Subaru Outback VDC

paisan · November 2001

IIRC and I'll check tonight, my XT6 can tow 1500 un-braked trailer.

-mike

mrkite1 · November 2001

Hi,

Hope this is the right place for this..

Bought a 2001 LL Bean in Sept. This car replaces my 1990 Legacy wagon 120K miles which is now in the hands of my son...

Think I got a good deal on the Bean...Payed $27,974.00 out the door tax, lic, trans etc...

The car has the sub-woofer, tweeters, rear dust defector, 6-cd changer, cargo net...

Really like the car been great so far!
I have 1,600 miles on it...Had Oil Changed...and LF Speaker replaced so far...

I'm looking at installing better speakers anyone done this yet? Also looking at adding some sound deadening material to doors etc anyone done that yet?

Only things I don't like about the car are
Lack of power outlet up front...
Lack of real Trip Computer...Would like to get the same info you can get in Chevy Impala...
Interior light goes out to quick to be of any use finding Key slot at night...
Lack of memory for Drivers seat would like to ber able to store my setting so I don't have to readjust after wife drives car...

We like the car and think we got a good deal on it...Hope to keep it for at least 10 years like previous Subaru...

Great to finally be able to write here...

Any comments???

rsholland · November 2001

I don't know of any Amer-spec Subie that Subaru says can tow over 1000 pounds without brakes.

Bob

rsholland · November 2001

Enjoy the new ride. FYI: the '02 Outbacks have a ignition key ring that is lit for night time use. You may want to see if you can retro-fit it to your car?

Bob

ateixeira · November 2001

Welcome, er...welcome back?

Congrats. Nice car. Hope you like it as much as the one you gave up for it.

I swapped the speakers in my Forester, from the base ones to the premium sound. I would go aftermarket if you want an improvement from yours, though.

There is a power outlet up front, isn't there? I charge my phone with the one in mine.

It does have two trip odometersa and a temp gauage, right? Maybe not all the features you had before, but better than average. There should be a light over the keyhole, I agree. I think Pat from the Subaru Crew custom-made one for his Legacy GT.

The solution for the lack of seat memory is to hog the car for yourself! ;-)

-juice

petew3 · November 2001

lstp- I use a yakima rack with my 2001 VDC & have had no problem with the rack getting in the way of opening the rear door all the way. I have steelheads and trays for the bikes, ski carrier, and kayak stackers. When the stacker is in down position (toward the rear) it does contact the rear window when the door is opened but moves easily up & out of the way. I suspect your friend has the rear cross bar mounted too far back.
AND...has anyone gotten any resolution from Subaru on the brake squeal problem???

ateixeira · November 2001

Some folks here have posted good results with the brake fix. Read up a few posts, it's not too far back.

-juice

paisan · November 2001

There should be at least 1 power point/cig lighter outlet in the front of the car.

-mike

paisan · November 2001

I feel like a tool.

"Towing is not reccomended on the XT or XT6 models"

-mike

rsholland · November 2001

That is unusual. I thought all Subies (except maybe the micro-Subies sold elsewhere) could tow, even just a little...

I wonder about SVXs? Can they tow, and if so, how much?

Bob

paisan · November 2001

Can not tow either. I remember reading that this summer in my uncle's SVX manual.

-mike

mrkite1 · November 2001

All,

Well we do have a outlet up front but manual says only for Subaru Cig lighter...
Have the real power outlet in the back cargo area.
So guess have to look for after market solution...

Yep got he usual temp and fuel gauge and idiot lights...But take a look at most GM 2002 cars they have a great Computer built into them...Tracks total gals of fuel, mileage, trips, air temp, and Garage door opener and a bunch more stuff...

So I think Subaru is way ahead on the engineering side maybe just needs a bit of catch-up on the "goodies" side...

Anyone have info on just how hard is it to remove door panels on a Bean? To access the speakers?

