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Comments
I agree with Loosh, I'd like to see the JDM turbocharged Legacy platform in North America. Here is my wish list (powertrain only, I'll leave ergonomics alone):
- Turbocharged -- more efficient at highway speed; turbo lag off the line isn't important (and why I prefer turbo 2.0l over H-6 3.0l).
- Legacy platform -- Impreza hatchback/wagon is too small for my family and needs.
- Manual transmission -- 5MT exists and is better than any form of automatic, including sport shift, so I'll accept that until FHI develops a 6MT. As Bob Holland (rsholland) notes, look at Subaru's competition and you'll find 6 speed manuals.
Here are my JDM preferences by priority (with links):- Legacy Blitzen Touring Wagon (a.k.a. B4 RSK) & specs -- add the 5MT; I'll order my second one when FHI develops a 6MT.
- Legacy GT-B E-tune wagon & specs. FHI model is GF-BH5.
I know FHI is a small company with limited resources but I'm not in the minority. For but one example, look at Stephen Barrett (barressa11) right here on Edmunds, who is selling his one year (!) old Outback Limited wagon for a WRX wagon.Thanks for passing this on to Product Planning. Please have PP email MichaelCSmith@hotmail.com when it's available.
..Mike
PS - I ask SoA Product Planning to consider a segment of their customer base -- engineers, including software engineers like me. The IT field is booming and engineers are predominantly college-educated males. Those engineers are the people that buy your cars. In the future, will we see fewer computers used to schedule, design, test, and manufacture products? Will we see more or fewer IT jobs in the future? Think about it.
..Mike
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
For aspiring HTMLers, that's:
{ul}
{li} foo
{li} bar
{/ul}
Replace { with < and } with > and you are list-enabled.
..Mike
..Mike
Regards,
-wdb
..Mike
..Mike
The biggest reason I'm hemming and hawing over the Impreza is its size. I need a car that will carry four adults in comfort, and the Impreza just barely does that. Don't get me wrong, for its size it has a really great back seat - as good as a Bimmer 3-series and better than an A4 (although there is a new A4 coming soon). But the adults I carry tend to be, ahem, more experienced in the birthday department, so ease of ingress and egress comes into play. Also the Impreza's cargo capacity is a bit tight. If the wagon was squared up in the back a bit more (did I really say that?) I'd be more inclined to get one.
So, yes, a performance Legacy would be a very appealing car to me. But you already knew that.
Amen, brother WDB, amen. Now PP has heard you too.
..Mike
..Mike
Interestingly the B4 is sold in New Zealand but not in Australia. I don't know why. WRX are very popular here so there is no obvious reason why the B4 isn't sold here. The Legacy RS Turbo was sold in the UK for many years and was fairly popular.
Cheers
Graham
Just make sure Mike's has good cupholders.
Ken
Ken, I just got it; thanks for the heads up.
Aw Loosh, so you have been reading my posts
..Mike
..Mike
We looked at one in Philly, and I found the seats too soft and the interior a bit too "fake TT", but the rest impressed me.
Note that when they originally tested the Forester, it rated higher than the new RAV4 did. Guess with the newcomers upping the ante, their 2nd test Forester didn't score as well (still "Excellent" and in 2nd overall).
The WRX drew crowds pretty much most of the time. Yes, we were swamped when Omar gave us the demo. Maybe they figured if a bunch of guys with Subaru hats were listening, it was worth waiting for.
I'd like a turbo 4 in the Legacy as much as anyone, but realistically that platform ain't gonna get it. The H6 and US Legacys are built here. So from a cost perspective, a B4 RSK Wagon would a fortune - $35-40k. Would any of us really pay that much for it?
OK, many would. What was my point again? ;-)
Loosh: the reason USB is inconvenient for me is that it does not work at all with NT 4.0. If it's for personal use only and you have 95/98, fine, but if you share it you still have to hand that cable and the software around to each person that uses it.
Also, look at it this way. I could have taken a box of 10 diskettes, and taken a photo of each person at the show, and let them take the diskette home! No cable, adaptors, software, nothing. Just a diskette.
That's why I find it convenient, and everything else less so.
-juice
SHHHHH!!!! The people at PP will hear you! D'oh! You are right, of course. bummer. I her the H-6 is too big to fit the MT5 bell housing onto; sounds like the days of a hip, cool, 5-speed wagon alternative are numbered.
-juice
Also, I think the GT needs a boost, because I predict the faux-suv look of the OB is going to start losing popularity soon. Something more sophisticated is needed to really sell the $30K buyer. Think Saab and Audi, not SUV.
OK, unless my knees start creaking, but still. They are missing out on a complete group of buyers. Sport sedans REQUIRE manual trannies. It's what separates the Taurus from the 3 series Bimmer.
-juice
Heck, that's less sales the slowest selling Subaru.
Don't get me wrong, I drove one and it certainly was entertaining as heck (my favorite at the all-automatic Edmunds live event), but I haven't bought one, either.
-juice
Lexus is getting a wagon, plus manual transmissions, in the fall, which is good.
Even if 80% are automatics, the manual validates the vehicle as a sports sedan in the eyes of the public.
-juice
I'm sure their best seller is the very tame 325i automatic (we tried one at Emunds live, and the auto Lexus IS won, hands down).
It'll happen with Subaru, too. The WRX will create showroom traffic. Those folks may end up driving off in an Outback or Forester, but I'm sure Subaru doesn't mind.
The VDC didn't exactly produce tire-burning track numbers. That's mostly because competitors offer manuals, and those are the models tested, whether the public buys them or not. Hence it seems slower, yet compared to automatic competitors that's not at all the case.
-juice
I'll probably chat/type with you all by tomorrow night. My daughter is keying this in for me today.
'Til tomorrow!
Patti
-juice
..Mike
..Mike
Cheers,
-wdb
..Mike
Kamen's the guy who built that wheelchair that lets people stand up, do stairs, all kinds of cool stuff. He's also the brains behind "It", the who-knows-what that is supposedly going to change the world. It could have something to do with a practical Stirling cycle engine, which would be pretty neat.
Cheers,
-wdb
..Mike
Bob
Ross and Stephen: Looks like our incessant whining about the lack of snow is about to pay off :-)
http://weather.ec.gc.ca/forecast/yvr.html
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
Ross
Maybe Burnaby Mountain park is a better place!
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
Ross
-juice
SFU is an odd place in that it is on the top of a 1500' "mountain" and when I went to school there it was not uncommon for there to be 20" or more on the ground at the top while the ground was bare at the bottom. This year, no such luck. I did go off to the Park and found some semi-virgin snow on the very steep road. I found the near limit for Rufus. Steep hill, glare ice covered by an inch or so of fresh snow -2c. From a dead stop Rufus had to search a moment or two to fully find his feet (I had more trouble when I got out in the lot and tried to walk!) and trying to stop going down was - interesting. The ABS did a nice job of slowing us down to .1 kph but didn't quite stop us. I discovered that going off the pedal and right back on finished the stop very nicely. Learn something new every day and if you live long enough you may become wise. I think it's time for bed. Have a good day all.
Ross the Mad
-juice
-mike
-mike
I remember I could barely breathe. I have asthma and was gasping for air.
Nice skiing. Beautiful views. Maybe that's what took my breath away. :-)
-juice
-mike
PS: you guys get wild fires and riots too
;-)
-juice
-mike
-mike
Between you and Hutch, I'd need therapy!
-juice