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Comments
According to Paul Hansen (apexjapan.com/I-Club), the UK-spec cars—while not identical to US-spec cars—are pretty close to what we get in terms of power; more so than those found in other markets, such as Australia or Japan.
Bob
And isn't their base car a 130hp 2.0l, something like that? That makes the turbo a decent upgrade for them.
-juice
Bob
But the Escape and CR-V are already in the low 8s. Having to use premium fuel for a tiny advantage isn't worth it. I want to see it BLOW THE DOORS OFF the competition, not just edge them out.
Remember, it's a moving target. I bet the Escape gets the 220hp engine from the Mazda 6, since that's the same block, basically.
-juice
The spy photo is certainly a left hand drive model so it just may be the Statebound model.
I don't expect the XT to have any fancy internals like the twin-scroll turbo. My conservative hope would be that Subaru tunes it for more low end torque. However, the article does imply the same 227 peak HP. I wouldn't be surprised if Subaru decided to drop the same engine used in the US-spec WRX just to simplify support costs.
I think the XS Premium will still be around. With the last generation Forester, SOJ had 'premium' model with all the nice trimings mated to the 2.5L AVCS engine and positioned it as it's luxury touring model. The turbo was a separate variant with a more sporty bent to it.
I wonder if the XT will have the same pull-type clutch found in the 5-speed WRX. I couldn't imagine the current 5-speed being mated to the EJ20 turbo.
Ken
You *know* the XT WILL blow the doors off the competition, baby! Where's hondabro now? ;-)
Ken
Bob
Ken: I'm sure hondabro, who owned a 1997 CR-V auto with the slowest 0-60 time in my memory (12.5s according to CR), traded it in and was too ashamed to come back and admit it!
Bob: they are experimenting with the lineup. The H6 was too expensive. The WRX was just right and sales skyrocketed, but now they have more warranty issues than they're used to dealing with, and reliability down to "average" (gasp!).
So give us a 217hp Forester with that new clutch that limits pressure to the tranny.
-juice
Ken
Subaru treats the Legacy and Outback as separate lines. They even have different brochures.
-juice
-Frank P.
-juice
-mike
I'm not asking for 280hp, 200-220hp would be fine.
-juice
Ed
-mike
So what else is new...
Bob
http://www.4car.co.uk/jsp/main.jsp?lnk=220&storyid=1784
Strap a hemi V8 to a Durango that handles like a bathtub half full of water, and you have a scary ride.
Let's see. I load her up with 4 passengers and the requisite Subaru dog, plus luggage, and haul up to CT or the beach. I'm hitting lots of on ramps so good torque is a safety feature. Not mega HP, just solid mid range torque. 200 ft-lbs or so.
Then, to stop all that weight, you need solid brakes. Gimme 4 pots. Or the rotors off the VDC, which are bigger and can handle stopping all that weight without boiling the brake fluid.
Finally, let's limit body roll so it doesn't scare the kiddies, and for better accident avoidance. I'd like to see less dive and squat, too.
I think Forester is among the best-in-class for sport/cutes, but there is room for improvement.
-juice
I like the taillights, it's a subtle change but neat.
-juice
Bob
I read through the Japanese article and the tester mentioned that, despite his initial concerns, the hood scoop actually didn't impair his vision when he actually drove the STi.
The article continues on to say how much better the new STi performs, but he made an interesting point on how suprisingly quiet the cabin is. He and the passenger were able to hold a normal conversation on the track with helmets on while taking a corner at 170km/h (106mph).
Also, there are more photos on the following page of the article:
http://car.nifty.com/as/column?cid=car&sid=1&aid=0211130017&pid=4
There's a nice arrest-me-red WRX wagon at the end.
Ken
Bob
The rear deck looks cleaner, but I still can't get over all the pink decals. At least it's on the real thing.
I hope the 17s become a factory option. That makes the most sense. You could autocross it in stock classes, but those that want a smoother ride don't pay the cost penalty.
-juice
it is just a little too, um, public works, ya know? Still, it is nice to see bolder colors again. It has been a drab 8 years or so
-juice
Bob
http://forums.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=276188
Bob
• EBD, I wonder if this is in response to those WRX owners who've experienced temporary brake failures?
• There was no mention of the great looking gray 17" wheels that everyone else gets.
• Our '96 Impreza Outback has 4-wheel disk brakes. I guess there is some truth to the saying: "what goes 'round, comes 'round..." It seems like Subaru is streamlining production with this upgrade, which is good.
• As I suspected, it looks like the '03 Impreza will have a short model year.
• It sounds like the STi will hit the showrooms well after the other Imprezas.
• There was no mention of heated seats for the WRX, because they're already part of the Canadian WRX package. I hope they make it into the US-spec WRXs this go 'round.
Bob
SOA dumped a whole bunch of the gold 5 spoke wheels used on the '98 2.5RS because they weren't very popular. (looked GREAT on white, black and blue cars though, IMO.) since then it's been nothing but silver, and it wouldn't surprise me if they stayed the course there...
-Colin
Colin -- I liked the gold wheels too. :-)
Ken
Bob
Oh well.
-Dennis
Bob
-mike
-Dennis
Bob
Thing is, if the 2002 RS didn't have it, maybe people wouldn't complain so much. But it did, and the WRX replaced it, so that stood out like a sore thumb.
Another point - all its competitors have them, including RSX, Celica, A4, etc.
EBD? Forester XS has it, so maybe it was already scheduled to make it across the product line. CR-V has it standard even without ABS!
But don't make the WRX too good or Frank, Ed, and Ken will sell their Foresters and join the Dark Side. Use the Force, Luke, your driving skills and a turbo Forester compensate. ;-)
-juice
Only a turbo Forester will bring peace to the universe.
Ken
(just finished watching his new SW Episode II DVD)
;-)
-juice
Then again if SOA gives us heated mirrors, heated seats and an optional moonroof on the MY04 I may just have to go that route.
-Ian
Must...hold..out.....for.....Legacy turbo.....
We'll see. paisan said an SVT Lightning was chasing his SVX on the track that day, the Forester is a lot less trucky than that.
-juice