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Comments
That's what I used to do also. But what I didn't like is that once the car has settled back down to the set temperature, it switches to the face vents, which I do not want, and the AC light comes on.
I also find it easier to press two buttons quickly then to fiddle with two temperature settings while looking way down there.
Anyway, I guess we're both proving that it isn't AUTOMATIC.
Sly
I'm in the IT business and we would go bankrupt in a hurry if we provided that level of service.
Sly
Bob
Craig
Has anyone installed a subwoofer themselves. I just bought one on line for about half the price the dealer quoted. It looks fairly straight forward, any suggestions?
Kiko
Warren
Sly
I just ordered a sub and hood deflector from subaruparts.com. Quote from allsubaru was very close, but their shipping did not include insurance, so it ended up being a bit more. The return policy at subparts seems a bit more flexible. You can call the 1-877 # on the site and speak to Trish. Either way, we are talking a few bucks so either allsubaru or subparts are safe bets.
Send me an e-mail at work(presume you still have it)...I'll give you the prices including shipping. Since we live in the same area, presume that shipping costs would be very similar.
Cheers,
Jay
Luckily the scratch on the hood will be covered by the hood deflector, but the rear door needs paint. 5 weeks old and my baby is going to be tarnished with paint.
Jay.
Our Software! Your Questions Answered...
Kiko - congrats on the new Bean!
Let's cut our hosts some slack, folks. Despite the trade-offs, this site has the lowest signal-to-noise ratio by far. Trolls are eradicated quickly, and the Message Center remembers where you left off in each thread.
Jay: sorry to hear about that. I believe in karma and whoever did that is gonna get what's coming to him.
-juice
Kiko -- congratulations! The sub is fairly easy to install, and comes with instructions. You can skip a couple steps -- since you have auto trans, you do not need to remove the entire center armrest/bin. Just pry up the chrome ring around the shifter with your fingernails (it comes off easily). Then hook an L-shaped device (I used a peg-board hook) in the resulting gap at the rear left, and pull up to get the silver-painted console piece off. From there, you can remove the side woodgrain pieces, and then take out 6 or so screws to remove the radio/hvac stack. The Sub harness tees into the main radio harness at the back of the radio and then you route it through the console to the sub under the driver's seat. The instructions say to route the wire above the carpet, but you can fish it under the carpet (and out through a hole under the seat) with a little extra work.
BTW, I paid about $170 for my sub.
CRaig
http://www.australiasbestcars.com.au/2004/mid_over.htm
Ken
I just got my first stone chip yesterday and it broke my heart, I can only imagine what getting it keyed would feel like...
Sly
Sorry about that Jay, it's a real bummer on your new car.
tom
tom
My biggest fear is that I'll see the difference either in colour or sheen of the clear when comparing the rear to the front door, or rear door to rear quarter. Oh well, will have to wait and see....
PS. Yes, the downtime is frustrating, but lets cut Edmunds some slack...I have learned so much from folks on these forums that I can't put a price tag on it. A few gremlins will hardly discourage my enthusiasm about coming back here.
Cheers.
Jay.
You can always pursue a full door repaint if the local touchup repair doesn't work.
Craig
P.S. I have filled some scratches and then removed the excess paint away with Langka. After several coats of touchup and Langka, the scratches pretty much vanish. The touchup/airbrush experts take a similar approach.
Thanks.
Jay.
I have their kit too. Used it on a couple of chips on my ol' Outback.
The kit is not needed really, but it does make touch-ups easier to do and it seems to work well. I recommend the kit.
-Brian
Craig
Cheers.
Jay.
Sorry to hear it happened to you, Jay. The Red OBXT is such a great loooking car!
Mark
My dealer body shop repainted the entire panel, and the (silver) paint matched perfectly.
They also got overspray all over the two adjacent panels, which took me several hours to buff out, but now it looks great.
Jim
-juice
However, I just found out tonight that my VDC with OEM tires doesnt support chains. What do people do?
thanks,
Michael
Where did you hear that?? That would be a departure from the norm for Subaru.
Craig
Im going skiing tomorrow. I dont suspect Ill need chains, but Ill be less ueber-prepared than usual!
So where are you going skiing?
Craig
--
Tire chains cannot be used on tires listed below
because of lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body.
