Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • natescapenatescape Member Posts: 176
    Did you go to Metro Subaru in Somerset, MA? One of the sales people there did that exact thing for me in the small parking lot behind Stop & Shop (as well as some other nifty little maneuvers). They really impressed me. I was in and out of there starting in June, and made my I+ purchase (also black) in November. I already have 10k miles on it (on pace for 40k/year, NOT good), and I love every minute of it.
  • bigfrank3bigfrank3 Member Posts: 426
    Yep, it was Metro. I kept thinking that if I drove the car like that they would void my warantee. I was impressed with the car but that is also one of the reasons we both ordered, to try and get as close to virgin as possible. I don't ever like anyone to touch or drive my vehicles, let alone like that!

    I wonder if all Subaru salespersons are taught to demo the vehicle that way, or just something Metro thought up? I told them they should keep just one vehicle aside to do that with, and keep a running count of the demos. If they told me that that vehicle had done that 20 or 30 times I would have been more impressed, but I wasn't about to buy a new vehicle with more than the 8 miles they come from the "port" with. Maybe they just get a running start to get them off of the ship!

    Frank
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Welcome aboard—and great post!

    Bob
  • natescapenatescape Member Posts: 176
    Actually, I think it's just the one salesguy who does it that way. I had dealt with Keena, who had thought it was too aggressive. One day I came in and she wasn't there, so the sales guy (can't think of his name, he had glasses and was slightly heavyset) took me out and did it. Totally impressed me (and the Rav4 and Santa Fe failed the same tests).

    I've found the real-world verisons of the tests prove the Forester is just as surefooted as it appeared! Welcome to the club. :)
  • bigfrank3bigfrank3 Member Posts: 426
    I believe the sales guy you are talking about is Bob. Mine was Paul (excellent salesperson), who is younger, less portly, and no glasses. It must be common training for them. Maybe "demo" means demolition not demonstration!

    Frank
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Welome, Big Frank!!! good post, BTW.

    My fave vanity plate belongs to Mike Moran (aka BugBomb) here in MD:

    UBSLIPN- You Be Slippin'
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Check it out:


    http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=1400062&Auth=false


    The WRX album is for anyone who didn't get to go. I got as many detailed close-ups as I could.


    The Subaru Crew album is great. Go through the whole thing and it'll crack you up, I guarantee it!


    I'll be back to chat later.


    -juice

  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Cool pix! LOL!
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Looks like everyone had a great time! Thanks for sharing the photos, juice!

    KarenS
    Host
    Owner's Clubs
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Great shots, juice! As always. You're right about the headlights, they look better live. In my opinion the Subie headlights look better than the same kind of all-in-one units on other cars. In particular I don't care for the S-class Mercedes, they look like they melted together, some kind of overheating accident that was never corrected. The WRX headlights look very clean.

    I must say that the WRX wagon looks almost sedate without the fender flares. It may be the true sleeper, the one to get when you want to want to fly under the radar of the constabulari. I thought the rear track was the same on both sedan and wagon, and it was only the front track that is wider on the sedan. But the UK website shows both being wider on the 'saloon', 25mm wider in front and 30mm wider in the rear. That's a significant amount, handling-wise. And the fender flares make a significant difference looks-wise; the sedan is noticeably more racer-ish. Then again the sedan at the show had the 17" wheels and the spoiler. I wonder what the wagon looks like with 17" wheels...

    Thanks again for the great pictures. Slightly off-topic: I meant to ask what kind of camera you used, I'm looking into getting a digital camera.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • natescapenatescape Member Posts: 176
    Send me an email (on my profile). I've met several other SE Mass/RI Forester owners and have been toying with trying to start up a local owners club. :)
  • barresa11barresa11 Member Posts: 277
    Francophile: Check out the UK Soob or Aussie Soob site to see what the wagon looks like w/17" wheel/tire combo. This is the standard wheel style and not the BBS though.

