I have not been paying attention to Edmunds a lot lately (putting a sprinkler system in my yard) but I hope you had a good time in Williamsburg! If you saw a green LL Bean Outback tooling around with a grubby driver that looked like Bill Murray from "Caddyshack", only with more whiskers, mud, and beer stains, that would have been me on a trip to/from the hardware store. I'm not much of a host or tour guide, but I could have given you some good recommendations for restaurants and places to see.
Have a good trip back North tomorrow. I'd be curious to hear about some vacation highlights when you have time. I hope you got a chance to drive the Colonial Parkway.
Well, we finally took the plunge. The wife has a shiny new base Neon in the driveway! :-)
We ended up trading in the Forester because it was worth the most as a trade in, even though resale was poor. The main reason was its terrible reliability and poor traction in the snow. I was sort of tired of it anyway, and Subaru's quality and safety scores have taken a plunge lately.
The Neon won by a narrow margin over the Aztec and Sportage, all fine choices themselves. I figured even though I didn't need Chrysler's longer warranty because none of these ever break, that made me lean towards the cutting-edge design of the Neon. Plus it was only $25 grand!
The first tank returned 85 mpg on regular fuel, but it's been perfectly reliable already! I took it off road and it got through nicely, with plenty of clearance and good angles of approach and departure. Skid plates are standard and got me through the really tough stuff, even with no low range.
I think I'll spice it up with fake hood scoops, and paint it yellow, with flames on the hood, limo tint, a huge rear wing, coffee can exhaust for about 75 more horsepower. It'll fit right in with the Civics on import night, I'm sure those guys will welcome me.
Though I am having trouble getting my chrome 22" wheels to fit. You think I got the offsets wrong?
I'm still lurking this topic and I must admit that you started to get me. The last few weeks have been an absolute mess for me here at the TH sludge topics and I tend to take things too seriously. As I started reading your post, I was in shock. I re-read the first several sentences a few times. Before I could read the whole thing, I noticed another poster wishing us all a happy April Fool's Day and I felt like an idiot.
I couldn't have said "Highlander" because people wouldn't have known it was an April Fools joke.
I heard that Toyota will open a new Q&A style forum at Edmunds, to replace the topic dedicated to the sludge debate. I guess I should say congrats and wish you luck from this point on, seems like you're on track.
Word travels fast. In fact, that is actually new information to me. I knew that various ideas were being kicked around, but had not heard that anything was finalized.
Hey, have you tried Frosty Paws for your pup? It is in the Ice Cream section of most grocery stores. Maggie will only "sing" one song - Happy Birthday, because she gets ice cream. It's totally non-dairy so no stomach upset - plus it's good for them.
I have become a happy Subaru Forester owner as of last Saturday. I am a Canadian and the price on the late model 2002 Forester was still more than I wanted to spend, so I bought a used 1999 S. 2002 S's cost more than $35,000 after taxes.
Anyway, I fit the profile. I am a dinkwad (double income no kids with a dog). I have a 90 pound labrador retriever and I swear he smiled when he jumped in the back.
Thanks to all of you for your enthusiastic sharing of information and views on this and other forums. It was a big help. A special thanks to juice; if it wasn't for him (and Scape2) I might still be pondering. The only problem that I have with this car is that it just doesn't corner like my previous ride. My spouse is happy though and that ought to be sufficient. She was driving a 1989 Integra that simply refused to die. She now drives the MX-6, which I shall sorely miss.
Congratulations on your new Forester and welcome to the Subaru Crew! Glad to hear there's yet another Forester owner among us.
While the Forester won't quite corner like a sports sedan, it does very well for a mini SUV. One very easy and cheap modification you can do to improve handling is to upgrade the rear sway bar. The stock bar is 13mm. Several of us have gone to 18mm and beyond. The result is less body roll and more responsiveness in corners.
