By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
When I bought my '00 Outback, I also bought 4 winter tires and steel wheels. The car handled great all winter and easily went through fairly deep snow. My wife drives the car to work and traverses open, wind blown roads before the snow plows get out and about. No problems. I can't compare them to the all season tires as I didn't try them in the snow. Unfortunately, we didn't have a whole lot of snow last winter; maybe this coming one will make up for last year...
The steel wheels are quite a bit heavier than the alloys though. I've been using a winter set of tires/wheels for ten years and can do a complete tire change in under 30 mins if I am rushed :-)
MikeF
-James
My wife drives a Gold 01 Forester L. The color is GREAT. Not many Subes of any color here in North Alabama. My 97 OB is one of the ever popular green variety.
One of the (ever popular) Daves
Wow, you must be psyched to pick up your vehicle tomorrow! A couple things I would do before taking delivery:
- Check tire pressure. Foresters often come with their tires overinflated for some reason. Mine was at 44psi! Set them to a more reasonable level like 32psi front and back. The recommended settings are a bit low.
- Take your vehicle for a nice, long test drive. Listen for any unusual noises. Make sure it handles, brakes and accelerates smoothly.
- Play with every switch and control to make sure every thing works well.
- Scour the finish to make sure the paint job is flawless. Check for swirl marks or scratches.
If you find anything amiss, tell the dealer to fix it or you won't accept it.
Take some photos and show of your new baby!
Ken
2) In response to Dave (#1370), I thought gold was only for the S version. I have the S in gold too, and I live in Massachusetts. Heh.
Take care.
Joe W.
-- ash
Again, I can't say enough about this dealership that Paisan had recommended, S.I. Subaru.
By the way, does the Outback come with overinflated tires also?
Thanks again for all the input, and as of tomorrow night I will be driving my Outback. Can't wait!
My Michelins were ok, which is more than I can say for them on dry pavement and in rain. I never got stuck, and the times I almost did, well, lets just say I would have deserved it. AWD fever set in, I suppose. Could have used an LSD, tho'
Graham, given what you said in <1365</A>> (that many Australian roads are unmade, i.e., dirt), this is interesting: 1365Four-wheel discs with anti-lock control and VDC provide loads of reassurance, Clubseven on gravel roads. Subaru is one of the few companies to calibrate its stoppers on Australian roads.
What's your opinion of your Outback's ABS on dirt/gravel?
..Mike
..Mike
When you are ready to do some mods on your car, drop me an e-mail and we can work on em together.
-mike
I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon for a brief vacation (not that I burn up the forums with posts, anyway). Gassing up the Forester and driving from my home in suburban Philadelphia down the Eastern Shore of MD/VA, across the Bay Bridge, over to Emporia and down I-95 to visit my parents in South Carolina, near Myrtle Beach. Will sightsee along the way, load up some belongings at the family home, then buzz straight back up 95 w/a stopover in Richmond/Petersburg to do some historical tourism. Will be back on the 7th. I'll drop in with a report on the Forester's behavior, mileage etc. when I return.
Re colors of Foresters: most of the '01s I see are monochrome silver, followed by white. Very few blue, gold, red or black; never seen a green. When I see the monochrome black '01s I sometimes wish I'd held out for a couple of months. As for '00s and older, most of the ones I see are green, followed by silver, white, red and black least of all.
Now that I've logged 10K miles I feel that I've got enough info under my belt to make and educated comment in the "Future Models" section on what I'd like to have seen on the Forester. Will do that shortly.
Every magazine that has ever done winter vs. summer vs. all-season tire comparisons has basically agreed with this statement:
The tradeoff to using winter tires is that you'll sacrifice a lot of grip and some ride comfort (noise) during the 99% of the time you are driving on dry pavement. The ideal but ridiculously impractical solution is to swap your wheels when the weather calls for snow.
