Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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Comments

  • snowbeltersnowbelter Member Posts: 288
    Juice: Vanbortel claims to be #1, and their site has expired.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    That site is up and running.

    http://www.vanbortelsubaru.com/prices.html

    Bob
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I skied on 8-12" of fresh powder yesterday, in West Virginia, in APRIL!! Yee-haw! Good way to end the season.... Now I have 7-8 months of non-skiing activities to take up my time, otherwise known as YARD WORK!

    Craig
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The 3rd row is pretty good in it and it is a fold-flat type so I don't have to remove it when I want to load it up. Basically if I get any of the others, like the burban I'd have to remove the rear seat to get a flat floor, which means that I'd have no 3rd row. The truck rides great so if I have to use it for daily driving duties it will ride well and be comfy.

    I was pretty impressed with how smooth the 5speed auto trans is and how well the truck sucks up bumps. With the 2% financing offered from Nissan and the less than invoice pricing, it'll come out nicely.

    The 2nd row buckets are nice, and it should be pretty reliable considering it's a Nissan :)

    -mike
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    pretty impressed with ... how well the truck sucks up bumps.

    Does it suck up gas as well as it sucks up bumps? :D
  • snowbeltersnowbelter Member Posts: 288
    Bob, you might want to check your link again, as the message is that the site expired. If you link to Vanbortel through the SOA website, a shell opens, but if you click on the blue "enter here" box, you get the message that the site expired. You used to be able to enter their website and price out all the Subaru models and add or subtract optional equippment. If you are still able to do that, you and I are on a different Internet. Martin
  • damish003damish003 Member Posts: 303
    Well, Bob's link works just fine. Pricing and everything. Sounds like the SOA link might be bad, but direct is OK.
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Thanks, Mark, for your concern.

    Fortunately we are above the flood plain and not immediately impacted by the flooding. We've had some damage to our sidewalk, front stoop, driveway and garage due to all the freeze/thaw and rain cycles, and the roof on our sunroom (a converted porch) leaks a little, but nothing like what's going on only 3 blocks away.

    Much of our downtown is still under water and some residents are without electricity and gas. The river road (PA Route 32) is closed for nearly 20 miles and all of the two-lane steel deck bridges above Trenton are closed as well. My wife commutes into NJ over the I-95 bridge, which has been a big parking lot for the last two days. She called to tell me that from her truck she could see a house we had considered buying at one time, its first floor completely submerged. Lucky for us, not so lucky for the ones who got their bid in before us.

    Oh look - there are new tools and icons here! I just noticed them - they look like the little Chevron cars you see out West. I guess these two would be appropriate here: :cry::)

    Ed
  • rochcomrochcom Member Posts: 247
    The part of VanBortel's site that works appears to be on Subaru's dealer site server. Their own site is down. VanBortel now has a Ford dealership and most of the owner's attention has been directed toward getting that up and running well. So, I guess somebody forgot. Apparently they did re-register late, but there is a delay in getting the site up again.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Works for me. I like their layout. Fitz has better pricing I believe, but I prefer the way VB's prices are listed. It's more a la carte.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    pretty impressed with ... how well the truck sucks up bumps.

    Does it suck up gas as well as it sucks up bumps? :D

    Haaaaa, not too concerned with the milage it's gonna be bad on any truck of that size.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, I think I fainted when I first saw the Monroney on the Armada I test drove with Bob. When I came to, Bob pointed out that mileage was actually quite good for that class. Very good once you consider how much HP it has.

    And it won't struggle to pull all that weight.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yup 305hp 385lbs torque, not bad, and the 5speed is amazingly smooth.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    At least it runs on regular gas, not premium. You can thank the IRS for its ability to suck up the bumps. :)

    Bob
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    If he registers it under AZP, he might squeeze some tax credits out of the IRS.

    Speaking of IRS, my adjusted gross income for 2004 is - $1,5xx.xx :P
    Looks like I'll be coming out of retirement this Thursday, at least temporarily till I prove I can walk the walk. :D

    -Dave
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    5-speed auto? I read somewhere that the Leg/OB uses a similar unit from JATCO. That would explain the smoothness.

    Ken
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    The 02+ MPV uses a JATCO unit as well for it's 5sp AT. There were some programming issues (harsh/hesitated shift) on some in '02-'03, but they finally settled on a mapping that is working well.

