Subaru Crew

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Colin, I'll go out on a limb and guess that you drive very, how shall I put it? Determined?

    That plus some mods for more power means you pay at the pump.

    Small price to pay, though. Gas is still relatively cheap, all things considered.

    -juice

    PS I averaged about 28mpg in my Escort, 2300 pounds and 127hp from 1.8l. I can't explain it either!
  • fvkllrfvkllr Member Posts: 26
    Hi. Sorry for the late post on the issue of Roof Racks. While the Subaru stuff is stock Yakima, the main difference is in the cross bars. The stock Subaru cross bars are made of Aluminumm (so they can't hold as much weight). The standard cross bars made by Yakima or Thule are made of steel. The short of it is that if you didn't get your car with th Subaru cross bars, you are better off buying the Yakima cross bars for your car.
  • australianrainaustralianrain Member Posts: 4
    We got the cross bars with the Forester from Subaru, and we ordered the bike rack last night. All we want is the bike rack to carry two bikes, so we dont need that other stuff if I understood you correctly. We also moved the cross bars back, (out of the moonroofs way) and the guy at parts dept. said the rack should still fit on. I will let you know next week.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Actually juice I'm a relatively tame street driver, very defensive. No tickets or accidents (of anyone's fault) in 5 years.

    But I do lean into it a bit for most corners and most dead stops. Love that boxer sound... :)

    I've actually noticed that if I truly drive "normal" at all times for a whole tankful my mileage is only 1-2 MPG better.

    -Colin
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    My son wrecked his 90 Volvo-bad driver that he is. He has only had volvos, and because we recently switched from volvo to subaru he's also thinking that he might do the same.

    He needs something cheap so it will have to be old.

    Here's what I need to know--any bad years in Subaru's past we should steer away from? Bad models, etc? Thanks for any insight.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Many older subarus suffered from repeated head gasket failures. Alot of them go through wheel bearings more often than other cars... And Subaru XTs had a fancy air-ride suspension (no springs!) that tended to fail and was costly to fix.

    Besides that, I can't think of anything in particular unique to Subaru. Not to knock on Edmunds, but try carpoint.msn.com and look up the used car you are interested in. If there is any known "epidemic" problems they will be listed. For example, a Taurus will have warnings about (very) unreliable automatic transmissions and it even gives average repair costs ($1500).

    -Colin
  • torektorek Member Posts: 92
    As tincup says, some pumps use the fluid they pump for cooling. The other reason, though, is indeed condensation, aka water in the gas.

    Gasoline floats on water. The pump intake is usually near but not quite at the bottom (and/or floating?). In airplanes, there is a "sample" valve at the bottom of the tank, and one of the preflight checks is to drain off a small sample and make sure it is entirely gasoline, no water.

    Chris
  • dinaldinal Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone here used the Subaru card ?

    It's a credit card issued by MBNA which allows you to build up 'points' which translate into dollars you can use to purchase or lease a Subaru.
    I called SOA , who referred me to MBNA, whose website had no info on the card. Their 800 operator had some info but it sounded vague.
    On the Subaru website there's a press release (from 1997!) which gives some of the info you'd need but not all.

    It appears that you get credit for 5% of retail purchases. That is, charge $1K in a month and get $50 credit. I assume you get nothing for cash advances or other non-retail transactions (otherwise why not get an advance for $25K and pay it back immediately and get a free car?)

    I'd also guess there is a limit to how much you can build up in these credits...anyone know what it is?

    AND can you use the credits independent of any other deal you negotiate? That is, if you've already got your deal down to (lets say) invoice price, can you then use $500 in credits to get the price down that much, or do the credits only apply to MSRP?

    It seems like this could be a good way to get options for free, at least.

    The card seems like a good one in general.No annual fee. Interest rate is low to start (3.9%) then becomes variable. But if you pay off your balance every month....


