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Comments
Note to self: practice speed reading before Thurs.
-juice
It was great getting to know yet another Crew member in person. Brian's a very interesting guy with quite and interesting background.
Crew members should meet up more often! Any one else headed out west? :-)
Ken
I'll be there on Wednesday. A revitalized Chinatown is nearby.
-juice
And how convenient that Skylar blends well with your carpet. The dog hair won't show! :-)
Actually I will be in CA for the first time in about 3 weeks. My wife and I are staying at a time share in Palm Desert for a week. During that time we are going up to San Fran overnight to check it out. She will be finally meeting an internet pen pal who she has been talking with for the last few years.
Brenda,
Congratulations on Skylar. My wife wants to get another dog, but we both feel it's not fair to have it waiting 12-13 hours between walks while we go off to work. That's why we have the 2 cats instead-self maintance is great!
Mark
First time in Cali? Cool! As a former New Yorker, I know you'll love the Bay Area. Well, let me know if you guys have time to meet up. It's going to be pretty close to our baby's due date by then so I won't know my specific schedule yet, but drop me a line if you're feeling up to it.
Ken
Palm Desert is a great place. Two weeks ago there was still a lot of snow visible on the mountains - a beautiful sight when seen from a hot tub when it's 90 degrees.
Three unsolicited suggestions for you:
1. Cafe des Beaux Arts on El Paseo in Palm Desert. Great food, great service, on a corner location sidewalk "patio".
2. Doug Arango's, also on El Paseo. Contemporary atmosphere and food. Excellent!
3. Marriot Desert Springs resort, in Palm Desert. Go just to have a coffee drink in the lobby in the evening when it is hot outside.
And one more... make sure you go walk the main drag in Palms Springs proper in the evening at least once. That's where everyone wants to be seen. Can be interesting.
Have fun.
Steve
TWRX
I think the baby will take up a lot of your time, from what I have seen with my nephew and his family.
Steve,
Thanks for the suggestions. I've heard about the Palm Springs main area. Matter of fact, we arrive on "first Friday", which should be interesting.
Mark
How true! LOL! That's the time I usually walk Annie in the evening, and she expects to be walked then too!
Bob
Ken - Maybe the ISTFA Symposium (Testing and Failure Analysis) in November. Held at the Santa Clara Conv Ctr (Great American Pkwy, around the corner from INTEL). I will let you know later in the year for sure....
Steve
Great! I might even be at that conference too. Kate might even be able to join since she's in the area too.
Ken
I had all the paperwork done to drive off with the Forester (haven't driven an 03 yet) when I half jokingly asked if they lend out WRXs. It turned out they do and the one WRX (auto, wagon, black with boost gauge) was available!
Sylvia, the rep, went through the trouble of putting back the Legacy and Forester, getting the WRX and redoing the paperwork. Bless Santa Cruz Subaru and their great staff!
Believe it or not, this is the first time I've driven a WRX. It was hard to find a dealer that would let you test drive when they first came out. Since then, I just haven't had the time to go "shopping" to arrange a test drive.
Going over the "hill" to Santa Cruz, I drove my Forester so I had the opportunity to get a back-to-back with the WRX wagon.
The boost is NICE. Perhaps it was because it was an auto, but the acceleration was strong, but not mind-blowing. I recalled Loosh's description of "a hand that comes out and pulls you" as I sprinted up on highway 17 into the mountains. I didn't think the auto felt sluggish at all.
The most remarkable was the handling. Rock solid and very well balanced. The twisties that my Forester would lean through just whizzed by. I couldn't keep from smiling.
Since I've been considering a WRX wagon as a potential replacement for my Forester, this will be an excellent extended test drive.
The only downside so far is cabin space. I've gotten used to the giant headroom in the Forester and the WRX wagon feels more "cozy".
BTW, the I picked up the '04 Impreza brochure while I was at the dealer (Bob -- you're right, it's done very well). MSRP increased by about $330 compared to '03.
Also, the dealer had a Forester XT mini-brochure (tri-fold) on his desk. He didn't have any extras so I couldn't take it. There wasn't anything we haven't already seen in the press release and Subaru Media photos. He expected the Forester XT to be in around June.
Ken
but it's kinda neat. ;-)
-Colin
Love seeing that boost gauge move up with the sound of the turbo spooling.
I'm corrupted.
