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Comments
When it snows here you can't drive more than 30mph due to all of the traffic that has been created over the last 10 years. Snow only adds to an already dreadful transportation issue.
I'm inclined to go with the GT. The money is not a big deal for me, but I am concerned about the environment, oil, etc. On the other hand, it's not as bad as what many people drive.
I've never owned a Subaru. I'm drawn to the fact that it's different. A couple of other "different" cars I've owned: 1965 Saab (in late 60s) with the Monte Carlo two-stroke engine; 1972 Mazda RX2 with the rotary engine.
Bob
I feel for you, but you have to go where there's work. Darned cities, anyhow.
That's got to be extreme driver error -- the TSX is actually in the low 7 second range for 0-60 according to other car mags. Heck, my wife's *automatic* TSX is in the high 7 to low 8 second range according to my butt dyno... I used to time my manual-trans Prelude in the low 7 second range for 0-60, and the TSX is easily just as quick, probably better actually.
Craig
I should probably check mine. 8~o
Jim
Plus, if you compare CR's gas mileage, the way CR drives, you should compare CR's acceleration, just to keep it apples to apples.
So yes, CR's TSX was fuel efficient, but it was also slow. CR's Legacy was a lot less efficient but it was also a lot quicker.
Reasonable trade-off if you ask me.
-juice
I also don't abuse my Outback XT. It is faster than the TSX, but not 3 seconds to 60 faster. And it gets 19-23mpg on a regular basis.
Knowing my OB XT 5EAT gets to 60 in the high 6 second range, my butt dyno is confirming the TSX 5AT is doing it in the high 7 to low 8 second range.
So comparing my experiences with both cars, I still think their TSX 9.2sec 0-60 time is way out of line.
Craig
Bob
I don't know. Their CR-V took something like 10.5 seconds. That's all day long.
Their Forester X was about even with that TSX. I wonder if they even floor it? Forester's old throttle was very sensitive, it's now a little more linear.
-juice
HTH, Owen
Steve
Thanks for the feedback, folks!
-mike
Craig
To be honest Subies don't depreciate much, so I'd stretch the budget a bit and look for a new Outback Sport, maybe $16k or so. A TS wagon if you can only go to around $15k.
Look at it this way - 5 year powertrain warranty, so a 5 year loan is reasonable.
-juice
Mark
Forester is the exception in that the side air bags also protect the head. It works well enough to earn it a Good rating from IIHS, which ironically is higher than the Legacy with the curtains.
-juice
Craig "
Good post. Think about it for 5 minutes. You'll find a new one bought near invoice to be a better deal in the long run...
That's just the market on these cars... my personal preference is $6k cars, buy for cash, forego collision insurance to save money. I have given up looking for $6k Subies. 100k+, 8 years old, no thanks.
It's like the $5k 4x4 pickup... everybody wants one.
-Mathias
Thanks.
Any new experience will be appreciated, thanks!
Bob
Thanks
Craig
Given it gained 38hp and lost about 180 lbs, yes, I'm sure it's quicker. Gearing is same as before.
Ball park I'd say about 0-60 in the 7s for the H6, 6s for the turbo automatic, high 5s for the turbo MT5.
The base 2.5i Outback should be in the 8s.
C&D tested a 5 speed Legacy it took 8.8s, but that was the old model. The new ones are lighter and have 3 more hp, not a huge difference but enough that you expect to knock off a few tenths. 8.5 seconds should be easy to obtain.
-juice
The turbo is close to 130 mph but I wouldn't want to try to verify that.
Any of them will break 100 easily, so cruising along at 80 or so should in a 75 zone to keep up with traffic should be a breeze, especially with any of the turbos.
-juice
We counted over 45 deer in one night of driving Montata roads. And those were just the ones we saw on/near the road.
My Outback wagon (H4) can hold 75 without problem and still has enough to pass easily. So probably more than fast enough to be safe.