    Best wishes,


    AT
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Your response was very helpful. I'll check that site, have never been there. I looked at your Impreza. It's really nice. There was a blue Impreza RS at our local Subie dealer until just a few weeks ago and now they have a silver one that looks like yours. I have an Outback sport in Silver and it makes me feel like a queen. Tonight I smoked a smart-alek little Miata who didn't want to let me merge on the interstate. We met at the next red light and he acted like it was a go. Well, I went but he stayed!! He gave up right away, like it was no match. Wow, it was a real thrill to feel my car lurch (of course it's a manual shift).

    Thanks again so much for the reply. Seeya.
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    I had my third and final Forester test drive this week and it was something special. 48 hours with the car and only 3 rules: 1) "Don't leave the lower mainland" (an area about 100*50 miles), 2) "Don't smoke in the car", 3) "Above all Have Fun!!" Easy rules to follow. Since I'm in Vancouver, the first order of business was to climb a mountain. 3400' elevation change in less than 7 miles. (13 deg C at bottom, 5 at the top - love that temp gauge!) Handled the hairpins beautifully. Cloudy at the top so got a chance to use the fog lights - noticeable help. Going down was a bit strange in that the Forester was an auto - my total experience with auto is about 1000 miles spread over 36 years - and it took me a while to think of manually locking into 2nd for the worst of the turns. Heading back into Vancouver I ran into rush hour traffic - I hit the mountain early - and to my delight the car ahead of me was an OBS, the one behind, a Forester 2001 S in red. The weather for the first day and a half was perfect for testing a 'Roo - wet. The demo only had 2400 km on it so I didn't get too violent with it, but I couldn't get any wheel spin at all on wet, greasy pavement, stopped very quickly - the ABS never kicked in, managed a slight, totally controlled drift on one curve.

    I'll probably have more to say later, but for now just 2 more things. Drove 349 km, used 33.9 l. of gas (24.2 US mpg) for very mixed driving. Finally, I had a love-hate thing going on. Loved the car, hated to give it back. Will try to complete a deal on car tomorrow.

    Ross
  • nvynvy Member Posts: 74
    and then GM. Need to add add a star to make seven?
    Hmmmm..Bad or good idea Folks?
  • flea1008flea1008 Member Posts: 8
    I've been keeping track off and on with my 98 Impreza Outback Sport. Last week I got 26.1,(with AC in use for a few of those days) the week before I got right around 29. It's a five speed manual, and I commute 45 miles round trip (about half highway/backroads). I love my car, and the mileage isn't terrible, but it'll never be as good as my Civic. But once I drove the Subie, I can't get anything but! I'd love an RS, but with two german shepherds and hockey equipment to cart around...it's just not practical.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Colin: and why be normal, right? Actually, I usually do take curves harder than I do the straightaways. I'm rarely in a hurry, really, but I do enjoy matching revs for a 2 or 3 gear down shift, and completely losing the idiot in the SUV tailgating me around a turn.

    Celeste: stick with '93 or newer models. All are Consumer Reports best bets in terms of long term reliability, and people here tend to agree. Make sure you get a model with AWD and ABS, and throw in a day at Subaru/Panoz defensive driving school.

    AT: I believe the limit is $3500. Pretty meaningful discount if you charge a lot.

    Ross: 48 hours? Nice dealer! Share a name?

    I think the fog lights are aimed too low, even when you adjust them all the way up. Guess it's ok for light trails, you can see directly ahead of you and to the sides.

    Centavo: did you get a blister in the tires? That's when there is a small tear on the inside, and it looks a bit like the bump you desribe. If so, I'd see if the warranty covers the tire. It could blow if you scrape a curb or something. At least consider mounting the spare in its place.

    nvy: sorry, no extra star, and no GM cars. Mike and I met Frank Patton (2001 Forester S in Blue, lucky guy) for happy hour yesterday and the consensus was to use GM for its purchasing network, OnStar, marketing, and maybe dealerships.

    No GM products at Subaru.

