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Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS
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2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Accessories north of the border are different though. A big one is Canada gets heated side view mirrors and heated seats.
-Dennis
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
When I got it back we were out of snow season but I was noticing it losing traction a bit in the rain while taking off. I didn't think much about it.
Well today we had our first semi major snow of the season in the far north suburbs of Chicago. When I took the car out today to go to work (40 miles away) I was sliding all over the road worse than I ever did in my old '93 FWD Impreza. It was so bad I decided to turn around and go back home.
Now first off, I drove this through a couple of snow blasts we had last year before it was wrecked and it seemed to handle quite a bit better than this. Second I was driving very slow. No one else on the road seemed to be having quite the problems keeping their vehicle under control like I was.
My first thought was the accident may have done something to the AWD system that wasn't noticed until now however when I had someone watch while I took off and they saw all four wheels spinning away unable to get traction. That's making me think that it's not the AWD with the problems but the tires.
These are supposedly the same kind of tires that were on it before (16 inch Bridgestone Potenzas). Has anyone else had trouble with traction on these tires?
Are there any recommendations for replacement tires?
-mike
-mike
Actually better yet is an alignment check included in the 30k service checkup? I'm about a couple of thousand miles away from that now. If so maybe I'll schedule that a bit early . . .
Paisan and Rbleland - Thanks for the tire suggestions! I'm debating still if I'll go ahead and switch tires right away. Early Christmas shopping has left me a bit tapped out for now . . . After today though it's probably worth taking on a bit of debt for a short period of time.
-mike
-juice
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I never checked back in this forum to thank Juice for helping me out with new wheel covers last fall.
Not only did he give me a great deal, he also provided helpful advice and put the wheel covers on for me. Anyway, if you're out there, thanks again. I continue to enjoy reading posts on this forum.
Regards,
Cory
Glad those worked out for you (we put the OE wheel covers from our Legacy on her OBS since we got alloys).
Nice to see you're still around. Remember - 75 lb-ft of torque on those rims. I should have re-torqued them for you. Are your brakes better now?
-juice
But I'm thinking anyone out there in the DC area like us has got to be loving our AWD in the slushy mess outside.
If the OBS is paid off, start saving up for your next car, keep it until you start having catastrophic failures ($700+), or you feel that you are about to. New brakes are about one single car payment, not worth selling it just for that.
The 2.2l is pretty solid. It's the same block at the 2.5l, so technically it's overengineered for the power it makes.
And I know you've been enjoying AWD lately. 10" of snow that still hasn't melted entirely, and then freezing rain today? Yikes.
-juice
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
- TS is 5 speed with 4 extra rims for the 4 snows, front air deflector, cargo tray and cover, and rear bumper strip (not standard on Canadian TS).
- TS now has 12,000KM (about 6200 miles). Totally trouble-free except two CEL's due faulty gas tank vent valve (since replaced under warranty); and occasional drivelink "shudder" when I am not attentive enough on cold starts with the gas pedal (service dept. says common on 5 spd. cars).
- TS is very fun to drive and my 125# Shepard-Rottie X (Drake) has learned very quickly to "get your head in" before I close the back hatch.
- Winter has been slow in coming to Western Canada (El Nino) this year, but fresh snow over the past days serve to prove to me this is the best winter handling vehicle I have had (that includes several SUVs - very poor winter handlers, IMO). Also did a recent major hiway trip over several mountain passes where I was able to safely pass trucks, SUVs and FWD cars in snowy, slushy conditions.
- Would I get metallic Midnight Pearl again? Probably, but definitely not easy to keep clean.
I read most of the Subie boards daily, but post very seldom, so just wanted to throw this in.
rick
-juice
I have a 2002 OBS with just under 25,000 miles. Have loved the car.
At about 20,000 miles, I noticed a "creakiness" in the clutch. I don't notice any noise until it is depressed about half-way; from the half-way point to the floor is very "creaky". Overall, it feels stiff.
When I had it in for an oil change recently, I asked the dealer to check it out. He said he "didn't hear anything". But then he said it was a rainy day and that could have affected things. Hmm.
