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Comments
Man, if I were renting and that's all they had left, I'd walk!
-juice
-mike
Hope you don't mind. If I owe you royalty fees, let me know :-).
Dennis
Guess the 4Runner approaches $40k with options, so we shouldn't be surprised.
-juice
-mike
Reviews are estimating prices at $32-36k. If I walked in and saw even $42k I'd pass out.
The RAV4 is the same way. AWD, ABS, power stuff, even the rear bumper cost extra, so they can advertise an artificially low price.
-juice
I am going to order the replacement regular Legacy L black dash trim for the wood grain pieces on my GT. Checked with my dealer and the larger piece that surrounds the HVAC is $60.
bit
to put over 10K on my new Forester in the last
6 months. Will get a lot more over the winter
with all the trips up to Tahoe (about 550 miles
roundtrip). Hope others are also looking forward
to some AWD winter fun.
Anyway, I managed to hit a rather nasty pothole
the other day with the passenger side of the
vehicle. I'm not sure if both wheels hit it
(I was kinda stunned) but it made a very loud
bang. Nothing seems seriously broken but I've
noticed a few not-so-good things since then
(ride seems a little rougher, car leans to one
side when parked, etc). I'm probably just
paranoid but is there anything I should check
(or have checked next time I go for maintenance)?
For those of you in the San Jose area, the
pothole was in the far right lane on North 1st
St going from 237 to Tasman Dr. It's a
really bad one and I can't believe how long
it's gone without getting fixed.
Some other quick questions for you knowledgeable
people:
- what exactly is 'low range'? I know it's good
to have for slow speeds on off-roading adventures
but how does it work?
- who are the Big 3 automakers? Ford, GM, and
Chrysler? It seems Hondas are everywhere here.
I think they must be #1 or #2 in Silicon
Valley. Is Subaru in the top 10?
Thanks!
So yes, feel free to post it over on I-club...
Ash
She wants to know if she 'joins' the Subaru Club, does she get a t-shirt, a beanie and a secret decoder ring? (I think she's just getting to me for spending time on the Sub forums!).
The dealer threw in a cargo net and hood deflector at our request to finalize the deal;hence my questions about these items a while back.
It was really useful to follow the various posts that helped us settle on a Forester and decide what we wanted specifically. It was interesting that people were concerned about high insurance costs since the 2001 Forester insures for the same price as my wife's just-sold 1985 Camry sedan. Obviously in British Columbia the government-owned insurance company ( a monopoly) considers the Forester a low risk vehicle.
Thanks again to all who answered my questions over the past few weeks.
Cheers, Al
Does the alignment seem okay? Car tracks straight and true? Any vibration in the steering wheel at certain speeds, or when braking? If not, then there probably isn't any damage --a big pothole would probably also cause noticeable misalignment and/or wheel imbalance/vibration. Beyond that 'test', you might have to have a body/frame shop use instruments to check if everything is straight. If there *is* damage, you can legally request compensation from the city, since it is their responsibility to provide pavement. Save your paperwork! Take a picture of the pothole too, perhaps with a recent newspaper as in the photo as a 'timestamp'.
I think "Big 3" refers to American car manufacturers, not foreign. However, Honda is still only less than 1/4 the size of Toyota, which I think is smaller than any of the Big 3. Every other region I've gone to seems to have a lower density of Hondas than the SF Bay Area.
I doubt Subaru makes it in the top 10.
Uh, I'll let someone else explain low range.
Dave C.
Anyone else know?
Ken
Sorry to hear about the pothole. I think Dave pretty much covered what I would do if I were in your situation. The mind can play strange tricks so you should have it checked out just to be sure. Also, document the pothole so you can get San Jose to foot any bills.
As for low range, it refers to low ratio gearing. Typically, off-road vehicles will have a gear selector that when pulled, will lower all the gear ratios in your transmission. This feature is handy when you're trying to get through some very slippery conditions.