    -juice
  • 2ndwnd2ndwnd Member Posts: 145
    >>...I do enjoy matching revs for a 2 or 3 gear down shift, and completely losing the idiot in the SUV tailgating me around a turn.<<

    I know what you mean. When I leave work each day, by the time I get to the highway, the engine is warmed up, and there's this 90 degree left turn onto this very long on ramp. Knowing I'll be accelerating to highway speed anyway, I downshift, take that corner as fast as I can and then floor it. Nobody ever tries to keep up! I guess they just don't know how to have fun.

    >> The pump intake is
    usually near but not quite at the bottom (and/or
    floating?). <<

    This is what I was wondering about. If the intake is at the bottom of the tank, which makes sense, you are using gas from the bottom of the tank all the time, even when the tank is full. Also the motion of the vehicle and new gas being added to the tank would stir up any sediment on a regular basis. The only way you wouldn't be using "bottom gas" all the time is indeed if the intake moved up and down, just below the surface of the fuel. If there is a small amount of gas containing sediment below the intake, I don't see how it will magically jump up into the intake when you get low on gas if it wasn't doing it the rest of the time.

    Dave
  • aakersonaakerson Member Posts: 71
    and while I'm on the chat room -- Just thought of something else I wanted to comment on: I'm traveling to Portland a lot these days. It seems like Subarus -- mostly OBs but also Foresters, are literally everywhere. You can rent them through all or most of the car rental agencies there; they proliferate on the streets of downtown Portland -- like Chevy Suburbans do in Texas!.
    I'm from St. Louis -- SUVs, pickups and conversion vans rule here. Sure is encouraging to see so many Subarus instead of the usual plethora of gas/space hogs.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    re#953, rebate strategy

    That seems perfectly logical to me, not mentioning the cc rebate until a firm price is set. Kind of like negotiating on price alone and figuring in mfg rebates LAST.

    Interesting that the bank would tell you to do that though. Good for them.

    -Colin
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    We're currently having a heat wave in Northern CA right now. San Jose hit an all time high record of 109 degrees yesterday!

    The one thing that impressed me yesterday on my drive home was how the coolant temperature didn't even budge as I was crawling home on the freeway (lots of stalled vehicles) with A/C on in triple digit temperatures. I would probably have to switch off the A/C with some of the other vehicles I've owned in the past. Subaru did a great job with the cooling system.

    I was also very glad I had my windows tinted to 20% last year. Made a huge difference!
  • mcj13mcj13 Member Posts: 85
    On my Honda, the gas tank rusted out at the half-line seam. I drove the car for about 2 or 3 more weeks being careful to never have more than 1/4 tank of gas so that it wouldn't spill out. When I replaced the tank, we split the old one in half out of curiosity. I didn't look at the intake carefully enough to describe it to you or explain how it works, but there was so much crud in the tank I couldn't believe and I'm sure that some of this was getting into the fuel system. I had just changed the fuel filter before noticing the hole in the tank. In just 5 or 6 weeks and 2 or 3 weeks of driving like that the new fuel filter was packed (much worse than the one that hadn't been changed in well over a year) and I'm sure some of the crud was getting into the fuel system. Of course the filter was changed and the fuel line flushed.

    This is an extreme example because the car is so old, but as a rule made to be broken I always try to keep at least 1/4 tank of gas and in the winter at least 1/2 tank of gas.

    Mary
  • mday1mday1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have been on the 2000 Outback discussion since buying my 00 Outback last August. I'm very satisfied with it! When I asked about advice for carrying a canoe on my Outback 1000 miles on the Interstates, a kind soul referred me to this group, the Subaru Crew. Can someone direct me to an FAQ that deals with this? I'm interested in figuring out how best to tie it down, whether I need any supplementary equipment, and whether any safety precautions are needed.

    Many thanks to anyone who can advise me.