Hardtop4 - Welcome to the crew. I have a '99 "S" bought new and still thoroughly enjoy it. 94,000 miles and no major trouble. You have another opportunity to upgrade handling: tires. If you are due for replacement, tires such as the Bridgestone RE 950 or Dunlop Sport SP2 will improve handling. I bought the Dunlop Sport SP2s a couple of weeks ago and am very pleased. They're a fine match for the Forester. Great in wet & dry - and suprizingly good in snow & slush for an all season tire. I live in eastern New York state and run true winter tires on 15" "L" rims. I was fooled by the mild winter here and changed tires in mid March - then got to test the SP2s in real winter weather. I found the original equipment Yokohama Geolandar HTs to be good in wet & dry, but poor on snow & ice. Tirerack.com is a good place to start your research.
I've been lurking here a while getting lots of useful info. Much appreciated. Finally decided to log in. We just picked up an '02 OBW after handing in our '99 OBW at lease end. At the risk of jinxing myself, 3 years of no problems. None with the car, none with the dealer. We did a lot of checking of other vehicles before getting another OB but we never felt we were getting the same bang for the buck. The changes from '99 to '02 are subtle but they are there. I'd say it's a little more refined, definitely more pickup, certainly a nicer interior. once again, thanks for all the tidbits of Subaru knowledge.
We went for another 4. The goal here was to keep the outflow of $$ as close to the old lease as possible. We did add in a CD player, all weather package (still a little chilly here on Long Island in the AM so the heated seats are neat), air filter and the dimming mirror/compass. So far, about 1,200 miles and pleased. BTW, we also have an '01 Legacy L sedan. Safe, reliable, but boring. And what do you drive?
You should hookup the 01 Legacy L. That could be a mover and a shaker given the right modifications Heck I took 44/136 in the last Englishtown SCCA Auto-x with my dad's '97 Legacy L with slush box, and 2nd in class losing only to a '90 or '91 Civic SI 5-speed.
Congrats Mike. Lots of us have (or used to have) a Mazda, including me. Plus - your name is Mike, you definitely fit the demographic, especially with the smiling dog! Smart pup! :-)
John: 94k in 3 years? Wow, you a traveling salesman?
Congrats Jeff. Hope the 2nd OBW is just as good as the first!
A Legacy L is a great value and would arguably make a great canvas, i.e. starting point for a modded car.
I'll take this opportunity to invite each of you to our live chat tomorrow night. I'd love to hear from you folks.
NY Auto Show was great. Big surprise, too! See Future Models for more details, but here is a hint: 2003 Legacy GT (not Outback) impressed us the most!
We have a 1999 Legacy OB 5speed and a 1999 Legacy GT sedan 5 speed. They both enjoy uprated swaybars and front strut tower braces. the GT additionally benefits from hardened swaybar links, RS front seats, S-03pp tires, KYB AGX struts and is about to get a 2.25" SS cat-back exhaust.
Forester is due for replacement, though, and most people know that. An 18% dip is to be expected. After May, no excuses, they have to pick up the pace.
I read that in Japan the new Forester is selling well beyond sales forecasts.
Subaru sales were at an all time high for February
Don't you guys have recession as well? Or is it because all hockey fans decided to celebrate Olympic gold in their brand-new Subarus? :-)
I wonder if prices in CDN $ are somehow much more attractive than in the US. I know many people in the US are buying Nissans in Canada for that reason.
(the following is taken from the May '02 Automobile magazine, either quoted ' ' or summarized by me)
the EVO uses a 'electronically controlled or active multiplate hydraulic' system for the AWD (hmmm, that sounds familiar). the STi uses a viscous limited slip type center diffy with Suretrac front & rear diffys.
'the boxer deserves full marks for its melodious blend of throaty intake rasp, orchestral full-throttle thunder, and rhythmic liftoff burble'
'the trucklike turning circle [of the EVO] borders on the ridiculous'
they liked the way the EVO handled in the twisties, saying that the STi had 'too much understeer early in the game'.
Subaru & Prodrive are working on bigger brakes for the STi, along with wider tires, more power, and possibly an adjustable suspension.
They were talking about the geographic locations for where certain cars sell the best. It seems Subaru is most popular in Boulder, Portland, and upstate NY.
After I bought my Subaru O.B., I noticed the neighbour next door looking at it out on the street. Two weeks later he had the same car, just a different colour.
I have a place on a local ski hill. After looking at my Outback, both owners on either side of me bought Outbacks. Another friend looked at my car and two months later had an Outback, same colour and all.
