By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I gather that it is indeed a coincidence that I liked the '00 shift best. So it seems I just need to find one that I like regardless of model or year and then hope that changing the fluids will give me a smoother shift.
Mary J
Abou thte slop issue, since I changed my shifter to a short throw GGR shifter, my slop is less than 1/2 inch. Could it be the bushings? Dunno.
Makes less sense on a Forester, which sits a bit higher and puts the shifter in easy reach with the stock setup.
Have you also driven a Forester, Mary? If you're not going to haul people all the time, it's a fun alternative.
-juice
Could you say more about your experience with changing to a short-throw shifter? Did you do it yourself or have a mechanic do it? Please comment on price and performance before and after the change.
Mary J
Until recently I haven't considered a Forester because I don't like the idea of driving anything remotely like a truck, but I may be coming around.
I'm only 5'2" so seating position is always a concern. Visibility with the wagons is okay, but I hit myself in the head with the sun visors when I move them -- kind of a shock the first time. So I've decided that I have to test a forester, but would rather sacrifice on seating a bit than sacrifice on smoothness and agility.
My driving is about evenly split between city and highway. I spend a good deal of time in the MA hills and hit the occasional unpaved backwoods road, but I'm not an offroader and don't dream of driving on the beach (not that that's bad).
I don't haul people, but stuff and my only concern with a back seat is that it will fold down flat.
Mary J
SOOBFAN
GR8BREW
SNOWLVR<<
Juice, good ideas except I'm not sure you want to make reference to alcoholic beverages on your licence plate, the cops would be checking you out real close. In Missouri we're limited to just six characters plus a dash or a space. The good part is that a personnalized plate only costs $15 more that a standard one. When I had my Shadow ES, the plate said WUTZAT. For my Voyager I went to GOT2RN, and now on the Soob it's I RUN26. My wife's plate has always been HECTIC. For anyone who owns an Outback, I'd suggest - GDAY M8
Dave
Mike,
Four years ago my family went to Cedar Point for two days, and we rode every roller coaster at least once. My favourite was the Magnum. Back when it was built, it was the tallest, fastest coaster on the planet. Now I guess I'll have to go back to ride the new one. Sounds like a blast. The water park isn't bad either.
Dave
The seats do fold flat, and more easily than you think. Push the knob, pull the seats forward, voila! You don't have to remove the seats cushions, or even the head rests. Points to the Forester for ease of use here. The cargo area is a bit smaller, but taller and just shaped different overall. Check out what I fit in it, though:
http://thejuiceman.homepage.com/baggage.html
6 large suitcases, 3 of them oversized, with smaller bags around them and room to spare. Adequate to say the least. The roof rack also carries up to 150 pounds, and has been very useful to me.
And speaking of roof rack usefullness, here's another photo of 2ndwnd's Legacy L with the rack in use:
http://thejuiceman.homepage.com/pals.html
Notice the personalized plates are back, too!
-juice
Why? The world's largest moonroof. You have to see it to believe it. I've seen them for about $23k, too.
That model also comes with side air bags and just about all the same safety features in the Legacy (including the same best-in-class rating from IIHS tests, BTW).
-juice
Bob
GDAY M8: Very clever Dave, LOL!
Why you'd be speaking of none other than the Magnum XL-200! Very bumpy, almost like a woody (coaster, that is). REALLY liked it but even it pales in comparison to Millenium Force. ACE had ERT (exclusive ride time) from 11pm-1am (I didn't last that long). Bro and I decided ERT actually means "EWT" (Eternal Wait Time), though a .5hr wait twas better than 1hr with hoi polloi. On MF (I swear the abbreviation came 1st, the name 2nd), wait time was 1hr ERT (2.5hr HPWT*), but well worth it. Definitely check it out!
..Mike
* Hoi Polloi Wait Time
..Mike
Notice the personalized plates are back, too!
-juice<<
Is this guy a wiz with a web page or what? Just to clarify, the Ankle Biters are the bike racks, not the bikes themselves. Oh, and for some reason, my old picture is now showing up at the bottom as the Sony Head Unit! Now that's funny.
Dave
AWD [statue] 4ME
I may also get for another subie in my family:
GOT [statue] AWD
-mike
I bought the protector on QSubaru, as Juice recommended me, pretty fast service, no taxes, no extra charges. Maybe in one or two months, the brushguard is coming.
