies' class winner happen to be Audrey? Met her at an i Club meet.
Hey, keep rambling, this is good reading!
Patti: this kind of grass roots support is absolutely brilliant. Follow that link and just check out the number of cars at a single, local meet. Every one of those had some kind of mods (hence the new STi parts demand), and most of them race.
These folks own an Impreza today, a turbo next time around, and maybe an Outback later on when they start a family. Loyal folks.
-juice
-Colin
Colin-She drove the car about 2 miles to a 7eleven and back, then just on course. She had driven a stock 2.2L at a school that she was instructing at, but that was sort of uneventful for her not to mention my car is totally different in the engine and handling departments. She liked the car obviously, but it doesnt have the HP punch of the Camaro she normally drives.
Eric
-mike
I suppose I will have to wait to up-spec the OB. Strut tower braces aren't going to fit the Legacy width. etc.