Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

16791112692

Comments

  • pat88pat88 Member Posts: 40
    Skip (post #361)...

    I have a 2001 Forester I with the premium package in Sedona Red. One of my favorite accessories that I don't hear mentioned on this board is the cargo bin. It is GREAT when going for groceries, etc. It has partitions the size of a grocery bag in the front of the bin and the sides. It has removable dividers for larger packages. My groceries stand up all the way home! :-)
    I would also suggest an anti-slip mat to go under it.
    ~~~The rear window dust deflector does it's job well.
    ~~~The arm rest is good though it is one of those things that should come standard with all Foresters.
    ~~~We have the bronze brush guard. It looks good on our Forester but I'm not sure how much guarding it would do!
    ~~~The luggage compartment cover is a necessity to me--I don't want my vehicle broken into because someone sees something they like in the back.
    ~~~The air filtration system works well.
    ~~~The rubber mats are a waste of money,in my opinion. They are not well made as far as the shape of them--they don't even conform to the space that they are supposed to be protecting. The front passenger mat is a small rectangle. I have caught my foot a number of times on the driver's side mat. I think they are very uncomfortable under foot.
    ~~~I have ordered a hood deflector (among other items ordered from Darlene back in the beginning of October) but have yet to receive it (or the other items). It would seem to be a good idea.
    ~~~Wheel locks are a good investment.
    ~~~Last is the keyless entry. I find that to be very handy. I do wish they had the keypad on the doors but this is better than nothing.

    Hope this helps!

    ~~~Pat
  • soon2bsubeesoon2bsubee Member Posts: 137
    Any news on our situation? Please let me know...I am (unfortunately) back at work.

    HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL THE SUBIE PEOPLE (similar to Pod People?)
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    What a total bummer.

    http://www.impreza-rs.com/NonCGI/Forum1/HTML/017019.html

    Also, as of today, I have lost my auto-login. I've had to manually login twice this morning.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    re#395, francophile's gearing post
    It's true that larger displacement motors such as 4 or 5 liter V8s do not have to turn as high PM as a 2 liter motor to keep a car going 60MPH, but that is because of horsepower and torque - NOT displacement.

    Torque is directly related to displacement. Powerful engines do not make more torque unless they use forced induction, otherwise they make about the same amount of torque but at higher rpms.

    Now why does Subaru mate their fairly low revving 2.5L to such high axle ratios? Performance. I averaged close to 73MPH coming back from Phoenix (much more on i17 and i40, less on US54) and had no complaints about the RPM not of my own design. My borla muffler is a bit noisy under load at those speeds, but it is still quite tolerable. btw, the GPS recorded a max speed of 104.1 MPH while passing two semis on 54 somewhere in Texas. Power corrupts! ;-)

    The 2.5RS handled the 2200+ mile trip fine, except I need new front brake pads and a fully loaded car at 7000' doesn't have much passing power. A new WRX or anything turbocharged would have been welcome...

    re: snow tires (various)

    The RE92 is a middling snow tire when at full tread depth and in packed snow. In powder or ice it is horrid. The difference between any all-season and real snow tires is dramatic even with AWD, assuming you like turning and stopping.

    EDIT: the spellchecker is dangerous, not using that any more. I hit the button to post after reviewing what it thought was wrong (and not caring) and it has replaced all the "wrong" words anyway. I hope I caught them all.

    -Colin
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    hope you had a relaxing trip!
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    At the DC Auto Show, and talking to the Japanese rep from SOJ now stationed in Atlanta for a year, I mentioned how frustrating it is to visit the Japanese corporate site, because it is in Japanese; and he mentioned that there was some sort of software that translates the Japanese characters into English. He wasn't absolutely certain of this, but he did say he knew of somebody who also visits the SOJ site, and is able to (via some software) translate that site into English.

    I know there is an English "button" on that site, but it shows only European models, and is not a direct translation of the home-market site.

    Does anybody know of such software? And... is it available for both MAC and Windows?

    Bob
  • peterson10peterson10 Member Posts: 116
    I'm very nearly convinced that I should pry open my wallet and buy some real snow tires for the OB. What's holding me back isn't really the money but the storage space for the set not being used: yikes! Also, I've been looking around and I have yet to see an Outback or Forester on the road with anything but the original wheels. I guess if I were going to use snow tires, I'd get four cheap steel rims (maybe paint them white like the car), with no wheel covers. What do the rest of you do?