2) Joe, I have noticed new vehicles delivered with overinflated tires and thought it had to do with the way they are ratcheted down onto the carrier; the extra inflation would handle the additional "load". Your answer makes a lot of sense; I just looked at a new 2000 Maxima that had a manufacture date of 12/99. If that car sat untouched for 7-8 months, it probably has flat spots on its 17" tires. [note: I checked out the semi-ugly Maxima as a 222hp alternative to the 165hp 2001 Legacy GT; Nissan only puts Traction Control, a $299 individual line item, in the cars with virtually all other options, making it impossible to find one for less than $29-30k. Apparently, their marketing wizards must think that only the wealthier buyers drive in snow. Being able to get TC in a $25k Maxima was the only chance I had of jumping ship from Subaru, and even then it was a long-shot. No wonder Nissan's hurting! I guess I'll wait for the H6 in 2002.]
3) I agree with whomever said they bought a Subaru so they wouldn't have to worry about repairs. The rule-of-thumb is that for most domestic cars, Extended warranties are a wise buy; and for most Japanese cars, particularly Subaru, they are likely to be a very poor value. I also agree that, when able, the warranty should be bought at the end of the original warranty period (allowed in NJ), and it should be SOA's plan.
Everyone I know with domestic cars and an extended warranty has come out way ahead, and I'm yet to hear of any Subaru owner with any relatively recent model that has benefited by having the warranty. (To benefit, cost of repairs not covered by standard warranty > cost of warranty + future value of warranty cost (interest)+ deductibles). I'm sure there are some out there, particularly those with a transmission repair, that have come out ahead, plus it's a great selling feature if you sell the car within the warranty period. I'm torn, is what I'm trying to say. But I'm a gambler and an optimist, too.
4) My dealer (who never got back to me with a price for the 2001 GT I test-drove) said that the Legacy actually "puts out more like 185hp, but Subaru downrates the hp to keep it from being grouped in another class" This sounded like a "line" to narrow the perceived hp gap between the Legacy and the Maxima, of which he knew I had some interest.
Could there be any truth to what he said? I know the torque increased with the switch from DOHC to SOHC, but wouldn't SOA want to boast if there was a gain of 20 hp?
5) Any possibility that Legacy Wagons will ever offer a fold up/down third seat for kids, similar to Volvo (80Lb. max) and Taurus? That would virtually guarantee that my wife's unfortunate switch from '96 GT Wagon to '99 Dodge Grand Crapavan would result in a switch back to an '02 GT Wagon!
Sorry for the lengthy post, everyone.
In fairness, we didn't have exactly the same tire. My RE92's were V-rated and yours were H. That probably made yours more pliable in the winter and more effective all-season tires.
About the horsepower thing, I think it's bull. We probably are only making around 165HP, because the torque curve falls off hard at 5000 RPM. But from 3000-5000 it's very broad... displacement helps, but without variable valve timing I do think Subaru has put together a good motor for the Legacy, Outback and Forester. Seems a bit out of place in the Impreza, but I'll take it.
-Colin
On the other hand, I was pretty "lucky" with other extended warranties I got: big-screen TV was repaired twice, camcorder was replaced, washer/dryer were fixed, microwave went through 2 repairs, even my cute little cell phone broke down, and was replaced under extended warranty. All those things broke down just after the factory warranty was up. Also, I usually buy brands and models recommended in Consumer Reports. Go figure.
I only wish we had extended warranty on our old Ford Escort... that would have been the wisest ivenstment of all :-)
Craig
185hp, no, but the GT does have smaller diameter tires and a 7% gearing advantage over the Outback. So it "feels" like an Outback with 177 horses. Take weight into account and the basic GT with a 5 speed is no slouch.
Opel=GM. The Saturn is a stretched Vectra with uglier styling and the V6 from the Omega. The Catera is an ugly Omega. And why no Calibra here? Plus the lame suspension tuning, geez. I drove a Catera at Edmunds and it was my least favorite.