    Stephen
  • barresa11barresa11 Member Posts: 277
    Thanks Juice! The pics are great. I just placed my order on a silver wagon last Sat. so of course I'm gobbling up any info I can. The obsession has increased expotentially! :-)

    Stephen
  • tlimatlima Member Posts: 124
    His name is Paul Furtado (He was also my salesman). He and Gus Wollmar were both extremely easy to deal with. BTW, their Service Dept is excellent. I've been in 2 times so far, and both times, I'm in and out quickly, plus, gotta love those $16.95 oil specials.

    Gus took me out for my second test drive. He encouraged me to "push" it - and I did. Remember though, it was these guys who had some trouble back in late summer when one of their newest salespeople on a test drive with 2 potential customers wrapped a Forester around a tree!

    Good luck with both subies...

    -Tony
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Hehe, great story bigfrank3. Good to hear such an enthusiastic introduction. Hang around!

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Nice Pictures Juice. Looks like you took photos of everything, so that those who didn't make it can see everything. The wagon looks nice and sporty, while the sedan looks cool! Love those BBS wheels.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Kate: you around? I was sure you'd say something about my poke at the Aztec by now. Take a look at those photos.

    Frank: TWO Subarus? BOTH Foresters?! Oh, man, you are very, very welcome here!

    Karen: thanks for putting that photo up on the Subaru Crew main page. Check it out folks!

    WDB: Sony Mavica FD71 (now FD73). Pro: most convenient in the world, uses floppies, never run out of film, fully automated. Con: only 640x480, big and heavy, a bit expensive. There are other models too, but the price goes up.

    Stephen: you are the MAN! Ordered already, eh? That's gotta be the first here to commit.

    I was very impressed with it in person. The sedan is notably more roomy than the current RS, but the wagon has even more room. The cargo space is good, though the sleek fastback D-pillar eats into some of it. Still, not bad.

    I love the WRX seats - SoA should either spread them to other models or sell them separately. Awesome! Excellent side support, comfortable, can I have them?

    Interior is improved a lot, too. That's good because it means the Forester will get similar improvements. Sincerely, if the Forester's rear seat grows by as much, Subaru is in good shape. That's really the only significant draw back in the Forester.

    And by the way, yours truly insisted on riding in the back seat of Bob's Forester. It was fine, since the person in front of me had the seat forward slightly. But the heated seats in front rock!

    -juice
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Juice, great photos and it is nice to be able to put faces to the people I have been communicating with for these past months.
    Cheers Pat.
  • barresa11barresa11 Member Posts: 277
    Everyone at work (ok, w/exception of one gearhead)is tired of me talking about the WRX. Frankly, I don't see what the problem is! But, of course I wouldn't. :-) I did this great comparison chart in excel on my 00'OB Ltd and the WRX wagon. I'll share it here if someone can tell me how to save to a post (nobody at work wants to see it anymore) :-(

    Stephen
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Stephen, You da man! Woohoo! I see my rational points in last week's chat were of no avail ;) Having seen the WRX in the flesh, I must say you will be delighted. Thank goodness I didn't drive it or I would be even more envious ;)

    ..Mike

    PS - GT-B, GT-B!

    ..Mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's OK, Stephen, talk to a more recipient audience, like us!

    I can't say enough about it. The brake-cooling ducts are spiffy. The big fog lights I like also remain. The hood is indeed lighter than mine, but WDB brought up an interesting point - it may exist to provide better heat dissipation. Either way, very cool.

    I like the seat-height ratchet mechanism, which reminds me of VW's. In fact, I like everything about the seats. The new dash looks good, and the pedals are trick. They didn't seem slippery, probably because of the rubber bumps they have. Good sized dead pedal, and pedals positioned for heel-and-toeing (if your shoes aren't too big).

    The sedan's spoiler is only OK, I like the current ones better. It's got too many surfaces for my tastes, but at least from the driver's seats it doesn't hurt visibility too much, because you can see underneath it.

    The wagon's spoiler I like, period. Should keep the window somewhat dry and cleaner. Heck, I'll even take a 2nd one!