Think of it this way. 1st gear on "normal" vehicles is usually good for situations where you need to "crawl" at low speeds or need lots of pulling power. Low range enables even slower speeds for very slippery conditions.
For the most part, light-duty vehicles like our Foresters don't need one. In some markets like Australia, the manual tranny Foresters are fitted with a low range transfer case probably so the drivers can drive veeerrrry slowly without stalling out their vehicles or burning their clutches. The AT transmission models there don't have that since you don't need to work a clutch.
Ken
Craig
My insurance actually dropped from my '97 rodeo to my '00 Trooper because the trooper is less likely to get stolen.
Potholes: You haven't seen potholes til you've been to NYC That is why everyone here drives an SUV or Outback, cause every road is like an off-road trail. We don't have many potholes anymore, just Craters!
-mike
Keep those comments coming!
Posting at sites is a whole new world for us, but man does it bug me to see this happen. I don't have the time (or inclination) with stuff like this to post anywhere else, but if you folks hear about this, please feel free to let them know how you feel about such edits. It has caused us some concern about clarifying things on the web.
So much for my rant. If you hear about this, we currently do not have ANY plans on bringing back the SVX, but we are continuing to develop future models that may incorporate some of the designs from previous vehicles.
Thanks! Patti
If there is no deterioration in handling, steering or braking (funny shakes and wobbles at steady speeds), keep an eye on tire wear, particularly at the edges of the front tires (most delicate part of the suspension).
If problems are apparent, get the car looked at by a reputable and specialist alignment shop.
A couple of potential problem areas I have experienced is bent rims, possible even with mg wheels, and bent or damaged suspension mounting brackets. I accidentally flew my Corolla Twin Cam into an outback creek bed, where there should have been the continuation of a track, on our honeymoon (same track had 30 creek crossings and car started floating on number 29, almost washed away on 30. My wife waded every crossing after that, throughout our honeymoon and subsequently everyone has assumed I am a brutal husband. Judy did not mind as it was in the middle of a hot, if uncharacteristically wet, desert) and bent one wheel rim and displaced a U-bracket on the anti-roll bar. Under test conditions, we could not see why the car chewed through tyres and it was only a really good inspection by a roadworthiness tester that found the problem.
Tyre and wheel problems show at different speed depending on the tyre size and harmonic frequency coming from any imbalance. Typical problems will show up at about 60mph to 70mph although slower on smaller wheeled cars.
Before measuring slump of the car from side to side, remove all passengers and junk, park on absolutely level surface so that both sides are at same height (check by rolling a hard ball around to see which way it slopes and park car along the direction of the ball's travel). Inflate tyres to identical pressure and bounce the car by hand from front bumper/back bumper to shake out any friction hold in shock absorbers. Check height from ground to top of wheel arch. Variation of about 5-10mm from side to side is normal.
If you can look at suspension components, look for signs of stressed or bent metal.
Hope this is useful
Cheers
Graham
The person who edited the message from your rep and then reposted the edit did two things wrong. One, they publicized private correspondence. I don't think this is illegal in the US but it is considered to be extremely poor etiquette; if someone does this to me it is usually the last time I ever exchange private correspondence with that person. Second, they violated copyright rules (don't know if they broke laws, ask your lawyers). The author of a message, be it a letter to an individual or a post to a public forum, holds the copyright to that text.
I can think of a couple of things you could do. One, have a staff attorney write the individual a letter, on appropriate letterhead, explaining the situation. This is a very effective response in my experience - it usually scares the wheee out of them sufficiently that they start acting like adults again :-) Two, you could post the actual text of the message sent to the individual to the same forum where they posted the doctored version. This should have the effect of making the person look foolish and untrustworthy, also a very effective strategy.
Best of luck, and please please PLEASE do not judge an entire forum by one or two rogue individuals. The kook ratio online is about the same as it is everywhere else - no better, no worse.
Best,
-wdb
In all likelyhood when my XT6 dies, I'll be buying a used SVX if I can find one, they were classy vehicles.
