Subaru Crew - Events

rsholland · February 2003

is what this morning's Baltimore Sun said Baltimore could get, if you believe the newspaper... It should be over around noon or so.

Bob

paisan · February 2003

We drove 300miles in 8-10" standing snow on the backroads and thruway upstate NY during the 48hrs

-mike

rsholland · February 2003

but you didn't have the traffic that the NJ turnpike and I-95 getsduring rush hour.

I have no doubt you can drive through it. My concern is that you'll get stuck in traffic. I know the drive from my place to Washington is normally about an hour drive. When it snows, it can be a 2-3 hour drive, and that's because you get stuck in horrible traffic.

Bob

ateixeira · February 2003

Take your GPS and have a plan B. We'll meet you guys up there. :-)

-juice

hypov · February 2003

We should be in the reverse-commute direction coming down to Baltimore. Prolly see more 18 wheelers though.

We'll have a GPS

-Dave

rsholland · February 2003

Also, depending on the snow at the time, just getting out of the NY area could be a problem. It's possible your whole trip you could be dealing with snow.

Then again, if it's like any of the past "winter events," maybe nothing will occur. It seems every time they predict snow, the weathercasters are way off. That could be good (or very bad).

Bob

paisan · February 2003

We'll have several GPSs and the NJTP shouldn't be bad, we are south of the NY traffic when we leave my place in SI. Biggest problem will be going into baltimore and by the time we get there rush hour will be long over.

-mike

bluesubie · February 2003

Listen to FM 101.5 when you get on the Turnpike. If it's bad in South Jersey/Delaware Bridge, you can hop over to 295 easily at Exit 7.

295 is busy around rush hour though so keep your ears open.

Have fun!

-Dennis

hypov · February 2003

Snow don't look too bad.
Heading over to mike's in a bit.
See y'all @ ~noon.

-Dave

paisan · February 2003

See you in a bit Hypov.

-mike

paisan · February 2003

Hypov is here! We are departing.

-mike

bluesubie · February 2003

drive safe guys! It took me over 35 minutes to get to the train this morning (usually 15 min.).

-Dennis

rsholland · February 2003

First off, the snow ended around 7:30 AM, rather than early afternoon as had been predicted. We still got around 7" however. Juice and I arrived together around 12:15 or so. Mike and Dave arrived around 1:00 or so from NY. I saw Dave Sattler (dsattler) (a friend of mine from another life) and his son, for about 20 minutes then Dave & offspring disappeared... Loosh showed up for a while. Mike O'Donnell had to cancel, as did Hutch. In any event, a good time!

Subaru not only had the STi there, but a '04 WRX sedan, WRX wagon & a '04 Outback Sport! To the best of my knowledge, this was the first unveiling of the OBS in North America! We told the Subaru reps there that a couple of us came down from NY to see the new STiand they let us (and nobody else) up on to the STi display to sit in and crawl all over the the new STi! We were honored, as others asked to sit in it, and the SOA reps would not allow them to do so!!

Of interest:

 It sounds like only the WRX sedan will have the moonroof and AWP as an option. The reps said that the wagon would not get those. Major bummer!!!

 The STi has the on/off cruise control switch now integrated on to the CC control stalk, like Toyota and others, which is great! None of the other Imprezas had this feature though. Why?

 Radio antenneas now in rear window of both Impreza sedans and wagons.

 A rear disk brake returns to the Outback Sport.

 A Baja Sport was there with an aftermarket hard tonneau cover that locks. It's not a factory option, and upon close inspection looked a bit crude. It's a great idea, but it appears to be in a "beta" stage of development.

 I'm pretty certain that the STi, both WRXs, and the Baja Sport that were on display, were the exact same vehicles that were at the Detroit Show, two weeks ago.

Other all-new models on display: '04 Ford F-150, '04 Nissan Titan, Murano & Maxima, VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Cadillac sports car, & two new SUVs (I can't remember their names), GMC Yukon XUV w/sliding rear roof, '04 Grand Cherokee, Infiniti QX45, '04 4Runner, Lexus GX470, Volvo XC90, Mitsubishi Endeavor and Outlander, and I'm sure there were some others too, that I don't remember. I didn't see the EVO there! That surprised me.