Thanks,

subearu · November 2001

I've used the front 'cig lighter' outlet for charging our cell phone. Others here and in the Subaru Crew owners clubs have also had no problems using that outlet for powering similar devices. I think it's fine with something like a radar detector, cell phone, cd player, etc.

What are you trying to power up?

-Brian

nygreg · November 2001

Used it for air compressor to adjust the air in my tires.

Hey Tom - U R A Bus. Never saw that before. Thats funny.

Greg

mikenk · November 2001

As an ardent audiophile, I love to demo the Mac system. I believe that it demos best on Jazz, which I really don't like. I recently found a nice cd (The Rippington's, Life in the Tropics)that both demos well and that I like to actually listen to. It was in the Jazz section at Best Buy and had bunches of crisp sharp instruments but within a smooth overall rhythm.

Mike

ateixeira · November 2001

XT6 is pretty low, and a hitch receiver would almost drag on the ground.

I replaced the speakers on my Forester. The panels pop off easily. Yours are probably similar, so check out the photos I took here.

-juice

dukephoto · November 2001

If you go to Subaru's website (WWW.SUBARU.COM), go to the FAQ section, and then technical information, they talk about using the outlet for your cell phone. You can, but they say you can never then use it for a cigarette lighter again.
Which for all of you non-smokers out there, makes it a non-issue.

Dukephoto

ateixeira · November 2001

That seems really odd. Oh well, another reason not to smoke (I don't).

-juice

nygreg · November 2001

couldn't you use it again for a lighter? It doesn't make sense to me. It is just a plug that supplies power. hmmm

Greg

subearu · November 2001

the cig lighter must feel left out after not being used.

-Brian

dukephoto · November 2001

According to Subaru, if you use an accessory plug it may damage the portion of the receptacle's internal mechanism (bi-metal) that causes the cigarette lighter plug to "pop-out" after its lighter element is heated. This could cause the lighter not to pop out after it heats up, and start a fire. They also say that if you ever want to use it again as a lighter, you have to replace the whole assembly.

DUKEPHOTO

theob · November 2001

Mike,
How does "Tropics" compare to "Welcome to St. James Club"? I have St. James available to me, but would have to go find Tropics.
Thanks, Theo in Colo.

paisan · November 2001

Actually Juice, the rear of the XT6 is quite high, even with the stock airbags. And they would just level out the rear no matter how much trailer weight you put on it. Mine is now much higher in the back than say a forester or OB.

-mike

ateixeira · November 2001

Good point, I had forgotten about the self-leveling suspension.

Did you know the turbo Foresters from overseas have this feature?

-juice

mikenk · November 2001

I am not familiar with "Welcome to St James Club" but I would guess it would be similar as a demo. At a dinner party last week, the host had used "tropics" as a demo for his in house system; that was the first time I had actually been aware of the Rippingtons.

Mike

trocco · November 2001

Anybody's got pictures of the outback sedan?

matias

ateixeira · November 2001

Subaru.com probably does. Check them out at the dealer. The "butch sedan" look actually translates quite well IMO.

-juice

otis123 · November 2001

The Rippington's are great! Saw them a couple weeks ago at the Paramount Theatre in Peekskill, New York. Not sure if they are touring...

theob · November 2001

The Rippingtons were at the Paramount in Denver a year or two ago (probably since). We saw them then along with Craig Chaquico. But then Russ Freemen (founder of the Ripps) lives in Colorado and might just drive a Sube!;-) Their guitar album together, "Redwoods to the Rockies" (Windham Hill) sounds very good on the Mac. Might have to get some more Ripps for the car :-)
Theo in Colo.

mikenk · November 2001

Shoot, I thought I had discovered something new with these guys. Oh well, but they do sound great on the Mac; also the "tropics" would be a great highway cd for those boring stretches on my trips from Texas to Colorado, but I need to get some earplugs for the wife.

Mike

sweet_subie · November 2001

I am in Houston..have a 01 OB auto. I will be moving to Boston in a month.

Trying to sell mine for 2 reasons:
- I would prefer a weather package
- It would cost me $1300 to move but I can sell for that difference.

Based on what I have been reading, I like the VDC.......but I have the following questions:

1. If I am considering a car 31k......Do I have other choices......like the highlander.....will I get Highlander for same price with awd, vdc, & navigation system !

2. Is VDC considerably better than the OB regular auto ? I know the features in VDC, but is it still worth the 8k difference ?

3. Is premium fuel a requirement or recommended for vdc ?

Thanks for your comments in advance !!!!

rsholland · November 2001

1. My guess is the Highlander will be more expensive, comparably equipped. You can't yet get a "Nav" system in a Subie.

2. Only you can decide. It's not $8K more than an LL Bean, which is really the question you're asking.

3. Recommended; if you use regular, you will lose some power, but that's about it.

Bob

nygreg · November 2001

I guess the question is, would you rather drive a car or a truck? The Highlander is much larger and truck-like than the OB.

Greg

paisan · November 2001

It's a high camary at best! Don't insult us truck owners like that Greg!

The highlander is just overpriced IMHO.

-mike

nygreg · November 2001

I know the Highlander is based on the Camry platform. Kinda a big car, don't you think? I did use the term "truck-like". Is that OK?

Greg

paisan · November 2001

We in the Truck area say the highlander is "car-like"

The camary is a mid-size car at best IMHO, then again I'm used to an old '74 old 98 and some lincoln town cars...

-mike

trocco · November 2001

How useful is it offroad?

I tried taking it to a dirt road when i testedrove it, but the dealer wouldn't let me.

I'm currious to know what would happen on a hilly dirt road or sth like that.

I'm afraid it would apply breaks to the wheels or even cut engine power and the response time would be worse than with the VDC off. (any 2002 owners have tried it?)
(i guess this is similar to the previously discussed situation of being stuck in snow and vdc not letting you even start)

Sometimes when you are offroad, the last thing you want is to loose engine power or even apply brakes. Many times, you just wanna keep your momentum going even if that means spinning your wheels.

Any thoughts?

Matias

trocco · November 2001

I think the extra ground clearance and the bigger engine does tons of good. But i think the biggest problem with the outbacks offroad (aside from not having a 4x4 Low) is that their angle of attack is really small.

The tv comercial says that it has more ground clearance than many SUV's, but if you pay attentiong to the angle of attack of most SUV's is much greater. It would be nice if subaru could somehow add an extra couple of inches to the front end clearance. Or maybe even sloping the bottom would have the same effect. (just like the back end is sloped)

i think this would be a challenge for aesthetics engineers, cause i think the front ends looks really nice as it is.

What do you all think?

Matias

paisan · November 2001

Check out pics at http://isuzu-suvs.com under Paisan's Trooper section and in the events section there is pics of our offroad trips with subies. Links at:

http://caroga.net/misc/07-04-00/subaru.html

http://isuzu-suvs.com/subaru/pinebarrens.html

http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/

-mike

paisan · November 2001

Is very poor off-road. It's FWD based so the oil and tranny pans are nice and low. Picture putting bigger tires on a camary and taking it offroad.

-mike

rsholland · November 2001

may be FWD based, but its AWD power split is 50/50, like the RX300, and unlike most Subaru automatics which have a 90/10 split.

Bob

revka · November 2001

Thanks for sharing those. ;-)

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards

luishl · November 2001

I took my '02 vdc sedan back in August to phantom canyon drive located here in Colorado. It is a graveled but paved off-road stretching for about 15-20 miles. It ends up in a small mining town called victor which is about 8-9k mi. above sea level. The road is winding, sometimes twisty with tight turns and goes through tunneled passes. When I started the drive, there were 2 or 3 pick up trucks and suv's ahead of me. The vdc just took to this road like a duck would take to the water. I didn't want to push it but it somehow told me to. I was soon going 30 mph - 40 mph - 50 mph ON DIRT ROAD. The trucks in front of me I think got the message and moved aside to let me get ahead. I have never done this before and I knew I was taking a risk, this being a brand new car and all but it was so much fun doing it and the car gave me such confidence in it. In tight turns, this car did not lose it's composure. It was hard to break the rear loose. The vdc would kick in and straighten the car coming out of a turn. It seemed to float and the engine was so very smooth not giving any hint of a grunt. To top it all the CD player (Mac) never skipped a beat. I had a grin on my face all the way!!!

