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Comments
Becky
For the type of driving you describe, an Outback or Forester would be best. I have the rear diffy protector and I do recommend it for your type of trails.
I recommend a '97 or later Outback, since it got 165hp and runs on 87 octane (earlier ones needed premium). The seats do fold, and they are fine cars. My cousin has one, and even with 3 kids she refuses to get rid of it.
An alternative would be the '98 or newer Forester. They were cheaper when new, so prices would be lower than the same year Outback. They have the same 2.5l engine with 165hp running on 87 octane, averaging 25.1mpg in my case. The seats recline back and split to fold flat, without having to mess with the bottom cushion. It's lighter and so a bit quicker, too, but slightly shorter and has less passenger room.
My cousin bought her '99 Outback after I bought my '98 Forester. Then my dad joined the club and bought a 2001 Outback Limited. As you can see, these are fine vehicles with lots of repeat buyers.
-juice
We had the hood deflector put on at the factory. Driving up to the ski areas around here is like driving in a gravel storm. :-o Chose the deflector because it's relatively easily removed/replaced, doesn't rub on the paint, deflects a little bit of the bugs off the windshield, etc.
FWIW, Theo
Having said that, and especially since you live in Vermont where many of the roads are less than ideal, I would have a good mechanic go over your prospective purchase with a fine tooth comb.
I also agree with juice, in that I would recommend either an Outback or Forester (given your history) over a Legacy. Why? Larger and beefier tires, more ground clearance, and a HD suspension.
One more thing: the 2.5L vehicles have a longer life-cycle for replacing the timing belt, at 105,000 miles. 2.2L vehicles need to have it done every 60,000 miles.
Bob
Has anyone ever heard of any real problems with using the lighter socket, or is this some sort of strange liability issue created by the Subaru legal department? Since this car is built in Indiana, you would think that some minor concessions would be made to accommodate American driving habits.
Becky
However, I also have a notebook PC with a car charger and it works fine until I start the car. The ignition interferes with the charger some how, and I've had the notebook crash. Nothing a good 3 finger salute can't fix!
Jamie: I have the OE hitch and it never caused a rattle. The dealer that installed yours can probably either tighten it or install washers as spacers to move the hitch down or up a bit.
-juice
We just picked up the car Monday evening, and it's wonderful. (Frank Smith at Staunton Nissan-Subaru in Staunton, Virginia helped us out; over the phone, he matched a quote at straight dealer invoice I had been negotiating with a dealer in Northern Virginia. They did sneak in a $119 "documentation / processing fee" under my nose, though.) It has enough power to easily come back over Afton Mountain, accelerating in 5th gear with the A/C on -- not possible in our Nissan Sentra. Seats are very comfortable, although no long trips yet; the seat warmers work. :-) Plenty of room for humans and cargo, the 3-year-old's car seat fit in just fine. Sound system sounds a little odd to my ears -- I had to cut down the midrange and boost the treble a touch to have it sound natural. And popping up the sunroof or opening windows at 65mph highway speed yields quite a lot of wind noise -- perhaps the aerodynamic profile is not as svelte as the Sentra's. Around town, though the fresh air options are appreciated.
Suspension and the powertrain in general are really nice! Maybe I haven't driven a wide variety of cars lately, but I think it's a superb blend of bump absorption with connectedness to the road. And everyone loves the color.
Well, just wanted to chime in as a happy camper. I fully expect this Subaru to be as reliable as previous ones in our family have been, so I expect to own it for a good long time.
-- Jeff
Of course I have also removed my cross bars.
bit
It would have been nice if they had designed a more stout solution like they did for the various baby seat hooks (they are there if you need them or not). There are probably as many Soobie owners with dogs as there are with kids. Most probably have both:)
...maybe in the next model. Heck it took 4 years to get a decent cup holder.
If the CE light is steady, it's not a serious problem - usually emissions related. A blinking CE light is bad - means the engine is misfiring or other bad problems.
-Brian
Overall these cars are great!
Someone had inquired about a check engine light problem...I believe there has been a recall on this item. My '00 came on 8x or so within the first year. Faulty sensors is what they called it.
My '01 is having an idling problem especially at start up. The rpm's shoot up and down for some reason? It also doesn't idle correctly in general. The dealer states that they don't know how to fix the problem? Anyone else having this problem?
Thanks for your help... Paul
I had trouble starting the car this morning. It was exactly 40 degrees in my garage. The only time I've had trouble starting it is first thing in the morning when the temp is 40 or less. I wonder what it will be like next winter when the temp dips to zero. Trouble starting on chilly mornings is unacceptable.