    The back seat arm rest is a nice touch. Especially since you're more likely to have people back there. The trunk pass through is big enough for a pair of skis, but not a snow board. That stuff can go on the wagon's roof rack anyway.

    The steering wheel is nice. They plastered the Momo logo on it and mention it every chance they get. The VDC also has a Momo wheel but no labels, though again they mentioned it every chance they got (real mahogany too!).

    The shifter didn't have a knob, to prevent theft I guess, but felt much the same as the current one. That means give Cusco a call for their urethane bushings, and consider a shorter throw lever as well.

    I liked both colors there, Silver and Sedona Red. Ironically, I'd swap them and show a wild red sedan and a sleeper silver wagon (my pick among the two).

    Twin exhaust tips look so nice, it's a shame how many people will slap on a cat-back and lose those. And they will, because it was very, very quiet. I imagine an exhaust alone would unleash at least 5-6 horsepower, and some growl to go with it. Looks like the UR Pulley will fit, so you could get maybe 10 horses quick and cheap.

    Have I mentioned I was imprezzed? ;-)

    -juice
  • barresa11barresa11 Member Posts: 277
    Juice: Thanks for the impressions. I talked to my salesguy about the short throw shifter option. He suggested I live with the std set-up and then decide if I wanted the short-shift deal. He mentioned several aftermarket brands as well. I think I mentioned this before (gee, where have I said that before in the last two days) but the STI parts are not going to be warranted by SOA at all. Also, Subaru dealers have been instructed by SOA not to install STI items on WRX's for customers. It seems that the hope that STI would be what TRD is for Toyota is not completely coming true. I think this may be for liability purposes, specifically in regards to the WRX. It may make a vehicle that the avg motorist couldn't handle. Don't know, just my thought. The BBS wheels look great but way past my budget (yes...Mike, I do have a budget, tee hee). I asked my salesguy why their price was so high. He said, as he understood it, that BBS was approached by Subaru Corp to offer optional wheels for the WRX. BBS agreed to make unique wheels for the WRX but said, based on the rally specs, the wheels would be expensive. Subaru gave the go-ahead anyhow and there you have it. I think that the 17"std style wheel/tire combo that is std in UK and Australia will begin to appear on the aftermarket shelves. I would be happy with these if they could be had at a reasonable price.

    Stephen
  • amishraamishra Member Posts: 367
    awesome pics juice!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Thanks.

    The BBS wheels are gorgeous. Like someone here said, almost worth the price.

    A shift lever isn't going to create tranny problems, at least not a well engineered one. Look to SPT, Cobb, or Kartboy for proven ones.

    I think their angle on SPT will slowly improve. TRD has a lot more resources (and deep pockets for lawsuits). Once they realize the demand is there, they'll be better off offering their own aftermarket parts instead of watching others rake in the bucks. Customers will install them anyway, and SoA would actually have less control (not more) of how the final products turn out.

    Yes, Patti, feel free to share my feelings with the products planning folks. :-)

    -juice
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    You'll like the S-class headlamps once you see some of the other designs they were toying around with. :-) Those were...well, rather ugly, IMHO. They did want a teardrop-like shape, and it morphed into what it currently is. It took me a little while to warm up to it (took a heck of a lot more time to warm up to the E-class's headlamps, which I now like) though.

    As for a digital camera, I just recently got a 2.1 megapixel Canon Digital Elph Powershot S100. It's the same size as the APS Elph (read tiny!) and extremely convenient. I take it almost everywhere with me now. With a 48MB card to supplement the stardard 8MB card, I can take about 350 pictures in 640X480 mode. The pictures can be viewed on a TV set via the supplied cable.

    Here are a couple of pictures that I snapped of a '01 S600 V12 (with the Sport Pkg) waiting delivery last week while I was at the dealership. Stephen and Ross, it was rainy outside as usual - about 9am:

    image

    image
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You forgot to mention "the catch", though (there is always a catch). That requires software on the PC you use, and if you use several PCs you may have to install it several times. It's also hard to share with friends for that reason.