    YetAnotherDave

    Patti: you can just call me Dave.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    YAD, I have 15x6 OE steelies with some ugly 7 spoke wheel covers. They were the LEAST ugly. ;-)

    As far as how to store them, do you have a garage? If so, build a rack up high.

    -Colin
  • jaymoosejaymoose Member Posts: 14
    Just to chime in as another sometimes-upstate NYer, the "moose" in Jaymoose is a reference to our summer camp on Big Moose Lake in the central Adirondacks (and is not a reference to the size of yours truly). For us, it's a trip up the Taconic, then Northway, and across 28, or the Thruway to Rt 12 and up 28 (or to Amsterdam up 30 to 28...). Unfortunately, we stayed home for the holidays, though, and had to be content to find small patches of unsalted road to try out the AWD. As we began to look seriously at the Outback, we noticed that many of our Big Moose friends have Outbacks...I'd venture it's the single most popular car to own up there!

    --Jay
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    O.k., so am I the only one now mysteriously having to login EVERY time, after 3 weeks of trouble-free posting????
  • jaymoosejaymoose Member Posts: 14
    No...we're all having to do that right now. Apparently a gremlin popped up over the last day or so forcing everyone to log in repeatedly, even if auto login has been selected. According to the software forum, they're working on it.

    --Jay
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Lucien,

    You're not alone. I was having zero problems with the auto login feature for the last few weeks until they came up with a "fix" for those who were experiencing problems. Now I need to log in every frickin' time! What's going on?

    Ken
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I'm having the same log in problems, and I had none before. }:[

    Bob
  • admankenadmanken Member Posts: 5
    Hello everyone. I purchased my first Subaru in February '94 ... a '93 Impreza I AWD. I just
    sold it (give away) to my son. With 85M miles, I have only replaced the tires and a battery.
    I have never kept a car this long in my life. After reading all your posts, my bride of 35 years
    allowed me to purchase a 01 Forester I+ in Sedona Red. Today is our first day driving this
    wonderful vehicle. Well, her first day. She made me drive her car to work. So, she's the
    boss of me. I just contacted Darlene at Quality for a half dozen oil filters. Thank you all for
    the qsubara contact. Just a couple of questions if I may. What air pressure in the 16' tires?
    Change oil at 1M or 3M miles? 5w/30 or 10w/30 in winter? I always use Castrol.
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    I trust the software people will get it fixed. I just wanted to make sure I hadn't blanked a cookie somewhere....

    admanken-
    are 16' tires street legal? :-) I don't know what the manual recommends, but I usually go with the max. shown on the sidewall, and bump my fronts up a little more for aggressive driving.

    Is Darlene back? I know a lot of us stopped hearing from her due to ilness, and it was quite a long time. If she is back in the saddle, I've got a wish list....
  • admankenadmanken Member Posts: 5
    Lucien2 -
    Yes, Darlene is back. She sounds fine. I informed her that I could not get through on her
    web page. She said she was going to contact juice. I couldn't believe there prices. No
    shipping costs ... no taxes. Am I dreaming? I can't wait to get home and go through the
    accessories portion of my Forester brochure.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Welcome aboard! Always happy to meet a new Subaru owner. :) We also have a new white Forester S+, as well as a '96 Impreza Outback with nearly 70K on it.

    I would follow the owner's manual as to tire pressure and oil changes. Please note that several people have mentioned that correct tire pressure is critical to good handling. If the pressure is off just a few pounds, the handling can be adversely affected.

    Bob
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    Congrat's on your new Super-roo. I'm sure you'll be very pleased.

    I've played around a fair amount with my tire pressure and have found that 32 both front and rear seems to provide a nice blend of handling and ride. MHO. As regards oil changes, the manual says 3k is the first change. I've always changed the oil in new cars after 1k because of the potential of loose metal in the oil of a new engine. May not be necessary but it makes me feel better. After the initial (1k) change, I'd go by the book, unless your driving conditions require something more frequent. Check the manual for the oil weight required by your local climate. Castrol is good stuff. However, C.R. tested oils a while back and according to them there isn't much difference between any major brand with respect to lubrication and protection of the engine.
    - hutch
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    rsholland:

    It's not a great solution, but the Alta Vista search engine has a neat translation feature at:

    http://world.altavista.com/

    You would have to cut and paste to figure much out.
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    They had a y2k+1 problem, no kidding ;-) The fix is to log back in and turn auto login back on.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Thanks for the tip. I tried it out, and you are right—a lot of copy and pasting. But it's better than nothing.

