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Comments
As smart as bait.
Doesn't have all his dogs on one leash.
Ross
>
> 2. Got a full six-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it
> all together
>
> 3. A gross ignoramus - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus
>
> 4. A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on
>
> 5. He's so dense, light bends around him
>
> 6. If he were any more stupid he'd have to be watered twice a week
>
> 7. It's hard to believe that he beat a million other sperm
>
> 8. Takes him two hours to watch Sixty Minutes
>
> 9. Wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
actually all from your military appraisals. seem equally applicable to drivers of grossly un-necessary pick-ups.
Cheers
Graham
Cheers
Graham
Not the sharpest chisel in the toolbox.
He's depriving a village somewhere of a perfectly good idiot.
I see the 01 Forester L seats are more comfy than those in 00. How do they seem to be holding up with use?
At that point, I figured the worst was behind us, but it turns out that all the major roads out of town were in the process of being washed out! This is in a very rural part of the state where there are only 1 or 2 ways in and out of each town. We passed through one high water area with a car-size crater developing on the edge of the road, and ultimately had to turn back at another flooded area that was at least 2 feet deep with fast moving water.
We quickly decided to head back to the cabin for the night, but the only way back had washed out minutes earlier. At this point, we were running out of routes, and I was worried we would be stranded in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, we had one more alternative. That road was marginal, but passable, and allowed us to make it to a main highway. We were creeping along at times. I actually had to travel about 30 miles north to head south again, but it was the only way to go.
We ended up getting home at 2AM. So, what should have been a non-descript 1-hour 50 mile trip turned into a 4-hour 160 mile ordeal. I felt like I was driving in a Subaru commercial at times! Though it was a hair-raising experience, it made me really appreciate the Outback -- it really is equipped for the worst driving conditions. I wouldn't have wanted to be driving anything else. Thank-you Subaru!
Patti -- some more feedback for you: the high beams seem to diffuse a lot of light vertically, making them tough to use in the rain. Raindrops right above the hood were brightly lit and right in my face. Normally, I'm accustomed to the high beams having this effect further out in front of the vehicle. I know in many cases you can't use high beams in heavy rain on any vehicle, but the Outback's headlight design seems to make it worse. I eye-balled the aim when we finally got home, and it seemed fine, so I'm guessing it's just a characteristic of the refelector design. Otherwise, great a great car that has definitely earned its keep!
Hope everyone is having a good labor day!
Craig
I'm surprised that you managed to drive through tw feet of water! But then again, I don't recall where the air intake is; obviously it was high enough.
The trick for driving through water is to keep moving at a steady speed (not too slow, not too fast). This will create a bow wave in front of your car, which will push some of the water aside. If you stop, the wave will come back and crash back against your vehicle. Obviously this is something you want to avoid. It's probably a good idea to tap on your brakes with your left foot (while still on the gas) at the same time to dry out the brakes momentarily. This will ensure that you have normally functioning brakes when you get to the other end.
WRT to the headlamps, I suspect that this is yet another limitation of the US DOT specs. The Euro-code headlamps are generally much better, with a sharper cutoff.
Have a good day!
Drew
The FIA World Championship Rally of New Zealand (where Subaru driver Richard Burns unfortunately rolls his WRX) is on at 5:30pm Pacific (just after Motor Trend TV), or at 8:30pm Pacific.
Thanks,
Jerry
Colin: I'm planning on 4 studded snows on my current wheels, then current Michelins on custom wheels come spring. The studs are pretty much SOP in Eastern Washington, if only due to ice build-up in rural areas where the plows don't get to soon enough. Michelins wear like iron, but don't grip snow/ice worth a darn.
Explorer vs OB: Having had 2 Explorers (91 & 96) I can honestly say the only thing I miss about 'em is the roominess & seat height above the masses. OB M5 is a whole lot more fun to drive, and the brakes on mine (97) are fine.
Speaking of fun to drive: If you're in or ever visit the Pacific Northwest, drive US2 over Stevens Pass... Hills, curves and some drop-dead beautiful scenery! I just drove it *towing* the Sube behind the motorhome - not as much fun, but I got to look at more scenery that way! Gotta go back with just the OB... SR20 (North Cascades Highway/Washington Pass) has even more curves & better scenery!
Still more kudos to Darlene@qsubaru... bike rack arrived sooner than promised! Outstanding customer service throughout the entire process!
Happy Labor Day, y'all!
