Subaru Crew: Suggestions for Subaru

rsholland · February 2004

do have a full-size spare. Only the Touareg (the one that needs it the most!) and perhaps a few others don't (Golf R32, GTi and AWD Passat I think?).

In any event, your average run-of-the-mill VW does come with a full-size spare.

Bob

ateixeira · February 2004

Even Touareg has the external spare option, right? We saw that on the Cayenne.

Though I don't like rear-mounted ones usually.

-juice

rsholland · February 2004

at least not here in the USA. It is rumored to arrive shortly as an option, as I recall. It should be standard on every SUV.

Bob

glycinemax · February 2004

http://forums.biodieselnow.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2132

Nice idea, but doubt there is enough truly interested people to make it a go. One EV commuter and a turbodiesel-electric hybrid wagon (legacy platform) would be nice.

p0926 · February 2004

Bob- Playing the devil's advocate here but why should a full size spare be standard on every SUV? Before you answer remember that the vast majority of SUVs are driven just like cars (commuter vehicle/suburban grocery getter) and will never see so much as a dirt road.

-Frank P.

rsholland · February 2004

I think a full-size spare should be standard on ALL cars, not just SUVs. However SUVs stand a better chance of being abused (towing, etc.). If they're standard on pickups, they should be standard on SUVs, even if fewer owners use them as intended.

I'm not a fan of temp spares in any way, shape or form.

Bob

p0926 · February 2004

Well okay then if you want them on cars too. Still, even though I like the fact that my Forester has a full size spare, the last time I had a true flat tire was over 25 years ago (there have been a couple of instances where I picked up a nail or such but was able to drive to the repair shop). So I can see why an auto manufacturer would decide to save a few bucks and increase the trunk space by going with a space saver.

-Frank P.

ladywclass · February 2004

In a car with less than 5,000 miles on a family trip loaded down to the gills with 2 children, a teenage babysitter to help, pregnant mom, and dad - trunk stuffed FULL and no extra room in the car ... blowout on the highway ... unload the trunk to get to the spare, then the full size won't FIT in the space of the spare, so had to stuff some of the things from the trunk in laps and under feet in the front of the car .. we barely fit it all in to limp 50 miles to a town where we could buy a tire ...

p0926 · February 2004

Brenda- Well with that luck I'm betting it was either pouring rain or broiling sun with high humidity when you were unloading and reloading the car :-)

-Frank P.

glycinemax · February 2004

What is the difference in cost and weight between a donut and a full size spare? Would it be cost effective to make a full size spare an option? Have had very few flats but when travelling in areas that are at least two fill-ups from areas with tire stores I'd rather have the full size spare.

Hybrid next year? Rumor from Future thread. That would be great but would want to see it in a Forester, LW, or OBW. The 7 seater would be good but probably out of my price range. Maybe the R1E? http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=article&storyid=642 If it's the Scrambler and MPG is around 40 or 50 then that might work for me as a commuter. http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshows/articles/100643/page009.htm- l Really would prefer something with four doors though, ...and a turbo diesel for B100 usage.

Suggestion for Subaru:
Offer turbo diesel-electric hybrid in Forester, LW, or OBW; and make the spare full size.

merrycynic · February 2004

I've had four debilitating flats in the last 18 months on brand new RE92s's! I would sure welcome a full sized spare, and would pay more if it were an option.

jlemole · February 2004

Since you couldn't just leave a full size spare on on an AWD car, it wouldn't seem to make much of a difference -- you still going to have to get the flat repaired. Therefore, it only seems practical to have a full-size spare on a non-AWD car, right?

Jon

blane · February 2004

merrycynic:

"Four debilitating flats in the last 18 months"? You must have set a world record. In what part of the world have you been driving? I want to stay away from your roads.

ateixeira · February 2004

I don't tend to get flats, but my wife does, and often. Bad luck maybe. She's already had one on her 2002 Legacy. Once she borrowed my car and got a flat, the only one my car ever had!

If you do road trips like we do, we're often 3-7 hours away from home, a donut ain't gonna cut it. With AWD especially, when you need same-diameter tires.

Buy a new tire? Sure, but what it the other 3 are worn? You gonna buy 4 new tires every time you get a flat?

Full size spares, please, on all models.