    Michael Day
    Northern Illinois University
    DeKalb, Illinois
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    I was reading one of the sites here at Edmunds (can't remember which now) and some mention was made of who the worst drivers are. What surprises me is that, as much as all of us rave about ripping around in Subaru's, no one came up with "Those Subaru drivers are obnoxious" or anything like that. Someone did say that Volvo drivers seemed really bad, but I guess that even tho we rip around we manage not to irritate other people. Probably because we know how to get out of the way!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Alan: thanks for the MBNA update. Glad it worked for you. Your bottom line must've amounted to a heck of a bargain.

    Mary: I thought the GM card also had a $3500 limit? Oh, well.

    Ford dropped theirs altogether. Must've pissed off a lot of customers.

    You cut the old tank open? Wow.

    Ken: my A/C cranks, too. The wife sat in my Forester for a day and promptly sent her 626 in for a recharge.

    Anyone have tips for Michael?

    -juice
  • davechendavechen Member Posts: 41
    Like Ken, I'm also suffering the Northern California record-breaking heatwave. Drove our 2000 Outback in late afternoon 100+ degrees (car had been baking in the sun) and the AC did fine. It was still hot due to the sun streaming in the windows, but the interior air & seats cooled nicely. No tinted windows...yet.

    Like 2ndwnd (Dave), I'm confused too as to why water & crud would "slosh" into the intake only when the fuel tank is low, and not all the time.
    I've heard that the tank walls can rust when they are exposed, but then the top of the tank is always exposed. I've also heard that gas gets acidic and gummy if let sit too long.
    Anyhow, I've always been in the habit of refueling when I have only 1 or 2 gallons left, and haven't had a problem (that seemed related to this) in 4 cars and 300,000 miles.
    Dunno!

    Dave
  • mvcorneliusmvcornelius Member Posts: 11
    I have Yakima "Double Cross" rails that I put on for carrying a Thule 650 cargo box. The Yakima rails are far sturdier than the factory aero bars. They also raise the box just enough so that I can open the rear hatch and not hit the box. The box and bars are pretty quiet together but the naked bars howl annoyingly in the wind. I take them off (10 minutes) when not needed.

    I was coming down out of the mountains this past weekend on a 2 lane gravel road. Some guy in a 4x4 pickup comes up behind me real quick and gets on my tail. Well, this was on the straight section as you would imagine. The first set of curves that came up allowed me to unleash a little bit of the rally racer in the OB. Power on all the way through the curves. Let the AWD do it's thing. Bye-bye 4x4 truck. All the while the wife and kid were dozing comfortably.
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    mvcornelius -- Have you considering getting fairings to help reduce wind noise? My friend has one for his Yakima system and it makes a pretty big difference.

    Cool story about the 4x4. Those are the things about Subarus that make me smile.
  • mvcorneliusmvcornelius Member Posts: 11
    I only need the rack and box for big camping or snowboarding trips so I just take it off when not in use. It's pretty quick and easy. If I was using the rack at least weekly I would consider a fairing but it's loaded about once a month.

    I have a hitch rack for the bikes I take on and off too. I like them behind the car out of the wind and away from low roof/trees. It bolts on/off in 30 seconds.

    I can carry 4 bikes on the hitch, 4 people inside, and 150lbs of gear on the roof. Now I just need 3 mtn biking friends ;)
  • mikef11mikef11 Member Posts: 74
    Hi there,

    I've been following this site for a while, ever since I got my '00 Outback. Love the car, and all the exchanges here, but felt that I never had anything to really contribute, until now.
    The rust and crud that settles in a fuel tank normally doesn't move a whole lot, if there is enough fuel above it. Consider a submarine at sea. 100 feet down, it is nice and calm, even if there is a storm above it. If it is on the surface, it feels the full effects of the waves. The same thing happens with the debris in the fuel. If the fuel level gets really low, the fuel will slosh around more and the junk will get stirred up.
    Corrosion is accelerated at the water/air interface. That can be seen at piers and on ships. If the surface doesn't get exposed much to air, it won't rust as much, which is why the fuel tanks normally rust out in the upper half of the tank. Of course, you also get corrosion from dissimilar metals, but that's a different story..
    I don't think the fuel pick up floats, it is fixed somewhere near the bottom of the tank. There must be someone out there who is a mechanic or who has a shop book that shows the fuel tank and pump??