-mike
(re: wrong SVX info), but I had heard (again,
rumors) that Subaru in Japan is thinking about an
new vehicle to possibly compete with Audi's TT - in effect a "sports" car, which is probably where the SVX "resurrection rumor" is coming from. This has been fairly widely posted throughout the internet.
Also, my take on the fact that the new 2002
Impreza does NOT have a coupe, leads me to think
that Subaru will offer some sort of "sporty"
coupe/roadster in the not too distant future.
I just can't imagine Subaru not having a vehicle
for those Impreza RS 2.5 coupe owners, for when
they're ready to get a new (2-door) vehicle. I could be wrong, but it just doesn't seem like smart planning not to follow up with a sporty/performance coupe - after the launch of the WRX models.
Who cares what they call it, as long as it
arrives.
Bob
Paisan-
While I agree the SVX was badly marketed (what, no 5-speed!?), I disagree it would have been a big seller. It would have died the same death the RX-7, 300ZX, Supra, and lesser models like the MX-5, NX, CRX, (dare I say Fiero? Naa, that had other problems) and others. the 1st set of cars listed were all superb GT cars, but the American taste or the entire segment went south in the early to mid-90's, and would surely have taken SVX down as well.
Why bring it back? FHI already has a flagship performance model that can run with 911's and flat out mangle the TT, which, in the wake of high-profile handling quirks, has been reduced to little more than a comfortable styling exercise. Why muddy the marketing with 2 such vehicles, when a company already has 1 successful platform? I just don't see how one could justify the expense of developing and marketing such a thing with no clear segment to slot it into, especially with the WRX STi already doing such a great job for corporate rep AND sales. the niche for dedicated, 2 seat cars the size of the SVX is now occupied mostly by 6 digit pricetag monsters, a niche FHI does not have the means to explore right now.
the WRX just took a step upmarket with improved ergonomics, more room, better road manners, etc. I'll put money on it happening again in the next 5 years, as FHI closes in on the near luxury sport market, just as it is closing in on the near luxury sedan/wagon market now.
That, of course, means that those US devotees out there without much $$ better get their Soobs in the next 3 years or so, 'cause the WHOLE industry is movin' uptown, not just Soob.
my 2 cents for the day. Time to go to work instead of pretending I work in the auto industry!! ;-)
Bob
Any chance you tell us which site?
Dennis
Shooting for the empty nester's that now find themselves not needing people movers and who have the $ to spend on a 2 door coupe, that is a good road vehicle.
I just don't see the WRX even a coupe, appealing to the same crowd and the SC400, etc.
-mike
Now, the ragtop thing is different; that segment seems to be doing pretty well. But the SVX was a bigger car, a thoroughbred in size, shape and tech. So I don't think that bringing a sport convertible up as an SVX is good marketing, personally.
I AM NOT arguing against Soob developing such a car. Perhaps I have erred; I thought we were talking about bringing back the essence of SVX, i.e. GT, as opposed to using the name to introduce a SC or roadster. Sizewise, such a model would prolly be based in the Impreza chassis anyway...
I think there is a market for a performance coupe and/or roadster in the Subaru lineup. I think it could (should!) utilize as many components from the WRX and/or Legacy GT as possible to keep costs down.
Reading between the lines of what Patti said, is that Subaru is not bringing back the SVX, but she/Subaru have left the door open by making reference to the fact that Subaru is always looking into future products. Of course, that can mean anything- including some sort of future coupe/roadster. Or... it could mean nothing at all.
My bet is that if Subaru does offer some sort of coupe/roadster in the future, that it will not be called an SVX - which fits perfectly into what Patti said.
Bob
we are very excited of course. the only thing i am worried about is the fact that the boss will now expect me at work regardless of the weather!
i am planning on getting the windows tinted before the summer. does anyone know of a reputable shop in the philadelphia area that does tinting?
i hope to share our experiences once we get the car.
thank to all again.
-jrl
That draft of the 2002 Impreza "Color Chart" offers some interesting indications of how Subaru is planning to market the new Impreza, such as:
1.
