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Yesterday, I swear the drive to work featured a "Who's Who" of Subaru!
Within a two-mile stretch, I passed the following vehicles (the first five of which were back-to-back):
I mean, we have many Subaru vehicles around here (including in my driveway), but that was ridiculous!
what, no SVX?
Hahah; no kidding! I do still see a couple of those tooling around these parts, including a gorgeous one in dark green, but not this time of year. This morning I passed a late 80s GL wagon. My how things have changed over the years!
Wes, are ppl more sensible up there? Cuz you didn't mention WRX!
G'day
This will seem like a really stupid question for most here.
When using a USB input to a car stereo, is it possible to access files on a USB flash drive. If so, how does the data have to be structured, Does it need to be in Folders or similar or can you access from the Stereo head unit?
Alternatively, is it necessary to have an MP3 player or similar to output audio through the stereo head unit?
Cheers
Graham
Graham, I have used a flash drive in Deb's '13 Forester. In terms of organizing the music, I would say experiment. I think we have the music just loosely stored (no folders), but am not certain about that. You access the flash drive via the AUX button on your head unit. Toggle that button until it says USB.
Don't know anything about MP3 players. My guess is you would access that through the AUX button too.
Bob
No, not at all... There are WRX all over the place; I just didn't happen to see one on that Subaru-laden drive to work!
CR is always an easy target to mock, especially for cars, but these podcasts are very informative. They also put a human face to their car testers, who are actually real gearheads.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SBb3YUmInIY&feature=youtu.be
Bob
Hey, did everyone hate the new format so much that you all left??
Just got past the Spring break 2 weeks which saw stomach flu rip through all members of the house and had me miss an entire day of work for the first time in 20 years.
I am driving a 2013 Dodge Avenger right now as the WRX is in the body shop after I got sideswiped last month. It is quite interesting, I would have to say it is almost the antithesis of the Subaru. It has the i4 6sp. It is very quiet in general running both from road noise and the engine which is silent at idle which was quite impressive. Steering is rubbery as expected but the ride is very comfy over rough pavement and our residual ice and snow (we have partial thaw holes with ledges bigger than a curb on my street right now) but at the same time it is well damped and doesn't wallow. Boys give the passenger seating in back a thumbs up and it has a very nice sized trunk. I was very impressed during my first few pedestrian drives and then decided to push it a little. Acceleration off the line is good. Here is where the positive review ends. Pushing the car while moving makes the 4cyl work and it just doesn't sound nice at load. Quick stomps on the skinny pedal first produce.........
.............absolutely nothing! It actually seems to think for at least a second and then you sense the downshift, then wait another second or so, and then it puts power back to the drivetrain. It is all very smooth I must say, but you actually decelerate for a couple of seconds before it starts putting power to the wheels. Which is complementary, because the resulting push in the back is almost non existant. You can tell it is accelerating because the engine is revving and making lots of noise, just not really doing anything! AND yes, I know that it isn't fair to compare it relative to the WRX, but Dra's Prius is more responsive and gives more of a push; no joke. I know trip computers are not the most accurate, but I have driven it very conservatively with the exception of the mini test and mileage is the same as the WRX in town despite the obvious power disadvantage. The 6 sp is supposed to yield much better highway economy however.
So in summary, if you are - no wait - if you drive LIKE a grandma, you might actually like this car. Apparently it is one of the cheapest to own/operate.
Argh! Sorry that your WRX is in need of repairs, but at least it is the car and not the driver!
And, did you say two weeks of spring break? Wow! ...... Ugh, okay, I don't know what is with this "new" emoticon "feature," but make it stop! Emotorcons are overwhelmed!
I consider, occasionally, getting rid of my Fiesta and just having one car (Forester), but I can't get past the idea of not having a fun-to-drive car. The thought of going back to one DD really didn't cross my mind since the day I bought the Escort six years ago, but for some reason having the Forester paid off just gets me to thinking that no car payments, and less insurance, is really appealing, despite the inconvenience and added miles on the Subaru.
Question regarding HID low beams. Is this a worthwhile option?
For those that have been exposed to HIDs ... would you get them on your next vehicle?
Trying to decide between the Forester 2.5i Limited or Forester 2.5i Touring. The Touring is ~$1850 more but includes HIDs, keyless access/start, 18" wheels, Harmon Kardon speakers, and turn indicators in mirrors.
I had a Passat W8 with both low and high beam HIDs. The high beam illuminated the entire countryside, but the HID low beams mainly annoyed other drivers without much else.
I don't see much advantage to HID low beams.
