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Comments
Becky
Michael: I would try an ECU reset. With a cool engine, pull the negative terminal from the battery. Wait 30 minutes, then reconnect. Let it idle until warm then drive off. Now, the ECU will be "learning" your driving habits, so drive aggressively if what you want is good passing power.
Chuck: bleeding the brakes is the same as in any other vehicle. 30k is a bit earlier than necessary, IMO. I've never heard of anyone changing power steering fluid.
Regarding the trans solenoid, I think there were no responses simply because noone has done this and we're not familiar with it. If that's the case, it's likely not necessary.
-juice
Took an impromptu trip to Maine yesterday (boy did I regretted it this morning) just to have lunch(clam chowder, fried clam basket and oyster 1/2s @ Boone's).
Anyway, when I arrived at Portland, a familiar burnt rubber odor was coming from the engine compartment, more so from the front wheel well.
Is my CV Joint, DOJ, whatever you call it, giving out? Had those recalls done long time ago, as well as a wheelseal replaced. Or, could it be something else?
Anyone with insights to take with me, no not to Maine, to the Dealer Service?
TIA
Dave
Short of a suction siphon I don't see any way to change the PS fluid (don't worry your car will get old and it will leak out on its own accord in time).
Of course, it's not rubbed on like a good paste wax, so you can imagine how long it will last. I'd say for the in-between car washes, it's fine, but I'd still wax by hand twice a year.
-juice
Min elevation: 6 metres
Max elevation: 3,600 metres
Max speed: 145 kmh
Min speed: 0 kmh
Distance on gravel roads: 135 km
Max speed on gravel with trailer: 80 kmh
Max speed on gravel without trailer: 100 kmh
Max ambient temperature: 31C
Min ambient temperature: -6C
More later. Stay tuned if you are interested in towing with an H4.
-juice
Frank
Of course we use metric in Canuckland, and mileage is expressed as litres per 100 km. As I was brought up in the imperial age I find mpg a more useful measure, but it gets confusing when buying gas in US gallons and recording the distance in km.
Anyway, I did record my fuel consumption and will post the figures when I have time to write a brief commentary.
Pros:
AWD: The advantage of AWD was brought home to me once again this weekend while driving in a fairly heavy rain. Maneuvering at close to highway speeds was a snap. The responsiveness of the suspension in adverse weather is very predictable. This vehicle handles much better than any SUV I have driven.
Comfort: The OB is smooth and quiet, almost as quiet as a Camry. This vehicle really has a refined ride but with much better road feel than a Camry.
Interior: This is my first vehicle with leather interior and I had second thoughts about buying the Ltd because of the leather interior. After over a year, I have changed my opinion about leather. The leather in the OB Ltd is done very well. A couple of treatments per year with Lexol and it should stay in good shape. The heated seats have really spoiled my wife and I, we love them.
Cargo capacity: I feel that the OB has as much usable cargo capacity as most SUV's. I know that most SUV's quote greater cubic inch cargo capacities, but the OB just seems to be more usable.
MPG: Much better than the Chevy Blazer I got rid of. (But, see cons below)
Cons:
Dealer Service - I have not had a particularly good dealer service experience. Three trips to the dealer to properly diagnose and fix a blown door speaker, three trips to properly diagnose and replace a front strut. (And it sounds as if the problem my be returning.) This underscores my lack of confidence with dealer service departments.
Parts Availability: Here is the basic drill that I have gotten: Oh, you need a new speaker/front strut/cabin air cleaner element. It is not in stock. Should be here in a week.
So, this means at LEAST two trips to get a problem fixed/part replaced (three if they misdiagnose). When I went to the parts department to get two bottles of touch-up paint, they had to order it. Come on, that’s ridiculous!
Paint: Not a real big deal here but I have gotten quite a few paint chips on the front end. This seems like a relatively easy fix for SOA.
