Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • _mo__mo_ Member Posts: 2
    Hey all,

    I've been lurking here for a while, but Carspace got me to finally sign up, so I guess that's one plus of it!

    I agree it's pretty neat, It's super easy to find other members with similar interests and I especially like the photo album area, very easy to use. There's some things they could work on too. For example, how in the world do I join a group? Why do they call comments testimonials? Why not just call them what they are? It might encourage more people to actually use them.

    I have a few other small gripes, but overall, for still being in beta form, it's a really cool site.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    We have a CarSpace discussion over on News & Views where you can leave comments and suggestions. Here's a link:
    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0a2312/54

    And the last week or so, we've done a lot of CarSpace Q&A and help at the chats, so feel free to stop in there and we can help tune up your CarSpace! :P

    PF Flyer
    Host
    News & Views, Wagons, & Hybrid Vehicles


    The Mazda Club Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    There's an interesting article over at Canadian Driver's website.

    They tested a bunch of cars and SUVs with AWD, winter tires and ESP to see how they would do.

    Subaru entered an OB Ltd with winter tires. It scored 4th out of 15th in overall snow performance. While it did great with forward traction, it lost points for the lack of ESP and traction through turns.

    Why Subaru didn't enter the VDC wagon, I don't know. However, it's clear that the lack of ESP/VDC across more models is becoming a shortcoming for Subaru.

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Dunno, did the 11 cars it beat have traction/stability control? 4th ain't bad considering it's not Subaru's flagship.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Update - she's had two job interviews so far, preliminary, should get a follow-up interview soon. She wants to work in a lab, I believe, her degree is in biological resources engineering.

    Ironically one of the jobs is for a counselor at a college in Baltimore.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Well, back from a couple of weeks off. Pretty crazy trip, 3 families, 8 kids, 6 parents, one fun time.

    We rented a 15 passenger van, a Ford E-350, a behemoth that had all the straight-line stability of Courtney Love after a night on the town. That thing wandered so badly you had to move the steering wheel back and forth constantly to keep it straight. It didn't beep when you backed it up, but it should have!

    I guess it's that recirculating ball steering. To top it off, the suspension was a bit stiff and if you sat over the rear axle you got some nice axle hop-induced motion sickness.

    I *really* prefer small vehicles.

    Any how, did the whole Disney thing, The Happiest Place on Earth should be renamed The Longest Lines on Earth.

    One highlight was I got to be an extra on the Indiana Jones set, that was cool, to see it all up close. My 3 year old was scared and thought I was actually being hurt!

    Then there was the day at the pool, where the kids were playing around it and the adults were taking bets on which kid would fall in first. Sure enough, a 4 year old in our group plopped in the water, fully clothed, and struggled to swim because he had shoes on.

    I see the whole thing from a bird's eye view, and when the child went under water a 2nd time, off goes juice into the water, shoes and all, phone in pocket, wallet, everything. Saved the kid but lost my BlackBerry, they are not water proof!

    Quite a vacation. Glad to be back in the routine, though, I was exhausted from hosting all those guests.

    Saw only one single Forester there, one single Impreza (an STI, though), and a hand full of Outbacks and Legacys. Not exactly Subaru country, even now with the performance models.

    Now off to catch up with all the other threads!

    -juice
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    I believe I have "vented" on the board here a time or two regarding my wife's job and how I wished she would leave there. Well, yesterday was her last day. After 19 years, they got too crazy and she said the heck with it. Conveniently enough, she told them right after I received a promotion and raise.
    So as of today I am the bread winner of the family, for now at least. It also means that any new gadgets I was looking forward to getting (such as that new digital SLR camera) will have to wait.

    At least I'll be able to have fun driving my Subaru!

    Mark
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    was it a black STi by chance?

    sounds like you had a fun but need a vacation from your vacation. :)

    ~Colin
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Mark,

    Congrats, I guess, to you wife? However I can't help wonder why she didn't get a new job before quitting? There's so much less stress when your future is assured. Sometimes you find something quickly and I hope that's the case for your wife-- but other times, it can take months to find a job worth having.