2.5-liter non-turbo models (except OUTBACK):P205/55R16 tires
2.5-liter turbo models (except OUTBACK):215/45ZR17 tires
2.5-liter non-turbo models (OUTBACK): P225/60R16 tires
2.5-liter turbo and 3.0-liter models (OUTBACK):P225/55R17 tires
2.5-liter non-turbo and 3.0-liter models (OUTBACK):P225/60R16 winter (snow) tires
2.5-liter non-turbo and 3.0-liter models (OUTBACK):P215/60R16 winter (snow) tires
2.5-liter turbo and 3.0-liter models (OUTBACK):P215/55R17 winter (snow) tires
R4?
Heck, R3 is 4WD+chains. What is R4?
Ice age imminent: mastodons with chains on all feet?
More seriously, this has been discussed in various places. The actual CalTrans page is at http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/wntrdriv.htm.
The gist is that while R3 is a valid condition, it's rarely used. Instead the roads are usually closed. Given the amount of slipping that happens with 2WD even with chains, the roads that I've traveled are often impassible due to traffic anyway before R3 would come into effect.
While all the non-Californians say you'd be crazy to drive in weather that required chains on a Subaru, it's still true that the law says you must carry chains in order to enter R1 and R2. And it's true that Subaru doesn't authorize any.
But as far as I know, the law doesn't actually says that the chains you carry have to fit your vehicle. And no one I've asked about this has said they've ever been checked to see if they're carrying chains, let alone whether they fit. Once the CHP sees it's a Subaru, they just wave it through.
There was a reference to some super-low profile cables if you really want to have a valid set of chains, though I'm not sure anybody (including the vendor?) could actually state they'd actually put them on the car and driven it.
Craig
Bob
Here's one discussion thread on this:
http://tinyurl.com/4zcxo
The summary is that Subaru knows it's an issue though some dealers (or individuals at dealers) seem unaware. There's a company called SCC that makes a low profile chain they claim works. Subaru acknowledges this though they stop short of actually recommending them.
One other issue I remember seeing is that while in general it is recommended that you put chains on the rear wheels (or all wheels) of 4WD/AWD. I've heard Subaru recommends them on the front (but don't have all the manuals to check.) Reasons varies between (1) there's even less clearance in the back than front (2) since some models have a 90/10 power split you should put them on the powered wheels (3) it'll screw up the differential or some other AWD thing. I could believe (1) and (2). I myself doubt (3).
http://www.scc-chain.com/Pages%20Traction/Traction%20products/zp.- - html
Still no guarantee it will fit unless someone has prior experience.
CRaig
The regular tire size for my car is 225/55 R17. Is it true that I can use a 225/60 R16 on the car for a snow tire? The guy at my tire shop, who I trust, told me I could but isn't that like saying I wear a size 8 medium shoe, but 7 wide will fit?
Thanks in advance,
Kate
If you go to tirerack.com, you will see that they do recommend that size, especially if you plan to buy steel wheels for the winter.
Sly
225 x (.60 - .55) = 11.25
Thus the total diameter difference is only
12.7 - 11.25 = 1.45mm = .057 inch
The real number depends on brands of tires and rim widths as well. I agree with your tire guy.
I've been up to Tahoe enough times to know that CHP does not actually enfore the law of having to carry chains (traction devices). They'll simply tell the vehicle to turn around and get some rather than fine them.
As mentioned before, there are only three conditions, R1, R2 and R3. R3 is never enforced probably due to the fact that most Californians have no idea on how to drive in snow. Caltrans will close the road rather than declare an R3.
When you approach a checkpoint, CHP will take a quick look at your car and wave you through. In the rare case they don't recognize a Subaru, they will ask if you have 4WD.
Now, having said that, if you are going beyond the usual ski resort and into the back country, I do advise getting a set of traction devices. With my previous Forester I used the SCC cables that Craig mentioned above. They are low profile cables that should not cause any problems. I used the Shur Grip-Z on my Forester and they worked great. Even with AWD, there are times when you need that extra level of traction.
Just remember to use them ONLY when the road is covered with snow or ice and to not drive over the speed limit indicated by the traction device.
Ken
The Bean and VDC is nice but the light interior I would think would be really hard to keep clean. As long as I'm looking at the Bean the minimal added cost to get the VDC makes me think that would be the way to go.
I spent a few hours at the local Subaru dealer yesterday and they only had light interior Outbacks on the lot. That makes me think everyone else is buying the dark interior cars. Such light interiors just doesn't look very practical with two kids.
I'm really having a hard time deciding since all three model levels have something going for them. Hope you guys can give me some feedback on why you picked the model you are driving?
As you probably are aware, the power characteristics differ between the XT and the H-6s. There is a little turbo lag on the XT, then it comes on like gangbusters; whereas the H-6 has a more predictable and linear power delivery. If you like a 5-speed manual, the XT is your only choice, at least this year.