--jay
I guess if the roads are straight almost any car would be stable. The Legacy GT would probably be most comfortable at those high speeds since it's lower and has a longer wheelbase.
Also, a Forester at that speed would produce a lot of drag and mileage would be lousy. True for any SUV really.
-juice
Also looking forward to heading into the mountains and not experiencing such a drastic performance drop.
-B
-juice
Nothing prevents you from shipping car to Germany and trying yourself. If Legacy cannot brake from 130 governed then its governed speed is too high ;-)
Krzys
The GT, at least, has nice, big rotors. I wouldn't want to try that in an Outback XT, which is heavier and has smaller rotors.
-juice
CRaig
I repeatedly stop from 110-120mph say 30 times in a 30 minute session w/o issue in my '94 legacy turbo.
-mike
Lynn
Krzys
OBW its available as a combo with the dimming rear view mirror/compass. It will replace the present mirror. the 1st dealer i priced a 05 ob
said it was not an option but saw it on subaru web
site and 2nd dealer that i did by car from odered
it in and will replace it for the existing mirror
Craig
Your car is yours, you know the exact history. The cost is zero. $800 is maintenance is less than two new car payments.
The 2004 is just a used (abused?) rental car and who knows what the history includes. At least get a car fax and ask for service receipts for that particular car.
-juice
If you really want a new car, an 05 is a better choice. Otherwise, your 01 has a lot of life left in it and there's nothing compelling about the 04 models in my opinion (putting myself in your shoes). The 01 should go well past 100K without major problems.
Craig
So, if you've taken good care of your car, you should probably keep it until you come across "the one" rather than just taking the best offer. You might not get as much for your trade-in 3 years down the road, but the overall savings should better than offset it.
Regarding the timing belt, I replaced my first one at 83K right after I bought the car, and I have another belt waiting for me to slap it in when I tear down the front end to replace the water pump gasket. When I pulled the engine out last summer (July 03) to replace some seals and gaskets, the belt had just over 60K on it and was still as spunky as ever - it showed no signs of any wear whatsoever. I agree with Craig - follow mfg's recommendations unless you are driving under extreme conditions (cold/heat). my.subaru.com has the manuals....
Good luck!
I like the goodies in the 2005 Outback 2.5 XT, but the recent New York Times review of the Outback says: "The XT, GT and 3.0 R engines require premium fuel." When my wife read this, she said there's no way she'd agree to an XT (and now I'm an unhappy camper).
Is premium fuel truly *required* in the XT, or merely recommended? If we opt to put regular fuel in the XT, what would we see? Decreased mileage? Decreased performance? Both? Presumably, we can't damage the engine by putting in a lower-grade fuel, right? (I told you I'm a newbie...)
Any info would be greatly appreciated... thanks so much!
Present it to her in this light: 15 gallons per week (or whatever your use is) times the typical $0.20 extra for premium works out to about $3 extra per week. It's not a killer.
Wow. I see from the XT specs that it already gets lower mileage than the non-XT, and presumably, that's with premium fuel. So with regular fuel, the XT would do even worse.
When you say that the car will "adapt" to the lower-grade fuel, over what period of time does this adaptation occur? (Once again, sorry for being a simpleton.) Suppose we routinely put regular fuel in the car, and then we decide to set off on a 300-mile trip. If we fill it with premium before we leave, are you saying that we won't realize the benefits of the better fuel, because the car will be "used to" the lower-grade fuel?
Even the H6 is tuned for premium fuel. It will retard the timing and try to compensate, but it will lose power and perhaps even a little efficiency, so it may not even save you money in the end.
If fuel effieincy is important to her, the base engine is plenty adequate and returns 23/38 mpg. Get a Legacy wagon and you get 23/30 mpg. Those would be the best choices for someone looking to minimize fuel costs.
-juice
Will the Subie hold up as well or longer then the Honda?
I find the 05 CR-V really addressed a lot of issues (fires notwithstanding) and deficiencies it had when compared to the Subie.
????
Jopopsy