R1e still looks good to me, kind of neuvo Peugoet-ish.

That B9 is MINE!

)

-juice

merrycynic · February 2004

Blane,
I drive regularly from Philadelphia to NYC. All the flats have occurred in my quiet little suburban NJ neighborhood.

bkaiser1 · February 2004

Having just returned home from a 1200 mile road trip in our 2004 Accord equipped with XM satellite radio, this has catapulted to the top of my "Must Have" list in all future cars. With that much programming (all commercial free now) at our fingertips, we never once made it to the CD changer for more music. Satellite radio is the best thing to happen to music lovers since the CD.

As much as I'd love to add XM to my WRX, I don't want to lose the factory appearance of the dash, and I don't want a bunch of wires poking out of the cassette deck or on the roof...I'd much prefer a factory option where all the components are integrated from the start. Many manufacturers are already offering XM/Sirius as standard equipment or as an option of a few hundred dollars. I'd gladly pay $500 extra for this in my next Subaru!

Brian

locke2c · February 2004

I prefer mp3 readable receivers. You can burn a single disc holding well over a hundred songs. Swapping discs can be done by genre instead of artist.

My digging into satellite radio produced similar complaints as regular: poor variety (2-5 per genre?), poor program selection. And in some cases, ads. I hate ads so very very much.

Plus it's a whole lot cheaper.

So please-- consider a factory radio capable of playing mp3 cds.

~c

blane · February 2004

bkaiser1:

I too am driving a 2004 Accord (V6 Coupe) with standard XM radio. I'm in the second month of the three month freebie listening period. I haven't decided to make the commitment on a monthly fee though. I have really been enjoying the wide variety of programming. I'm thinking about/shopping for an add-on XM tuner for my wife's 2004 Legacy GT Limited.

locke2c:

You should check further. There is such a wide variety that you couldn't possibly be disappointed. More than 2-5 per genre in most instances. Regarding ads, there are ABSOLUTELY NONE on the music channels. There are occasional (1 minute or less, and few and far between) ads on some other channels that I've frequented, such as MSNBC, CNN, Weather Channel, various sports channels, etc.

locke2c · February 2004

I have a friend with XM and have sampled it and Sirius. I was very tempted to purchase.

~colin

ladywclass · February 2004

... WHOSE B9???? <muttering like yosemite same and thinking we've covered this ground before ... >

FRANK .... it was my birthday (May 7) so on the gulf coast of texas that means broiling sun and high humidity ..... (and a birthday I'll never forget even if it WAS almost 23 years ago!)

bkaiser1 · February 2004

For me, it's worth $10/mo just to not hear commercials ever again, even if they played the same crappy music as FM radio does! If your music tastes go beyond the typical Top 40, though, I've found XM to have an astounding selection of music to choose from -- hearing artists and songs that would NEVER be heard on regular radio.

As far as MP3 capability, my partner and I may be the only 2 people on the planet that don't have Mp3 files to listen to...I guess the whole digital music downloading thing passed me by while I was in grad school. Next thing I knew, digital downloads were passe and I had missed the boat.

Anyway, I'd LOVE to see satellite radio come standard or as a factory option on future Subaru's.

Brian

locke2c · February 2004

I create my own and play them in my dvd player at home... 120-150 songs per standard 700mb cd, you can go a while.

I don't have even a cd player in either of my cars right now. LOL But if I did install all of my old carfi gear, I would buy a new deck with mp3 capability instead of satellite radio (and I leaned towards Sirius anyway instead of Sony XM).

plus I would hardly attach the words "ever" to satellite radio being commercial free. it was creeping on, and now they've backed it off... but to me I wouldn't lay money that it won't be just like TV or standard radio within a few years.

~c

hayduke01 · February 2004

I'm still thinking about adding a 5th alloy wheel and going to a five-tire rotation pattern.

Question: with a 5000-mile rotation interval, would the spare be within 1/4" of the other tires?

I replaced the OEM Geos at around 27.000 miles. One tire was useless, the others would have been OK until next winter.

So I'm seeing this as a way to avoid replacing three decent tires when I lose one sometime in the future.

Has anyone done this?

amsbear · February 2004

Crew,

I just received an email newsletter from Crutchfield and their main topic is High Definition Radio. They claim CD quality sound for FM stations that upgrade. No service fees like with sat. radio.

