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Comments
Mark
Does anybody have a hitch on their Subaru Legacy/Outback and have any experience, comments, suggestions on what kind of hitch-mounted bike rack is best?
There are many features that would be nice: anti-wobble & locking rack-to-hitch, secure holding of bikes-to-rack, fold-down rack arms for compactness, fold-down rack for access to liftgate, and price.
A frustrating thing I've found is the capacity ratings. Thule Expressway says you can carry 4-bikes on a Class I hitch. On the other extreme, Hollywood Racks Team Rider says their 2-bike carrier is not usable with Class I, only Class II or higher hitches. huh?
To add to that confusion, the Subaru hitch is load-rated as a class I, but is built exactly like a class II.
Anyhow, if anybody has had any actual experience with hitch racks, I'd appreciate hearing about it! Thanks!
Dave
I've got a Yakima hitch mountable rack. It folds down so you can open the hatch but you have to remove the bikes first. I've seen ones that are articulated so that you can lower them with the bikes still mounted (a really nice feature).
Regarding how many bikes you can carry and wobbliness of the rack. In most cases the two go hand in hand. The more weight you have and the smaller the hitch, the more wobble you're going to have. Some amount of wobble is pretty much inherent with any hitch-mounted rack. Mine wobbles/flexes some with two bikes but I'm confident that they're not going anywhere. Of course one advantage of a roof rack is that they are more stable.
I know Yakima makes locking hitch pins to prevent anyone from just walking away with your rack. Even if the manufacturer you go with doesn't offer that option, I would think that the pins are interchangeable so you could always buy one separately.
-Frank P.
Dennis
...at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!
http://www.edmunds.com/chat/subaruchat.html
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Patti
Thx,
Laura
hypov: Unless I missed something I think that bit and I are the only ones out here stocking Studes (a/o/t Subes)
Ed
bit
Just a metaphor - maybe I should had said Yugo/Ferrari.
In my realm of Customer Service, I see this day in day out - promises by Relationship Managers of Ferrari whilst we are only equipped to delivery Yugo. Heck, some don't even know their product!
Patti- heh heh heh...tempting to be sure, but Kirsten is doing too well here to ask her to leave, methinks.
AND, remember that BMW CCA Driver's School I attended in the Outback? well the car must have made some sort of impression...my instructor sold his 318ti (NOT his M Coupe, duh!
I've never seen a kayak atop a BMW, but I see more kayaks atop Subes than practically all other car makes combined. Only Jeeps, maybe VWs, come close.
Ed
Bob
I think it's a great idea. Subaru should be doing the same.
Bob
The job market isn't as soft as some of the news people would like you to think. I've been pretty picky about where I send resumes, and I've had an interview each day this week; I expect at least two offers to come out of them.
So! Figure out what you want, and I'm sure you'll be able to find it. Good luck!
Among the ranks,
-wdb
Stopped to fill up the Toaster, and noticed that regular gas was selling for $1.39/gal! When we got home, there was a news item on TV saying that gas prices were also very low over on the Eastern Shore of Maryland too, under $1.50/gal.
BTW, our automatic Toaster averaged about 22.5 mpg, which was mostly highway driving with the cruise control set between 72 and 76 mph. That's with 3 adults, luggage and the A/C going.
Bob
-Frank P.
The Sunday NYT also has a new, somewhat belated (but glowingly positive; the headdline is "A Wolf in Sheep's Sheet Metal") WRX review: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/17/automobiles/17AUTO.html.
And there was me wondering why everything was so quiet. From this side of the world we are never sure when people have public holidays.
I've sort of given up on the hi-fi thing. We spent nine years living abroad with a boom box cassette player and a portable CD. When we came home it took two years for me to get the stereo working again. I ultimately traced the problem last month, discovering that my four year old had helped Daddy by disconnecting some wires when I had first put it together.
The novelty factor has not worn off. Kids are fascinated by the record player. "Did they used to put those round things on for music, in the olden days, Daddy?" ages you before your time.