    No harm meant, just curious.
    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Coincidentally, yes, it was a black STI. MY2005 I believe.

    Mark - congrats on the promotion.

    Tell the wife it's not worth so much aggravation that it makes you unhappy all the time. She has the time to focus on getting a new job, and in the end things will probably end up for the better.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Mark, I second what juice said about your wife's job.

    Juice, the E-350 is a 1-ton truck; not a 3/4-ton, but a 1-ton, so yeah handling is not its cup of tea. However, if you need to haul more than 9 people around, what other choices are there? I think my choice for that kind of vehicle would have been the Dodge/Freightliner/Mercedes 15-passenger Sprinter. I don't know if they rent those though?

    When we moved our duaghter to Wilmington, NC, we rented an E-250 (3/4-ton) cargo van. It wasn't too bad—but it is a truck, so size and driving with extreme care goes with the territory.

    Bob
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Colin,

    She's been halfheartedly looking, but when she was working 12 - 15 hrs a day, plus some weekends it was hard to go out on interviews. Her company had sent out an email telling the people in her division that they have to go from working 18/7 to 24/7. Some co-workers were there 7 days a week. It was just getting to be too much. Plus she was getting blamed for a new system that doesn't work, even though she had sent emails up the chain of command saying don't go live with it as there are bugs in the system.

    She's also been working in the accounting/actuary field for the past 20+years and is tired of it. This will give her the opourtunity to go back to grad school where she is thinking of going for a Masters in Hospital Management.

    Bottom line for me: so long as she is not stressed out the way she was, I can put up with whatever we have to do. Hey, worse case scenario I still have my NYC TLC license.

    Taxi, anyone :)

    Mark
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, Bob, I'd have picked a Sprinter as well. They only had Fords, though.

    And my brother did have a ton of luggage, literally - 10 large suitcases!

    Another strange thing I noticed - the cigarette lighter/adaptor is on all the time, i.e. it does not go off with the ignition. We took my Garmin GPS, so this was a nuisance, as we had to turn it off each time or it would just stay on forever!

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Another strange thing I noticed - the cigarette lighter/adaptor is on all the time, i.e. it does not go off with the ignition. We took my Garmin GPS, so this was a nuisance, as we had to turn it off each time or it would just stay on forever!

    That's not unusual. My old Explorer was the same way. I suspect many vehicles are like that.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I don't mind a delayed power down, but I think it should turn off eventually. For radar detectors, stuff like that.

    -juice
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Hey Ken, great article! It confirmed many of the concepts that I have held dear for many years.

    1) RWD, even with traction/stability control, is fine for the sun belt, but I would never own another one in the NE. Yes it is the prefered implementation for dry road handling, but impractical for may of us to consider.

    2) My next vehicle will have stability control. While it might sometimes be intrusive, many cars allow you to turn it off if you want to do something wild. But like ABS, the few times it works against you are far outweighed by the instances in which it might just save your life. While I love the added traction that AWD in my OBW gives me in snow/ice conditions, it is too easy to plow or to break the tail loose. Even with snow tires. I think it was well shown that VDC systems can combat rapid changes from under to oversteer that can occur on low friction surfaces.

    3) As they said, "it's the tires, stupid!". In the long haul, owning a set of snows on rims adds little overall cost. You have to buy tires along the way anyhow. The 'inconvenience' gives me the opportunity to do a proper brake inspection, boots, lube bushings, etc., twice a year. And nothing beat having the right 'shoes' for the road conditions. AWD helps you go, optimized tires help you stop, period. 30 to 50 ft better? No question about the value in my mind!

    I sent it along to a few of my friends who are convinced that tires are black and round, and you buy the cheapest you can find.

    Steve
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    And for the next time you rent that van, NAPA sells a back-up bulb (#329D) with a built-in beeper!

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's hilarious.

    We had to seek out end spots, because that's the only place we'd fit!