Does anyone knows about a Forester skid plate for the gas tank, and front underbody (other than the brushguard)?
Also, I applied some grease to the tabs on the hatch, and the misterious noise is gone.
http://www.writerguy.com/primitive
and
http://home.cdsnet.net/~zastava/products.html
These are two Subaru performance specialists who make skid plates and other equipment for Subies.
Dave
paisan: nice Got Milk parody!
Marzo sent me a book about the Dominican Republic, plus a Subaru brochure (euro-spec) and a newsletter publiched from Japan (thanks, dude!). Here are some interesting observations:
* love the Turbo grille, mesh, black, awesome
* they get a hood scoop, but no fog light covers
* oddly, no cross bars for the roof rack
* I love the chrome rings around the tach and speedo
* cool alloys
* turbos get self-leveling rear suspension
* brochure shows it towing a big trailer
* 2.0l is a SOHC, 125hp, torque peak at 3600rpm
* Turbo is DOHC, 170hp, torque peak at a low 3200rpm!
It's not the 240hp Japan-spec turbo, but still quite nice, with overall beautiful styling.
-juice
PS If you saw the beaches in that book he sent, you'd want to move there too!
The same place sells the diff protector for $70, both add tax and shipping. I'd get a quote from QSubaru@aol.com before buying, though, since they tend to be cheaper and shipping is free.
Speaking of QSubaru, Darlene said they have some specials going on now. The dual cup holder for the Forester is just $15.20. I've ordered one and I'll post details on how easy it is to install (my guess is it's a piece of cake). I also ordered a leather shift knob for my 5 speed for $30. I had an aftermarket one, but the OE fits better.
They're offering the rear spoiler for the Forester, primed, for just $65. I don't like the styling, but if anyone else does that's cheap, cheap. Illuminated sun visors for the Y2K Legacy are $42 per set. I've asked if this includes the wiring harness but haven't heard back yet.
Toodles.
-juice
Hey bud, "toodles" is my closing.
No, it's mine. No, it's mine. Woops, sounding like my kids.
Toodles,
..Mike
..Mike
Anyhow my shifter came to about $150US....I think. I did my own install. very easy. At teh highway while at 5th the shifter remains tout with about 10cm or less of play. The throws b/t 1st to 2nd is like 1-1.5" in lenght.
Juice : short shifter does not mean that this shifter shaft is cut short. I am not sure how a Forester one is like. But the Impreza shifter stick is pretty much straight up. The shortshifters for Imprezas are somewhat curved but maintaining the same height thus giving a much less throw.
Ramon, thanks for the clarification. I had always thought that a shaft shorter than stock would be harder to shift due to decreased leverage. Since a lever's rotational force is in direct proportion to the distance between the fulcrum (bushing on the transmission, below the boot at the base of the shifter shaft) and the applied force (at the shift knob), with all things being equal, a short shaft is harder to move (requires more force) than a long shaft. I realize bushings and other pieces/parts also make a big difference, but I could never figure out the decreased leverage issue. Thanks for setting me straight.
..Mike
..Mike
Thanks,
Martin
I don't have a Soobie, but my vehicle has autodimming inside and outside mirrors and they're great. They make driving at night so much more pleasant, even though I'm much higher off the ground in my ML.
I picked up my 00 legacy GT a week ago today, so far it's been great. I'll post with details at a later date but thanks to every one here for helping me make an informed purchase.
centavo sent me a brochure that had an article about the new Forester's design, and there was a big schpeal (sp?) on the cup holders. They traveled around and collected various containers to determine the size, but had to bring them back to Japan empty due to customs. Well, someone saw the empty cans/bottles and threw them out! So they had to start all over...
Drew: can you clarify one thing? Does the mirror actually move downward, or just darken automatically?
John: first of all, congrats. I'll ask Darlene and get back to you. My guess is they do, though, since it's probably a federal safety thing.
-juice
Frank
I pronoune it "ssschpiel" though.
Norman
p.s. I like their design.
Norman
..Mike
..Mike
Hope this info helps. I really get a kick out of my compass, even more than the auto dimming mirror. All these years I think I'm heading in a certain direction and turns out it's not what I thought it was!
Juice, the mirror moves as one unit but doesn't click up or down like a manually dimming one. The one thing that irks me about the mirror is that the passenger visor vanity mirror combo hits the mirror and pushes it down it's folded down to close to the windshield. I think the problem is that the auto-dimming mirror is bigger than the standard mirror, so there's interference sometimes. I get a little [non-permissible content removed] (ok, not PC) about the rest of my family not paying attention to this and knocking my mirror out of it's desired setting. I give them about 2x and then the 3rd x is not a charm. :-)
I tend to use the rear view mirror the most, and would also like to be able to peek at the baby.
-juice
Thanks everyone for your help!
My mirrors also lighten up to the normal mode when the car is in reverse.
I tried one of those Lanechanger II mirrors a while ago and I didn't like it at all. The mirror surface was far too shiny and I found it distracting and unrealistic. It's almost like the kind of mirror surface that you'd find in a cheap kid's toy. In my minivan, I have a huge convex mirror that my parents bought years ago in Singapore. It's much wider than the regular rearview mirror so the passenger side sunvisor does have to be tucked behind it when in use. But, it's only a minor inconvenience. It also allows me to glance at the front passenger's face, while talking, without having to turn my head.
There were two minor complaints, head room for basketball players, and something else, very minor but I forget exactly what (Mike?).
Generally they complemented it's tight structure and ride. They also payed a solid complement to Subaru overall.
-juice
PS Anyone see the Forester review? Last week there was no show on MPT, did anyone see it? Tape it?
..Mike
..Mike
It's a 00 timberline green GT wagon, I just rolled over 500 miles and so far I love it. Handles well, is peppy and my 6 month old loves looking out of the rear sunroof. So far 21.3 MPG
I eventually paid $400 over invoice which was an interesting experience, when the salesman found out I work with computers for a living he pulled out a price book marked "internet pricing" with "No haggle" costs which I was able to cut almost in half by comparing and haggling.
Thank you Edmunds and Kelley's.
Only one "defect" so far, The day after I got it home I found a plastic trim rivet in the drivers footwell and the kick panel it should have been holding in place had an empty hole so I put it back in and so far it has stayed where it should.
Question, I find the dipstick VERY hard to read, is this an effect of the "Break-in" oil from the factory?
I just read an article in Automotive News and nearly choked. Subaru's 5-year plan includes selling "GM vehicles branded as Subarus in American...markets".
Are they NUTS? Personally, if it isn't a Subaru platform with a boxer engine (and its characteristic sound) and AWD, it ain't right.
Where's the character in GM vehicles? Pontiac? Puh-leeze! The quality? Few are even average. Safety? Have you seen IIHS results lately?
I'm not sure I'm even comfortable with the idea of GM jointly developing the new, bigger SUW.
Send the checks, and mind your business.
-juice
PS Thoughts?
American...markets. I agree w/you juice (I think that's a requirement for Crew Chiefing, yes?) There must be something more to that statement. What's missing in the "..." or was that your embellishment? Subaru selling GM vehicles in American markets? Huh? GM already sells GM brands in American markets. I don't get it at all. Very strange statement. We must be missing something (or not work in marketing).
..Mike
..Mike
IT ROCKS!!
Sorry. Been blasting around Seattle in a B4 Blitzen all night.
Stephen
The ... was just a comma and "Japanese".
Didn't badge engineering fail? They don't know how to differentiate the way Audi does. The TT and New Beetle are on the same chassis but are not at all alike. But look at the Cavalier/Sunfire: same crap (yes I've been stuck renting one).
Lucien: what wine do you recommend to us to drown our sorrows if the news is true?
Stephen: don't worry, noone can stand to look at an Aztec. I think their target market is blind people %*}
Though Subaru parts in GM products bothers me MUCH less than GM products with the beloved Subaru logo on them. No watered down vehicles, please!
-juice
PS Forester had a record month in May with 5,486 sales. They're on a roll, why the change in strategy? What're they smoking? I may need some of that!
Stephen
Well...
All I want is to know if there is really a Edmunds writer that is going to spend his money on a Daewoo.
Thanks for all the useful info, everyone. I'll let you know how the hunting goes.
Faye