MPG: For a 4-banger, my mileage has not been up to par. I have gotten mileage ranging from a high of 24.4 mpg (mostly highway) to a low of 17.8 mpg (mostly city on winter blend gas). The average tankfull mpg over the past year has been 20.4 mpg. Not terrible mileage, but not quite what I was hoping to achieve.
Conclusions: Both my wife and I really like this car. I know that I have mentioned a few Cons but none of these would prevent me from doing it all over again. As a matter-of-fact, my wife is so impressed with the OB and AWD, in particular, that we just bought a Forester for her. This has really been the first time that she has expressed a strong interest in a particular car. I know that the H-4 gets knocked sometimes for being underpowered, but truthfully I really do not have a problem with it. Even with the 4EAT, I feel it has plenty of punch for merging onto highways and other maneuvers.
I have been lurking on and off for a few months to see what people thought of their vehicles, and it is now time to join in and post....
MOTIVATION:
I began looking at Legacys and Outbacks last Spring ('01 models), but decided to
soldier on with my aging '93 Toyota Corolla wagon due to concerns about the sagging economy.
Then came Sept 11, and the subsequent call by our President to spend money to save the American way. While no great fan of Mr. Bush, he is right that fear and reservation feeds our
enemies. That next weekend we resumed the hunt for new wheels. Tried out a Highlander, Legacy L and Outback.
OPINION:
Highlander - Another great Toyota, but way too expensive for the package
Legacy L - A bit too basic. Nice riding, but uncomfortable drivers (not power) position
Outback wagon - Power seat, better headlights, limited slip diff, Just Right for not much additional money!
THE DEAL:
We came away with a '02 Outback wagon (base model) with automatic, cargo net and bumper cover for $22,350 (sticker $24,339, invoice $22,100). At the last minute we added the overpriced CD player for $400. We could have saved about $125 if we took a blue wagon with factory installed CD, but wanted a dark green car. The service dept wanted pretty much full retail to order and install the player. They offered $3500 for the Corolla (equivalent to about $3750 with the sales tax credit on trades in NY). We could have made a few hundred more by selling it privately, but as I found out a few years ago, sometimes it is not worth the time and hassle. The low cost Subaru/Chase 5.5% / 60 month financing cinched the sale. Overall, a decent deal. I got a slightly better selling price for a nearly identical OB from a dealer in nearby CT, but decided to keep the money in my community. With everything that is going on now, this maybe isn't the time to fight for the last dime....
Never owned a Subaru before, but have a sometimes rough wintertime commute over (occasionally) unplowed farm roads in Dutchess County, NY. The Corolla was a good winter car, but with insufficient ground clearance. I have high hopes for the OB!!!!
A FEW QUESTIONS:
Has anyone ordered and installed the trailer hitch kit (L1010LS001) or the security system (H7110LS100) themselves? How good are the instructions? Everything included? Any drilling, welding or cutting into wiring harnesses required? I am a good backyard mechanic, but don't want to butcher anything. Any help or pointers are appreciated!
Thanks,
Steve H.
I had a wonderful shopping experience. This was my first time shopping for a new car, and I followed a procedure that is recommended on the site motleyfool.com. Basically, it involves shopping dealers located within 100 miles by fax. I was curious as to how this method of shopping would 'work', and from my experience, it was great. I shopped ten dealers (fleet/sales managers), received quotes from six, and then allowed the dealers to bid against each other. After two dealers came back a second time to beat the original lowest bid, the original lowest bidder was offered a chance to then sell the car if they could beat the new lowest bid. No deal. I then went back to the second place bidder, who out of the ten dealers was the only salesman I was dealing with, and he again beat the lowest bid. The bid I received was this... $26,615 for a 2001 LL Bean with Subwoofer/Amp, Rough Road group and trailer hitch. Also included was the cargo net. I chose, and it was no problem to do so, to opt for the Subaru financing in lieu of the $750 dealer cash. The price I paid was $27,365, not including tax and fees.