Mike took loads of pixs, so he'll probably post them when he gets a chance. Because the the weather wasn't great, the crowds were way down, making seeing the cars very easy. I'm sure the others will have comments too. Finally, we stuffed our faces at a pub just across the street, that Loosh recommended. Good choice Loosh!

Bob

lark6 · February 2003

No AWP in WRX wagon? That's ludicrous if true. Forester turbo can't come soon enough.

Glad you guys had a good time and traveled safely.

Ed

rsholland · February 2003

We were thinking of you when the the GMC rep demonstrated the Envoy XUV's Wagonaire-like rear roof.

As to traveling, Mike & Dave are still probably somewhere on the NJ turnpike as I am posting this...

Bob

lark6 · February 2003

They didn't demo the XUV roof in Philly. I'd like to see them turn a high-pressure hose on it with the roof closed.

BTW the Phila. Inquirer ran a review of the Mitsu Endeavor today. Looks like someone plopped an X5 greenhouse on a Montero then drove it into a Venetian blind.

Still incredulous that WRX wagons won't get AWP. Surely SoA realizes wagons are more likely to be driven in inclement conditions than sedans! ;-)

Ed

paisan · February 2003

Let's see...

Trip down wasn't bad. We left about 8:50am shot down the 175miles and got to Baltimore ~12:15 parked, then realized that we parked in an illegal lot, so we had to move it, and walk over to the convention center. We only got yelled at by 3 truckers on the CB for going down the far left un-plowed lane @ 75-85

Show was great cause no one was there! We were able to climb all over the STi.

STi notes:

o Guages are like Lexus/Infiniti in that you can't see anything but the needles when the car is turned off.

o Show car is not the bonnefide thing, no HIDs, no IC Sprayers, hand-painted intake manifold paint, hand-sprayed STi logo on the IC, I'm sure that the real deal will have the real items, but we are almost certain that the one we saw wasn't it!

o Loved the center diffy controller and 6MT

o Blue-insert seats are not as tacky as the pictures make em out to be. They are nice and dark and blend with the fabric nicely.

Dinner was great with Bob, Hypov and Juice! As was crawling all over the nice cars! I loved the G-wagon, and TLC.

Also want to get the phone # of the chick from the KIA Sorento Area! She was so knowledgeable it was great. Oh and she was good looking too

Dave and I made it back to the SI area rather quickly, I drove for about 45 min @ 80, then Dave took over and um, the SVX kinda lulled him into a nice 90-92 range... (I was worried he'd get a ticket)

-mike

hypov · February 2003

Elisabeth is her name. That's all I know.

Had a great day!
Juice, Bob & Loosh, pleasure to have finally met.

Bob and Mike just 'bout covered it all.

The VW rep wasn't too happy with Mike and me refering the Toureg (sp) as a wagon.
rep: "NO! It's an Ssss Uuuuu Veeee!"
Dave: "wagon"

-Dave

paisan · February 2003

He asked what I drove and I said that my 2000 Trooper would eat the Toreque alive, off-road, and he immediately said, yeah but this one doesn't roll over....

I was like um, I've done drifts in the trooper and it doesn't roll, and I was talking about off-road pal, since he was touting the "Truck" part of the VW.

It was a nice wagon/crossover, but a Truck/offroader, it is not!

-mike

rsholland · February 2003

Every European car publication that has driven the Touareg, have given it excellent marks as being an off-roader. They all say it's the equal of anything currently on the market (except perhaps purpose-built off-roaders like the Hummer and G-wagon), and far more capable than crossovers like the Honda Pilot. I haven't seen any write-ups from the American auto press on actual off-road driving yet. I don't think they've had that opportunity.

My only objections to the Touareg are:

 Temp spare tire, and that the flat (full-size) tire won't fit into the spare's wheel well. I think this was a huge mistake on VW's part. Yes, you can get a full-size rear-mounted spare, but every SUV, that has any intentions of doing any "real" work should have a full-size spare as standard.

 Pricing is too high. This is purely a result of VW wanting to move upscale, and as a result the Touareg is packed with luxury items. I would love to see a de-contented interior version, with a MSRP in the high $20K range. I don't think it will happen though, unless VW changes directions in terms of marketing and brand positioning.