    The ones with USB cords are even less convenient - you need to cart the cable around, or buy more than one cable, and lend the install CD to them.

    I like the simplicity of the floppy disc (everyone has it, and no software, adaptors, or cables are required), though perhaps one with the Sony LS120 or a Zip disk could be even better.

    Then again, for high-res you may not have a choice.

    -juice
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    thanks for sharing them with us. Look to see more in the future.


    Drew
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
  • bigfrank3bigfrank3 Member Posts: 426
    Actually, you have already received an e-mail from me after I stumbled upon your website pictures. I remarked about being surprised when I saw the name of the beach because it was in the town next to me.

    Frank
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    Once again, however, I have to tell you how much fun I had. You folks are wonderful. Did anyone else notice the crowd that started to join "our group" when we were at the VDC?

    Omar commented on how great you all were, too. Thanks again. - Note: My friends are really having fun with the pictures. I'm kinda known to be very camera shy - so - they were surprised I did it. With friends like you folks, how could I say no??

    Thanks again and keep the commentary coming!

    Patti
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Patti,

    You guys were all quite photogenic! It's nice to be able to match a face to a name.

    Any chance you'll be out at any shows in the San Fran Bay Area?

    Ken
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Maybe so Juice, but you are gonna have a hard time convincing me that the ability to take 60 pics on one memory card, then download the whole shebang via USB to hard drive in under 2 minutes is inconvenient. We just got a Canon Powershot S10, slightly larger than the S100, and love it. Manual control over shutter speed, flash, etc. Several quality grades and image sizes, B&W capability, rechargeable battery available, tiny, light, and fast.
    2.1 Megapixels, which looks great without munching the hard drive space like a 3.3 would.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm looking at getting one of the new ones that has a built in burner that burns to the small cds. I think you can save a ton on their (more than the batteries will allow you to take)!

    -mike
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    For the Chicago Autoshow, I'll have my Sony DSC-S50 in hand. It's 2.1 mp and I have the 64 mb media stick. Downloads via USB. Records movies too - up to a minute in length at a time.

    I just downloaded a 5MB TIFF (the uncompressed mode at 2.1mp) in just over 15 seconds.

    Mind you, I don't use the TIFF mode much. Typically, I use the 'normal' mode which creates files about 800kb in size at 2.1mp.

    -Brian
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    SoA needs to wake up, and fast. TRD and Mugen continue to hand them their hats on this issue. Even SVT at the blue oval has a more legit catalogue.... what the heck is "SPT" supposed to be anyway? We all know STi is out there. It is all any kid with a Play Station ever sees. How can you not want to capitalize on that exposure. For that matter, the same kids know what a B4 RSK is, but can't start saving up for it 'cause we don't get any go-fast Legacy. Everyone in Planning should be locked in a room with Gran Tourismo 2 for a day, see how much exposure Subaru gets in that game, and start getting with it.

    I want a turbo Legacy Wagon, dammit! Not some heavy, tongue-twisting 3.0 H-6. Put the 2.0 turbo in the Legacy GT, and leave the H-6 for the Outback and maybe a Limited model (like the LSi. I suppose I'll settle for an WRX, but I like the size of the legacy better.
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    Sounds great! The S10 (or S20) was a larger camera than I was looking for, so I passed on it. The only other ones that I truly considered were the Kodak DSC4000 and the Nikon CoolPix 990. Both (especially the latter) were huge compared to the tiny S100 - 2.2 inches high and 3.4 inches in length. I was willing to give up some of the features for portability, and besides I got a terrific price for it after going back and forth between London Drugs and Future Shop (went with F.S. in the end). I agree that downloading photos in bulk via USB is far easier.


    Drew
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
  • tlimatlima Member Posts: 124
    1) To non-Subaru owners: A BLIZZARD
    2) To Subaru owners: A FLURRY

    Got to love 6" of heavy wet snow in the N.E.

    Question: "Did I feel a tire slip?"
    Answer: Nah

    Anyhow, juice, great pics from the show. My digital camera choice: Canon G1, 3.3 MP and 1G IBM MicroDrive support.