The "RS" models no longer have "2.5" as part of the name. This makes sense, since "2.5" is no longer special or unique.
2.
The RS name is only for sedans. Non-WRX wagons will be called "TS," not "RS." This leads me to think that the TS wagons will probably be a bit less performance-oriented than the RS sedans. Perhaps, from a content standpoint, somewhere in between a "L" (no longer available) and the RS. It might be that the RS models come with 16" alloy wheels, and the TS come with 15" steel wheels?? Who knows?
3.
It appears that the Outback Sport will now be called the Impreza Outback. There was no reference to the word "Sport" on the color chart.
Also, I found it interesting that all models, except the Outback had gray shading behind the copy, which to me indicates that Subaru is going to perhaps try to really separate the (Impreza) Outback from the WRX/RS/TS models from a marketing standpoint. Could Subaru be thinking of not using the word Impreza when referring to the new Outback - much like they do with the Legacy/Legacy Outback? If that's the case, they will need to distinguish the current base (Legacy) Outback in some fashion. Perhaps call it a Outback RS??
Hmmm...
Bob
Dennis
Craig
Craig
Cheers,
-wdb
'00 Legacy GT sedan
The Legacy GT with a dual-outlet exhaust can become the Olds 442. 4Speed, 4WD (Okay it's AWD instead of 4bbl carb), and dual chrome tip outlets.
The Outback LL Bean edition can be the Custom Cruiser (Home Depot Edition) or something like that.
Now if we can have a 4.55 liter boxer engine instead of a 455CID-V8, then you can be smoking some tires.
Okay, I should stop smoking those funny cigarettes.
1974, Olds 98 Regecny Hardtop
455 Rocket Engine
Dual Exhaust (Factory)
No Cats
That was a smokin car! And I could put an impreza in the trunk, and the back seat was a living room couch! You could also land planes on the hood. It was 10 inches longer than a 1997 Suburban (and 1/2inch wider)
-mike
What DC needs to do, is to find some way of bringing Gandhi back to life, and have him replace Juergen Schrempp.
For what it's worth, this may be a good time to buy Chrysler stock. It can't go much lower, and it WILL turn around someday.
Bob
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
I've been away from the board for a while as I was on vacation in London. Wedged in among all the touristy things I did, I visited a Subaru dealer in the Kensington section of the city, where I got to sit in and fire up an Impreza P1. Sadly I didn't get to actually DRIVE it; however, I doubt I'd have been able to enjoy much of its capabilities due to the heavy traffic.
The dealer is very small and tucked into a cul-de-sac. The showroom held only 8 cars: in addition to the P1 there was one Outback, one Legacy wagon, two Impreza Turbos (4-door), 1 normally aspirated Impreza wagon (5-door over there), a Forester "All Weather" (combo of our L and S), a Forester S Turbo, and a 2000 Forester S Turbo. UK Forester S models have IMO nicer interiors than US models (they get that faux suede alcantara like the SVX had), plus all UK Foresters get headlamp washers and self-leveling rear suspensions. In addition, there's a Prodrive package that can be installed on Forester S Turbos that consists of upgraded suspension, exhaust, reprogrammed chip, wheels and tyres that bumps the S Turbo's 170bhp up to somewhere in the 200 range. (I'll have to go back and look at the brochure to verify). Anyway I'm jealous of what Soob owners can get over there.
Didn't see any new Imprezas; the dealer said they were being doled out with an eyedropper. Did see some other interesting iron over there, like the TVR Tuscan and Cerbera and Nissan Skyline GT-R, and the amazingly small Smart. Plus a lot of boring things labelled Ford and Vauxhall, and many other nondescript things I won't bore you with.
Anyway, good to be back and catching up on the boards.
Ed
I need a P1. Okay, well I would like to pretend I need a P1.
--- ash
It is tucked away. Was it Radley Mews? I had a hell of a time finding it.
Bob
-wdb
They also advised against loading things on the roof of any SUV.
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020friday_001117_suvs_feature.html
Russ