    I prefer sliders over the dutch doors we got, also.

    -juice
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    We use the beeper bulb in the summer - backing the RV trailer into camping spots with too many pedestrians & bicyclists lurking in blind spots. Way easier than wiring one up. Should probably use it year-round, since we spend so much time in school parking lots :)

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Did you check the gas mileage of the E-350?

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No, it has a huge tank and we only drove around for 5 days. My brother still has it, but he's not the OCD type so there's no way he'll check it.

    We figured it would take about $60 worth of gas, so we each gave him a $20 and wished him luck!

    It was nice at Disney - parking is $9 so we paid that much instead of $27 each day, and we went on 4 different days. That alone saved us $72 in parking fees. Plus the van was $580 a week and we split it, my share ended up being just $180, or $200 if you include gas. Not bad.

    Why does he need a 15 passenger van for his family of 5, you might ask?

    Those 10 suitcases!

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    $60.00 worth of gas to fill tank? Really, I thought it would take much more than that? I would think it would be closer to $100 to fill it.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    He still had a little more than 1/4 tank left. We were just guesstimating.

    Filled up my sister's Forester for $25, since she picked us up at the airport. Much better. :shades:

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Did it have a Titan Motorsports windshield banner and a loud exhaust? My friend Brad has one, a 2004 actually, with a lot of aftermarket parts on it.

    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Nope, this one was pretty stock. It appeared so, at least.

    I doubt he'd be on 192 or Rt. 4 if he lived there, that's all tourist traps.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Mark,

    Having been in some bad jobs, I can certainly sympathize. However, even working a 8-5 job you typically have to take at least a half day off to do a face interview-- many companies pre-screen over the phone, which can be done over a lunch hour. Plus I'm sure your wife had a lot of sick and vacation time, working somewhere for 20 years! It really isn't any different working a 12 hour day, but again, I'm very glad to hear that this stressor is gone for you and your wife.

    ~Colin
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    Since I've been home with 2 sick kids all day, methinks I'm entitled to the diversion!

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • erics6erics6 Member Posts: 684
    Girlfriend did the same thing. I too got a raise just before. It helps cushion the financial blow.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Will be heading to Orlando at the end of May for a few days with the family (and MIL). DW has an aunt there (MIL's sister), so we'll be staying there. They have a pool too. :shades: The kids will be 3 (Brogan) and 5 (Brooke) at that time, so, we'll probably go to Disney (likely just the Magic Kingdom) 1 day and maybe Universal another day. Of course we could do more, but DW & I want to try to take it easy. Perhaps we'll leave the kids with MIL and the aunt and go on our own for a day. When we go on vacations, we rarely ever plan anything and usually just decide what to do on that particular day.

    I do know NOT to get the 15 passenger van :P - actually we'll probably rent a minivan (Alamo has Sienna's it appears).

    -Brian
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    A one-day pass is up to $62, ouch. You end up getting a better value on the multi-day passes, just something to think about.

    Magic Kingdom had the longest lines, the fewest restrooms, and the worst food. MGM was the best, by a long shot, and least crowded. If the kids watch Playhouse Disney go see the live show, they will love it. It's good for that age group, in fact the 5 year old is almost too old for that.

    e-mail me if you want more tips. My kids are 3 and 6 so they should have similar interests.

    -juice
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    We took Brooke (then 18 months) to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, about 2 hours of Epcot, and downtown Disney back in September '02. We saw the live Playhouse Disney thing, Brooke loved it IIRC. We even went to Busch Gardens.

    (very) Luckily, a friend of DW's had a relative in Guest Relations at Disney. We were able to get complemetary 1 day park hoppers for that trip. We couldn't thank her friend enough! Don't know if she still works there, but I think I'll have her check it out. I think the BG tickets were complementary too - DW worked at Six Flags with someone now at BG.

    I don't think we'll be as lucky to score the freebies this time.

    -Brian
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Mark. congratulations on the promotion, as regards your wife, we are firm believers that when God closes a door he opens a window.