    -Tony
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    I'm very pleased with my Olympus D-460. I have the USB smartmedia reader - works veey well with the 32 MB card. Not as tiny as the Cannon, but very good quality for a 1.3.

    Ross
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    Hi guys,

    Nice photos, Juice! I'm really envious. You guys have fun and I'm -- you won't believe -- still being Foresterless (>2 mo already)! That dopey body shop (never mind that it came recommended by the Subie dealer) totally screwed up my poor Forester. When I came to pick up what they claimed is a top-notch job, I discovered huge gaps where tailgate lights meet body-mounted lights (for 2001 models only)... The shop tried to pull the fast one on me, saying that all Forester come this way, and even offered me a ride to the Subaru dealer... only to be embarrassed to see long row of new Foresters, all with tightly fit tailgates. Grrr...

    Enough grumbling. Glad to hear you guys had fun at Philly. Pix look great.

    --Kate

    P.S. Never ever in your life bring your car to the body shop named B&S Hacienda at Livermore, CA. Trust me. I'll post pix of the crookedly mounted tailgate some time later.
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    I'm sorry to hear that you're still without your practically brand new Forester. Bet the body shop person was throughly embarrased! What is the estimated time of completion this time around?


    Drew
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    Good to see you are still here. Hopefully the idiots at the shop will soon get their act together and you will get your baby back.

    Ross
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Thanks everyone! for the commentary on cameras. I was thinking about getting one for my son for his birthday, but he may have gone out and gotten one himself! So maybe I'll get one for me ;-)

    We got clobbered here, 12" to 15" of snow depending on who you talk to. The first 6" was really heavy plus the ground was warm, so down there underneath it all is a layer of hardpack and ice. I went out at 6pm and the local roads still had 6" and more of rutted, heavy snow on them in most places. I was using the return of a videotape as an excuse to go out and have some fun in the Subie - you know, slither around a bit, bop through the occasional snowbank, practice the old handbrake turn. But the roads were *bad* and it was getting foggy and there were cars sticking out of every driveway because they couldn't make it in any further. It wasn't really fun, either, because the heavy snow and the well-worn RE 92's made for less-than great traction. I didn't get stuck, but neither did I feel real confident that I would continue to stay non-stuck if I stayed out there. So I came back home and threw another log on the fire. A good night for a good book, and a GREAT day to work from home. Also this is probably the final straw that will cause me to go out and get winter wheels and tires; the wider GT tires in all-season form just don't do the car justice in this stuff. End-of-season deals, here I come!

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    Just before you get your winter tires and wheels, be sure to have your fill of "donuts" with the Subie. In order to do donuts, you basically have to lose almost all traction to the wheels. With grippy tires, this may be a lot more difficult. When my AWD minivan was shod with new tires (BFG Control T/A M65 vs. the Pirellis that were on before) in late last November, I had to work extremely hard to break the tailend loose in the snow. I couldn't even do any donuts in the same (small) school parking lot around my neighbourhood. How disappointing ;-)


    Drew
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day


    Thought this might be of interest. Skoda's Octavia is a very well sorted car, effectively built off the Golf chassis by Skoda (a VW/Audi subsidiary). The addition of 4wd and the route taken to make it work is technically interesting.


    Historically, Skoda made fabulously well engineered and very interesting cars but through the communist era produced some real stinkers with exceptionally dodgy build. When I went to England in 1990, comedians made Skoda jokes like they made Trabant jokes. The only difference was that Skodas don't die as quickly as Trabies.


    After VW took over, build quality leapt and then VW started injecting seriously workmanlike designs into the business.


    The Octavia is a peach, particularly in wagon form. I fancied one but my wife refused to be caught up in Skoda ownership as she remembered the jokes. In England, where Subarus are considered expensive, the Octavia 4wd would be serious competition against the Liberty/Legacy, particularly as it is about 15% cheaper.


    I suspect the chances of the Octavia making it to the States is slim, but if you travel to Europe, have a look.