Becky
Another thought...I thought I heard somewhere that while you start the engine, it stops sending power to all the electric sucking sources in the car? This may be why Juice's notebook occasionally crashes. An example that we can all relate to would be how the radio stops playing when you start the engine. (Note that if this is true, then I will be proud of myself all weekend for being able to offer Juice some new knowledge.)
BTW: I have been runnign my radar detector through the lighter outlet, and sometimes my phone, and never had a problem.
Finally, why is it that Subaru states emphatically that this outlet can only be used for a lighter, but then they do not provide one with the vehicle?
-Greg
Cheers,
-wdb
bit
I also typically wait for the fuel pump to cycle before I actually crank the engine. I don't think about doing it - it just happens. I guess I've been doing that on every car I've ever owned - so it's habit (a good one, IMHO).
There was a discussion about some early H6's having trouble starting, but I thought they were taken care of(or in the process of). Your dealer should be able to help resolve it - if not, Patti (our Subaru rep here in Town Hall) would be able to help you. You may want to post in the Subaru Crew - Meet the Members topic to be sure she see's your post.
power outlet: I've used ours for our cell phones without a problem. Others in the Subaru Crew have also, even radar detectors. One even used a laptop with DVD-ROM! As always, YMMV.
-Brian
Thanks, Becky
Our only winter casualty was a crack in the windsheld that appeared spontaneously while sitting at a red light on a -15 degree day. I assume the defroster running at full tilt against the cold window with the vehicle not moving to dissipate heat resulted in excessive stress. There was a very audible snap when it went. No sign of impact and the crack originated under the moulding on the outside glass laminate. The inside laminate is not cracked. The crack has now progressed about 1/4 of the way across the window and about 8 inches up from the base. Bummer (:-(
Whether or not this will help your cold engine starts, I don't know. I wonder if an ECU reset is in order? I've heard you can disconnect the negative battery terminal for 30 minutes to reset the ECU. (I think I also heard you could do this overnight too.) Again, whether or not this will help, I don't know. It's simple enough that it's worth a shot!
-Brian
So I have two questions: 1. Has anyone else heard of the starter/supplier problems? 2. Is it out of bounds for me to ask them to pull a starter off one of the cars on the lot and give it to me until they get the new one. We had big weekend trips to the mountains planned with this car and now we're hesitant because we don't know if we'll be able to get home.
Any help much appreciated.
I am well out of the USA (in Australia) but one of the recurrent themes through these pages has been the ecxcellent service you get from most dealers but occassional glitches have appeared. Your problem sounds like one of them.
Subaru (the manufacturer) support their product far better than most and it is worthwhile calling them direct to expedite this sort of problem. A representative from Subaru (Patti Mickel) posts regularly on the Subaru Crew - Meet the Members pages. Try looking through some of those pages and see just how determined Subaru is to support its product.
All new products must have an occassional problem. If they can be fixed promptly, you should have no concern. If their is a delay, it damages the ownership experience for you.
Hope the repair is done soon.
By the way, most regular posters to these pages abandon the spell checker. Translating poor typing is a lot easier than untangling the spell checker's "corrections".
Cheers
Graham
However I must thank for adding a little humor to the board with spell checker. "try out the WAD" and "every time the hemp. dips below about 40F" are too hilarious for words.
Thanks!
bit
A few weeks ago we were notified of a recall of the Engine Control Module (WXV79) for a cold starting problem. We have not experienced such a problem, but it didn't get much below freezing last winter. Then a week ago the damned light came on again. So when we took the car in for 12,000km service two days ago they were asked to fix it. The ECM was replaced and we were told that it was also the cause of the light being on.
We will see.
BTW, two articles about the Impreza WRX in today's Vancouver Sun; one a rave review and the other about Pat Richard, a 28 year old who just sold his Vancouver software company Xcert Int'l for US$67 million to RSA Security, and rallys a Subaru sponsored Impreza with great success. Check him out in the Rim of the World Rally this weekend in northern California.
I am looking for advise on fixing slightly leaky rack & Pinion. Leak is just around the actual box & steering shaft. Are there any re-conditioning kits or servicable parts. The steering rack are not worn. Appreciate any advice.
-Parimal
Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons Message Boards
It's cold and snowy here today. "Springtime in the Rockies" as they say around here. Love those seat heaters!!
Some specific replys:
Peterson10 -- Yes, David is my real name. We have alot in common in that we both lost the transmissions in our Subarus, but at least your failed while under warranty. At the time I was very down on Subaru, and swore I would never own another. I've settled down now, and after reading the posts on this list I'm secure in knowing that they are generally good cars. The WRX sport wagon has already caught my attention - I wonder what the insurance is on one of those things?