jschat · November 2001

My wife has problem using the outlet with her phone charger cord (Kyocera phone), everything else works just fine (cooler, air pump)??

Sweet_subie; we have Alpine Nav unit installed on our VDC It's really expensive gadget to have but we think it's worth it since we always argue about direction (could save your marriage), the DVD unit was installed under driver seat, the monitor was installed on the passenger sun visor. It's working pretty well and you can flip your visor up when not in use (away from criminal eyes). I will post some pictures when I have a chance.

On the last note, our 02 VDC still having problem with the alignment. The dealer had all the wheels zeroed in but the car still pulling slightly to the right. They said the rep from SOA will come out to and take a test drive and possibly authorize them to replace all the tires. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me since they rotated the wheel once already. Oh well!

Jschat

hunter001 · November 2001

I had a few questions about your Alpine NAV....

a) How much does it cost ?
b) Does it have dead-reckoning ability - in other words, does it work when driving through a thick forest, tunnel or high buildings ?
c) How is the coverage?
d) Where did you buy it from ?

I have a NAV in my Acura 3.2TL and desperately want the NAV on my Subaru WRX, and was debating about getting an aftermarket one. The Acura NAV is made by Alpine and through gyro-sensors have dead-reckoning ability, in addition to being fantastic in every other way.

Thanks in advance,

Later...AH

jschat · November 2001

AH,

a) We paid 3500.00 for parts and labor, expensive doesn't it, considering you can buy the same unit in the TL for 2 grand. It's similar in features as the one in the TL except TL
has the touched screen monitor, in fact the navigation voice is the same as the one in the TL, my buddy who owns the TL has confirmed.

I couldn't tell you about how it will perform in thick forest, but it seems to be ok in all the tunnels I went thru (short distance) and it works just fine around Financial district (San Francisco).
c) Mapping coverage throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada.
d) We bought it from Monney car audio in Redwood city
www.monney.com
I think they're the only one around the bay area who will do custom installation on the visor.

Later!

hunter001 · November 2001

Thanks for the information. At $3500, it certainly is expensive. But after using the NAV extensively in my TL, I find it odd to drive a vehicle that does not have this wonderful gadget. I do not make long trips in the WRX, solely due to the lack of the NAV, even though the driving experience itself is wonderful in the WRX.

Also, without a touch screen, how do you operate it ? Do you have a separate set of buttons or something ? A small keyboard ?

Thanks a lot.

Later...AH

trocco · November 2001

Thanks for the pix!

Matias

dukephoto · November 2001

While adjusting the stereo balance, I noticed that the volume coming from the rear two door speakers, when playing by themselves (fade control fully to the rear), was about one fourth the level when just the front speakers were playing(fader all the way to the front).

Now I realize that you have more speakers up front with the two tweeters and the two door speakers, which could account for some of the loudness difference.

Has anyone else with the Mac noticed this difference? I did NOT change the volume control setting at all, just adjusted the fader. I just want to make sure this isn't a loose connection or something wrong with the amp or speakers or wiring.

Thanks--- DUKEPHOTO IN W.V.

mrkite1 · November 2001

Duke,

Same thing happens in my 2001 Bean...

Think that is theway it is set-up to make the Sound Image correct...

Does seem odd to me!

In my 1990 Legacy Wagon rear speakers were in the cargo area and think sounded better overall...

Has anyone installed speakers in cargo area of Outback???

Tom

Subaru Outback VDC

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