    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et? ac=004299044265289&rtmo=0xXRKGbq&atmo=rrrrrrrq&pg=/et/01/2/6/emfskod06.html


    Unfortunately the limitations of the software mean that this link has to be split in two as it exceeds 100 characters in length. Copy it into your browser in its entirety and then remove the inserted spaces.


    Cheers


    Graham

  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    If only I could get my boss to agree! I'd love it!
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    You don't have to be a vet




    Skoda



    Equally at home on mountain or motorway, Skoda new 4x4 estate could be the only car you'll ever need. It's great value, too, as Peter Dron reports
    AFTER a few miles in this new Skoda Estate with its Haldex coupling four-wheel-drive system, a word flashed in my head like a light bulb: "vets". Not the Chelsea Pensioner/ Vietnam type, but those who don armpit-length rubber gloves and do unspeakable things to farm animals.

    Skoda, unsurprisingly, sees this profession as part of its targeted clientele. In the press pack, under "Anticipated Customer Profile", we find the following shorthand summary: "Reasons for choice include: Location - rural, hilly, mountainous terrain. Leisure activities that require transporting equipment, ie biking, fishing, camping, water sports, riding. Farmers, vets and doctors in rural areas. Second car - school run - safe drive." As for that last category, this car is a far more sensible choice than those aggressive, gas-guzzling, bull-barred 4x4s with which many young mothers terrorise their communities.

    At £16,200, the well-equipped Octavia Estate should easily achieve Skoda UK's sales target of 900 units, "geographically biased towards Scotland, northern England and Wales". Indeed, demand might stand out against the overall downward trend of the market. For one thing, there are few rivals at the price. You cannot get a Golf 4-motion (that shares essentially the same platform and transmission) with this 1.8-litre, 20-valve, four-cylinder turbo engine; the Skoda's closest rival, Subaru's Legacy Estate (Britain's best-selling 4wd wagon), costs substantially more if you want to match the 150bhp delivered by the Czech machine. This gives the Octavia respectable performance (0-60mph in about 9sec and a top speed of more than 130mph), allied to reasonable economy. Mid-range torque is strong, but to get the best out of the engine you need to make full use of the five-speed gearbox. This does not have the slickest change in the business, but it's light and positive.

    Via mechanical, hydraulic and electronic interaction, the Haldex coupling, installed between the propshaft and the rear differential, automatically adjusts torque between the front and rear axles, varying from full front-drive to 50/50 according to conditions. Among several advantages of this Swedish system is that ride height is lower than in conventional four-wheel-drive vehicles.

    At first, the Octavia did not appeal to me particularly, as I am content to leave farm animals to the experts. Setting off from Nice airport, I felt that the handling was good enough, if rather roly-poly, while brake pedal response seemed a shade soft. But once we were on the switchback roads of the Haut Var, I began to like this Octavia very much.

    If you are expecting a mildly detuned version of Skoda's impressive World Rally Championship car, you will be disappointed, but the Octavia 4x4 is more than merely competent.

    It might roll a bit in curves, but not excessively, and above all it settles well through

    S-bends. At least on the winter tyres with which my test car was shod, the more the going got tough - with damp surfaces and occasional patches of snow or ice - the more impressively the chassis performed. Volkswagen claims that the automatic torque distribution supplied by the Haldex coupling "offers the advantages of permanently available four-wheel drive with the driving characteristics of front-wheel drive". I'd say they're selling themselves short: it's actually better than that.

    With ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) engaged, the car feels stable and responsive. One is not aware of the torque shift as the Haldex sends more lb ft to the back axle, except in that understeer is reduced. With ESP switched off, the car simply wants to plough straight on, so best let it do its work. It acts subtly in almost all circumstances, although occasionally one is strongly aware of having asked for full throttle and been given a quarter.

    While depressing the brake pedal feels rather like treading on a small, squishy vertebrate, the pads stand up well to challenging, downhill Alpine roads: I made them whiff, but they did not fade. The anti-lock works with discreet efficiency.