Paul
The water was well above the guardrails and moving fast. I'm no fool! I don't mind going up to mid-wheel, but anything deeper is too risky to me.
Craig
You can actually drive in water as deep as your air intake will allow, or up to the base of your manifold (your tailpipe may be beneath the water), as long as you don't turn the engine off.
Drew
-mike
Will try and post once and a while to the list. See you folks later!
Bit
Stephen
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) announced sales figures for the month of
August. Subaru recorded a sales total of 16,013 units for the month, an
increase of 4 percent from the same period last year. Year-to-date totals of
114,405 units are up 13 percent from August 1999 year-to-date totals of
100,826 units
Most of you know that I love my 2000 OB. Or used to anyway.
However, I'm in the process of ridding myself of this car, after the 2nd time now it has left me stranded in the middle of nowhere.
In April, a fuel injector failed on cylinder 1 with only 20,000 KMs on the car (12,500 miles).
Over this labor day weekend, the fuel injector on cylinder 3 failed with only 28,000 kms on the car (17,500 miles).
When these injectors fail, it basically means they are sticking, which causes the engine to run rich and vibrate heavily at all speeds. Needless to say, not driveable.
I am not very happy with my 2000 OB. It might be just my car, but I've owned 4 other cars before this (including 2 GMs), and not one has ever left me stranded in under 100,000 miles.
Then there's the issue of the dealer who redefines the word "rude".
I will not buy a Subaru again, and I definitely do not consider them reliable. For the money, you can buy a vehicle with more ameneties, more power, and reliability for thousands less.
Ash Mishra
Many people have such an experience with at least one manufacturer and they avoid them. It doesn't change things much for the rest of us, although you might want to mention the name of the dealership you're having so much trouble with.
-Colin
Drew: we should compare the VDC to the BMW 330ix when it arrives. The specs match the VDC more closely than the 323i, except price.
James: what a coincidence, Recife is my home town, and I know Olinda like the back of my hand. I recommend both to anyone going to Brazil, but don't miss Rio de Janeiro.
The term "gostosa" literally translates to "tasty", but I'm sure they were applying it to the beautiful bikini-clad mulatas on the beach.
That crash sounds scary. Sounds like the salesman got carried away, and more than a little! It figures the media will hype it up and mention the Firestone recall when that model wears YOKOHAMA tires! What morons!
Craig: great AWD story. You really ought to write to Drive magazine. I bet they'd print it.
FYI - the intake is just at the hood level (for the Phase I engines anyway), and the ignition is distributorless, so it won't stall when it's a little wet. Still, practice extreme caution when driving through water.
Army-Navy: not sure, to be honest. The tickets are in such hot demand I probably can't afford them! Scalpers, maybe? I heard it's a riot.
-juice
Bit: try to get some interesting photos!
Stephen: please do send photos. I'll update my site this week.
Ash: I 2nd Colin's post.
And to add to Kate's "feel better" post, my dad had a spanking new Camry in Belize that actually burst up in flames. I'm not kidding.
People were driving behind him and waving frantically for him to stop. He rushed out, and they watched it burn into a pile of ash (pardon the pun).
Very few Camrys behave in this manner, one would hope! Same goes with the Outback. I'd never heard of fuel injectors failing before.
I disagree with your comment on price. The only other butch wagons out there are the XC ($10k more) and the Allroad ($20k more). Nothing else offers the combination of features the OB has for that price, which is obviously why you bought it in the first place!
Anyway, sorry about your experience.
-juice
And if you don't need AWD, most other vehicles in the price range of the OB offer plenty more ameneties.
You hear plenty of horror stories about domestic vehicles, yet I've owned 2, plus 2 japanese vehicles. I've been surprised by the quality of domestic vehicles.
My g/f has a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier ($20,000 CDN car) that hasn't had a problem yet with 30,000 kms on it. And here I am with a $35,000 CDN car that has died on me twice.
As for fuel injectors failing before - well they do - at least on Subarus.
