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Kristina/co host Our Turn
Kristina/co host Our Turn
Too bad your car didn't come with the 6-position seat adjustment. I drove a 97 F250 4X4 w/6-speed and it put me right where I needed to be to comfortably reach the clutch and still see over the steering wheel. I'm 5' too.
Good luck.
Kristina/co host Our Turn
http://www.pedalextenders.com/
and was wondering if anyone had tried any
aftermarket extenders?
Kristina/co host Our Turn
Kristina/co host Our Turn
Kristina/co host Our Turn
Kristina/co host Our Turn
sorry, I was busy at work and did not get back to you earlier. I agree with you that Subaru is a little known secret: they build great cars at value prices. I still own and drive old Subaru wagon, and it did not require ANY repairs, just maintenance. Did you notice how many of those old wagons are still on the road, although Subaru always had a very small share of the auto market in the US?
No, Forester does not have memory seats, and this why I have great excuse NOT to let my husband drive it ;-)
However, it has heated seats (on S and S Premium models) that I thought I'd never ever need in sunny CA, but it turned out to be a great feature. The seat nicely heats your lower back section not so much butt and thighs. I just enjoy it so much, with cool air from A/C blowing into my face, and warm feeling crawling up my back.
My Dad is asking me to give him a ride in the Forester when his back is acting out; I call it Forester therapy. He says it helps a lot.
Very easy getting in and out, and driving position is very assuring: high enough to see the road well yet not so high as to give you that "tippy" feeling.
The only gripe I have is that I find Forester seat cushion a bit too short and I wish for more thigh support. However, it did not bother me that much, even on a very long (600 mi in 1 day) road trip.
And yes, I did take it off-road a few times, and it was just great. I also test-drove a lot of SUV's at EdmundsLive event, and Forester was the best performer both on pavement and on track.
It's very highly rated by NHTSA for safety, I think second only to Volvo.
I highly recommend Forester to everyone. Short people like me can enjoy it, and even 6'7 guy can still have enough leg- and headroom (from a testimony of a person with moniker big_guy here at edmunds.com).
Forester 2001 S Premium Silver Auto
Kristina/co host Our Turn
md_tech
Host
Women's Auto Center
md_tech
Host
Women's Auto Center Message Board
I test drove the Taurus with pedal extensions, and it felt fine. The Buick Century was a joke. Terrible fit. The Altima felt real good. I was with my girlfriend when she test-drove the Foerster, and although I don't know what it feels like to drive, I really fell in love with it. I also test drove the new Rav-4. Wonderful improvement over the 2000 model, where you were really scrunched up; this one fits fine and you have lots of space up front. I think the Japanese do a better job of building cars for little women!
Questions:
1. Am I properly protected with just the top half of my head in the bottom half of the head restraint? Pillow I use is about 2", and I am sitting pretty tall. Perhaps I should get a higher pillow?
2. What is the proper distance from steering wheel air bag should I be?
I did not know this forum existed. I saw a note on the C-320 group from "Pat" about the flags showing up beside our names and it mentioned the Women's Auto Center -- so, here I am and in a custom-sized forum at that!!!
My thanks.
Miki
I just bought the new WRX and I just love it so much. I'm 5'1" and it fits me to T. The visibility is also good. Go to the web and check it out. Read the reviews, they even have a special bulletin in Edmunds.com just on SUBARUs. You will be comparing to cars like AUDI, BMW, VW, & ACURA. I guarantee you will be very happy.
Any ideas?
You might want to try this link from Edmunds.com's home page to see what you come up with: Can you help me decide what to drive?
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
I've looked at the Edmund's site, and while it is helpful, it would be more useful if I didn't have so many other factors to put in. What I'm looking for is a vehicle that will do what I need it to do, and I don't really care about styling, which you have to decide right away. (Any ideas other than SUVs?). For instance, a Tracker fits in my budget and comes with a 4x4, but a friend of mine who lives up here has one, and she has spare clothes at all of her friends who live lower down because if the roads are bad, she can't get home, even with spiders and weight over the wheels. Since style isn't as important to me as comfort and performance, I'm looking for people's experiences. I'm also beginning to think that they don't make a car that will do what I want it to do, fits me, and that I can afford!
Stay away from the Sportage, too...the mileage is good, but they only come 4 cylinder so the power won't be any better than the Tracker. My Blazer's got that V6 vortec engine, improved for its year. It also has shift on the fly with push button activation, so none of that stop/neutral/shift or chain nonsense.
Had I not wanted an SUV, I'd still need 4WD for the northern winters, and would've looked into Subarus for their AWD. They're very reliable and, from what I understand, they last forever as long as you take care of them. Good Luck.
Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
It is only because I moved, and my old (automatic) commuter car couldn't handle the steep freeway grades that forced me into looking for something else, and the Taco (5 speed) is so uncomfortable for more than 30 minutes...
The funny thing is that as a small woman, I haven't had any trouble "figuring out" either tiny cars or full sized pickups. But I can't figure out anything in between! I can't see where the front end is on most cars and can't see the trunk, much less figure out where the back end is on most cars. I ruled out a Focus because I couldn't tell where the back end stopped. Does anyone else have the problem with cars?
it another try- the problems could have been because it was a rental, not a vehicle characteristic."
I can assure you, it was a vehicle characteristic. SUVs are, as you know, lousy handlers; Blazers even more so.
As for seeing to the front and rear, I put a wind deflector on my old Bronco II to help with depth perception in the front (betcha the inventor hadn't thought of that use!!), had no problems w/the back because it was a box back, so the car ended where the window was. The Blazer is rounded in the rear, so it's kind of touch and go until I get used to it. I had a grill guard installed on the front, though. It protrudes over the hood ever so slightly, so I know exactly where the car begins since the grill covers the bumper as well. Makes it look pretty tough too (Ah yes...the Napoleonic complex!!).
Thanks for the welcome, Pocahontas...have been over on the SUV boards, but this is my first venture here.
Well then, you may also be interested in this Women's Auto Center discussion: Do Women Love Suvs?
Also, if have a pic of your Chevy Blazer, we'd love to see it in Vehicle Pics (Show & Tell). Thanks for your participation on the Women's Auto Center message board! ;-)
Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards