By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I don't think it has anything to do with the all wheel drive mode. Your running at 90F/10R power distribution in that case, almost front wheel drive.
I think that is just the steering force at very low speeds. The 96 might just have a heavier steering wheel than you are used to.
This was actually an issue with my wife, she did not like the low speed steering on my 96. She said it required too many turns and she had to put too much effort into it. Once the car got moving it was fine. We also test drove a 99 OB and it was the same. Now the 00 and 01 are different creatures. The steering is much lighter than the 96-99.
I'm not sure if there are any advantages to that low speed steering or not, maybe off road there might be. Doesn't really bother me one way or another.
Sheesh!
BTW there are two things that the CR-V need not improve on to compete with Subaru ,or anyone else - reliability and affordability.
The Honda CR is not a viable option for me.
With the on going bus strike, I take my parents shopping and to appointments. The Honda CR would be too high for older and short people to enter and exit.
What is really interesting is the story that Honda is bringing back the Accord station wagon,
but for how much? Can anyone verify the rumor?
Regards,
Balifly
"The ride is reasonably compliant, but handling is just adequate. The engine is fairly noisy, acceleration is less than sizzling, and road noise is very pronounced." and "We prefer the Subaru Forester and the redesigned Toyota RAV4."
They will need to completely retool the CR-V to compete with...
"The Forester is one of the best of the car-based SUVs. It's also the only small SUV to receive a "Good" rating in an insurance-industry offset crash test."
http://www.honda.co.jp/ACCORDwagon/
bit
Tom
http://www.honda.co.jp/ACCORDwagon/env/environment2_1.html
bit
It was an Outback Beige wagon was it not, and some where in South Van near the Fraser River.
The two Mastiffs are Heidi and Greta, the driver would have been a blond women.
My wife and I know her well, and that is why we are looking for a Legacy L. wagon or OBS!
Small world, we are heading up to Kamploops area to do some fly fishing next week. A few days at Knouff lake and then up to Jasper Park to fish Maligne Lake. After which we will be heading to Bonaparte Lake for a few days.
Need room for all the gears, Zodiac, motor,anchors, float tube rodssss:))
Hoping to have a new fish mobile by the fall!
Tight line and screaming reel.
>><<<<<@>
Balifly
Ross
I was reading some of the earlier post, trying to soak up some knowledge. I came upon #1472 and though what a coincident! My wife walks our Siberian Husky Tara at Fraser River Park. The two Mastiff are Tara's favourite pals since they were puppies.
Their owner introduced us to the Subaru wagon, at present my wife is trying to decide between Legacy L. or OBS 2002 5 both in 5 speed
Time will tell! I am keeping quiet in the mean time
Regards,
Balifly
Ross - I am going up to see her on Friday and will E-mail you a full fishing report as previously promised when I return.
Cheers, Tom
p.s. I didn't know this was a Canadian Site ;-)
Dave B.
Ross
I have read some of the comments on the Subaru boards over the past several months, but this is my first post. It is now definitely time to replace my current car (a '94 Saturn SW2), and I have narrowed down my choice to either an H4 Outback Limited (automatic) or the H6 OB LL Bean. I am concerned about the lack of acceleration with the H4, although - in a limited test drive of both cars - I did not feel too much of a difference. Is the Bean worth the extra ~$2000? I will be moving to Indiana (West Lafayette, next to the Subaru plant), commuting 10 miles a day on mostly flat country roads, and doing some occasional trips on flat, straight IN freeways. I know that the Bean will give me better acceleration, but I had some questions about the possible downsides. I have read that the front passenger legroom is ~4 inches less in the Bean. Also, there was apparently an issue with cold start problems with the first H6s, although it sounds like this has been solved. In addition, does anyone have a feel for how much less the mileage is with the H6 in the real world? I am looking in particular for comments from people who just bought the H4 or H6 - and their reasons why. In addition, do people have any recommendations of good dealerships in either central Indiana or southeastern Michigan? Thank you very much.
PS I have thought about some of the other Subaru offerings, and here are my reasons for not considering them - Legacy GT - We wanted the extra ground clearance of an Outback, for trips down dirt roads; Forester - we wanted to buy the "hometown" car, and I like the looks of the OB better; Impreza or OB Sport - too small in the back.