I have however come to the realization that as you get older the accuracy of your hearing deteriorates approximately in line with your age. Mind you, you still need a really good bass system to cope with a desperate urge to play Van Halen. "Jump" needs to be really loud. (Its wonderful to wreak revenge on the kids!)
I therefore wonder about the benefits of spending huge money on the sound system, either at home or in the car.
Genuinely, and I think you have to be over 35 to really understand my question, is it worth spending the money on a sound upgrade?
Cheers
Graham
Of course drivers who insist on installing those megawatt sound systems that can be heard (and felt) 3 blocks away are more interested in quantity over quality and are caught up in the "mine is bigger than yours" competition (this is almost certainly the exclusive domain of the under 35 crowd).
In regards to the home entertainment system arena, I think that anyone can appreciate the benefits of a good surround sound system. Especially those who want to enjoy a movie theatre like experience. However, I also believe that there's a point of diminishing returns that some homeowners cross when the get caught up in the moment and lose their objectivity. I suspect that the majority of those who are persuaded into buying the latest high tech gadgetry eventually realize that they seldom use, much less need, said gadgetry.
Just my opinion, I'm not trying to offend anyone.
-Frank P.
Ron
I like music, I like movies, and I like to be able to hear stuff clearly and cleanly. I like to be able to understand what people are saying. I have significant hearing loss, especially in the higher frequency ranges. (This is consistent with "normal" hearing loss as folks age, but in my case the loss happened earlier and is more pronounced.) Therefore good, clean mids and highs matter a lot to me. So, yes, I do upgrade sound systems in cars, to a degree. Same at home. I make them good enough for me; by no means however are they audiophile systems. And I really think that surround sound effects add to the experience of watching movies, so I have a surround sound rig on the home theater - including subwoofer, which I also think adds to the realism. Again, not audiophile stuff, just good enough.
I've avoided the DVD upgrade, but it appears that they are becoming ubiquitous and so I will probably get a player soon.
As for an all-in-one rig: sorry Mike, I must be a neanderthal. My computer is over here, my home theater is over there, and my music stereo is on another floor. That's fine by me. I must admit however that I briefly toyed with using a retired PalmPilot as a remote control unit :-)
Cheers,
-wdb
The picture quality alone is worth it. If you have component video or S-Video inputs on your TV, you'll see the clearest, sharpest pictures you've ever seen on your screen. Newer DVDs give you a lot of bonus features that tapes don't have.
Now, I'm thinking of upgrading my home audio. While I would like to have surround, I also want a decent sounding audio system for just listening to music. Anyone know how home theater setups do as regular stereo speakers? The home theater speakers often look so small.
Ken
After a great deal of auditioning, I bought a set of B&W 604S2 loudspeakers for music and absolutely love them. I'm slowly building a home theater around them. Things that go fast have tended to siphon away discretionary funds. Anyway even with half of a surround setup I'm very happy with movies. I spend a lot more time listening to music though.
Oh, and if you can't hear the difference between speakers you might just need someone to go with you and tell you specific qualities to listen for. Bring your own music, obviously. And if you still can't tell, then maybe a HT setup will work fine for music too. ;-)
-Colin
Your story supports my concern -- that HT speakers are not really optimized for music listening. I'm also one who puts pure audio before HT so I think I'll start with a decent set of speakers first. I've heard that the most difficult thing to do in this case is matching the sound between the L/R and center speaker.
Any thoughts on a good receiver, or are you a discrete component purist?
Ken
Anyway, the usual story applies here... your budget determines what I'd recommend. However our Subaru brethren may not want to hear about stereo stuff, so you can email me.
-Colin
Mark
BTW The salesman said the WRX is becoming more available, and they are discounting them.
And yes, there are strong rumors that it will be here in about two years. Expect to pay at least $30K for it when it does arrive. It will be an addition to the current lineup, and not a replacement for the existing WRX.
Did you drive a 5-speed or an automatic?
Bob
Jim
http://www.subaru.co.jp/
There are strong rumors that the Legacy will get a turbo shortly. The question is: will it be 2002 or 2003? Most of us here think it will be '03. None of us here know [except maybe Patti—and she's not telln' ;(] whether it will be the current WRX engine, a twin-turbo, or a rumored 2.5 turbo.
