Subaru Crew - Meet The Members

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  • rangerron7rangerron7 Member Posts: 317
    Check with your auto insurance company. Nine years ago, I was adding a new vehicle to my insurance coverage with GEICO and the person on the phone asked me if I was interested in the extended warranty. Normally I think extended warranties are a waste of money but I asked a few questions about it and then asked how much it would add to my premiums. Although I can't remember the specific amount, it added something like $12-13 dollars to my annual premium. I figured "what the heck" it's a buck or so a month. I never had the need to use it until earlier this year when the trans on my Saturn starting leaking. To make a long story short, mechanic says it is a $1200 repair and suggested I look into my extended warranty if I have one. The "light bulb" went on and I called GEICO. They told me what to do and between my mechanic and the insurance company, they took care of all of the phone calls and pre-repair inspections. The bottom line is that I only had to shell out a $250 deductible. So, check with your auto insurance company, they might offer a policy for cheaper.
  • mikef11mikef11 Member Posts: 74
    Colin,

    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
  • nypdaunypdau Member Posts: 38
    I did query most of the dealers in the area. The S Premiums that were available were all white or green and they all had options I didn't want. I decided that I would stick with my original order. I used my sunroof on the Volvo primarily to vent solar heat in the summer. I did enjoy tooling around with it open but my Celtic skin burns easily:) It IS a nice option but I am convinced I would have put a bicycle fork or ski through the glass eventually. I plan on keeping the Forester for at least 7 years and the odds go up as time goes on. By the way, I pick it up tomorrow afternoon, I had the dealer install a keypad ignition bypass too. Does anyone have a checklist for items to be inspected at pick-up time?

    -James
  • aldavealdave Member Posts: 11
    Guxx
    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
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    James,

    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
  • guxxguxx Member Posts: 33
    1) In response to the ongoing subject of extended warranties, when I bought my Forester in June, before I signed the final paperwork, I met with their business manager to go over all the finer details which the salesrep missed. This included the warranty. I ended up purchasing the 6 yr/60,000 option. My reasoning being that my last car I had for 5 years, and I did have some expensive post-warranty repairs, such as rebuilding the air conditioner, wheel/brake problems, etc. Besides, my loan is for 4 years, so I'll definitely be holding on to it.

    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.
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    My understanding is that most mfgrs. ship their cars w/high tire pressure, the idea being that it will help eliminate flat spots in the tires if the vehicles sit for awhile. The tires are supposed to be reduced to the recommended pressure before delivery, but sometimes that is overlooked in prep.

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • amishraamishra Member Posts: 367
    Definitely getting some after the past winter with the standard Firestone tires on my '00 OB. They gripped as well as ice cream in a bowl.

    -- ash
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Went by the dealer last night to go over the paperwork. After using the suggestions here and pricing out extended warranties online, I went and spoke with the dealer. After a little haggling he offered me the Subaru Gold plan with a $50 deductible at the same best price I could get on the web. I felt that it was better to go with the Subaru plan, rather than aftermarket, especially as it was the same price.
    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!
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    LOL!

    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'
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    "a Japanese Mercedes" per Phil Scott, the reviewer. Taking Liberties from drive.com.au, first Published in the Sun-Herald, August 30, 2000 (if you want the context of the site, goto News and select New Car Tests, then Taking Liberties). Interesting what Graham gets down under. VDC is standard, H-6 not yet available.

    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

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    They are a good dealer. I'm suprised you speak highly of the closer there though. Joe can be a royal pain in the butt. I'd have to say I love the guys over there, but he just rubs me and a few other customers the wrong way. He's actually lost a few sales for Mark J.

    When you are ready to do some mods on your car, drop me an e-mail and we can work on em together.