Teddy's not in Belize any more. He moved here with my dad, and they just picked up their Outback.
Snow tires are overkill for the weather here in MD, particularly with AWD. We sometimes get no measurable snow at all.
Last year was an anomaly, we got lots of white stuff.
I'm actually looking forward to trying my Nittos in the snow. They're M+S rated, but the wider tread and lower profile prolly means I can slide a round a little. Can't wait!
James: follow Ken's solid advice for the pre-delivery inspection. It's the most important looks you'll ever have at your vehicle. Walk around it several times, look from all angles. Pick it up during the day, where sunlight would show any flaws.
-juice
They had some of the most incredible race footage
that I've ever seen. It was the 2000 Isle of Man
motorcycle TT (Tourist Trophy).
For those not familiar with the Isle of Man TT, it
is an annual event dating back to the early 1900's. It runs on public roads that circle the
island. Each lap is over 37 miles.
Some of the bikes had a camera mounted on them -
and to see and feel what it like to race a motorcycle at speeds exceeding, in some cases 170 plus mph, down those narrow country roads (with absolutely no shoulders) and through the towns of the Isle is just unbelievable! It almost makes you feel queazy to watch.
You're dealing with curbs, stone walls, hair pin
curves, blind corners, blind hills, and on some
parts of the course it may be raining where other
parts of the course the sun may be out. One mistake - and you're dead.
This takes place over, I believe a two week span,
and also includes motorcycle sidecar racing - which is another unbelievable sight to watch!
Automobile racing is a real snooze compared to
this.
Bob
I know a bloke here who used to do the IOM TT in the sidecar. He gave it up after his mate was killed one year in the race. I have seen pics of the crash, not a pretty sight.
They interviewed the winner of the "Production Class," who was racing some big-bore Honda or Yamaha. This race was run in the rain, and because this was a "production" bike, it was not allowed to use rain tires. He had to use over-the-counter road tires. He was describing what it feels like at a 140 mph to suddenly loose traction (because of the slippery surface) as you're accelerating down the road. Scary!
Bob
One of my favorite stops on the Eastern Shore is Formy's Pit Barbecue in Painter, VA. If I get out of the office by 4:00 tomorrow I should be able to get there for dinner. If not they have a carryout place in Norfolk proper - I can pick some up in the morning. I'll be stopping for the night in Exmore. Crabs - I love 'em, so I might get some fresh and ice 'em down to take to the folks in SC (will carry a cooler, not use the recessed well in the Forester cargo bay).
As for Richmond area, I'm planning on visiting the Petersburg Battlefield National Park. I learned last year that my great-great-great grandfather was killed during the battle, and I'd like to go visit the spot where he was killed - it's pretty prominent.
On the Subaru side, I'm really looking forward to tossing my Forester around on some SC rural roads. Although I have PA tags on it, I do carry the palmetto and crescent on the front - I used to be a local so I hope I won't catch **** for it. Rented and drove a '00 Outback there in July and I expect the Forester to be better due to higher ground clearance.
Will keep you posted...
Ed
Boy does this bring back memories. My grandmother lived in Harborton(3 miles or so from Exmore). I spent most summers down in that area as a child. My uncle still writes for the Va. Pilot.."Afield and Afloat with Bob Hutchinson". What a great place to be a kid! I haven't been back in years but I'm sure it hasn't changed much.
Thanks for the jar to the memory bank !
-hutch
Thanks -- Richard
sounds like your dealer overheard a conversation about Japanese turbos and thought it applied to us too....not!
I will be Audi 5K for Fenwick Is., DE on Friday for a week. Just got the OB back from its 15K service (well, uh, technically it was a 16,800 service. oops.)Feels real good now, a little tighter and a little smoother. Starting to break this thing in! NEways, I'll be heading over the Bridge too, Friday early afternoon. No time to go get those GT wheels from PA before I leave, tho'.