Bob

rsholland · February 2003

was the 1951 GM Le Sabre, a concept car that influenced the styling of GM cars throughout the 1950s, brought to you by none other than Harley Earl. I had read about this car for yearsand to me, as I was growing uprepresented the epitome of GM styling of that era. This is the first time I had ever seen one in person. Ed, I think you would have enjoyed seeing this car!

http://www.autointell.com/News-2001/June-2001/June-2001-1/June-06- - - - -01-p1.htm

http://www.gm.com/cgi-bin/pr_display.pl?2297

Bob

paisan · February 2003

http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/bias-02-03

-mike

paisan · February 2003

I'm sure it will be far better than the car-based SUVs like the Pilot, for $40K+ it better!

But compared to old-school-like SUVs it won't compete offroad. I have no problem with this though cause most people don't offroad, so it's a perfect X-over or High-wagon which is what people want.

-mike

dsattler · February 2003

Bob, which rep did you talk to at the show? I was talking to Vince (tallish African American) who said those options WOULD be available on the wagon, as well as the sedan. However, I did notice that the 2004 WRX/STi mini-brochure specifies the sedan for those options. He also said MSRP for the WRX would not change for 2004.

lark6 · February 2003

Bob, I DID see the LeSabre in Philly. Here are a couple of pics to prove it:

Ed

PS: Have you seen what they've done to the Park Avenue? The return of the ventiports (a/k/a "portholes") are very sloppily done, and those bling-blingin' wheels are a desperate attempt to attract a younger crowd. Pity, because the Ultra actually is a decent car - makes a much more tasteful airport limo than a Lincoln or Cadillac.

declansdad · February 2003

Sorry I couldn't make it yesterday. Unfortunately, the snow caused a major staffing problem at my work and I didn't get home until 11 a.m. Sometimes working the nightshift has it's drawbacks! I was really looking forward to meeting everyone.

I did get a chance to go this afternoon. I had such a good time (even wore out my wife and son).

Michael

rsholland · February 2003

David
Regarding the AWP/moonroof on the WRX wagon: It was the other tall guy from SOA. I hope you're right, and the guy we spoke to was wrong...

Ed
Actually I don't mind the ventiports. It's a "Buick-Thing." The fact that they are phony bothers me, and the top-of-the-line Buick (Roadmaster) always had 4 ventiports, whereas lesser Buicks always had 3 ventiports. So whenever I see the new "premium" Park Avenue (with 3 ventiports) I go, huh?

Michael
Maybe next year, or perhaps this April when the NY show comes up?

Bob

rsholland · February 2003

Yesterday the crowds at the Baltimore car show were MIA.

Today I decided to go to the Mid-Atlantic Motorcycle Show at the state fair grounds. It took me 2.5 hours of sitting in my car before I could park it, then another .5 hour outside in the cold waiting to buy my ticket! That's 3 hours of waiting!!

What great show though (if you're a motorcycle fan). Besides all the usual choppers, Harleys, Hondas, BMWs, etc., I got a chance to see rare bikes: Aprillas, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, Triumphs and my favorite: the MV Agusta F4, which is a 2-wheeled piece of art! Colin, I know you're biker. I think the MV would be much to your liking. I picked a brochure on it, and it is fascinating.

Bob

declansdad · February 2003

NY Auto in April sounds good. Maybe the turbo Forester will be there.

BTW, did you get a look at the MD State Police motorcycle that was at the auto show? It's a BWM! I couldn't believe it--I thought the MSP were using Harleys?

Michael

rsholland · February 2003

I didn't see the one at the car show, but there was also a MD State Trooper display at the bike show, and there too, they had a BMW bike on display. I spoke to the trooper manning the booth, and I believe he said that the state of Maryland has 12 BMW bikes. When the state police were looking to purchase bikes, IIRC, he said only BMW and Harley submitted bids.

He spent some time with me going over the bike. It has heated hand grips and electric outlets for heated clothing for cold weather usage. This particular officer was at the recent governor's inauguration, when it was 15 degrees outside, and he said he was quite comfortable.

Bob

kens · February 2003

It sounds like only the WRX sedan will have the moonroof and AWP as an option. The reps said that the wagon would not get those. Major bummer!!!

