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Comments
Colin- The space I'm commenting is front-to-rear, not top-to-bottom. The Forester has plenty of headroom.
Bob
Bob
edit: I was going to send an apology via email too, but your email isn't public.
so here goes, I'm sorry. I believed it was light-hearted teasing, and you really took offense. please accept my apologies.
~Colin
As I've said before, the CRV was not my first vehicle of choice. My daughter and wife wanted it, and I support them and their decision. In any event, now that we have it, I'm in a somewhat unique position in that I'm able to make some very direct comparisons between it and our other vehicles: our Forester, Explorer and Impreza Outback, which is what I've been trying to do.
Bob
I didn't mean it as criticism as I said it was just poorly chosen humor.
~c
-Frank P
Again, I don't want to lose anything that has made the Forester so much fun to drive, and so popular here. I just want to see Subaru address a long-standing complaint, that just won't die.
Bob
I think one way to do this is extending the rear glass, allowing the rear seatback to be further back at the cost of a little trunk volume, but then you have to change the trunk lid so that you can get a sufficiently wide front-rear opening.
I'm sure their brilliant engineers can figure something out.
~c
In that position, the cargo area is a bit short, but it is very tall. That forces you to stack the items. Our stroller would not fit in longitudinally, so we had to lay it out transversely. That meant anything else at all would have to be stacked.
The child seats would be anchored so sliding the seat forward would not be convenient. Plus the cargo cover would not cover the entire cargo area.
The Forester has more useable cargo space, IMO. So there are some trade-offs.
In general I think Honda offers large-ish cars in each segment. That plus a hump-free rear passenger floor makes them quite roomy. CR-V is one of the biggest small SUVs, Pilot is among the bigger mid-size ones. Neither is very sporting, but people buy them up at rates that show maybe Honda chose the right strategy.
In fact they will bring over the Honda Fit 5 door to slot beneath the CR-V. It's almost RAV4 sized.
So, Subaru has the full-time AWD, sportier handling, lower center of gravity, but to stay ahead, if Honda puts SH-AWD on the Pilot and CR-V, what can Subaru do?
I think that's where Bob's comments apply. They have to counter with more space.
I'm hoping the 7 seater is pretty big, at least MDX sized. Then the next Forester can grow a bit and still not overlap. And the next Impreza wagon could get a boxed off rear end and take over the Forester's size niche.
-juice
* reduce the size of those humps! They are huge in the Forester and even the new Legacy/Outback. They rob leg room for the middle rear passenger completely.
* raise the front seats so there it toe space below the seats for rear passengers. The 2005 models killed what little space there was before. My Forester has a decent amount, at least.
Combine those two with a 2" longer wheelbase and noone will complain about rear leg room any more.
Voila.
-juice
The easiest way to do that would be to raise the chassis or lower the transmission. The former would also raise the CG and diminish the handling while the later would reduce off-road ability.
* raise the front seats so there it toe space below the seats for rear passengers. The 2005 models killed what little space there was before. My Forester has a decent amount, at least.
Did they change something for 05? I'm pretty sure the 03 & 04 model-year Foresters did gain a small amount foot well space.
Know what else the Forester has over the CRV? Best in class safety ratings! And cheaper repair costs. Regardless of utility, I don't think I could ever consider the CRV because it has no real bumpers to speak of. Add in the fact that it has a rear-mounted spare and the slightest tap from behind by a larger vehicle and you're replacing the whole back end!
Don’t get me wrong, the CRV is a good vehicle but it’s far from perfect. And really, do we want Subaru to try and compete head-to-head with Honda? IIRC they tried that once before with near disastrous results.
-Frank P
Forester is OK with foot room under the seat, it's the Legacy that blocks it completely with a bar. Even if you raise the seat all the way, there is zero toe space.
My wife liked the CR-V also, and an uneducated buyers that walks up to both might not know about the safety ratings, the hatch that opens only to block the curb side, and the lack of a real rear bumper.
The average consumer doesn't realize those things until after the purchase. But they see the roomy rear seat right away.
-juice
Forester is OK with foot room under the seat, it's the Legacy that blocks it completely with a bar
<<<
so you hoping subaru will raise the bar in the near luxury market?
-juice
That was one of my many arguments that fell on deaf ears with wife and daughter. That and the superior AWD, yadda, yadda. One can only say so much...
As I said before, I was really hoping for another Subaru of some sort, new or used. It certainly would have been less expensive. Hopefully the CRV's excellent resale value we will benefit from some day.
Bob
One Honda owner has his daughter back in to a pole and it did $1500 in damage. Not worth making a claim so it came out of her pocket.
Just be careful backing down that driveway in the dark, in fact I'd consider doing a 3 point turn to go down facing forward. I'm sure she'll adapt to driving it, it's not like the Prelude had great visibility.