    Mike
  • mcj13mcj13 Member Posts: 85
    Mike: Nice explanation, thanks

    Juice: My brother's GM card has an annual limit and an overall limit. I don't remember how much they are but I can easily find out if anyone is interested in a GM car or card.

    Mary
  • 2ndwnd2ndwnd Member Posts: 145
    >>If the fuel level gets really low, the fuel will slosh around more and the junk will get stirred up.<<

    OK, I'll buy that. I used to never let the tank go below 1/4, but with the gas prices lately, I've been driving around on a tank longer, hoping the prices will go down. That hasn't been working too well...

    Dave
  • mcj13mcj13 Member Posts: 85
    was rotting at the fill and all along the main seam plus there was already a hole in the seam, so no cutting involved, just crow bars and bullish men to pry it open...hope I didn't imply that I did it myself, I'm more of a humble task master when it comes to repairs.

    Mary
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    you've seen more of a fuel tank than me (and probably most folks!). It's cool that you've got the inquisitive bug. You can definitely learn a lot of useful information about your ride with that "disease".

    And Mike (mikef11), thanks for the great contribution. Mechanical engineer, eh? Now we'll expect more, hehe.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Aren't the fuel tanks plastic now in cars? I thought they changed over to plastic a number of years ago? Just curious.

    -mike
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Dave, Here are some photos of an Outback in Mammoth Lakes, California in 4 wheel drift. From i Club. Cool.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • grugrugrugru Member Posts: 20
    Special equipment - i have the yakima round bars on my Forester, so I got a set of "canoe holder" to go with. Kinda cheesy/rip-off, but they do the trick. They are basically little ells that provide a flat surface for the gunwales to site on and in between. With the way our bars are set and our 17' canoe, it snugs in there tight.

    Along with the mounts, we have four tie-downs - the best are cam-lock webbing straps like truckers use (although you can get them in 1" or 1.5" widths so they're easier to manage). Two go across the beam of the boat from post to post. The other two go around the bow/stern handles and hook on to the three tow points and fourth "non-tow" point. Wrap the front webbing strap in a rag/tshirt/chamois/silk/lingerie (depending upon your level of dedication to your car...) where the straps contact the hood or else you will get some very curious-looking abrasion patterns there.

    We've done hours of 70 mph plus driving with our canoe on this way with no problems (sound of knocking wood). Crosswinds are not an issue because of the ells on the round bars. Plus, we can open the sunroof under the canoe and stash our contraband there when we get pulled over....joke.

    the other thing to remember is to drive the car for 5-10 min at highway speeds and then (even though it's a pain) stop and do a check. Cinch stuff down and so on. It's worth the piece of mind. I've never seen a boat fly off the top of a car or trailer and get run over by a big truck (or worse, flatten a Ford Fiesta) and I don't wanna.

    jg
  • 2ndwnd2ndwnd Member Posts: 145
    >>Dave, Here are some photos of an Outback in
    Mammoth Lakes, California in 4 wheel drift. From iClub. Cool.<<

    I have to agree with the guy Larry who comes in later with the comment about treading lightly. Looks like these people were really tearing up the beautiful landscape.

    Dave
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Dave (2ndwnd), To me it looks like a man-made gravel lot; hopefully it was built for some purpose and wasn't created by careless off roading. Treading lightly is a good thing. ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • mday1mday1 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks jg! This is exactly the kind of information I am looking for. Since I don't have the round crossbars (I just have the standard issue flat Outback ones), would you or anyone know whether I can buy some kind of ells for these crossbars, who might make them, and what product to look for? With these side stops in place, I would feel a lot more comfortable carrying a canoe on my rack.