    Inside, you do not get quite the limousine quality now routinely available in Volkswagens. This is more the sort of interior VW used to do: well-constructed, if a shade plain. The seats feel very hard, as if intended to last forever under the trousers of substantial German businessmen who carry their own padding. Nevertheless, lateral location is not bad and, in most other respects, with a good range of seat adjustment and a telescopic steering column, the driving position is exemplary.

    The only real letdowns are the second-rate radio (though you do get a cassette player and six-CD multi-changer) and the controls for the air-conditioning/heating, both of which look like something out of an American DIY electrical catalogue. The air-con works acceptably, but the buttons are fiddly. They are placed at full stretch and their operation is impeded by the gear lever.

    All-round visibility is generally good, although the windscreen pillars, as in most modern cars, are unnecessarily thick and the bonnet drops steeply out of sight. The curved rear pillar gives a more stylish appearance than the boxy Golf Variant, without impairing the rearward view.

    The Octavia might lack the finer points of build quality that have so far allowed Volkswagen to charge a premium, but all the essentials are there. If you are seeking a no-frills estate (with comfortable seating for four or five and voluminous luggage capacity) that will get you almost anywhere in safety and comfort, no matter what the conditions, there is no better option for the money than this. The Octavia 4x4 Estate is Skoda's most technologically advanced model to date. It is a bold step forward, but seems certain to pay off: you do not have to be a rural vet to appreciate its numerous qualities.

    There's a bit of a fashion at present for four-wheel drive versions of prestigious estates and it's ironic that of them all, it's the Skoda that looks (and feels) as though it could actually do the job rather than just pose around town.

    But one small gripe: when will an estate car manufacturer have the guts to provide a luggage area entirely lined in hard-wearing plastics? It is not only vets who would appreciate that.

    Skoda Octavia 4x4 estate
    Price/availability: £16,200. On sale now.

    Engine/transmission: 1,781cc, in-line four-cylinder, 20-valve turbocharged petrol; 150bhp at 5,700rpm, 155lb ft of torque from 1,750-4,600rpm. Four-wheel drive via five-speed manual gearbox and Haldex coupling.

    Performance: top speed 131mph, 0-62mph in 9.3sec, EC Urban fuel consumption 23.3mpg.

    Worth considering: Subaru Legacy 2.5i GX Estate, from £19,250.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Interesting. There's a lot of neat vehicles lurking around the European motor ways that we never see here in the States.

    Bob
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Stephen, congrats on your upcoming purchase. Like juice keeps raving, the seats were so comfortable.

    At the Phiily show, paisan was questioning the rep. (Omar) about Sti parts not being covered under warranty, and that the dealers can't install them. He hadn't heard anything about it. I've also seen that info pop up in other forums as well.

    Patti - have you heard anything about it?

    Dennis
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    I've linked three Subaru discussions from SUVs, Sedans, and Wagons to the Subaru Crew Club folder. These discussions still "live" on their respective boards, but are cloned to appear here also. If there are other Subaru discussions in the Town Hall that you feel would be appropriate to include, please let me know.

    KarenS
    Host
    Owner's Clubs
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Great idea! In fact I would like to see all "active" Subaru forums from other folders added (& linked) to this forum. And... as new topic folders are added elsewhere, add them here too.

    Perhaps, to avoid this becoming too large and/or cumbersome, you could create a new "Subaru linked Topics" folder, and put all these linked forums in there??? That way all Subaru forums could be easily accessed via the Subaru Crew forum, just by looking in the "Linked Forums" folder.

    Along that same line of thought, is it possible (with this new software) to automatically link any new discussion forum with the word "Subaru" or "Forester, etc." in the title to such a linked folder?

    Also... I'm assuming(?) this means that any post we add here will also show up in the other forum too?

    Bob
  • barresa11barresa11 Member Posts: 277
    Bluesubie: Thanks...the waiting is the hardest part (gee, kinda reminding me of a song...)

    My salesguy showed my the internal memo from SOA to dealers regarding the STI parts. It would be interesting to hear Pat's take on this.

    Stephen
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