The hard thing to believe is, after all this, my dealer stills charges me for service. ;-)
A couple of days ago, I noticed a 97 Outback in a parking lot with tow hooks on the front. The owner was beside the car so I just had to ask about it. Turns out he tows this vehicle behind his motorhome, all four wheels on the road. I wondered out loud if there would be a problem with the AWD system.
He stated that he has towed this vehicle a lot, including across Canada and back with no apparent problems. He just leaves the motor running and in neutral while towing, states it only burns about two quarts an hour.
I noticed in the manual it says that with all wheels on the ground, limit towing speed to 20 M.P.H. and distance to 30 miles. Otherwise, use a flat bed truck. Interesting......
Comments
Oh, and BTW, I waved as I passed the Cherry Hill water tower last week, and will do so again this Tuesday on the way North!!
Steve
Go Terps! Buh-bye Jayhawks, Hello Hoosiers!
I just wish the students would chill out, though.
-juice
Have a good trip back North tomorrow. I'd be curious to hear about some vacation highlights when you have time. I hope you got a chance to drive the Colonial Parkway.
Craig
We ended up trading in the Forester because it was worth the most as a trade in, even though resale was poor. The main reason was its terrible reliability and poor traction in the snow. I was sort of tired of it anyway, and Subaru's quality and safety scores have taken a plunge lately.
The Neon won by a narrow margin over the Aztec and Sportage, all fine choices themselves. I figured even though I didn't need Chrysler's longer warranty because none of these ever break, that made me lean towards the cutting-edge design of the Neon. Plus it was only $25 grand!
The first tank returned 85 mpg on regular fuel, but it's been perfectly reliable already! I took it off road and it got through nicely, with plenty of clearance and good angles of approach and departure. Skid plates are standard and got me through the really tough stuff, even with no low range.
I think I'll spice it up with fake hood scoops, and paint it yellow, with flames on the hood, limo tint, a huge rear wing, coffee can exhaust for about 75 more horsepower. It'll fit right in with the Civics on import night, I'm sure those guys will welcome me.
Though I am having trouble getting my chrome 22" wheels to fit. You think I got the offsets wrong?
Any how, what do you guys think of my new ride?
http://www.beaterz.com/
-juice
It's April Fools day, not April "Totally gullible, don't have a clue" day! :-)
Ken
-juice
Anyway today dawned wild and pouring with rain so I guess April has definitely arrived.
In answer to your question juice not for a minute.
Cheers Pat.
:-)
Ross
How's the pup?
We're dog sitting for a neighbor this week, an adorable little pug. Well, not so little, a lot heavier than Hadji.
-juice
Bob
Thanks for the pick-me-up. I needed it.
I heard that Toyota will open a new Q&A style forum at Edmunds, to replace the topic dedicated to the sludge debate. I guess I should say congrats and wish you luck from this point on, seems like you're on track.
-juice
Only blot on his copybook is he is a terrible feeder, does not take a lot. the vet is hoping he will grow out of it.
Meantime we are almost having to force him, he gets distracted so easy anything that looks fun well the food takes a back seat.
Cheers Pat.
-juice
My last two career jobs both started on April Fool's Day... but the joke was on them!
Cheers!
Paul
Have a very happy year!
Patti
Patti
April 1st is quite a memorable day (maybe not) for alot of us at the bank. On April 1, 1998 Head Office announced the merger.
-Dave
I had you at "Neon". :-)
Ken
Anyway, I fit the profile. I am a dinkwad (double income no kids with a dog). I have a 90 pound labrador retriever and I swear he smiled when he jumped in the back.
Thanks to all of you for your enthusiastic sharing of information and views on this and other forums. It was a big help. A special thanks to juice; if it wasn't for him (and Scape2) I might still be pondering. The only problem that I have with this car is that it just doesn't corner like my previous ride. My spouse is happy though and that ought to be sufficient. She was driving a 1989 Integra that simply refused to die. She now drives the MX-6, which I shall sorely miss.
Congratulations on your new Forester and welcome to the Subaru Crew! Glad to hear there's yet another Forester owner among us.