BTW, the reason I was faxing the salesman at this particular dealership was because my experience with him during a previous visit was extremely positive. He was very pleasant, informative, and not at all pushy. He actually had a prior engagement the night that I took delivery of the Bean, but I had just as good experience with the salesman who took care of the delivery of the vehicle. For those of you in So Cal, check out Dennis, or Mike, at Timmons Subaru.
I have pictures posted of the new Bean. As an afterthought, and in reply to a previous posting, I also have pictures of the interior and the Weathertech floor mats that I purchased. Thoughts on the mats... the Subaru rubber mats are fitted exactly for the odd dimensions of the floor and because of that, in my opinion, have a cleaner look then the Weathertechs. But because the Weathertechs are not a perfect fit, they are larger and cover more of the area. Though not as form fitting as the Subaru mats, I would make the decision again to purchase the Weathertechs because of their size, depth and ability to protect the carpet.
Check the pics out here, http://home.earthlink.net/~colinis/outback/.
And my thoughts regarding the Bean itself, I absolutely love it. I am stopping by the dealer tomorrow morning, though, as I've had a 'check engine' light on for the last two days.
Thanks to all,
Colin
Well, it appears that the tinny rattle is starting to come back gradually, so it may be back to the dealer soon.
If you are experiencing a front end clunk when moving at slow speed over small bumps, I believe that it is considered "normal". I recall someone posting info on this quite a while ago.
Perhaps someone can chime in if they remember?
Ron
-Ralph
-juice
That's why it's great to have this Town Hall. Now we know.
-juice
I was interested in the Highlander, but the price on them is way out of my range. My real fantasy is a Doublecab Toyota Tacoma 4x4, but they seem to get around 19mpg average. How about a good pep talk? Thanks!!!
My 5 speed Forester averages 25mpg, but it's a manual. A slightly heavier auto Outback with the same engine would probably get about 23-24mpg on average.
In terms of size, they've actually grown a bit. The 2000 got wider, which you can tell if you have 3 across in the rear seat.
Look at the Legacy L, Outback, and Legacy GT. I'm sure you'll find something you'll like.
-juice
I normally get 26 to 28 mpg with my 2001 OB. However I do almost entirely interstate driving. When adding in a bit more stop-and-go, it drops down to the 25 or 26 range. If I ever did all in-town 20 to 22 would probably be the low end.
Size wise, its great. I'm 6' 4" and it has the leg room for me and enough in the back seat for the kids in car seats. Also has enough room for a weekend trip for 4 to the in-laws.
We are even thinking of trading the mini-van for another subaru.
--jay
I choose the white for my Bean. Although it is actually an off-white pearly kind of color, it is the first white car I owned. I used to have a "gold" car that hid dirt very well, but find the Outback white to do just as good a job in that regard. In fact, it surprises me to see the amount of dirt that washes off when I do get around to washing it!
Steve
Greg
My wife and I had a 91 Legacy L wagon, 5sp manual, Front Wheel Drive that we sold to our next door neighbor at 61,000mi. We replaced it with a 00 Legacy GT wagon, 5sp manual, AWD. My wife commutes (urban), gets 20mpg. I drive on vacations (highway), get 27-30mpg. We prefer manual over auto transmissions but it's really a personal preference. A manual transmission isn't practical in heavy urban traffic or for those with painful joint disease (knee arthritis). I didn't care for the downshifting of the 00 auto; others don't mind. Try driving in a hilly area to see if it bothers you.
Also on the test drive, compare the suspension of the L, GT, and Outback; the GT is a little stiffer and I'm glad my wife convinced me to go with the GT (though for other reasons like fabric).
The 02 cockpit might seem smaller than the 90 because the dash curves toward the driver for easier access to AC and radio controls. Measure the distance between the rear wheel wells; you'll find the 02 wider due to a multi-link suspension instead of the 90's struts. Another thing you'll notice is the steering wheel only tilts; the 90 tilts and telescopes (oh, well). Our 00 is quieter than the 91.