If I were in your shoes I'd feel exactly the same way. Actually, I've been there and I sounded just like you (although, unlike you, I forgot my good manners). I had 14k on my 1 year old 92 Legacy when the transmission (thats right, the "bullet-proof" transmission) literally ground to a halt. Now THAT'S stranded. This was my first ever Subaru and I swore up and down it was going to be my LAST! Two weeks later my apathetic dealer had a new transmission in and I began the long road to recovery. Midway down the road, however, I found myself limping my X@!#& Legacy along the NYS Thruway, in a snowstorm, family in tow, with only three cylinders firing! Despite still being under warranty I had to pay for the repair ($200+) because the tech determined that the problem ORIGINATED with a faulty ignition wire, and as ignition wires are "routine replacement parts", it had to come out of my pocket. SOA was no help at the time (the Pre-Patti era) and so, once again, I swore off ever buying another Subaru. Since that time my Legacy has been a brick. It saw its stable-mate (a Civic) go from glorious to a rusted, sputtering money-pit in short order. Meanwhile, my Sube has cost me nothing above basic maintenance. Don't think I'm not bracing for the day when everything goes at once, but for the time being Subaru is back in my good graces; enough so that the new stable-mate is a shiney 2000 Outback. Now, if MY injectors start to fail, you can expect me to join your chorus!
But I test-drove XC _before_ I learned that I'll have to live w/o gift certificate, so I was not biased.
Basically, did not like it at all. Feels very heavy (maybe it is). The gas pedal was very slooow to respond (saleswoman told me it's typical for turbo).
Turning radius is surprisingly good for a vehicle this long. Steering was kind of detached, but may be just a bit slow because of vehicle's weight.
Seats were very comfy around, except headrests were pushing my head way forward, so I was driving with my neck aching. Are they (headrests) adjustable?
Brakes seemed OK, but again the "tank" feel was so dominant, it took away a lot of driving fun.
And I just HATED the center dash: that flat gray plastic with ugly primitive gray buttons... OK, I'm a woman and looks may mean too much to me :-), but this is not a dash for $40K car, it's for Saturn (low-end).
Safety features are impressive, of course.
I'm sure there are more reliable options than your specific Outback. Like everyone else's Outback!
My point is, yours is the exception, not the rule. I know, that stinks, why yours?
I remembered another example. On my 21st birthday, my 1987 Honda XL 250 motorcycle (just two years old at the time) blew its top end. I mean blew it, as in valves crushed by the piston. Worse yet, it was the carb that had a leak and contaminated the whole engine. It needed a full rebuild. And Honda built its reputation on motorcycles! Thanks for the birthday gift, Honda!
I'm in touch with Patti to see what she can do, or to help find her counterpart in Canada. Perhaps they can change ALL the fuel injectors and perform a thorough safety inspection for free, something like that. If a 3rd one fails, it could be considered a lemon.
Ah, the Patti era. Let's hope this can be resolved and your future posts will sounds more like Peterson's.
Kate: not yet. I still have the $100 certificate, but it has to be validated by a Volvo dealer after a test drive.
-juice
The Saab 9-5 turbo V6, or the Audi A6 2.7T twin turbo both have very little lag. If you think the XC is bad, wait till you drive some of the high output turbo (more hp) Volvo! The S80 T6 (twin turbo) is okay though, perhaps because it has a 2.9L I6 Twin turbo engine.
Drew
I may have to drive the T5 as well, though sadly Volvo dropped the V70 AWD model. That means you can't get a 5 speed with the LPT engine, or with AWD for that matter.
-juice
Yes, the LPT does take less time to spool up, but turbo lag is still noticable. From a dead stop, stomping on the gas pedal doesn't give you immediate thrust as you would expect. In fact, it feels rather sluggish at first, much like the VW/Audi 1.8 turbo. I had a '95 Volvo 850 Turbo sedan a while back, so I know all about turbo lag :-)
Sorry guys, I felt a lag, too. I don't care if they claim torque peaks at 1750rpm, I didn't feel it until around 4000rpm!
-juice
Ash: I'm sorry about your experiences and I hope that your next car will treat you right. Maybe Juice can get you set up with SofC to clear up the problem -- I hope so.
Juice and the rest of the Crew: As a pretty silent observer of the board for the last few months I want to let you know that you have helped sell me on Subaru. Your evident enthusiasm is contagious!
Patti: Also having you here helped to sell me because it shows me that SofA cares about its clients and its products. Keep up the good work!
Lastly, any thoughts of a Subaru roundup in the big beautiful southwest?
FYI, I'm trying to reach Patti, to see what kind of help we can get north of the border.
Drew: the 1.8T works fine with a manual, but not at all with the Tiptronic, IMHO.
Just read the Edmunds review, and Holy Cow! You'd think I wrote it! It's covered with high compliments, you guys must read it.