I just noticed that Subaru Bucks now state "Each coupon can be redeemed multiple times until the balance is used." The coupon also states that the dealer "must use the online Coupon Redemption System found in Subarunet.com -> Incentives." They used to state "Each coupon is redeemable only once." Looking back at my previous coupons, the changed happened after 2/13 (expiration 2/17) and on or before 7/13 (expiration 7/17).
Has anyone redeemed < $100 since the change? If yes, how did the dealer handle the partial redemption?
Also, since Subaru Bucks will no longer be earned after Septemember???, has anyone found a comparable card (3% cash back on everything)? I have a AAA Visa (thru BOA) that gives 3% back for gas and Discover Card for 5% rotating categories, but I'd like to find a card that gives decent cash back on all purchases. I don't spend much in specific categories (groceries, drug stores, etc), so I was hoping to find a replacement "catch all" card.
I'd like to know the same things, Dave!
I went to my local dealer yesterday to see if they would take Subaru Bucks. They sounded completely unfamiliar with them, but the parts manager was eager to take them. I simply let them know that I wanted to use $700 of them to buy a set of struts, but that their struts were no where near price-competitive on the open market, so they only way I was buying them was to use the Bucks.
Originally, I was going to save them ($4000 worth) to put toward a new Subaru, but the combination of "meh" cars and my decision to not buy another new car until I have my house finished means that there is little chance those certificates will not pass their expiration in time. The oldest expires in about six months, so why not save some real money and use them on maintenance (parts) instead? To go with the struts, I ordered a set of King springs from Primitive Racing in Portand, OR. Great little company with highly reasonable prices - I do recommend!
But, the real question is.... with what do I replace these cards?! Clearly, there is no reason to keep the Subaru card. I mean, the logo on the card is sometimes a conversation starter, but that's hardly sufficient! I may end up going to an Alaska Airlines card, despite the annual fee, because at least there is consistency there, a usable "reward," and no cap. Thus far, my bias is toward automotive cards, but there just doesn't seem to be anything out there worth having. So, I'm open to alternatives... as long as the incentive is something usable and practical.
Oh, and as far as the partial redemption goes, the dealer is now supposed to enter them in on SubaruNet as part of the redemption process. My understanding is that it provides feedback as to the value available on the certificate at that time. So, if you use a partial, you keep the certificate and present it the next time... just like a gift card.
I also understand that this change is retroactive, meaning that all Bucks are redeemable in this way, whether they have the new language on them or not. However, confirm this as part of the payment process before committing them so that you don't inadvertently lose bucks!
My bill for the struts and a rear wiper will come to something like $725. I'm planning to just pay cash for the overage, but I could try the partial redemption and see... ? The struts should come in late next week (they only had one in stock).
Over the years I recall that the subject of towing has been discussed in the Subaru forums. In the US, the tow ratings seem pretty low when compared to the ratings used for the same vehicle in, for example, the UK. Interesting article here about the limitations can be found here:
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/tow-me-down-1609112611/1609771499/+ballaban
including the comments that follow the article.
Rob
Just finished a trip towing a trailer with my Forester again. I had an added benefit this time of having just finished upgrading the suspension.
WOW, what a difference! It was an enjoyable trip (from a weight/towing standpoint) versus earlier iterations with the stock suspension, but fuel economy was just as poor. I should post up a group of photos of various towing activities. I even had to tow my '98 Escort home a couple of times on a car dolly (no problem, BTW, doing that - even up a slippery driveway).
indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com/how-i-turned-my-subaru-outback-into-a-real-adventuremob-1716068985
I can't argue with any of the upgrades he performed on the car, though! His assessment of the styling changes between the G4 and G5 models attests to his lack of interest in the cars over time (G5 isn't the butt ugliness that G4 was!), but, hey, a true convert is a true convert!
Any suggestions?
If you can ping Bob (rsholland), he might be able/willing to get you into the Facebook group that the Crew here manages, and they seem to be fairly active in their posts/comments there. Also, if you do post specific questions within the Edmunds forum realm, those of us who do swing through will definitely give you our feedback. Additionally, don't be shy about visiting the Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (we're not as anonymous as that name might imply) thread for some candid and welcoming responses to anything under the sun.
Disclaimer: You do not have to be a CCB to visit!
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
In the meantime, I've downloaded a few of the Subaru brochures from their website and have begun reviewing them. I'm a little leery that the rubber band transmission is the only offering, but Subaru's reliability reputation seems pretty solid these days. Still working on differentiating between the Forester & Outback. Is the Outback the full-up offroad vehicle, or just a tarted-up Forester, given that all Subarus are AWD?