    -mike
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Hi gang,

    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.
  • gtdrivergtdriver Member Posts: 67
    1) Colin, I just replaced my worn RE 92's with Michelin XGT's ('97 GT). I have to disagree with your opinion on the RE 92; I found it to be a pretty good compromise between handling (wet/dry), performance in snow, noise and comfort. The key is what you said about stopping and turning in snow. I would take a Miata with fresh Arctic Alpins over an awd Subaru with worn all-season tires for stopping and turning. AWD isn't much of a factor there. But when it comes to pulling out of deep snow, I have found the awd Sube to be phenomenal, even when the tires were pretty worn.
    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.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    GT:

    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
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    I'm debating whether to get one or not myself. I had one for my old Subaru'92 (7yr/70000), and I lost money on it. I remember I brought the car to the mechanic when it had about 69.5K on it, and asked to give me a list of ALL the problems he can see at the moment no matter how minor. He couldn't find anything but a few minor maintenance things. I took the car to the another mechanic, for the second opinion, because I really wanted to get something fixed, since I paid for an extended warranty. Same story: he could not find anything worth fixing, just maintenance replacement items. Now the car has about 100K on it, and still runs great, with all the power windows and A/C working like a charm.

    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 :-)
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Ed: have a nice trip -- the Eastern Shore can be a fun drive if the traffic on Rt. 1 and Rt. 13 is not bad, and there's a lot to see in the Richmond area. There are a lot of nice country roads in the Surry County area if you're looking for a scenic detour on the way to Richmond. You can also head into Surry, ride the ferry (free) across the James River to Jamestown, and drive the Colonial Parkway to Williamsburg and Yorktown. It's one of the nicest drives around. All of these, ahem, short detours will get you back to Richmond via I-64.

    Craig
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Since I am a slightly paranoid New Yorker who has had other products break on me where I used the extended warranties (treadmill, vacum, tv, etc.) I decided to go for the Subaru Gold plan. I figure better safe than sorry. Especially after all the problems I had with my old Honda. Shop around and see what is out there.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    lark: don't forget to stop for MD blue crabs. And pick up some corn on the way, we had a great year.

    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 was a kid in a candy store! The one thing the Bridgestones handled well was snow. TOO good in fact, it wasn't as fun as it could be!

    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
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Anybody see SpeedVision last nite on TV?

    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
  • aussierooaussieroo Member Posts: 78
    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.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    The Isle of Man TT is probably the most dangerous vehicular race in the world. The list of racers killed there over the years is huge. The current 2000 winner, who has raced the IOM for over 25 years, and has over 25 victories there in various classes, was just killed in another racing accident somewhere in Europe.

    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
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Craig, Juice and all:

    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
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    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
  • rabergraberg Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 OB and have driven it for over a year now. I love it. I did not have the alarm system installed which I purchased the car. Is it worth it to have it installed at this point? Anyone had any experiences -- good or bad -- withthe Subaru system??

    Thanks -- Richard
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    gtdriver:

    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'.
  • pamcranpamcran Member Posts: 2
    My car would not start today and we verified that we needed a new battery. Subaru Forester 98. After replacing the battery , the lights started blinking on and off even with the car shut off. What is going on???? Even when the car is on, it still makes the clicking noise and starts again as soon as I shut it off. THis does not affect the headlights. I have disconnected the battery until I find out what is wrong Help!!!!! pam
  • abhidharmaabhidharma Member Posts: 93
    ...but it could well be that the security system has to be re-initialized. Check with your dealer, it's easy to do.

    Hope this helps.

    Randy
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Richard -- I say go for it. The alarm upgrade is relatively cheap (compared to getting a brand new aftermarket one) and it will give you piece of mind.