My guess is that both engines should be very reliable, but only years of service will accurately answer that question. Subaru has loads of experience with turbos, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about that.
As to the light vs. dark interior, that all depends on which exterior color you choose. It's not engine-specific.
The VDC offers stability control, which is nice to have if your car is starting to skid, or at/near the limits of tire adhesion. It's a good safety item. The all-new larger Subaru B9X is rumored to have that feature as standard across the board.
Bob
I test drove the VDC before driving the XT, and I'm glad I did. The VDC is a bit nicer in terms of certain interior features, VDC, and the H-6 engine. However, in my view it was not as quick as the XT, and the taupe interior got dirty quickly. I don't have kids, but I agree with your concern about the interior. I did not drive the Bean because I thought it was nearly identical with the VDC in terms of the key features I wanted.
I don't know if the presence of only light-interior Outbacks in your local dealer means that only dark interior ones are being bought. That might mean that your dealer did not order many dark interior cars (and there are far fewer dark interior Outbacks than light ones). Maybe the dealer will get a dark Outback soon, or maybe you can visit another dealer.
At a minimum, you should test drive all 3 models to compare the power. It's up to you whether you can live with the risk of added maintenance of the turbo in the long run (which is a risk), or whether you can deal with maintaining the light interior (which is a certainty).
Good luck with your decision.
Bob
I think exterior color is the largest factor on heat in the summer. I got a gold Outback XT with the black interior (excellent color combo by the way) and it wasn't any hotter than previous cars I had. In fact, my 02 Bean was dark green on the outside, and used to get pretty hot; the gold XT is definitely cooler than that.
All of the Bean/VDC/XT models have the same handling and tires, so they will all drive similarly. They also all have the same 5EAT (auto trans), though you can get a 5MT on the XT models. The main difference is the engine. No doubt about it, the Bean/VDC engine is quieter, smoother, and more refined. The H6 is one of the smoothest engines around. It's also fairly powerful in the 05 models. However, the XT's turbo engine is the hot rod of the lineup, and stole the show when I was shopping. If you are after maximum fun, this is the hands-down choice. The power/torque of the turbo, combined with the rapid fire shifts of the 5EAT is totally cool.
In my case, I was replacing my 02 LL Bean Outback and my 03 WRX with one car, and the 05 Outback XT was smack in the middle of my sights -- pretty much the perfect car for me. It's my third Outback, and I finally feel like Subaru made the perfect Outback for my wants and needs.
Good luck! You can't lose with any of the 05 models in my opinion.
CRaig
I'm going to chime in here even though I drive a Legacy GT Ltd wagon.
From a performance perspective, the 2.5 turbo is the engine to have. Not only does it produce more torque than the H6, but peak power comes sooner and stays flatter through the RPM range. While the H6 is a great smooth engine (thanks to the near perfect balance of the H6 layout) many of us here believe it was offered to appease the USDM market's preference for more cylinders. I think you will be happier in the long run with the XT.
The main reason to get the H6 in my mind would be if you absolutely needed the added safety of the VDC system. It's Subaru's flagship vehicle with one of the most advanced integrated AWD and stability systems.
In either case, only a test drive will let you know which is for you. If you do go with the 5EAT automatic, keep in mind that the vehicles on the dealers lots are still not broken in and will not be as responsive as they can be.
I'll also second Craig's post about the exterior color determining interior heat. My Legacy GT Ltd wagon is silver with black interior. During the summer, it was significantly cooler after sitting outside in the sun compared to my outgoing black Forester with light grey interior. In fact, I was surprised to not have blistering hot leather seats to contend with in my Legacy.
Finally, the very large moonroof available with these models works wonders in giving the cabin an airy and open feel. My 1.5 year old daughter loves it when I pull back the shade and let natural sunlight fill the cabin. I love how the interior can go from bright and sunny to sleek and black at night, especially with the very chic instrument lighting scheme.
Good luck and let us know which way you go.
Ken
I think they are both fine cars. IMHO, the XT is more fun to drive and better on open and windy roads; the VDC more comfortable and easier to drive on congested freeways (due to its smoother acceleration) and marginally safer with traction control.
As to light or dark interiors, there is a bit of trade-offs. True, light color shows dirt and mud more, but dark shows dust very easily. (My previous car was silver exterior and dark interior).
After owning my VDC for 2months, I am very happy with it. It has a very quiet engine.
Outstanding!