    -Brian
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    5-speed auto? I read somewhere that the Leg/OB uses a similar unit from JATCO. That would explain the smoothness.


    Hmm doubt it's the same or even similar one. The weight of the truck is 5500lbs the legacy one would never be able to handle the GVW of close to 15,000lbs! Here is hoping it holds up though. I know once I hit 10k miles I'll be doing Amsoil in the engine and Redline High Temp ATF in the AT.

    -mike
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Welcome back, paisan!! I'll probably see you around soon one of these days. :)

    Glad everyone hasn't been too affected by the flooding.Good luck cleaning up, Steve.

    -Dennis
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Ed - Glad to hear you are ok. I guess no SBD's for a while, at least not in that area :)

    Steve- Hope everything is getting better for you. How is Beth doing?

    Mike- Now I know to keep an eye out for that monster on the Island.

    Mark
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You have a good accountant, Dave.

    But I got you beat - I pay no income taxes at all on my full salary. :P

    Useless Trivia: JATCO = Japanese Automatic Transmission COmpany.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    But I got you beat - I pay no income taxes at all on my full salary. :P


    I wouldn't be too loud to say that, seeing how the rest of us pay a ton, why should you not have to pay like the rest of us ( I know why, it not right though) Keep that to yourself cause I for one know I paid a ton.... :)

    -mike
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    For U.S. citizen, working for The World Bank, I believe the income is reported as Foreign Earned Income which would take a greater hit for us, since we would not have the Foreign Tax to offset the local.
    Since you're not a U.S. citizen and income from The World Bank is technically not earned in the U.S.A., you're exempt [diplomatic status aside]. If Brazil does not collect on you because you're not in Brazil and not drawing income there, you've got it pretty much made :)

    My accountant = TurboTax.

    -Dave
  • bigelmbigelm Member Posts: 995
    J/K ;-)
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I dunno, if the only thing Juice is giving up is drawing social security (HAHA! I'm 29, ya right), voting and holding public office I'd say "sign me up."

    of course he still pays property, sales and other taxes so he most definitely is pulling his weight with regards to the roads, fire/police, and other infrastructure services he is consuming/benefitting from... so it's not a free ride by any means.

    ~c
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Wasn't there a cap on Foreign Earned Income? When I worked in Japan earning a local salary, I recall filling out a 1040 but anything below a certain USD income did not have to be reported. Of course there was no way the US government could easily check something like that, but I wonder how it might differ for someone working on US soil.

    Ken
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    that's different-- you're a US citizen working abroad. anything below $85k (I believe that's the number today) is income tax exempt.

    ~c
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Beth is feeling better, so I went ahead with my capital equipment evaluation trip. We were down in NYC at Sloan-Kettering yesterday for her post surgical checkup, but all of the pathology results were not yet in. She should know tomorrow what the followup will be.

    On an unrelated subject, I bought the Autoenginuity OBDII package (with CAN), to get a better idea about what is up with my re-occuring CEL. Hey, it gives my ancient laptop a new lease on life - it is now my automotive diagnostic computer! The software package looks pretty slick, and I needed a new toy. Today being my birthday, and all that...

    Steve
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I spent 5-6 minutes looking for a "AWD explained" link on Subaru's website for a friend and couldn't find any info. Had to resort to a Google search which led to a past issue of Drive. I suppose there might be some info on AWD on the Think-Feel-Drive website but I lost patience waiting for the Flash gimmicks to load and play. It's a sad day when a longtime Subaru customer can't find a link explaining AWD on the Subaru website.....

    Craig
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    Happy Birthday Steve! :)

    Prayers that Beth's results are good news.

    Jim
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    of course he still pays property, sales and other taxes so he most definitely is pulling his weight with regards to the roads, fire/police, and other infrastructure services he is consuming/benefitting from... so it's not a free ride by any means.

    Not "free" however compared to what you and I pay it's A LOT less. To me, it's a free ride since he is consuming the same services that you and I do, but pays nothing in terms of federal taxes....

    -mike
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    Hello from just up the road in Exeter, NH. Happy Birthday, Steve. Best wishes on your wife's outcome. Rob M.
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Happy (belated) Birthday Steve! Hope all good news coming your way.

    Mark
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Don't blame me, mike, I'm merely following the (bizarre) laws your elected officials came up with. ;)

    Not happy? :cry: Vote differently!