That would be a huge bummer! I would imagine that the folks buying the wagon would benefit more, if not as much, from an AWP as the sedan. I'm sure people with active lifestyles (skiing, biking, whatever) choose the wagon for it's carrying capacity. I hope that's not going to be true...

Sounds like you guys had a great time. I'm jealous!

Ken

toboggan · February 2003

OK, OK, this acronym thing is going to far. My old, tired mind needs to know what AWP means.

Thanks.

MNSteve (shorter than before....)

rsholland · February 2003

All-Weather-Package, which consists of heated seats, heated outside mirrors, electric windshield deicer, and a limited-slip rear differential.

Bob

nygreg · February 2003

for the pics. My keyboard is now all wet.

paisan · February 2003

We were one of the only people of the average Joes to get that close to the STi at any shows!

-mike

paisan · February 2003

I'd like to toss out an idea of a BBQ sometime in the spring/summer with the NY/NJ folks and the DC/Baltimore Folks. Maybe somewhere in Northern MD/DE Area. It's gret to be able to put some names and faces together and have live discussions!

-mike

lucien2 · February 2003

sounds like fun.

I REALLY want that silver wrx wagon and those B4 rims....

hypov · February 2003

I just want those rims.

BBQ... how 'bout at a certain parking lot in Cherry Hill? ;-)

-Dave

bluesubie · February 2003

Great pics mike!

BBQ in a Cherry Hill parking lot sounds fun! :-)

-Dennis

ateixeira · February 2003

Cool pix, my LL Bean blue vest matches the ecsaine fabric perfectly! :-)

The in-window antennae was a big surprise, I don't think anyone had mentioned that yet. It leaves a cleaner exterior when you don't have one sticking out. Looks like almost all Subies have them now, I know some Foresters do and Legacys too.

Bob - the Caddy names you were looking for were the SRX (crossover) and XLR (roadster). The XLR looks nice. It'll share a chassis with the next (C6) Corvette. Thumbs up. I liked the SRX too, though it's out of my price range.

Endeaver is a bad joke - total rubber maid interior. Literally - the arm rests on the doors and center actually have a rubber lining! The trim is a shiny black plastic that is the same quality as a plastic trash can, pitiful. I can't believe Mitsu think it can compete with the Highlander and Pilot.

paisan: Elisabeth is your soul mate, you should have gotten her card.

-juice

wrxsoon1 · February 2003

Mike,
I read a post over on NASIOC that made it sound like the SOA folks thought you guys actually worked for Edmunds and that's what got you so close to the STi. I think it's the last post in this thread...

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31- 0930

-Ian

p.s. I guess being group moderators here has already provided some perks! LOL!

paisan · February 2003

Bob and Juice were "creative" in how they presented us, and Hypov and I just went along with it

-mike

wrxsoon1 · February 2003

Sounds like a great plan...let the marketing guy do the talking!! LOL!

ateixeira · February 2003

That's what I thought, too, but Bob insisted that he didn't present us as being anyone special.

You think he noticed the Subaru logo on my shirt and both our Subaru hats, though? ;-)

They probably did think we were employees of some sort.

-juice

hypov · February 2003

Disclaimer:
At no point did we purport or claimed to work for Edmunds. The rep merely misunderstood.

For the record, we were well behaved. We didn't drool all over the engine or interior. ;-)

-Dave

ateixeira · February 2003

True, but I had to use a bib! :-)

-juice

wrxsoon1 · February 2003

Juice,
I thought I saw dribbles on that nice blue vest!

rangerron7 · February 2003

I loved that post over on NASIOC about you guys at the Baltimore show. Makes me wish I was on the east coast.
Ron

ateixeira · February 2003

Technically, we are "Community Leaders" here on Edmunds.com. And we're Crew Chiefs of the Subaru Crew. Not that we're paid or anything.

Wait a sec - I gotta renegotiate the contract. :-)

-juice

toboggan · February 2003

Ah, my '98 OBW Limited has the AWP without the LSD <grin>. -15 again this morning. The heated leather driver's seat makes cold weather bearable on the drive to the ski area. -27 wind chill temp at the ski area.

MNSteve

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