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Comments
-mike
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I was referring to my XT6 which had an H6, MT and center locking diffy.
-mike
2018 430i Gran Coupe
It was quite the pioneer, first production car in the US to come in with a drag coefficient of 0.29.
Nowadays that's common, but Subaru pioneered the form-is-function low drag shape.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
They should have offered the SVX with a stick - when I was looking in the mid-90s and bought a used Supra instead, I would have thought seriously about an SVX instead if they had offered a manual.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
0.29 Lotus Elite, 1958
produced over a thousand which was big numbers for Lotus at the time and they were imported.
0.29 Dodge Charger Daytona, 1969
limited production, but a "production" car none the less.
My source was wikipedia: "The result was arguably the most aerodynamic production car of its time with a coefficient of drag or Cd of 0.29". Car & Driver also mentioned something similar.
Point is, the XT6 was an aerodynamic pioneer. I Googled XT6 Aerodynamics and gots tons of hits.
Perhaps you should be trolling over there, at wiki, suggesting they make a correction.
And actually, allpar.com says the Charger Daytona was 0.28!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Full-time AWD first and foremost.
Reliability. Character (it's rare to have both).
Good balance of power/economy. Great visibility. Easy to park/maneuver. Good ground clearance yet still nimble. Well weighted steering with good feedback. Excellent residual after 9 years. Easy ingress/egress. Great seats, especially the lateral support.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. :shades:
"It was quite the pioneer, first production car in the US to come in with a drag coefficient of 0.29.
Nowadays that's common, but Subaru pioneered the form-is-function low drag shape."
or this?
"My source was wikipedia: "The result was arguably the most aerodynamic production car of its time with a coefficient of drag or Cd of 0.29". Car & Driver also mentioned something similar.
You overestimate Fuji Heavy Industries as I'd hardly call them an aerodynamic pioneer...they are a footnote in automotive history at best in terms of aerodynamic's.
If you want to speak of true automotive aerodynamic pioneer's you might want to look at the streamliners of the 30's from mercedes and auto union, the BAT collection of Alfa Romeos, the Chrysler Airflow, Miller's efforts, and ANY number of other's in a list to long to get into as being a pioneer implies more than simply producing a result. I'd argue the 1983 C3 Audi 5000 as a bigger automotive influence in terms of production car aerodynamic's than any XT that followed.
As to my subaru relevance I spent a day at the track with a friend recently and his pink badged STI, no prodrive parts anywhere, and even drove a short session with it...nice car, so I figured I'd see what other's had to say about them...
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
Tilting gauges with steering wheel tilt
Telescopic Steering wheel
Memory tilting steering wheel
Snow/Winter wiper mode that left the wiper arm a bit above the hood-line to prevent snow from causing damage, nowdays they just leave wipers up high on most cars, these were tucked way under the hood.
Washers on the headlights
Manually lockable center diffy on a full-time AWD car
Air Suspension that would actually lower the car at highway speeds by about 1-2"
Vaned rims that actually pulled air in over the rotors to cool them.
Auto-up and Auto-down power drivers window.
Electrical Power steering pump so that the PS pump didn't drain power from the engine to drive the pump.
These were all fairly new and innovative in 1989, especially for Subaru. The car was an amazing auto-x car and unfortunately I never had a chance to bring either of mine to the track
My Subie interest has been growing again in recent times, but I sure would like better gas mileage than the current NA 2.5.
I'm a big fan of automakers selling PZEV models, but I'm not such a big fan of them putting huge shiny badges on the backs of their cars that say 'PZEV' the way the new Forester has this year (and the new Ford Focus, it seems). The emissions-rating badge is as big as the model-name badge!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
I'd get a PZEV if they were available in my state just for the extra coverage on the emissions related items.
