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Comments
'05 Legacys and Outbacks can tow 2700 lbs, with H-6 models rated at 3000 lbs; however both have the same unbraked towing restrictions.
Bob
The H6 models have the brush guard, I believe they told us during that accessory presentation. But it's offered as an option on every Outback. Still - it's bogus, plastic, not a real skid plate. Same as Audi's and Volvo's.
shrack: some Foresters are rated to tow 2400 lbs now. The 1000 lb unbraked trailer limit exists for virtually every manufacturer, also.
My '98 Forester is rated to tow 2000 lbs and I've pulled about 1500. You slip the clutch a little more, and you feel the longer braking distances, but then again I'm on my original clutch and brake pads even at 63k miles, so it handled it just fine, thanks.
Tongue weight limit is 200 lbs, also.
How heavy is the pop-up? Most are one ton+. And which Subie models were you considering (in what price range at least)?
-juice
FWIW you can delete the duplicate post.
-juice
IIHS Offset Front: Best Pick
IIHS Side Impact: Good, best vehicle ever tested
NHTSA Front Driver: 5 stars
NHTSA Front Passenger: 5 stars
NHTSA Side Driver: 5 stars
NHTSA Rear Side: 5 stars
Straight As. No other small SUV matches all of those, not one.
Low maintenance? It's about the standard amount, nothing out of the ordinary. The AWD is sealed and maintenance free, but you do have a rear differential to change fluid on. Still, that's quite easy, two bolts and one quart of oil.
1500-2000 lbs sounds reasonable given they are rated for as much or more than your loaded weight.
If the Forester XT is in your price range, the turbo wouldn't even break a sweat climbing up hills at elevation. Street prices for those fall in the $23-26k range. But a basic X model will do the job for $19-20k, just don't expect to do much passing on the hills. You'll manage, though.
-juice
"I used to work on everything under the sun and every time I worked on a Subaru, it was like, 'Wow!' " he said. "The engineering on a Subaru is like it's supposed to be. They're made to be fixed when they break, which is just the opposite of a lot of cars."
Don is a firm believer that if a Subaru engine is properly maintained, chances are it won't break for a long time. It's not unusual for him to see one of the all-wheel drive vehicles come in for an oil change with more than 300,000 miles on the engine, running perfectly."
Family builds business around beloved vehicle (Anchorage Daily News - reg. link; try bugmenot.com if you don't want to register).
Steve, Host
Also ask Bobistheoilguy about those oil analysis reports on Subies, always good news.
-juice
Had an interesting chat to the mechanic who most regularly services my car the other day. He'd been an aircraft engineer for 28 years and commented that if you knew about Lycoming engines you knew about Subarus. Also commented that Subaru give massive amounts of training, similar to the aviation industry. However, he misses the trips to Chicago!
Cheers
Graham
Vvvvvvrooooommmmm...........
*loosh got his car back today*
Vvvvvvrooooommmmm...........
Vvvvvvrooooommmmm...........
I'm on restricted driving privileges for the new GT until I sell my Civic. :-(
Should have traded it if only to avoid the hassle. I'm sure I'll get more than the dealer was offering, but it sure would have been nice to get rid of it right then.
Steve - Thanks for the link to that article. Like to hear I made a good choice for reliability.
MPG update. I was a little worried when I first looked at the avg. mpg the multifunction computer generates in the new GT. It's got this cool function where there's 2 trip meters and whatever tripmeter you have showing will be the avg. mpg reading you get in the display with the clock/outside temp. Anyway, when I first got the car it showed like 15 or 16 mpg but it's been creeping up closer to 18 now. I also reset one tripmeter when I filled it up last Friday and the mpg on this tank is around 21 or so. Yes, I've been trying to be very nice to it. Trying to keep it under 4K isn't hard as it pulls very nicely from about 2300 rpm or so. Only time I have trouble with getting to 4K too quickly and thus over a bit is in first gear. VERY SHORT to say the least. Revs build very quickly in that gear.
My only complaint so far....I can't drive it enough. Oh yeah, and I got sunburned the other day because I drove around with that moonroof open too much! LOL!
Cheers!
-Ian
;-)
It's not a moonroof, it's the opening for the space shuttle!
-juice
With the AVG, keep in mind that any extremes (such as low speed driving, the car idling while parked, etc...) will skew the average towards very low MPG. I can see how that could happen during prep and delivery of a car. So I would dismiss those initial readings all together and start clean with the first full tank of your own normal driving. I heard that the trip computer will also show instantaneous MPG, which should be educational and fun to look at if you want to pursue the most economical driving strategies!
Craig
-juice
-Another selling point for upgrading! "But Honey, I'll be able to keep it the most economical fuel economy by checking the computer as we travel."
Mark
~c
So it turns out I didn't get a new transmission afterall. They did tear down the whole trasmission, and replace the offending bearing. Sounds like new, drives like new, so I'm satisfied.
No more 7000 rpm clutch drops. ;-)
-juice
-Frank
Patti dropped a hint a week or so ago that SOA will be sending out an offer so I guess this is what she was referring to.
DaveM
Sal
Los Angeles, CA
2003 Baja - Yellow (A crazy car deserves a crazy color.)
A super niche move.
We put our 2 mountain bike in back with the Subie bed bike mounts and when we use our tandem bike we can slide it through the mid-gate. We live in a condo in West LA so we even can drive in our parking structure.
I've been posting for a while now.
I've learned alot here at Subaru Crew.
Sal- Welcome, and I think the yellow works on the Baja.
Mark
I have a $25 Home Depot Gift Card, from the last one, as proof. My little brother might have a $300 Gift Card on the way because he actually bought a Subie.
I'm signed up so I hope I get that e-mail, too.
Sal: welcome to the Crew. I've noticed you around the other threads.
-juice
bimmers for ever have had an instantaneous MPG needle gauge right below the tach. it floats between 25 and 30 when cruising on the highway. you have to really baby it from a stop to not drop below 6 or 8 mpg!
~c
Colin: Any plans on driving a Legacy GT?
Sal: Welcome on board!
Ken
~c
Craig - Yes, I'm having fun. I didn't think about how much it probably just sat running while they were prepping it. No wonder it's was so bad! I think I'll leave that tripmeter set to mirror the odo though just for kicks. I'll definitely use the other as I normally would and check how MY mileage is.
juice - Yes, it is huge, but it's got some in between settings so you don't have to have it fully open all the time. Heck I can't tell the difference between fully and only half open when I'm driving. ;-)
-Ian
The 2nd half is for the rear seat passengers!
-juice
as soon as you lift off the accelerator, it goes to 40+ though.
in the end the result is 22.2 mpg. good 'nuff for me!
~c
But it requires premium so...
Just kidding! Please don't break out the calculators!
-juice
-juice
Greg
Class technically goes til 8:45 (Eastern Standard which happens to be the same as Central Daylight - or as it's know around here - Indiana time), but she usually lets us out early !
if anyone can figure out what time zone I'm in from the last paragraph, you probably deserve an advanced degree!
It has caused her pancreas to go haywire and they cannot get her blood acid stabilised, if they don't she will suffer severe brain damage and if she gets a respiratory infection it will be game over, right now her prognosis is 50/50.
Not so cheers Pat.
Patti
-Dave
-Brian
DaveM
Ed
Jim
Bob
-Dan-
~Colin
Owen
Ron