    Bob
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    ..struck Norway's train system on Jan. 1 too! None of the high speed suckers would fire up Monday morning!! Had to be re-set to Jan 1, 2000! LOL!
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    rsholland:

    Since you enjoyed the copying and pasting, here are two more translation sites to drive yourself nuts with:

    http://officeupdate.lhsl.com/

    No Japanese on this one though, but you could go to a Subaru (or any other) website in France Spain or Germany and it will translate the whole page by just entering the URL:

    http://www.freetranslation.com/

    What was wrong with the Marina? UK QC?

    http://home.kscable.com/oldertech//lawson.html
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    The login problem that we had before was unrelated to the one that popped up today. We were aware of the problem immediately when it occured and have been in the process of dealing with it ever since. Hopefully it will be resolved soon.


    Drew
    Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    peterson10: I have a '95 Outback with 15" alloy wheels and all season tires and 15" steel wheels with snow tires that have half sets of studs. The steel wheels have Wal-Mart spoke wheel covers that look similar to the alloys at a distance. I find this works well in the worst Colorado mountain driving while not being a burden on dry streets for the other 95% in town. My snow tires are also 65 series adding a fraction of an inch of clearance which I value since the '95 Outback has the same clearance as the Legacy L, about an inch less than the '96 and later models.
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    Good Morning! I'll see what I can drag up for you. It may take a day or so, so please be patient.

    Thanks!

    Patti
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    I think we have more information. You should hear from us today.
    The Rep. that is working on your case has been out for the holidays. She is due back today.

    Thanks!

    Patti
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It's not urgent, just figured it would be something everyone has been curious about, but afraid to ask! :)

    -mike
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    A few years ago, I went to an Audi dealer to talk about their Quattro system (after talking with someone on the internet about their split). They handed me a small brochure that was only talked about Quattro. It listed all of the variables possible.
    Maybe Subaru could come up with something like this. I've read articles in Drive and elsewhere, but Subaru info never lists all of the actual numbers. I did get an e-mail response from SoA back in '98 that said something like: Auto 90/10 in normal driving and up to 50/50 and Manual 50/50 normal and up to 90/10 or 10/90. It would be good though to see it in print from SoA. That would end a lot of debates. :-)
    Dennis
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Here's what I came up with on the SOA web site:

    http://www.subaru.com/awd/inside_fr.html

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • ray_cray_c Member Posts: 36
    What is Darlene wed address? I would like to order a oil filter for my first oil change on my 2001 OutBack.

    Thanks,

    Ray
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Drew,

    You're right. Auto Login is working properly again. Thanks!

    Ken
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Yes, there is quite a bit of confusion on Subarus AWD especially since there are now three different systems on the market.

    For example, I don't think many people know that with the 4EAT, placing the shift selector in 1, 2 or Reverse makes the power split 50/50.

    Ken
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Thanks for the link, wdb.
    I wonder why they only list the numbers for "normal" driving though ??? Something to do with liability?
    Dennis
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That is the question! :)

    -mike
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Do you have doubts that the power can shift? I have a friend that's completely not a "car guy". He told me he refuses to believe that a car can "magically" transfer power from front wheels to rear wheels. LOL. He and I are always going at it.:)
    I tried to get him to read this, http://www.howthingswork.com/differential.htm
    but he said he doesn't have time.
    Dennis
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    You slipped in before me, that was wondering if it does really lock in at 50/50 when you put the Selector in "1" and "2" I know it does vary the tourque, like my Trooper does. (only the default it opposite, 90/10 v. 15/85) I just would like to see some real #s on how much it can vary from SOA, and curious on the locking 50/50 thing.

    -mike
  • admankenadmanken Member Posts: 5
    Ray C,

    Darlene is with Quality Subaru in North Carolina (maybe South). The web address is

    www.qsubaru.homepage.com However, I have not been able to get thru in the past

    couple of weeks. You cannot order thru the web page. Call Darlene at 1-800-287-1281.

    She is very helpful.
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    That's right. You actually have an indicator on the Trooper.
    Dennis
  • dannykadannyka Member Posts: 115
    that "Shift happens."

    Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

    -Dan
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    LOL! I'll have to remember that one!
    Dennis
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I love the indicator on the Trooper, which that the little 4wd axles on my XT6 did what my indicator does on the Trooper. It is actually helpful to know that the system is working properly (shifting torque) Also our manual states the operating range of the system.

    -mike
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I think Quality Subaru (actually Quality FORD!) is in Danbury, Tennessee. Haven't tried to buy anything lately, but have heard about the delays. Darlene saved my bacon big time with on-time shipment of parts though, so she has a customer in me until I personally have problems.

    I think it's volume. She needs help back there!

    -Colin
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Yep, Darlene is in Tennessee. She was out for quite a while (Oct/Nov) with a long illness. Unfortunately she's a one woman operation so when she's out you can forget about ordering anything. Also, Juice is the one who maintains her web page and since he escaped to Brazil for a vacation, the web page problem will have to wait till his return.

    The good news is that Darlene is supposed to be back to work now so hopefully you'll be able to get thru to her. She sells Subaru parts at excellent prices and doesn't charge any taxes or shipping.

    Rule of thumb: If you can get it from your local Subaru parts dept, you can get it from Darlene cheaper and usually faster.

    -Frank P.
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    Just so you know, you had to login and re-enable auto login again because when we did the software transition, the cookie expiration date was set for early January. At that time, January seemed a long time away. In any case, it has now been dealt with.

    BTW, is your brother a proud owner of the H6 VDC wagon?


    Drew
    Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • intrigue2intrigue2 Member Posts: 46
    i'm thinking of replacing the bridgestone re92's on my 2000 gt limited sedan with michelin pilot xgt h4's. has anyone had experinece with michelins,or any replacement tire for that matter. the bridgestones have 20,000 miles on them, but they don't feel as sur-footed as when they were new. i'd appreciate your feedback.
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Drew,

    Time-release cookies, I see. :)

    As for my brother, he unfortunately decided not to get the VDC wagon. He decided to go with what he was already comfortable with and bought a VW Passat GLX 4Motion wagon. I think the larger cargo space appealed to him (including his dog). Nice ride and solid quality, but a little bland for my tastes.

    Ken
    Ken
  • amishraamishra Member Posts: 367
    Here's the link:

    http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/roadtests/2001/January/200101_roadtest_subaru_outback.xml

    Points of note:

    N.B. I don't agree with alot of the points!

    "Acceleration is up noticeably, but it won't take your breath away: 0.8 second faster to 60 than the last four-banger Legacy we tested, 7.5 seconds better to 100, and a top speed increased 14 mph to 124."

    "As advanced as its hidden systems might be, the reengined Outback nonetheless suffers from a certain lack of tangible style and sophistication. This is clearly a 1990s car with a 2001 engine, and the brown-and-beige interior is bland and unimaginative, its only touch of uniqueness the presence of an excellent 200-watt, five-channel, 11-speaker McIntosh audio system. (Aging boomers should love it. If they were lucky, they had a Mac in their dorm room; if not, they always wished they did.)"

    "The Outback's other failing is its price: $32,390 puts it into the near-luxury battlefield, head-to-head, for example, with the new Volvo V70 T5 wagon. Or to put it another way, that's $2200 more than a 240-hp Nissan Pathfinder XE, $11,000 more than a similarly sized V-6 Ford Escape XLT."

    "But 'ang on, 'ang on, as Eric Clapton would say, there is more to the Subie than a callous glance around the cabin might suggest. Its all-wheel-drive system is generations beyond that first add-a-driveshaft concept, and the car is state of the art in terms of its Vehicle Dynamics Control stability package."

    "Anybody who would choose a tippy truck over a car like this has some strange priorities.You can't go off-road with it, you say? Buehlchit. In Australia and New Zealand, both of which are four-wheeling paradises that I've liberally sampled, there are only three kinds of vehicles that routinely hazard the many off-road tracks: Land Crushers, Land/Range Rovers, and Subies. There's not an Explorer, Bravada, Tahoe, X5, ML320, QX4, or RX300 in sight, mate."

    -- ash
  • admankenadmanken Member Posts: 5
    Darlene is back. I ordered five oil filters on Tuesday (1/02/01) and received
    them this morning. What service.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    ...for taking so long to get back here. I see Drew has been answering questions. Thanks, Drew!

    Any new discussions/topics you would like to have started here? Let me know!

    KarenS
    Owner's Clubs host
Sign In or Register to comment.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.