    Ken
  • nypdaunypdau Member Posts: 38
    I am humbled to join your ranks as new Forester owner! Picked it up yesterday at 3PM:) I took Kens and Juice's advice and went over the vehicle methodically. No flaws that I could find in the paint or fit and finish, then it was off for a test drive and a compass calibration. It handles like my old '72 2002 :] The blue is excellent, a vibrant blue which I hope to keep that way with the help of zainos. Later I will be swapping the bulbs and applying rain-x to the windows. I took some photos, but I forgot the URL for the free image host site (Juice?) Sorry for all the smileys but I was grinning like an idiot ont he drive home!
    -James I
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    Funny thing but the tuning of the ABS on my Australian Outback must be set to a just slightly higher comfort point than my modulated braking point. I can't recall actually triggering it once since buying the car 14 months ago despite widely varied driving. In contrast, I was constantly aware of the ABS on my Merc C Class and repeatdly worried that the brakes were not going to pull the car up in time. Never actually hit anything but had some impressive frights.

    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
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Thanks for the feedback (and honesty ;) ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Richard,
    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.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Police package? Heck yeah, but make it available to the public! You know, heavy duty suspension, high CCA battery, tranny cooler, push bar, extra lights, bigger mirrors, etc.

    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
  • amishraamishra Member Posts: 367
    The Subaru alarm does have motion sensors, and it does cut the ignition. I know, because I installed the alarm myself on my 2000 OB.

    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
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Congrats on the new ride! That blue is a sweet color. Keep smilin!

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Subaru only charges $106 at invoice for that alarm, so it's a bargain.

    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!
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Ash, The manual states that if you open an alarmed car with the key, you can turn it off with the remote or by turning the key in the ignition key on and off 10 times within a certain time frame (forgot details & manual is with the GT. Oh, and wife has GT). I tried this once and failed miserably, causing me great embarrassment and creating malevolence in the 'hood. Maybe I should try this in a desolate area. Haha, fooled myself -- I live in DC; no such area exists!

    Anyway, have you successfully turned off the alarm with the key?

    ..Mike, an inquiring mind

    ..Mike

  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    We were down in Ocean City last month, and ventured up to Bethany one day.

    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
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Bob, A friend who has a house in Lewes, DE said same. The beach patrol tickets those who aren't fishing.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • amishraamishra Member Posts: 367
    I didn't know you could turn off the alarm with the key in the ignition. Time to get those ear protectors out!
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    Yeah, bring it on! I want my "California Highway Patrol" edition Forester right now. It should come painted black and white, with CHP lettering, siren and lights. And then the sacred carpool lane will be mine :)
  • fvkllrfvkllr Member Posts: 26
    The Alarm can definately be disarmed with the key. You have to turn the ignition key back and forth 5 times in a matter of 3 seconds or something like that. While I have never had to do this in my car yet (2000 Outback LTD), while I was test driving before my purchase, the dealer had to do it on a car that I test drove.
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    I think it's actually something like 3 times in 5 seconds. I've had to do it twice. 1st time I made the mistake of unlocking driver's door with the key, 2nd time was real strange....unlocked car with the remote and the horn chirped (I have mine set to silent) and the alarm light on the dash was flashing (I thought it meant that someone had bumped the car). But when I went to start, the alarm went off. Good thing I read the owner's manual about the turning the key in the ignition disarming feature. :-)

    -Frank P.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's funny about the fishing. A co-worker had one of those permits and had a rod, but just but a big weight on the other end with no hook and of course no bait! I'd better warn him!

    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
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    I know it was just recently discussed, but I kept on scrolling around, and could not find it, so I bring it up again:

    I currently subscribe to Autoweek and enjoy it quite a bit. What do you recommend as another weekly (cannot wait the whole month :) reading on auto stuff?

    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
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    What about Automobile News?

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Automotive News offers a good snapshot of the industry, but it's geared towards dealers, so be prepared to "chew it" a bit.

    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
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    I already subscribe to C&D, Motor Trend and Consumer Reports. Anything else to add, given that I like reading car reviews and road tests the most?

    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.
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    I've rarely found Motor Trend magazine to be of much use (just a lot of fluff, though I didn't mind when the M-class was 1998 Truck of the year ), so I'd recommend dropping that magazine. Truck Trends, Motor Trend's sister publication is not very good either.

    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.
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