I have no knowledge of clutch systems and how they work at all. All I do know is that over the past few months, it has been noticable to me in all varieties of weather.
I'm not a harsh driver. Shift between 3,500 and 4,500 rpm from 1st to 2nd, and progressively less rpms from there on... try to make each gear go as smoothly as possible... no jerkiness, no riding the clutch...
Any thoughts/guidance any of you could offer would sure be appreciated. Many thanks!
Kim
FWIW.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Got a new clutch and the problem popped up again a year later. I was going to a different dealer and the new dealer traced it to the clutch fork scraping against the tranny case.
Another possibility is the clutch slave cylinder, which is located near the throttle body (I think).
Have someone stand in front of the car with the hood open and you should be able to tell if it's coming from the top of the engine (slave cylinder) or the bottom of the engine (t.o. bearing).
Sometimes it's hard to determine the exact position because the noise transmits from the clutch, through the cable and up to the pedal.
-Dennis
The OBS gets rear discs like 96-97 had!
-mike
The headlights have blisters that peek out beyond the regular shape, it's subtle but cool. Same with the taillights.
Also, the antennae is now embedded in the rear window, a cool touch. Looks like extra rear defrost lines but it's an antennae.
Thumbs up, I liked it already and like it even more now.
Oh, almost forgot Bob had mentioned a small change in the seat fabric, which you might notice in the pix. Looks like it got the same seats at the new Forester, minus the vinyl inserts.
-juice
Bob
I like the seats better in the WRX, but I don't think I would like its turbo lag. I know Subarus last a long time though, so I was thinking about getting one once I get rid of my VW (another 2 yrs on the Driver Option).
Check out the Town Hall Help link for details.
Steve, Host
Let me know.
Regards.
Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host
-juice
Small fog lights are not as eye-catching, but they are certainly less prone to damage from stones on the road, and can be more precisely aimed too.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Subaru toned down the look because world wide, sales were way down. I think the fact that it's heavier also had something to do with that.
-juice
At 3100 pounds, OBS is about the same weight as an Accord, and almost the same as a Camry, both much larger sedans.
If they could lighten it, not only would handling be improved, but maybe fuel economy too.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
A few tricks they used - an aluminum hood, which also won't rust, and aluminum roof rails for the roof rack.
The have the aluminum hood on the WRX, so use it here, too. I'm sure there are other places to cut a few pounds, too.
It does have AWD plus it's a wagon, so I don't think it can be compared to a sedan. But I do agree it's heavier than it could be.
-juice
But it would be good. If you figure the AWD counts for roughly 200 pounds, this would still be a 2900 pound hatchback even in FWD.
On the plus side, having driven the new model a couple of times now, I must say it feels a lot more "substantial" than my '97 did.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But I hope for the next generation they try to find some weight efficiencies like the did with the 2003 Forester redesign. It actually lost 80 pounds.
-juice
Can I have my wishes?! :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It was not the exterior style that put me off...not at all. The car hesitated when hitting the gas hard from a stop in both cars. Also.. the seat was unbearably hard after 10 minutes. It also doesn't help that the interior material looks and feels like burlap.
Maybe the new one will have a nicer interior.
I did not experience the hesistation in a Forester, so I don't know why the OBS Sport did that.
-Dennis
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'd be happy with an 80 lb weight loss, like the Forester had, along with the addition of AVCS (sort of like BMW Vanos) for about 10 more horses and even better low end torque. Definitely want that moonroof, too!
Seats that seem hard are more supportive over long haul trips. I mean 2+ hours, not 10 minutes. Look at Volvo's seats - they're the best in the industry and they're pretty hard too.
Any how, $900 will get you leather from a good upholstery shop. $1300 and it's heated.
-juice
I found the WRX seats more comfortable, but also more confining, than the ones in the 04 OBS I sat in at the carshow.
The 2003 WRX seats had aggressive side bolsters and were more narrow, so yeah, lots of folks might feel confined.
-juice
-juice
Regardless... here is a link to the new 2004 Impreza sportwagen in Japan...
http://www.subaru.co.jp/impreza/sportswagon/05/05_02.html