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I was just pondering if I would ever lower my standards to contemplate a Ford or GM product, this being prompted by the plaudits attaching to the Ford Everest, which derives from the Thailand built Mazda BT50 /Ford Ranger utility. At this stage I am thinking not in this lifetime.
My Mercedes B250 is not a long term car. Our recent trip to South Australia reminded me that it is a fine car, if you are cruising the suburbs or the smooth freeways, but ill suited to two lane highways and remarkably tiring to drive, despite all the gee-whizz technology. The low profile tyres and harsh ride are awful on poorer highways at speed. It is great to have a 250kph performance but if you are controlling a bucking bronco at 90kph, it is not much fun. A low point was when I became bogged in 5mm of soft sand, to the immense amusement of Judy and the girl in the car next to us. Remedy was to get out, dust off the soft sand from behind the tyres and reverse back for a second run up. Not the ideal car for our lifestyle!
The Subaru Forester is currently in run out in Australia and its half life refresh, which has already hit the Japanese Domestic Market, tidies up a few of the issues I have with the current model. It gets the improved Eyesight system and a few other safety tweaks. I am also contemplating the Mitsibish Pajero Sport or Toyota Fortuner, which are more seriously off-roader and, like the Ford Everest, derive from utility cousins. The Toyota Hi-Lux is famously rugged and very popular and the Fortuner carries over the majority of its underpinnings from the HI-Lux.
Cheers
Graham
In any event, my wife had a seemingly minor rear-ender with a car that stopped short in front of her a couple of weeks ago in her 12-year-old Pathfinder that's been bulletproof and has 176K miles on it. I've toyed with the notion of replacing it with a Forester over the past year or two, but haven't seen the need. . .until now. Turns out that the PF is totaled, which seems a shame, but maybe a blessing in that I won't have to deal with the CL flakes to sell it.
Either way, is there anything in the land of Subaru and Foresters that's changed, for better or worse, over the past year or two? I looked into Foresters a couple of years ago, but didn't act on it then., but now I have to.
Unfortunately, I think that their techno-nanny, AKA "EyeSight," may be standard in their top trim (Touring) now, but I'm not sure. www.cars101.com would have that bit of info. Also, a manual transmission is limited to base model now.
You might want to check out the XT....
Congrats on the new ride! What Audi did you get, and how was your European Vacation?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyFJaZTmHP0
Another highlight - doing 115 mph on the autobahn! (Quote from my daughter to me: "115 mph?! I feel like the parent with the reckless teenage driver! Be safe!") This car is speed governed to 130 mph and I didn't want to over rev a new car 'too' much.
Congrats on the A4; talk about making an ownership experience memorable.....
I did a tour of VW Wolfsburg factory, Mercedes Sindelfingen and Emden factories, Mercedes and Porsche museums. Drove the Jetta in 9 countries: W. Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and The Netherlands.
Once I hit the 1000 mile break-in mark, I let it loose on the German Autobahn. The GLi only had a 102 HP, 1.8L N.A. engine but I got it up to between 115 and 118 mph.
Subaru factory manuals - Sections:
1- General Info
2- Mechanism and Function
7- Body & Electrical
8- Wiring Diagram
Haynes - Subaru Legacy & Forester 2000 thru 2006 (includes Legacy Outback and Baja)
All I ask is that you reimburse my postage costs (estimated to be ~$7.00 via media mail).
Jim
My first auto transmission (DSG) in decades. Great power and no problem with hills.
I have had my Q7 for nearly four months as well. Really nice as a car, but it doesn't make for a very good SUV at all. I love the V6 diesel engine, though. Fuel economy is very similar to our Foresters, yet the vehicle weighs an extra ton!