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-5XtzaB3rOGl/learningcenter/ca- r/hdradio.html

Maybe this is an alternative direction to Subaru to go instead of XM/Sirius. Its an interesting alternative anyway.

Alan
98 OBW Ltd

p0926 · February 2004

I'm too cheap to pay for either OnStar or XM/Sirius :-) I don't mind paying a one time charge for a feature but can't get over the idea of paying a monthly subscription fee for something car related ;-)

-Frank P.

rsholland · February 2004

Just like more credit cards, I don't need them.

I'd rather put up with radio commercials than pay a monthly fee. Either that, or listen to CDs.

Bob

rangner · February 2004

monthly fees make me cringe

Eric

ateixeira · February 2004

OK, *our* B9. I get custody on weekends, plus one full week every other month. We split the holidays.

)

I'm with the majority here, but you can't deny there is definitely a demand for satellite radio. I think over a million subscribers have signed up.

Mike: 5000 miles is a short interval, for tires with a reasonable wear rating they should easily be within the 1/4" differential. My lousy Duelers lasted 28k, but my Nittos already have 32k on them and are still going strong.

I don't think 5k is enough to wear them down much unless they are soft compound summer tires.

-juice

ladywclass · February 2004

I know something was posted in the 'meet the members' about the moonroof having a 'reverse' if it was obstructed ... and something else asked about the windows ...
one day last week, b/f was driving my outback and dog was in the backseat .. he put the windows partly down in the back and one ended up far enough down so that the dog put her head out the window, then she stepped on the controls and the window went up trapping her in the window .. there were a few tense seconds as he was driving and trying to get the window down .. and the controls are the OPPOSITE of the ones in his car ... window down and dog ok .. but I did have some moments of worry ... and reflecting .. what if it had been a child?

rsholland · February 2004

I understand your concern. One big safety issue has to do with the *type* of power window switch, and the government is looking into this I believe.

Cars with "rocker-type" power window switches are a big problem. We have those on our Explorer, and I believe just about all Ford products come so equipped. There are other carmakers that also use this type of switch too.

The problem is with a rocker switch is that you push down on either end of the switch to activate it. That means a child or dog could accidently push the wrong end of the switch (up direction) just by putting their weight on the switch.

That won't happen with Subarus or a number of other cars that use *push/pull-type* power window switches. These are switches that require someone to consciously pull up the switch in order to raise the window. You can't accidently activate it (in the *up* direction) using your weight, as can be done with rocker-type power window switches.

Bob

ateixeira · February 2004

Consumer Reports had an article about that. Subaru was among the manufacturers with better designed switches, actually.

-juice

rsholland · February 2004

I believe it was CR where I read that. But Brenda's right, with rocker-type switches, I would not want to see an auto-up feature added. With the push/pull switch used in Subies, I see no problem at all. I still would want to a have *pinch control* cut off, with a reversing feature, just in case.

Bob

hypov · February 2004

is a great feature; however, in the case of ones safety where a menace is involved, that feature could be disadvantageous.

-Dave

rsholland · February 2004

With all the excitement about the new Legacy and Outback, there's been little discussion about the '05 Forester and Impreza. While I know their upgrades are pretty much locked in stone by now, here's what I'm hoping we'll see:

Forester

* I expect the LL Bean will be a turbo with leather and auto-only (think current Premium Package)

* I hope all turbos get the 5EAT w/SportShift.

* I hope the XT will get the HD 5-speed manual found in Legacy/Outback turbos.

* I hope the center armrest extension is standard across the board.

* I expect to see blackwall tires across the board.

* expect to see a cruise-engaged light set-up like other Subies.

* I hope a moonroof will be available with 5-speed manual XT models.

* I hope the Legacy/Outback/STi cruise control stalk is now used.

Impreza

* I hope the Premium Package will be available on the WRX wagon.

I hope the WRX gets the 5EAT w/SportShift.

* I hope the WRX will get the HD 5-speed manual found in Legacy/Outback turbos.

* I hope 17" wheels are standard on WRXs.

* I hope the ambient temperature gauge is standard on the WRX.

* I hope the Legacy/Outback/STi cruise control stalk is now used.

* I hope the armrest extension is standard on the WRX.