Ateixeira -- As you note, 91k is alot of miles. But I've known many cars to go many more miles without such a failure. My father owns a construction company with a fleet of large domestic vans and pickups, and rarely replaces transmissions before 150k, even though they are used in the most severe circumstances. I drove my car hard, but not THAT hard. . .
Francofile -- Your diagnosis of the input bearing sounds right on. However, the transmission shop noted a similar noise in 3 of the other gears so there were other problems too. It was not a $6000 job. $6000 was for a brand new transmission, direct from Japan or wherever they are made. The repair job would have cost an estimated $2000.
Other thoughts:
Reliability -- The tone of this site seems to be an almost fanatical devotion to the brand. One other poster mentioned Saturn as having a similar devotion. However, no car is perfect, nor should we assume that every car will be completely trouble free. My 95 Legacy was the most reliable car I've owned so far, but I'm comparing it to a Chevy Blazer and a Ford Taurus. The repair and maintenance items started really cropping up after the 50k mile mark and included, among other things: A crank sensor which failed, rendering the car unstartable (later recalled, Subaru reimbursed me for the repair); two oxygen sensors which caused the check engine light to appear ($100+ each time); the fuel gauge failed, and was repaired by replacing 2 sensors, one of which was near the gas tank and required the removal of the rear seat ($300+); a nasty oil leak at about 80k miles that required the dealer to remove the tranmission (it took them over a week to fix this because they ordered the wrong parts, and to compensate for my inconvenience pretty much charged me $100 for a $600 repair and gave me a loaner car to drive); and the mass airflow sensor failed rendering the car undrivable ($300+).
After writing all of that, I wonder if I didn't get some kind of Subaru lemon that was started Friday afternoon and finished Monday. It was the first year for that body style. Again, compared to my domestic cars this experience is acceptable, but then again it did not leave me jumping up and down about how little trouble Subaru's are compared to any other car.
Regardless, I do not hesitate to recommend Subarus to other people, and may in fact own one again some day.
Legacy vs. Outback -- somebody recently wrote in with some questions about buying a used Legacy for use on bad roads in Vermont. I would strongly recommend buying the Outback over the Legacy. I was always disappointed with the suspension and ground clearance of my Legacy. The small tires and weak struts were easily overcome by rough roads and off road use. Initially, I thought that the Outback was just an appearance package with "tough" looking fog lights and big tires. But I have since had the chance to drive several of them owned by friends and have found the suspension to be far superior. They ride better too!
Also, as per the room in the back of the Legacy / Outback -- the seats fold down and the amount of cargo space rivals many small and mid sized SUVs. My wife used to have a Pathfinder at the time when we also owned the Legacy. We would use the Legacy to haul stuff because the cargo area was larger and more accessible.
Enough ranting for a Saturday morning. Thanks again to all who replied, and for those of you who have not yet read my post 1212 give it a look and let me know what you think.
David
Bob
Just turned 3,000 miles and loving it. Any recommendations on the best bike rack for the wagon?
Thanks
Caleb
bit
hood defector which I took off for cleaning.
Is here anybody who experienced this problem ?
Thanks for any info. Jurek
We usually do not have a supplier problem. Last year, we had some concerns, but it was more related to a conversion of our databases to be 2k compliant.
NOTE TO ALL: If your Sube has a problem and your dealer says you have to wait for parts, please call us. We can use a number of channels to get things moving.
Thanks!
Patti
Caleb: if you also wanted a trailer hitch, the hitch bike rack keeps the bikes from touching the car and are an easy lift to load. Plus it tilts back so you can even open the hatch with the bikes on. Here are photos:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1400062&a=12183762&p=44297052&f=0
Some people prefer roof mounting, but I need the roof for my cargo carrier. The hitch is like bonus space you didn't know you had.
-juice
-Greg
-Greg
I have just over 30K miles on the OB so far, with no major problems. My mileage has improved slightly over the last year, now about 25 mpg. I switched to Amsoil syn. oil at 3K, and also added a K&N air filter. Not sure if this makes a difference or not to mpg effeciency.
The OE rack is meant for 2 bikes, but I've strapped on 3 and it was no problem. We took the 3 bikes all the way up to Gettysburg PA for a Subaru meet SCOA organized.
-juice
I would like to hear from those that have had their H6 (VDC or LLB) for a while (5,000 miles?). What kind of gas mileage are you getting. My commute is pretty typical 18 mile freeway rush-hour commute. My current vehicle ('99 Honda Odyssey) gets around 18 to 19 mpg on the average. What am I likely to get with the H6?
Thanks for the replies...
Paul Sergeant
Twin Cities (Minnesota).
Keep the posts coming, I'm building quite a file of things to remember when shopping for and test-driving a (ta daah) Subaru.
Elizabeth