-juice
If Honda ever offers GPS maybe they could add a rear view camera like on the Infiniti FX. SUVs with limited rear visibility could benefit from that.
I don't think any current Subie is bad enough to need that, but we'll see about the 7 seater. Longer cars are harder to back up.
CR had good results with those convex stick-on thingies that skew the view downward. One CR-V owner has one, FWIW.
-juice
http://www.alandeds.com/
-> Navigation
Australia has this option already, perhaps SoA should consider offering it here.
It's part no E3610AG010 and costs A$266.65 there.
And be quick about it, you might lose a few customers already.
-juice
Would love to see Subaru offer something here that looked like the R1e (Maybe a R1h hybrid?) to go toe-to-toe with the SMART.
Bob
-juice
Bob
-Brian
It has a very small metal pop-up deflector, and it doesn't do the job. I think it need something the size of the one found on new Legacy/Outback wagons.
I think you're right about the size of the moonroof, in terms of noise. It seems the smaller the moonroof, the quieter. The small moonroofs on our new CRV and my '98 Explorer are very quiet.
Bob
-Brian
-juice
A "ruggedised" trim level in the OB and/or Forester, so that dogs, kids and gardening supplies do not wreck the interior. Maybe with unpainted cladding.
More intereting colors and no more 2-tone.
JP
DaveM
Bob
Maybe the Baja could evolve into such a vehicle?
Bob
-Dave
Subaru's Number One strength is their identity, AWD wagons with boxer engines. You put one GM re-badge and it can spoil their entire image.
-juice
Bob
So a re-badged Porsche 911 C4 wagon would be OK? :-)
DaveM
yeah baby
-juice
-juice
AWD is their only "image" really in the general public. 95% of the people out there don't know a boxer from a V engine.
-mike
I too would like to see the base engine upgraded with a non-turbo variant of the DOHC 2.5 AVCS H-4, and running on regular gas. I do think for this engine, tuning it to run on regular gas is absolutely vital.
Not so sure if the 200/200 would be achievable if it runs on regular, however. Also 200/200 is very close to the low-boost turbo 210 hp found on the Forester XT/Baja turbo; too close IMO. I think this base engine should be tuned closer to 185/185, or 190/190 at most.
Bob
Anyway, here's what I would like to see:
• The above mentioned base engine.
• 5EAT to replace all 4EATs
• Limited models to be replaced by "n" models with a basic (meaning as inexpensive as possible) NAV system.
• Base GTs and XTs to come with standard moonroof.
• Front center armrest extension to be standard across the board.
• Auto-up feature on driver's window.
• 60-second (or more) time delay on power accessories after engine is shut down.
• Redesigned (horizontal, not vertical) interior door pulls that don't interfere with the power window switch operation.
• Toe room under front seats for rear passengers.
• Self-leveling rear suspension on all wagons.
• Combine the Outback VDC & LL Bean onto one model, and spread the VDC feature to more models.
• Offer a vehicle similar to the Legacy H-6 Spec-B recently shown/promised for Europe, with the STi's 6-speed.
Bob
-Dave
Bob
-Frank
I liked sitting in the Forester, but it seemed too narrow. I think it could use a wider track, still trying to keep it small and nimble. Also some lower suspension packages..... it looks too tall to my eye.
The 04 leg needs a telescoping wheel and a longer track to pull seat back more as in the 05. It is fatigueing to have to hold your arms out straight to drive, and unsafe to travel with two fingers on the bottom of the wheel. I am comfortable enough but my feet are cramped a bit. Also, the seats could use the volvo touch. They are well formed but feel a little too sporty and small for a daily family driver. You can't really move around. I think the new leg/ob should get a bit wider inside, with more luxurious seating. I don't think these cars are designed for flogging in corners, so width and plushness are more important than bolsters. People can always get recaro aftermarket seats if they are needed. Memory seats would be nice. Finally, my engine of choice would be a boxer 6 with a six speed. Make the gearing tall and keep the 6th speed as a dedicated overdrive. I think it would outlast and be smoother than a turbo 4. Also it could be designed to run on 87 octane. Thanks, F.
JP
I read over on a diesel website that Subaru will be making a 2.0 liter boxer diesel engine to supply Suzuki and Fiat worldwide. Bring it here Subaru!! America is starting to warm up to diesels. And with the low sulfur diesel coming in 2006, the small diesel vehicle market will be booming.
Eric
These kinds of vehicles are quite popular down there, and elsewhere in the world. In this day and age of high fuel prices—and the fact that Detroit just keeps building larger and larger pickups—would mean that there' should be a good market for the "right kind" of small car-based pickup, I would think.
Bob
Not just Detroit any more. Both Toyota and Nissan have jumped on the bigger is better bandwagon ;-(
-Frank