Ken
Oh no, the Sith Lord has invaded the Crew, and one of the young Jedi Knights is tempted by the dark side. Don't do it Ken! Stay with Foresters! Use the Force!
Trust me, if you don't your own teacher will betray you in the end and you wouldn't look good in that dorky mask anyway. ;-)
-juice
tempted to do a little brake torque standing stop? ;-)
-Brian
Steve; Happy Birthday!
-mike
I was salivating when thinking of posting here my impressions later... Now I have to find something really unusual about that car! Grrr :-)
Brian: It depends on how you hit the throttle. My loaner has a boost gauge so you can see how a quick vs. gentle tap of the gas pedal affects boost. Go gentle and under 3K, it feels like an ordinary compact vehicle. Stab it and it feels peppy enough for around-the-town driving.
I'll have to test drive the 5-speed when I return this vehicle so I can get a back-to-back.
Kate: No kidding! I think Santa Cruz Subaru only has one WRX loaner so this must be it! Well, I'll have to try and get the ECU to learn a more aggressive driving style to really put an impression on you. :-) Actually, you'll have a different perspective coming from an AT Forester so I'd like to hear your comments. I'm going to be that the intial throttle tip-in will feel rather mild given my experience with AT Foresters with the Phase II engine.
What really will put an impression on you is the handling. The car reviewers were dead on that the vehicle retains composure over many conditions.
Ken
<juice takes drastic action>
Think about the kid! You need room for the stroller, diaper bag, port-a-crib, bike carrier, jogger, walker, parasol, spare wipes, spare diapers, etc.
That extra 50 lbs of payload makes all the difference! Buy a Forester XT, you will.
<end cheap tactics on Young Jedi>
-juice
On a serious note, the WRX wagon does feel a tad cramped. It's amazing what that extra headroom in the Forester does to perception. Also, I'm missing the sunglass holder and AWP already. However, I was hoping that by getting the smaller vehicle, that would force Kana to have to trade in her Jetta for a Legacy wagon.
Don't worry yet, oh Jedi master. I shall resist until I drive the XT. But wait, what's this about a Legacy turbo? More temptations!
Ken
are you fairly tall? not sure if the headroom is just an overall perception thing or if you really do need that headroom. I sit pretty upright and have absolutely no complaints in a WRX. I'm six-foot even but do have long legs, short torso.
-Colin
I left very early Sunday morning for Nashville, returned home Monday night and didn't even log on. A very hectic trip.
Hope I can join you for the next get toegther!
Jim
-juice
After two days of driving the WRX, I'm begining to feel comfortable in it. For everyday driving, I don't think the auto is slow at all. However, I still need to get used to the 4EAT for freeway driving. I've found myself forcing uninentional 4->2 downshifts by being too abrupt on the throttle. Wheee!
Also, I haven't fully learned the relationship between the load put on the engine and boost. Even at the same level of boost as indicated on the gauge, the amount of power increase feels quite different depending on the driving situation.
The ride is firm but not harsh even on some of the potholed strees around here. I wonder how much comfort one would sacrifice with 17" tires.
Anyway, I'm supposed to hear back from the dealership today. If they can't replicate the problem, I'll probably end up picking up the Forester. I will miss this dark side experience.
Ken
I'm considering the auto transmission, though -- it's good to hear that you found it to be acceptably quick, Ken. Lag off the line is one thing that worries me a little with an auto...but given the problems that plagued my Outback's clutch for 2 years I'm a little hesitant to do another Subie 5 sp. And then there's the whole question of what color to buy....
New cars are such an expensive addiction of mine!
For 17's, it depends what tire you put on. I have Firehawk SZ50 EP's and they ride only slightly harsher (barely) than OEM's. That was a factor when I was deciding between the ultimate grip of a Max Performance tire vs. the better ride and higher treadwear rating of a Ultra High Perf. tire.
-Dennis
5MT or 4EAT WRX, they are both dogs off the line during the first 2 secs. The 5MT has the edge of being the slightly faster dog though, being that it's lighter. Otherwise, I don't think there's a difference in which lags more, if you do notice the lag.
Low will power aside, you really should test drive the WRX. The only way to gauge if you can live with the 2.0l outside of boost, and the downsized space which does need some getting use to.
-Dave
if you launch at 2500+ rpm, the WRX 5spd is pretty darned fast off the line...