PPS - I am not Canadian, but I can see Windsor from my office window - I hope that can still post a message on this Canada/Subaru board
Bob
Greg
When I bought my Bean I had already test driven a whole variety of vehicles...my criteria for selection were: auto, 4wd, suv/station wagon...or possibly 4-door pick-up truck. I wanted more ground clearance, more doors, reliability etc. I was driving a 2 door Honda Accord and with 2 kids (plus one on the way) the coupe just wouldn't cut it for the times when the van is not available. So, I narrowed it down to Subaru after driving them and being blown away by the handling and performance. I first drove a VDC, then the Limited. Since I wanted an automatic, the 4-cyl (although it was strong) just didn't provide the power or smoothness I wanted. I ultimately chose the Bean because of the price being very competative with the limited, plus, conditions here in Atlanta don't merrit the additions handling control. Also, my insurance wanted to charge me $100 more per 6mo due to higher anticipated costs of repair!
As for my car, it is a Bean Ed in Wintergreen and has the spoiler, rear-diff. protector, 6-cd, subwoofer, and cargo mat. I drive 40 mi each way to work plus up to the mountains on weekends to go on bike rides. I average 23 mpg on mostly highway with some stop-and-go and city driving along the way. I routinely allow the car to shift at the red-line...it sounds soooo nice at higher rpm. Soon I will be taking a long road trip Atlanta-Miami and I will find out how good the mileage is on strait highway.
BTW other vehicles I test drove: Rav4, Tundra, 4-Door Tacoma, CR-V, MDX (would have been first choice if $$ allowed), GMC Z71 4x4 xtra cab, Mazda Tribute.
I hope this helps! Good luck.
One more thing to consider, the H-6 will probably be the better vehicle when its fully loaded. If you do a fair amount of driving with "stuff"—people/cargo/towing, I would go with the H6.
Bob
I have a '00 OB Ltd wagon (H4, 5-speed), owned since March 2000, around 12K miles.
In general, I feel that 4-cylinder engines are more appropriately matched with manual transmissions. Having said that, the 2.5L H4 is a large 4-banger. Your message implied that you'll mostly be a flat-land user. In that case, you could probably get by with the H4 and an auto. If you plan any trips to mountain country, you might want to reconsider; ditto if you plan a really full load on a regular basis.
We got our OB just before gas prices took off last year, and are glad to have the drive train combo we have - including getting by with regular gas. But for us mountain types, the H4 calls for a 5-speed. Headed across Stevens Pass to Leavenworth (Washington) yesterday, and was glad on a couple of occasions to be able to hang back behind a slow-mover (uphill) in third gear, then be able to jump on it and get by in a short passing zone. BTW, averaged just a shade over 28 mpg on the trip - 3 adults and not much else in the car. Typical of my trip mileage.
Your situation is pretty equivocal - I'd suggest you drive all the combinations, including the 5-speed.
Cheers from the PNW.
Ken M.
Greg
I previously owned a '96 Outback. The difference between the two is quite pronounced. The new one is so much quieter, more powerful and filled with lots of creature comforts. With the narrow difference in price over the LTD, you should strongly consider the LL Bean.
Good luck.
Don
My '98 OB AT does something like that too, and 3 years later it still does it. It is like the car is rushing you to accelerate. It expects you to be at a certain mph/rpm, and if you're not it will rush, or rev the rpm, and shift (and then "thunk" rude reminder).
bit
Thanks Mike
If you literally have to slam them to get the doors to latch, I'd say that they (meaning the latching mechanisms) are out of adjustment (assuming, of course, that they can BE adjusted). A somewhat more ominous possibility is that something structural happened to your car before you took delivery, and the door is fundamentally out of alignment with its frame. That would not be a trivial problem (more like a "return the car" problem) but is not unheard of in unibody cars (almost all, now).
I think you're describing something significantly more difficult than Bit's "extra effort."
Good luck - and keep us posted.
Ken M.
Given that you just got your car, I think it just need time to break-in. Have you ever noticed in the showroom cars (if they've been there awhile), you'll find that the doors on the driver side closes easier than the passenger?
Hey, your car never made it to the showroom.
We had the exact same decision to make re the LTD vs the Bean. We actually would have liked the 5 speed but of course it's n/a in the H6.