    Cheers Pat.
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    OK: A travel question to all you jet-setters (and ground pounders as well):
    Any of you been to both Disney properties, both left & right coasts? If so, which did you prefer, and why?
    We're in the Pacific Northwest, so Disney La-La land is obviously closer, therefore cheaper to get to. DW is worried about hurricanes, and for a family of 5 $$ is obviously a concern. Just looking for opinions based on more experience than we have at those venues. (Grace & I went to Disneyland for a delayed honeymoon, but that's different) :)

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I have been to DisneyLand, but that was back in the early '80's and really have no memories of it. DW and I also went to DisneyWorld prior to the '02 trip ('98 I think, prior to kids). I'm sure the kids at this age wouldn't really know the difference between the 2. Maybe in a few years or so we'll go to DL - am anxious to hear the differences between the 2 parks.

    -Brian
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    the amusement park with which i have the most experience is Astroworld ... which closed up last year ... lol

    I have NEVER EVER been to either Disneyland or Disneyworld ... one of the disappointments of my childhood was to watch "The Wonderful World of Disney" and have my father PROMISE to take me to Disneyland ... but never did ..

    and all 3 kids had the opportunity to go to Disneyworld on school field trips ... 2 of the 3 did so ...

    Oh well ...

    Brenda (who may one day take all the grandchildren!)
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Being a Disney NUT :P, I also grew up on the Wonderful World of Disney and the promise to go to DL someday. I got my first crack at the Dumbo flying elephant ride in 1967! I prefer Disneyland over Disneyworld. If I had to narrow it down to a pithy sentence, the rides are shorter and the lines longer in DW.

    DW tickets are also more expensive. But it really doesn't seem to matter as your cost to get to either place, plus park tickets seems to be the same number no matter where you start! :D Either we pay more for a flight to CA and less to get in, or less for a flight to FL and more to get in.

    We also used the Disney site to put toghether a DL hotel/park package that worked out well. Early admission (being able to get in before the park was open) was great fun.

    Plenty of sites to look into the parks, but visionsfantastic.com is one of my favorite starting points.

    And to keep this automotive, I can't go to DL without driving a car at Autopia!

    image
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    I don't think your kids are going to care, Paul. Also, the nice thing about going down to SoCal is you can get these packages where you not only go to Disneyland, but Universal Studios, SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo. So if you're going to make a trip of it, you may as well do a few theme parks instead of just Disneyland.

    I think Disneyland is overpriced and a lot of work (long lines) for not much fun (rides wise) but the kids like it and have been there a few times (my folks still live nearby)

    Just save the money on airfare and do more stuff, I say.

    tom

    BTW, you went to Disneyland for a honeymoon? That must be an interesting story. . . :)
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    I went to the "deer lease" on my first honeymoon .. now THERE'S an "interesting" story ....

    Brenda
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Don't you guys think it is past due time that the login screwup was fixed?

    Cheers Pat.
  • declansdaddeclansdad Member Posts: 120
    Yes Pat, I agree.

    It's a little bothersome to log in 2 or 3 times.

    Michael
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    i agree .... :cry:
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    "The Fix" is supposed to be installed on the 8th.
    Believe it when we see it.

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    Well... It was actually 3+ years after we got married - I had to go to work the day after the wedding (new guy, still in probationary status, time off not available, etc). We drove down, spent 3 days there, a couple days in SFO, actually an enjoyable trip! Had a great package thru Ramada Inns, drove a comfy little 83 Accord sedan at the time, great weather, and great company!