-Colin
Brian -- Acceptability is subjective so you'll find lots of opinions. I'm sure the AT isn't acceptable for some folks who will be buying the WRX specifically for performance driving. For me, I think it's an acceptable balance for a daily driver and occasional "fun" drives.
Ken
I think the WRX auto will not feel much quicker for the first 1-2 seconds (as mentioned above) off the line. In fact, given the bigger displacement of the 2.5L engine, you might even think it's a tad slower. For typical stop-and-go driving around town where you don't get a good stretch of road, you probably won't feel a major difference.
Once the rpms build and the boost comes on, however -- look out! It's a rush.
Ken
Any how, I've always said, it's a split personality powertrain. Docile, efficient commuter, then Monster Killer.
-juice
All I can say is WOW. The MT makes *ALL* the difference. Perhaps it was vehicle-to-vehicle variance or a sedan vs. wagon thing but the rush of power is just so much more immediate and intense with the 5-speed. The 5-speed WRX felt like another vehicle compared to the automatic. You really don't know what you're missing until you row your own gears on the WRX.
I was lucky enough to take it on some of the twisty backroads of Santa Cruz towards Scotts Valley. The shifter action (not STi short throw) was precise and short. Clutch takeup was smooth. It was so much fun just shifting between 3rd and 4th as I went down the twisties.
I have no doubt in my mind that if I succumbed to the dark force, I would get a 5-speed.
Now, on the ride back I was on my Forester. Suprisingly, I wasn't bummed out by the added body lean and lack of forced induction. There just may be hope for an XT in my future.
Ken
Oh and by the way, I spoke with Sylvia at Santa Cruz Subaru and she thought that you had the WRX wagon loaner *last* Friday, not this Friday.
I told her that you had it reserved for *this* Friday and Sylvia re-entered your reservation. You might want to call them just to verify.
BTW, she got a kick out of the fact that I knew her.
One interesting fact -- they don't lend out the WRX wagon to anyone below the age of 25 for liability reasons. :-o
Ken
On a separate note, I always thought my Legacy was heavier than other sedans but Camrys and Accords now weigh in the 3100 lb range, very close to the Legacy.
Jim
-Colin
'89 Integra 5MT, 140K miles, $600 firm, recent clutch, in ok shape.
'96 Impreza L, 145K miles, 4EAT, AWD, $400-500 has some suspension components that need to be replaced (stabalizer bar bent, and some front stuff) as well as needs a paint job and front bumper re-installed.
I like the idea of the Integra, but I also LOVE subies. I figure on the L I can swap over a lot of GC8 parts that people are always selling relatively cheap, and even do a motor swap in the future.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
-mike
I need some advice regarding Windows XP. My home system, Win98SE recently crashed on me. I was able to obtain Win XP porfessional from a "source" at work.
My questions are:
1)To install XP, should I reformat my C:\ drive, and if so, do I need a boot disk to do so?
2)Since this is the first time I am doing anything like this on my own, do I just put the CD in the drive, and boot off of the disk to install?
3)Can I run Office 2000 on XP?
Unfortunately my "source" is out on sick leave so I can not ask him. Plus, I figured that with such a diverse group of engineers on this board, someone would know the answers. And to apply this to Subaru's -once I have the new and improved system, I will be able to browse at home, ands maybe even make it to a chat!
Thanks,
Mark
-mike
Thanks. I totally forgot that that is what you do,duh! I was trying to do it on my own for once instead of having my friend who originally built the system for me. Hey, I even installed more RAM and changed out the network card on my own!
As for working on it tonight, that's a no-go. I'm taking my wife to see Phantom of the Opera, and staying overnight in the city for her birthday. I'll probably give it a shot over the weekend.
Now I know who to call when I screw things up:-)
Mark
Subarus actually tend to be small for their class, partly because they haven't yet grown the way Camry and Accord have.
Jim: that's funny because Ken's wife has a VR6 now. I think that engine is sort of the opposite of the WRX, very torquey down low but not nearly the top end of the turbo.
paisan: go with the Impreza, only because you have far, far more in-depth knowledge of Subies, including where and how to get parts cheap. The only catch is the auto, and that has never slowed you in the past! ;-)
-juice
Just drop off the house keys at paisan's and we'll make ourselves at home while mike work on you PC... ;-)
-Dave
I'll have to check if my niece's party is open to any and all, inwhich case, no prob:-)
Mark
Steve
The impreza will be our trailer queen, hopefully we can build it up to be a heck of an AT racer
-mike