Hope this helps.
Randy
Ken
-James I
I think that the ABS is tuned for some degree of slip on gravel. It certainly behaves beautifully on dirat and wet roads.
Made the discovery yesterday that it is well nigh impossible to power slide the Outback on bitumen. In a hurry to get somewhere, I pulled a quick U-turn on damp concrete surfaced road with poor grip. Usual technique of getting the car slightly unstable under braking, flick and then correct under acceleration. It's worked in other ABS equipped cars. Only problem is; the Outback really doesn't get unstable under braking and when you try and flick it around, it just sticks to the road. A mildly panic stricken moment as I thought I was going to roll it (higher centre of gravity) but it actually came around very sharply and tracked exactly on the chosen line.
Maybe its time I visited a skidpan with the Outback to really check out its limits safely.
Slightly chastened but impressed
Graham
..Mike
The Subaru alarm system is active only, not passive. Passive entitles you to a discount on your insurance, so it may pay to go for a better aftermarket system. The dealer is installing an aftermarket alarm on my Outback. He said the Subaru system does not have motion or glass sensor, nor does it have ignition and fuel cut off.
Packaged smartly, that could be the towing package Bob's been looking for. Why not kill two birds with one stone?
Loosh - you gonna hit the sands? Go north just past Bethany and there are entrances to the right. Or go South to Asseteague (sp?).
James: use http://www.photopoint.com/ or better yet, just e-mail me the photos. I'll put them up today if you get them to me soon.
-juice
Basically it has these features:
- motion sensors (by motion, I mean vibration)
- dedicated horn (very loud too)
- alarm activates if any door is opened and the alarm has not been disabled (this means if you use your key to open the door with the alarm enabled, it will go off)
- ignition cutoff (if the alarm goes off, you can try all you want to start the car with the key)
ash
Craig
ash - where'd you get yours? I bet Darlene sells it for a similar (if not better) price.
-juice
PS James - get me those photos, I have another Blue Forester (Frank's) I plan on putting on the same page with yours!
Anyway, have you successfully turned off the alarm with the key?
..Mike, an inquiring mind
..Mike
I checked out driving on the beach (state park) in Delaware, and my understanding is that you have to buy a "year-round" beach permit, which is somewhat expensive -- and, you have to be fishing! You must be using a fishing pole (with bait). The guard, whom I spoke to, said the beach patrol will actually check for bait on the fishing line, if they so desire.
Bob
..Mike
..Mike
-Frank P.
It's not as fun as it sounds, though. The insects are a real nuisance.
Kate: good thinking. Just the colors would be enough to demand some serious respect on the road. Seriously, I'd be into such a package.
-juice
I currently subscribe to Autoweek and enjoy it quite a bit. What do you recommend as another weekly (cannot wait the whole month
I enjoy:
-- car reviews and road tests (the most!)
-- discussion of new engines/trannies and other technologies (if in plain enough English -- but I'm a software engineer, so some techie stuff is OK)
I dislike
-- advertising
I'm indiffirent to autoracing and related info.
any suggestions?
Thanks!
--Kate
Bob
Almost all the rest are monthly, but you may prefer those since they do in-depth road tests and comparison tests. All of those have lots of ads, though.
Consumer Reports is the only one that doesn't have ads, but they test from a family's point of view, not an enthusiast's, which may be OK with you.
You could just stick with Autoweek and read the rest on-line.
-juice
I could read a lot of stuff on-line, true, but I spend so much time on the computer as is (a professional software developer), I really want something I can read on the couch. To me, there is still some appeal in flipping the pages (as opposed to scrolling them)... although my teenage Internet-obsessed daughter would disagree. She reads only things that are scrollable and/or clickable.
C&D is okay, and I think Automobile Magazine is pretty good as well. In fact, MotorWeek seems to refer to Automobile Mag frequently. Road & Track's standards seems to have declined in the last few years, IMHO.