While the Forester won't quite corner like a sports sedan, it does very well for a mini SUV. One very easy and cheap modification you can do to improve handling is to upgrade the rear sway bar. The stock bar is 13mm. Several of us have gone to 18mm and beyond. The result is less body roll and more responsiveness in corners.
Ken
Welcome to the crew. I have a '99 "S" bought new and still thoroughly enjoy it. 94,000 miles and no major trouble. You have another opportunity to upgrade handling: tires. If you are due for replacement, tires such as the Bridgestone RE 950 or Dunlop Sport SP2 will improve handling. I bought the Dunlop Sport SP2s a couple of weeks ago and am very pleased. They're a fine match for the Forester. Great in wet & dry - and suprizingly good in snow & slush for an all season tire. I live in eastern New York state and run true winter tires on 15" "L" rims. I was fooled by the mild winter here and changed tires in mid March - then got to test the SP2s in real winter weather. I found the original equipment Yokohama Geolandar HTs to be good in wet & dry, but poor on snow & ice. Tirerack.com is a good place to start your research.
John
We just picked up an '02 OBW after handing in our '99 OBW at lease end. At the risk of jinxing myself, 3 years of no problems. None with the car, none with the dealer. We did a lot of checking of other vehicles before getting another OB but we never felt we were getting the same bang for the buck.
The changes from '99 to '02 are subtle but they are there. I'd say it's a little more refined, definitely more pickup, certainly a nicer interior.
once again, thanks for all the tidbits of Subaru knowledge.
Cheers Pat.
(but I did wave at Patti as I passed Cherry Hill...)
Steve
Juice - call me gullible (a long day of driving), but I swallowed hard when I read Neon and trade-in, then started to laugh.
Steve
-mike
John: 94k in 3 years? Wow, you a traveling salesman?
Congrats Jeff. Hope the 2nd OBW is just as good as the first!
A Legacy L is a great value and would arguably make a great canvas, i.e. starting point for a modded car.
I'll take this opportunity to invite each of you to our live chat tomorrow night. I'd love to hear from you folks.
NY Auto Show was great. Big surprise, too! See Future Models for more details, but here is a hint: 2003 Legacy GT (not Outback) impressed us the most!
-juice
Bob
http://www.media.subaru.com./
Ross
I read that in Japan the new Forester is selling well beyond sales forecasts.
-juice
Don't you guys have recession as well? Or is it because all hockey fans decided to celebrate Olympic gold in their brand-new Subarus? :-)
I wonder if prices in CDN $ are somehow much more attractive than in the US. I know many people in the US are buying Nissans in Canada for that reason.
2002 Forester Ltd, AT (your "+" with factory leather and a few extra goodies) $22,937US
2002 WRX sedan, MT $21,995US
Of course, there is the 7% GST tax on top of that.
Ross
the EVO uses a 'electronically controlled or active multiplate hydraulic' system for the AWD (hmmm, that sounds familiar). the STi uses a viscous limited slip type center diffy with Suretrac front & rear diffys.
'the boxer deserves full marks for its melodious blend of throaty intake rasp, orchestral full-throttle thunder, and rhythmic liftoff burble'
'the trucklike turning circle [of the EVO] borders on the ridiculous'
they liked the way the EVO handled in the twisties, saying that the STi had 'too much understeer early in the game'.
Subaru & Prodrive are working on bigger brakes for the STi, along with wider tires, more power, and possibly an adjustable suspension.
-Brian
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/05/automobiles/05DRIV.html
They were talking about the geographic locations for where certain cars sell the best. It seems Subaru is most popular in Boulder, Portland, and upstate NY.
Mark
-juice
Stephen
I have a place on a local ski hill. After looking at my Outback, both owners on either side of me bought Outbacks. Another friend looked at my car and two months later had an Outback, same colour and all.
The hard thing to believe is, after all this, my dealer stills charges me for service. ;-)
Tom
He stated that he has towed this vehicle a lot, including across Canada and back with no apparent problems. He just leaves the motor running and in neutral while towing, states it only burns about two quarts an hour.
I noticed in the manual it says that with all wheels on the ground, limit towing speed to 20 M.P.H. and distance to 30 miles. Otherwise, use a flat bed truck. Interesting......
Tom