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Ok, I'll bite Brenda. What do you mean by 'deer lease'? and how interesting of a story is it? :D

    Paul, that sounds like a nice time together. I miss road trips with my wife before kids!!!

    tom
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    When Judy and i went there in 1990, we had a little handbook which said how to get the best value from the park, depending on what age/interst group you were. It had useful tips like, go to some rides at the back of the park at first and noted the times that various rides had reduced queues. It also recommended going to one of the off park hotels/restaurants for lunch (on the monorail) and to do it early. That meant you had reduced quesues at lunch and when you got back to the park, most of the visitors were queuing for lunch. It was extremely useful! Can't remember the name of the book but a skim of the travel section at a big bookshop should fill in the details.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    As per our host, watching Walt actually introduce the show on Sunday nights (on our B&W console TV) is how I remember growing up. He passed away, the tv went to color, and my parents promised that we would get there 'some day'. Some day finally came after I had graduated college, was married, and I changed jobs, moving from Mostek Corp. in Dallas to Harris Semiconductor, in Palm Bay, Florida.

    It was April, 1981. We drove over to Orlando and had the time of our lives. We finished up on Main St., USA at about 1am & drove back to our hotel on the coast. Before 7am the next morning I got up, went up to the top floor of the hotel (the manager gave me an empty room key), and with one eye on the TV, and hanging out on the balcony, watched Young and Crippen fly on by in STS-1, the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle, Columbia.

    That was one hell of a weekend!!!

    Steve
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    We did a family week at the parks in April 2003, using a multi-park, 6 day package thru AAA of NY. It came with a close in special lot parking pass, deep discounts on unlimited park hopping tickets, Carribian hotel, and some other perks (a dinner or two, pre-arranged shows, etc.). My dad booked it for 10 of us, and we had a blast.

    Juice's comment on the van reminds me of my 'bus driver' stint about 15 years ago. Somehow, I got roped into being one of the drivers for taking a large group of foreign exchange students on a trip from the Hudson Valley to Lancaster and Philly. We had a few Dodge 15 passenger vans (D350, maybe??), and put about 500 miles on them. Never again!

    Steve
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    obviously you've never lived near or around a 'serious' hunter ...

    a ranch owner will "lease" the property for hunting to a limited number of people ... as I recall it was about $1500 for the year for each of the people on this particular "lease" (and this was in 1972, so that was a fair amount of change for someone who made about $100 a week take hom pay .. what made him think he could afford that???) ... then they can hunt whatever is in the "lease" agreement .. in general it's just about anything except the cattle, sheep, goats, or whatever the landowner might have on the property ...

    the first husband was a hunter ... we were married on December 23, and the deer season ended on January 1 as I recall ... so ... we were married on the 23rd, had Christmas celebrations with my family on the 24th, Christmas celebrations with his family on the 25th .. and then drove to beautiful Llano, Texas on the 26th ..

    we stayed in a little motel in town (with all the deerhunters out for the last fling of the season) ... we spent time each day on the "lease" doing some hunting ... (as I recall it included shooting one duck and some armadillos) ..

    we also visited Longhorn Caverns and Inks Lake ....

    while he hunted and had "leases" a number of times over the years, it was about 20 years later before I returned with him (and 3 children) .. and remembered why I hadn't been with him on a hunt in 20 years .... the marriage dragged on another 6 years after that ...

    my father always had guns and collected them .. my ex has a federal firearms license .. and is actually quite gifted with gun repair .. even to the point of manufacturing a part himself if he needs to for an antique firearm ... but they have never interested me ...

    I think the ex was surprised when I didn't try to split his collection, but kept that property as "separate" for him ...

    oh .. and I suppose most leases are somewhere sort of like where Cheney and his buddy were hunting ... :P

    OK .. was it interesting enough?

    Brenda
  • alaskanwillalaskanwill Member Posts: 28
    I've lived in Alaska my whole life, and I've driven Subarus since I got my license in 1996. On the 1986 GL and the 1999 Legacy Brighton wagon, we had studded tires. The mileage penalty was harsh, and I was annoyed at their wear properties, so when I got a 2000 Legacy with ABS I decided to try Blizzaks on my mechanic's recommendation. I haven't regretted it - most Alaskans still use studs and are skeptical of studless snow tires, but I think for increased mileage and reduced road wear it's worth it if you have AWD and ABS. If I didn't have ABS, I'd probably still rock the studs.
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