Feel free to ask other questions.
..Mike in MD
..Mike
(due to a bug in the Emunds software).
..Mike
..Mike
Then last night my wife got t-boned in our 2000 Honda Odyssey van. It's not drivable. That, coupled with a bit of buyers remorse, has left me thinking of just buying a Winestone 2001 LL Bean off the lot. That color is my second choice, but I really like the new Regatta Red much better. On the other hand, I could have the car today and probably save about $1200 in price. Hmmmm, what to do. Any opinions?
Regardless, I'm firmly planted in the ranks of the Subaru fans.
Shannon
Just my opinion.
Mike
I've been shopping around lately for an all wheel drive 4 door sedan and the Outback Limited H6. I know most of the Outbacks are wagons but I really like the uniqueness of the 4 door, I definitely don't see as many on the road. I'm just looking for feedback on the car to see how everyone likes them, and also to find a good dealer in my area. I live in Southwestern CT not far from the Westchester County NY line. I'm willing to travel within the area for the right dealership experience. I test drove the '01 Outback Limited 4 cylinder and while I liked it, I think I'd like the smoothness of a 6 cylinder better. Anyway, any feedback in general would be appreciated. Thanks...
I know that once you are without a car, you feel the pressure to hold out or just buy...I am very happy with my 01 bean, but at the time I bought it, neither the WRX or the redesinged Odyssey were available. I could not have waited that long anyway, but, your preferred color vehicle should not take that long to get. Given those choices today, I am not sure I would have bought what I did, but, as it is, I am very happy. Besides liking the color better, another good reason to wait on the 02 is the redesigned console.
Is there a chance you have a rental car coverage during the repairs or replacement of the Odyssey?
BTW, my other car is a 99 MB Odyssey. Have you been over to www.odyclub.com? If not, you ought to check it out!
-r
I drove an H6 VDC recently and liked it alot. I have a Bean wagon, so I had a good comparison. I felt the sedan was a little stiffer and with the shorter wheel base, it felt more nimble around twisty roads. I also think it got up and went better due to the slightly lower weight.
I think if you went with the sedan you would definately have a unique vehicle and would enjoy it very much. I would not trade my wagon since that was specifically what I was looking for, but the sedan sure was nice.
-r
-mike
The insurance company is paying for a rental while the van is repaired. Then comes the hassle of dealing with the repair, diminished value, etc......
Shannon
I drove an H6 VDC recently and liked it alot. I have a Bean wagon, so I had a good comparison. I felt the sedan was a little stiffer and with the shorter wheel base, it felt more nimble around twisty roads. I also think it got up and went better due to the slightly lower weight.
I think if you went with the sedan you would definately have a unique vehicle and would enjoy it very much. I would not trade my wagon since that was specifically what I was looking for, but the sedan sure was nice.
-r
Shannon - I hope your wife and any passengers (kids?) where not injured. Having said that, don't settle. If you really want the 02, it's best to wait if you can.
Side question - is there a new blue for 02? I see the advertisements on the tube and it appears the blue is lighter....or am I getting too old.
Greg
-mike
Winestone was discontinued in 01; perhaps it will be more unique. OTOH, when you sell it, the color might look dated. Manufacturers follow the finicky trends of the consumer; there's a reason Subaru dropped maroon. Winestone might be less desirable when you sell it.
Regarding 01 vs. 02, consider the value of the car if you had to sell it today. To a buyer, an 01 will be worth less than a 02, even if never driven. In my mind, the 01 has already depreciated. More than $1,200? I don't know.
..Mike in MD
..Mike
BTW, not V6, H6. The cylinders are laid out in a horizontally opposed fasion. Then again, you could look at it as a 180 degree vee. :-)
Daniel: my wife really likes the sedans. If they were available in H6/5 speed we'd strongly consider one.
paisan: the H6 sedan comes in a non-LL Bean "base" model and then a VDC.
-juice
chuck