    Americans that work here pay self-employment taxes, so yeah, they have it worse then you do. 15.3% for SS and Medicare alone, twice what you pay.

    Not being a citizen has more trade-offs than you might think. I have to renew a Visa every single year. If I inherit anything even from my spouse it's not tax exempt. And of course if you don't pay into SS you don't receive any later on.

    Finally, I will have to get a green card when I retire, so in a strange way I have to pay more into the pension fund than everyone else because I will be taxed on my pension plus I won't receive Social Security.

    Pretty strange system, but hate the game, not the player! :D

    -juice
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    :sick:
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    I don't pay any taxes to the IRS. Not one cent!! :P

    I do however pay bazillions to the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. :cry:

    Just waiting for someone in Dubya's inner circle to propose taxing foreigners living abroad as a solution to the rising national debt.
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I realized later that I assumed US citizenship. Interesting it's still around $85K however. I think it hasn't changed too much in the last few years.

    Ken
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    ...because I will be taxed on my pension plus I won't receive Social Security.

    Maybe I misunderstood something but I fully expect to be taxed on any pension outside of Social Security. And if my overall income is high enough in retirement, I'll have to pay some taxes on SS too. :(

    But hey, where else would you want to live! :D

    Jim
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    where else would you want to live!

    I have a list about a block long (Manhattan, St. John's, London, Paris, Prague, San Miguel de Allende, maybe a summer in Reykjavik). Maybe if a few of y'all sent your pensions my way, I could afford some of those spots for a year or two at a time!

    Steve, Host
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    lol good one. but i consider living to be a place you want to stay for a very long time.

    great list of cities to have extended stays and to sample life...
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    so much for that line about free speech LMAO
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Now that's a fun question. My job has me tied down to the DC area for a long time, but later on I'd consider:

    San Diego: just love it. Feels like you're on vacation all the time.

    San Francisco: could a town have any more character?

    New York City: never a dull moment. In Tribeca, of course.

    New England: for the seafood and the access to ski areas.

    Outer Banks: best US beach I've been to.

    Ideally I'd live a year or so in each city, and then move on the next one just so that I still wanted to go back for more. :)

    How 'bout you folks? Where will you go?

    For now let's keep this USA only.

    -juice
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    My wife is from San Diego and I can't convince her to move back (it's all I can do to keep her from dragging me back to Anchorage).

    When we starting looking for some place new to move to in the late 90's we considered:

    Eugene and Salem OR (too damp)
    McCall ID (too cold)
    Helena MT (ditto)
    Carson City NV (wife vetoed)
    El Rito NM (would have been short term for weaving school)

    On the "new" (US) list:

    San Antonio TX
    Paradise CA (although I suppose I could slum at Lake Tahoe for a spell)

    Most of those are in excellent Subaru country....

    Steve, Host
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    If I could, I would move 2.5 hours inland to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I'd be right next to a small ski area, and 2 hours from a bigger one in West Va. Charlottesville/UVa would be 20 minutes away. Climate is fairly mild too. I could probably keep my current job and telecommute. The only thing stopping me is the cost of a nice home on the mountain. I keep telling my wife, the next move will be to location with a view *and* a nice house. Up until now, we have had one or the other, not both.

    Oh yeah, the Outback seems to be the official car in that part of the state!

    Craig
  • bigelmbigelm Member Posts: 995
    I prefer the south east region. West coast is too dry for me...

    A tropical brother like me needs the humidity, otherwise my skin starts to crack and fall off like Madussa...
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I love those mountains. Deb wants to move to the Outer Banks of NC.

    Bob
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    where Subies are built :)

    Cheers,
    -wd "bring it back on topic" b
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Let's see...must haves: cultural richness, ethnic diversity, great food and produce (variety and quality), easy access to outdoors and nature, solid education

    Like to haves: moderate climate, good driving roads

    Actually, it sounds like the SF Bay Area I live in now pretty much hits on those items. Other places I wouldn't mind living:

    New York (my hometown)
    Seattle (a little wet, but got lots of what I like)
    San Diego (same reasoning as juice)
    Boston (gets a little cold, but also has a lot of what I like)

    Ken
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Taos was really cool, not sure I could live in an area that felt so remote, though.

    Maybe Albuqurque.

    I prefer near the coast because I gotta have beach access.

    -juice
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