    Best,

    mday (Michael)
  • bg18947bg18947 Member Posts: 184
    It depends which card you have, Regular or Gold? The regular card allowed you to earn up to $700 or 750 per year up to 5 years. And, I think the Gold card limits you to $1500 per year. There is an annual fee for the Gold card. I was able to cash in for a 96 Blazer 4 years ago. That Blazer is being traded in for an Odyssey next month. Also, traded in my 91 Accord for a 2000 Legacy GT Ltd. last December.

    Perhaps, if GM utilizes Subaru technology correctly, I might trade in my Continental Airlines card for the GM again. I haven't really had problems with the Blazer, but I wanted the safety of the Odyssey for the wife and kids.
  • 2ndwnd2ndwnd Member Posts: 145
    >>hopefully it was built for some purpose
    and wasn't created by careless off roading.<<

    True, it's hard to tell for sure. Might be an old lot of some sort.
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    I did a little of that too, but it was in a construction site (guard free! :-)) Also in that mammoth snowstorm. I showed Juice the pix at Rocks; I need to find a scanner so I can send them to his site.
  • dzartmandzartman Member Posts: 112
    Great drifting photos!! Yeah!!!!!!!!

    Dave
  • 2ndwnd2ndwnd Member Posts: 145
    This is more of an accessory question, rather than a modification, so I decided to post it here so that more eyes would see it...

    Has anybody had any experience with the hard sided car top luggage carriers they sell at Sears ? I'm not interested in the little two tone 10.5 cu. ft. one that's been around for several years, but the newer, 20 cu. ft. black model. I'm thinking of buying one, and was just wondering if any of you had used one or knew someone who did.

    Dave
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    >>hopefully it was built for some purpose
    and wasn't created by careless off roading.<<

    >True, it's hard to tell for sure. Might be an old lot of some sort.<

    Could be. What sold me on my Forester was my test drive which took me from Interstate/on-ramp/off-ramp to suburban side streets w/NJ potholes to industrial park construction site where I ripped through the mud, gravel and sand. Felt a little guilty that I didn't buy from that dealer - Coleman in Ewing, NJ - but they had neither the car nor the price I wanted.

    Great post on tying down boats atop Foresters, grugru. I'm picking up a new Perception Carolina next weekend and I've never been entirely confident about strapping one on the top. I sprung for the Yakima round bars and SKS lock cores, but bought an aftermarket cradle system made by a regional manufacturer. Those hully-rollers look too complicated, plus I've been told they can damage the hulls of rotomolded 'yaks.
  • miche4miche4 Member Posts: 26
    I was curious what others are getting for fuel economy on the Foresters? I have a Auto 01 For S that is about two weeks old and I have had to fill it up twice. The first time was about 300 miles but man, this second time is worse. I will be lucky if I get 155! I have been alternating the driving which is easy since I drive highway and town every day to get to work. I also noticed when I drive down steep hills, eg, the one mile road to my house is 18% to 8% grade leveling to about 5%, the rpms seem pretty high going down. Even in first! I have just about 500 miles so far and I guess the break in period is until about 1000 but is the gas mileage really that bad? I am not sure what I am doing wrong. mich
  • myforestermyforester Member Posts: 11
    Mich,
    I also have a an auto S 01. I've had it about 2 months now & just past 3000 miles. As I understand it, the break in period is around 5 to 6000 miles. I am getting about 27 mpg. Get some miles on your Forester. At 500 miles, it's no where close to being broken in!
  • gouldngouldn Member Posts: 220
    After fixing my Audi for the last time, I dumped it and bought a 2001 Forester "S" with automatic and the sunroof. Just got it yesterday. I'm surprised at how fast it is. No it's not as fast as the v-6 audi, but it has all the power I need to keep up with traffic, and handles well to boot!

    I enjoy reading the posts, and hope to contribute as I put some miles on this new baby.
  • shndvnshndvn Member Posts: 22
    Hi, my silver 2001 Forester S (with prem pkg)
    finally came in last week and I picked it up
    yesterday. Got a pretty good deal and no
    problems with the dealership. The moonroof
    and premium stereo are great!