Subaru/Toyota Project
Happy Thursday.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
At least you know they have tested the emissions equipment for longevity, though that doesn't necessarily mean it's significantly different than the non-PZEVs.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
lots of people on other sites have commented about the PZEV running rough, haven't noticed that though the 4EAT seems to downshift more abruptly than my old 98.
some quirks I think they should fix, the homelink and light in the visor mirror don't work unless the key is in accessory position. The radio system is making something in the roof liner resonate and thats with the bass low. Hate the cupholders not being on the dash like my 98 and WRX. I can't put my McNuggets and fries and drink all down there by the brake handle! haven't noticed that in the Tribeca but then its the inlaws car so I don't eat in it very often!
height of the door sill is definitely going to make the dry cleaning bill higher this winter, my trousers rub against it without fail getting in and out unlike the old Legacy. Oh well, I don't wear a suit that often anyway.
have got some TPMS sensors from Tirerack for the winter wheels, praying the dealer knows how to program them! then to top it off the parts guy now says the OEM sensors are now only 65 bucks (Tirerack was 42) but a few weeks before he was quoting over a hundred- which was too high, 60 something is still marginal though. anyway I think black tape on the dash is sounding better everyday!
They can do a lot better. That design is a step down from the 05 Legacy wagon.
But from the over-108 inch wheelbase it's a BIGGER wagon that some seem to want.
I'd prefer something lower-wider and longer
-mike
Subaru bumps up release of 2009 Forester... will go on sale by end of this year.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1363847
It'll be on the lots within 2.5 months and we still don't have much of a clue how it'll look.
Change the color from earthy-fun-but-garish green on the G4e, and I bet you guys would warm up to it real quick-like.
Speak for yourself
-mike
Bob
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Really, just the possibility of a small and economical, yet fun & functional Subie is very exciting to me. Gimme a commuter w/AWD & a personality.
Subaru hasn't sold a car like that in the States since the demise of the Justy, and it's a GAPING hole in the line-up IMO. Something "small and economical, yet fun and functional", is exactly what Subie needs, I think.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The oil in Subaru turbo engines contends with extraordinary underhood temperatures. In order to maintain engine-component longevity, Subaru considers all 2008 turbo-equipped vehicles as operating under severe driving conditions.
Therefore, beginning with the 2008 model year, all turbo vehicles will require the oil and filter to be changed every 3,750 miles or 3-3/4 months, whichever happens first. The policy change is reflected in the 2008 Warranty and Maintenance Booklet.
When a vehicle is driven under severe driving conditions, engine oil can be consumed quicker than under normal driving conditions. Check the oil level at every fuel fill-up.
Is Subaru implying that their turbo engines are not as robust and durable as we all think they are?
I would rather them changing oil specs to synthetic and keep the interval intact (that's what I do), but I undestand why they did what they did. Too many dealers would be still putting mineral oil, like it was a common place with Chrysler, MB or VW before they tightened and enforced their specs.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
What probably happened is that they found turbo engines sludging when the customer followed the recommended 7500 mile interval for normal service. A combination of warranty repairs and getting an earful from people out of warranty who maintained their cars to the specification caused this action.
IMHO, they should just go to a synthetic and a 5K interval requirement for turbos and be done with it.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But Subie should probably just bite the bullet and go to synthetic on their turbos so as to avoid the problem. Just because they change the recommended OCI doesn't mean people are going to get it changed every 3750 miles...
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I've got $1100 Subaru Bucks waiting, though I was hoping to accumulate $500 more.
They cap the benefit at $500 per year.
We spent $400 already, $300 at the body shop for the Legacy and $100 in accessories. We hit the limit easily with my wife's business expenses.
So, let's see, we should get our first $100 next month, so we might have the max $500 by March.
That's OK, I don't want to buy the first one and pay a bunch more for it. I do want to see it, though, so the sooner it comes out, the better.
I hope we like it! The wife keeps asking about it.
If they take the 02 Legacy on the GTP program we may even trade up sooner. :shades:
Can we all agree that this will probably be the Forester debut?
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
-mike
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/3608
I did hear that Subaru would have something special for SEMA. What they might do is show a lightly disguised Forester concept, or blinged-up version of the new Forester, as a tease for the Detroit show.
Bob