Bob
Mark, did you get a chance to try some of the twisty roads around Flemington? There's a fun one a couple of miles north of the dealer on 31. Flemington has been discounting the WRX since it arrived. ;-)
Dennis
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
We'll have to wait to see what 2K3 will bring. They really don't tell us that much in advance.
Sorry ;~{
Patti
Hey - I have to find some positive post for you, don't I!
Patti
Dennis - There were a couple of twisty roads that I was on, but unfortunately there was traffic. I really didn't get onto 31, as they were doing construction so it was slow moving. The only way I was able to try anything out was to go slow until there was a gap, and then speed up. I was very happy that the dealer did not go with me,as I always find that frustrating with the saleman sitting and chatting about the car.
Mark
Hosting 4 guests is tiring but fun, and we made it out to Bryce Resort in Virginia, which was a hoot. Lots of gravel roads, super-steep inclines, and even a creek crossing! Sweet! We took a caravan of 3 Soobs with us (my Forester, dad's 2001 Outback, and my cousin's 1999 Outback), carrying 14 people in all. Here I thought finding gas for $1.49 was great, but Bob has me beat!
BTW, we did the Small World ride twice too. I don't know who cried louder, our 2 year old getting off, or me getting on! ;-)
Ken: I suggest The Cat's Edmunds Live Driving School. Just bring some Depends undergarments and some dramamine. You'll learn to bend a few laws of physics.
Alternately, paisan's School of Rallying and ad-hoc off roading is quite a lesson as well.
Dave: I have the OE hitch rack (meant for 2 bikes) with a Class I OE hitch. Class I allows a 200 lb tongue weight, so weigh the rack and your bikes to find out the capacity. I've actually carried 3 bikes strapped on, no problem. They move a little but never touch the car, nor were any of them damaged.
Loosh: looks like you taught the BMW instructor a lesson or two in consumer economics. Not everyone has $45k laying around for a 5 series wagon.
Sorry to hear about the job, but I'm sure in a month you'll be better off than you were before.
-juice
Been kinda quiet here lately. People on holiday I suppose.
Dennis
I started with a basic amp, tape deck, and 2 speakers I had since college. My VCR was already connected to it, and my cable runs into my VCR.
To that added 2 speakers from Costco for $50, and a DVD/CD player for $180.
At work we had an old LCD projector lying around that only had 640x480 resolution, i.e. not good enough for computers but plenty good enough for home video (VCRs only use 320 lines). It projects a whopping 91" image, too. The price was hard to beat: zero.
So I went to the art store and bought 3 yards of canvas, making myself a movie screen. I think it was $20 or so.
So for $250 I have 4 speaker surround, VCR, cable, DVD, and a 91" image. Not bad, eh?
I kind of laugh when people say they have a "big screen" TV that is a mere 60" in image size.
-juice
I am similar to your setup. Up at my house in the mts. I have an amp from like 8th grade, 4 top-shelf Radio-shack speakers (those cool metal ones) that I bought on discount when I worked there, coupled to my Satellite receiver and it sounds great. Just need to get a bigger TV for up there to go along with the Sat.
-mike
-juice
-mike
Can anyone shed some light on this potential problem?
My 2000 OB makes a 1-2 second, medium-pitch, groaning sound that I can feel (barely) thru the floorboards. It does this very intermittently, and only when the A/C is on *and* I'm driving slowly (<10mph) *and* it is hotter than 80 or 85 outside...
I'm afraid to take it in because the problem is (so far) very intermittent and will surely disappear when I try to demonstrate to a mechanic.
BTW, changed the cabin air filter after 18 months (okay, little behind schedule) and it was FILTHY! I now would strongly recommend the filter to anyone. Takes about 15 minutes to add or change (obviously designed-in at the last minute).
Dave
Reminds me - it's about time for me to change my interior air filter.
Could that noise just be the fan kicking in?
-juice