* I hope an additional center power outlet is now standard.

* I hope lit power window buttons, like those found on other '05 Subies will be used.

Bob

ateixeira · February 2004

These from a buddy of mine *this* close to buying a Forester XT:

* give the arm rest more padding, it's funny that this option is still pretty hard

* more color selections, specifically a gunmetal gray for him

-juice

hypov · February 2004

I wonder if the idea of offering just primer will fly?... you know, paint your own color.

-Dave

ateixeira · February 2004

Scion is trying that out, with the xB. We'll see if that flies.

-juice

rsholland · February 2004

More color choices would be greatly appreciated!

Bob

dcm61 · February 2004

VTD & 5EAT SportShift for all AT models. Offer just one MT/AWD combination and one AT/AWD combination.

DaveM

simon_tx · February 2004

I with you DaveM - the endless number of engine and transmission combinations plus the number of versions of each model give me tired head.

jrosasmc · February 2004

Juice- I'm just curious...do you know when Subaru started actively using galvanized steel, so as to tackle the rust problems they had in the '80s?

ateixeira · February 2004

I'm not. I really started following Subaru closely in 1997, by then they were already using them. If I had to guess, I think I'd guess the 1990 Legacy was the first to get it, but I'm really not sure.

-juice

jrosasmc · February 2004

Juice- I'd say more likely 1992 and up...I've seen '90 and '91 Legacies that've looked real tired, with a bit of rust and holes in the body. I know the Loyales of that era were worse in rust protection.

rsholland · February 2004

Since now know the '06 Baja will again be Outback based, I'm hoping Subaru will really address the "why this vehicle?" question. Why should somebody buy this trucklet? So far they haven't, or at best, they've just skirted the issue. Offering a turbo is only a partial answer. SOA needs to offer some "compelling" reasons to buy, not fluff reasons.

That being the case, here's what I hope to see:

First and foremost it needs to address the needs of the weekend warrior (aka homeowner). That means:

 Raise the payload from 800lb to ~ 1200lb.

 Raise the towing to 3500lb. Now that the '05 H-6 Outback is at 3000lb, finding an additional 500lb shouldn't be that difficult.

 Widen the switchback opening to accomodate 4x8 panelling.

 Offer some unique Avalanche-like bed storage features in the rear fenders.

 Offer a drop-down rear fender counter, to act like a small work bench.

 Offer multiple power outlets in the bed area that can run 120v/20amp power tools, like a circular saw, etc.

 Offer a full-size spare tire.

If SOA would offer those kinds of features and upgrades, I bet the question of "why?" would be a non-issue.

One final note: Now that most of the small truck-based pickups are going mid-size (Canyon, Colorado, Tacoma, Frontier), there will be a huge opportunity here for SOA to exploitif they offer the right product...

Bob

jrosasmc · February 2004

Hey Bob- I was looking at the most recent Consumer Reports Buying Guide and according to their reliability data, the engine was the most troublesome spot of almost all '96 Subarus. Did the motors have a problem during that year?

rsholland · February 2004

no engine problems with our '96 Impreza, and we have well over 100K on it.

Bob

pon1 · February 2004

Bob/Juice

Good list. But doesn't the O4 XT already have an Sti-derived HD 5 speed? Agree more peace of mind in this area would be good.

Colors - more choice in 05 would be good but maybe I should go with an 04 as wife's three top choices are canary yellow, metallic purple and lime green. Yuk.

James.

Another one "this close" (sign deal tomorrow, but can have an 04 or 05)

hondafriek · February 2004

Saw the first Baja outside of a showroom Today, Silver and it had a cap on it, they are as scarce as chickens teeth around here.

Cheers Pat.

rsholland · February 2004

But doesn't the O4 XT already have an Sti-derived HD 5 speed?

With the new Legacy/Outback turbos, the 5-speed manual is labeled *HD;* not so for the WRX or FXT.

Bob

ateixeira · February 2004

Yes, the Forester's MT is already reinforced. At least that's what some Nabisco experts have said about it.

Subaru has to price and size the 2006 Baja very, very carefully. If it's similar to the current vehicle it has to be very price competitive. If Subaru moves it "upscale" then it had better have every single item on Bob's list.

Maybe more.

-juice

Subaru Crew: Suggestions for Subaru

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