Spent alot of time driving both cars. We did not feel too much power difference off the line, but these being new cars with few miles we didn't press the issue too boldly. The initial reaction was that there was a great difference in smoothness between the 5 speed LTD and the auto Bean. The Bean was much quieter as well
We could have done w/o some of the LL Bean logos and stuff, but no choice there. After much debate we decided on the Bean. Picked it up in Irvine ,CA for $100 over invoice with no garbage fees and took the 2.9% for the entire price except for the $2K they let us put on the credit card (for FF points)
We have just completed 1000 miles and feel like we made the right choice. Most of our miles are highway so the extra power on hills at our elevation (8000-10000) Power keeps on coming right up to redline with no strain. Milage has been right at 25 (using 91-92 octane) with 90% hiway time. No problems of any kind. The ECM problem was solved from what I understand around March (we were sure to get a late production car...April of 01)
I think which ever model you decide on you will not be disappointed. This is our 3rd Subaru and the other 2 are still around (an 86 with 250K miles and a 95 with 150K)
Let us know what you do
Goodf Luck
Can't help you much with the engine thing. When I bought my wagon I didn't have the choice of the H6, but even if I had, I'd have gotten the H4 for the lower sticker price and better gas mileage. And even if I had the money to burn for the bigger engine and gas, the lack of a manual tranny would have kept me out of it. I spent eight years driving a mini van, I couldn't wait to get back into something I could shift! Good luck with whatever you end up with.
Dave B.
I'm with you on 5-speeds (haven't driven the few 6-speeds that exist), but here's a tidbit for you to ponder about minivans. The vehicle my OB was bought to replace (until my 17-year-old daughter adopted it) was a 1989 Dodge Caravan LE - 5-speed turbo (2.5L OHC 4-banger) - had to special order it, of course. Excellent linkage, nice clutch if a bit stiff, terrific performance - both mileage and acceleration, and a ball to drive (well, for a minivan that is) with the sports suspension and bigger wheels/tires. And best of all, it was actually reliable! In 1989, the turbo 4 produced more HP than the Mitsubishi 6 Chrysler used in the minis. I've driven that van all over the country, and have often gotten 30 mpg at "low" highway speeds (55-60 - 2-lane type roads in Texas, etc.). Darn near got 600 miles out of a single 20-gallon tank, but the boss made me refuel as she was getting pretty nervous! A major reason I went for the OB was because I could get it with a 5-speed; I don't think anyone makes a non-commercial minvan with a manual anymore. Now, if Mazda had put their 3.0L V-6 and a 5-speed into that new MPV (instead of that dog 2.5L), I could have been had...
Cheers!
Ken M.
Becky
Thanks, Becky
3 booster seats won't fit the back seat properly or at all(at least 3 Century Grand Explorer's). We have a 2000 OB and use 2. It leaves enough room for another child without the booster (or an adult in a pinch). Yes, all three positions have shoulder belts and they all have ratcheting ALR/ELR mechanisms. Hope this helps.
Live Happy,
Chris
I had that same engine, in my 89 Shadow ES. With a five speed. Knowing what it did for your van, you can imagine what a blast it was in my little hatchback. It was the first car I ever special ordered, and I thought it was pretty good performance for the money.
I remember a salesman telling me how they sold that engine in the mini-van with a five speed, and how it out-performed the V6. But by 1992 when I bought my mini-van, the 3.0 liter six in it put out the same horsepower (150) as the turbo four used to. The Shadow ES by that time was also getting the 3.0. As far as I know, the 2.5 turbo was no longer available at that time.
After having said all that, I can only imagine what the WRX with 227hp must feel like!
Dave B.
As for windows, my Camry used to do the same thing. It definitely was air pressure - so your father in law still has his mind in tact. If I cracked the window a little the door closed easily, if the windows were all up the door took extra effort. I do notice a little bit of a difference with my OB with the windows up vs. down.
Hope this helps,
Greg
I strongly recommend that anyone considering a new car purchase, to test the model they like, several times, several days apart, and perhaps at different dealers too. The more you test it, the more informed you are, and the better able you are to make the correct decision.
Good luck.
Bob
I have to admit that my 01 OB makes a most solid and pleasing Thud as it closes compared to my 96.
Bob
Again , once your car is broken in don't be afraid to keep the revs up
John
Thanks