Some favorite parts:
"prognosis is good. Real good, in fact"
"we're more interested in VDC than a bunch of clothing company labels" (Drew - loved it)
"The H6 has catapulted the Outback into the big leagues and this became obvious when we drove it"
"bolted together as well as any Toyota or Honda we've experienced" (maybe SoC can swap one of those for Ash!)
"wonderfully executed and quite satisfying-to-drive"
Man, and the only negative they turn into a positive:
"even though it looks like it'll be fairly pricey at nearly 32 grand ($31,895, to be exact), we'd certainly buy one"
Watch out Volvo, Audi, and BMW!
-juice
Juice: I will post the photos.....I can't wait to take them!
Someone shared price quotes below MSRP, with the VDC at $30.5k already. It should drop under $30k within a few months (in certain markets).
At least you can get the engine in the LL Bean, and it's a lot less green.
-juice
He's interested in the H6 so we went to a local dealer, Carlsen Subaru. The sales manager there was taking orders for the H6s at 5.75% over invoice. That makes the LL Bean come in at $28.7K and the VDC a touch over $31K. The sales manager expected deliver sometime around October. He already had six H6 orders in hand.
Anyway, since test driving one was out of the question, we hopped into a OB Ltd. Overall fit and finish were great. The power (we drove an AT) wasn't exciting (as expected) but enough to make the OB feel competent. The H6 should easily make the OB feel a lot more sportier. Needless to say, my brother was impressed.
While we were there, I saw a black 2001 Impreza 2.5RS in stick on the lot. I asked the sales manager if I could take it out for a test drive and he just handed me the keys. What a blast! Shifting was smooth. Power was more than enough to put a smile on my face and cornering was amazing. I'm used to the body roll on my Forester, but the Impreza just felt rock solid in the turns. The only thing I didn't like about it was the ugly carbon-fibre trim and the non-functional hood scoop protuding into my line of view.
Ken
The RS is basically a lowered, lightened Forester. Or vice-versa, depending on how you look at it!
Nothing like an turbo/intercooler to make that hood scoop functional! I wish I had the funds for an RS project car. What a hoot that would be, both to build and drive.
Good news: SPT has added the 4 pot brakes to their catalog, and Darlene carries it ($104.35). That's CHEAP! Folks, only Porsches have 4 piston calipers!
They also have fatter rear sway bar, in both 18mm and 20mm sizes for just over $80. I think stock is 14mm for the Forester, is that right guys?
Sorry, folks, I'll hop over to the Mods topic for more details. Just thought it would be fun to mention that Subaru is indeed keeping us enthusiasts entertained with new stuff.
Ash: Patti asked that you contact her by e-mail directly, it's PMickel@subaru.com. She needs you VIN and history, and is going to try to stir things up a bit for you.
-juice
(note to edmunds legally sensitive moderators -- that picture is free domain and is hosted on the Wichita Region SCCA website, which I am a member of.)
The body roll is there because of the rally-inspired long travel suspension. Even on the dogmeat RE92's though, the car does have pretty remarkable grip.
-Colin
-- ash
I'm not suprised you've heard of Carlsen. They apparently are the #1 volume dealer of Subarus in North America. Aside from the upfront pricing, they let you test drive without a salesperson yapping away at the virtues of the vehicle.
Colin,
No body roll compared to a Forester, that is.
Ken
And I thought that heated seats are of no use here in the Bay Area...
--Kate
P.S. Actually, I tried the heated seat myself, and found that warming the lower back is very pleasant indeed, especially with cold air from A/C blowing over my face.
Just wait until it starts raining in the winter. There's nothing like driving around in the rain while nice and toasty in your Forester.
Ken
-mike
I put my installation experiences of these in the Modifications topic for those with the need to know.
-Brian
OK, who's gonna order a VDC and bring it over so I can take it for a spin? It'll be interesting to see who's first on the block.
Brian: thanks for joining the bandwagon! I thought I was the only one installing accessories!
Patti: can you make it to the Fall Folliage Tour in October? It'll be in Charlottesville, VA. How 'bout riding down in a VDC demonstrator? It would be a huge hit!
-juice
And from what I'm reading recently, they look more and more at fault.
The Escape is value priced, though, and that's a fact. Say what you want about the shoddy quality, but it's a lot for the money, at least on paper.
-juice
PS They'd better pray that problematic CD4E auto tranny holds up, though! It's been a serious problem area in the Mazda 626 4 cylinders.