Not sure if I could live with an Outback with the 2.5i engine - might be a bit pokey for my tastes. I did have a Forester loaner recently - it's a decent size but much higher off the ground that it seems.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
I still visit here (obviously), to see what's being said, but FB is just much more user-friendly. At least I've found that to be true.
Actually I think the ever-increasing popularity of FB has had a direct impact in terms of the decreasing popularity of Edmunds and like sites. There are just so many really interesting "car groups" there. I'm involved with several FB car groups that are full of automotive design and industry legends from Detroit and worldwide. I never found that here at Edmunds.
There are only so many hours in a day, so you have to make choices as to where to spend them on the Net.
I'm glad I did! The Gen3 car (and carried over to Gen4) makes incredibly good use of interior space, so while the overall dimensions of the car are very similar to the Outback's Gen3, the interior space, particularly the back seat, is night-and-day better. Visibility is excellent thanks to the car's upright stature/seating position, the large windows (and mirrors) all around, and the vertical adjustment of the seat itself. When I compared contemporary models, handling, acceleration, and steering feedback were all better in Forester. The Outback has more cargo room. Also for me, Outback only has an electronic parking brake while Forester, at least on Gen3, has a handbrake.
For the Gen4/5 models, things are a little different. Driving characteristics are improved in both models. Outback has no MT option at all, while MT in Forester is relegated to the entry model only. Outback is now a nice-looking vehicle, but instead they used their (highly effective) ugly stick on the Forester this time around. All of the best aspects of the prior generations carry over, though, so you still get excellent interior room in both vehicles, seating position, visibility, etc. Outback is, comparing trim-to-trim, more expensive.
The CVT is a reliable unit. Overall, they have not had many issues at all with them since they introduced it a few years ago, and they program them much better now such that they are more responsive and provide excellent fuel economy.
Frankly, if you have yet to drive one, get out there and give them a whirl. In fact, give all of the "family" models (e.g., Impreza, XV, Legacy, Forester, Outback) a whirl so that you see just how each one compares to the other, as I think they all have their trade-offs.
My choice for off-reading would be the Forester XT, which has a turbo, and excellent power throughout the entire rpm range.
Outback? Nothing really new other than now offering an OnStar-like emergency notification feature. I think that's part of Eyesight, but am not certain about that. I think the optional Eyesight now has a feature to help keep you from lane drifting.
The 2016 Subaru Forester iPad® App (guided tour dynamic brochure) is now up.
http://dbrochure.subaru.com/2016-forester-email-m
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/subarus-secret-low-paid-foreign-workers-power-an-export-boom/ar-AAdAVrK
I commented at the end of the article. It's ironic that the day before I read Buzzfeed's article on H-2 visas and how employers in the US are taking advantage of immigrant workers in exactly the same way...or worse.
But yeah, portrays Subaru in a very poor light, especially the comment about having no power to monitor the behavior of labor brokers.
"But Reuters also found more than a dozen Indonesian laborers at two small Subaru suppliers who said their net monthly pay was $730. That works out to $3.30 per hour after rent, utilities and fees owed to the dispatch company in their home country had been deducted."
Sorry, all, but I can tell you that my hourly rate is pretty abysmal too if you look at it from a "net" perspective. Yes, things aren't necessarily great for these folks, but don't paint doom and gloom by trying to appeal to people's shock factor and then expect me to take you seriously.
It seems any knucklehead can be a reporter these days. :@
Whole reason for considering Outback is it would probably be a better long term trip car ('14 Forester XT's great urban/bad road/bad weather car, but a bit harsh on long trips).
So the questions: How much power does the 3.6R loose in high altitude driving (I often drive through mountain ranges on way to coast)? What's real world MPG's (burning regular is nice, burning more fuel not so nice)?
Subaru is as quick as the Mazda, and the power is seamless compared to the turbo engine. The CVT is programmed to behave like a traditional automatic - meaning you "feel" the shifts.
Been on one road trip to Sedona, AZ ... averaged about 27 MPG, which is the highway sticker from the EPA. Very nice riding, and the range is fabulous - could go from our house south of Denver all the way to Santa Fe, NM on one tank with room to spare. Same from Santa Fe to Sedona - one tank.
Around town, we see 22-23 MPG in 60% city driving. We're happier that we can use mid-grade rather than premium in the Mazda.
Lots and lots and lots of room. Moved to a new house in September, and we've been using the Outback like a pickup truck. I'm constantly amazed at what fits back there with the seats folded down.
We love the technology of the Outback - Eyesight, cross traffic monitoring, adaptive cruise, nav, in car apps, etc.
Let me know if you have any other questions; happy to answer them for you.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
For the record, I strive for ZANY
Maybe getting the second kid through college was tougher on me than I thought...LOL