    On the way home, it had a little problem keeping
    up with other cars on some steep roads (I have
    the automatic) but I didn't push the engine very
    much. I did notice two other things - one major
    and one minor. First, when the drivers window
    is rolled down at all, I can hear a fairly loud,
    high-pitched whistling from the wind (maybe
    coming from the side view mirror?). If all
    the windows are up, it's very nice and quiet.
    Second, when I take my foot off the gas, there's
    a faint mechanical noise (kind of like a rattling
    but maybe more like dragging of little metal
    parts across another surface). Everything is
    quiet when I'm accelerating. Any ideas?

    Definitely want to thank Edmunds and everyone
    here for their information and help. Sure made
    this car buying experience much better than the
    last one! I'm looking forward to many years of
    happy Forestering... :-)

    ps. Thanks Juice for your reply on the window
    tinting and all the other good info in the past!!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Um, I don't think 5K-6K miles is the breakin period. My dealer suggests 1500 miles on the subarus. Picked up my Trooper yesterday, it's great. I read the manual and it has no break-in period other than no extended speeds above 60mph, and no cruise control for the first 1500 miles.

    I love the AWD on it, now both my cars have AWD.

    XT6 90% FWD, 10% RWD
    Trooper LS 90%RWD, 10% FWD
    (at least those are the numbers before I hit the gas :) )

    -mike
  • skipdskipd Member Posts: 97
    I haven't even had the Forester a month yet and the beautiful, deep, rich Blue Ridge Pearl color has been blemished. :(

    After coming home from the mall today, I noticed a scratch up high on the passenger side rear door. Not sure what it was from, but I think someone must have been careless with a cart or something. It is in the shape of a "less than" sign and about 4" across. It is very noticeable on the dark paint as it looks white. I tried a little polishing compound on it, but it's too deep.

    It's not bad enough for a re-paint, but bad enough that I'm gonna notice it every time I look at my car. I heard there is some kind of colored wax that helps to hide scratches. Does anyone have any recommendations for making the scratch less noticeable?

    I know I'm going get a lot more scratches, but this one is really bothering me.

    Thanks in advance for the input.

    Skip
  • amishraamishra Member Posts: 367
    Just had my 2000 OB out for the weekend -- I put about 800 miles on it (~1250 kms). Most of that was highway driving, but some was on some mud roads. Mileage yet to be calculated, but I broke 380 miles on a single tank!

    Its handling and composure on the road was always competent no matter what the driving conditions (dry/rain, paved/gravel/mud), the rain & paved part being the most prominent conditions this weekend.

    To answer the pleas for more power: I was easily keeping up with traffic on the highway from a range of speeds from 60 mph all the way up to 100 mph - no problems, all in 5th gear! (even up hills!) Mind you it's no rocket, but its also not a tinny little thing. That boxer engine sure feels like a small 6 sometimes, and the power is smooth.

    For me though, it's the ride and composure that keeps calling me back. It just feels fantastic on the road. The steering is perfect at high speeds. Just a real pleasure to drive. Wish I had more trips to take...

    -- ash
  • needarideneedaride Member Posts: 7
    Not sure if this is the right forum for such a question but I am looking for a way to squeeze some more leg room out of the driver's seat in my '88 GL 4WD wagon.

    I have owned the car for 12 years and have 188K miles on it. I have been shopping for a mid to full size sedan to replace it mainly because I now commute about 50 miles a day and the old 'ru just isn't that comfortable for me anymore. Age, long legs and a bad back make the fit a bad one. Problem is I just can't find a late model used car and deal that is worth making the switch. After all, the subaru is in practically perfect mechanical shape and while freeway entries require some long term planning, the thing just keeps going! I kind of hate to give up on it for something I know won't be nearly as trouble free.

    If I could find a way to get a few inches more travel out of the driver's seat, I could possibly delay my search for a while without needing a chiropractor. Does anyone know if there is some type of aftermarket add-on that extends the seat track so I could slide it back a few more inches? Or is there some type of adapter for relocating where the seat connects to the floor?

    An odd request, I know, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

    DS.
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