I like my Subarus, butt....
 

I like my Subarus. Yes, the Legacy and Outback wagons I have bought as used vehicles over the last 20 years have served me well. They really are good vehicles, and owners tend to keep them a long time before selling or trading them. Here in The South, otherwise known as "Land of No Subarus", really nice used ones could be found at a bargain.

Then a few years ago, things changed. Subaru marketing went with this "Love" thing and the children of the real hippies started becoming the target market. The "active life style marathon runners, off road cyclists, canoeists, wanna be weekend warrior campers, patchouli wearing hacky sack specialists donning the knit cap over the dreads" type of creatures really bought into the marketing. It's getting harder and harder to find a nice used Subaru around here that has been maintained, and quite frankly, to me as a smoker, doesn't just downright STINK.

And now, just this morning in my email, I get an invite from Subaru of America to check out the latest addition to the fleet:

The "Ascent". That's pronounced "Ass-Scent". Good job Subaru. :D

I observed the same thing, 100%. I was just thinking about this the other day- why Subaru?

Dog owner, and occasional gym rat. Mine needs cleaning. Was planning on going to detailers at tax time.

rjp

Hey Im a subaru fan, and no Yank or hippie child.

Though my 06 WRX wagon has been a model citizen for the decade I have owned it, it has turned into a bit of a drama queen in the last few months

Their best campaign was "Driven by Whats Inside"......might have well as been Boxy But Good

Whoop-dee-doo for my Subaru.... :)

I had a couple back in the day....

My wife works in a hospital and needs to get to work regardless of the weather. We live in Connecticut, so we get snow. Our 1998 Toyota Rav 4 AWD that she uses during bad weather has 190,000 miles, so even though it's been very reliable, we couldn't risk it breaking down in a snow storm on her way home. We looked at all the small SUV's with AWD/4WD. My wife being @ 5 feet tall was having a hard time seeing out of all the ones we looked at. I mentioned the Subaru, she said she hated the name and didn't want to even look at them. Well we drove by a dealer and i just pulled in, told her it can't hurt to at least have a look. She got in a Crosstrek and loved it. It's been a year now and she just loves the thing. We slapped on some Michelin snow tires on it, and it's unstoppable. Not a single issue, no trips back to the dealer for anything at all. Plus, it has a boxer engine! :)

Floor mats put wear marks in the carpet. I swear the stuff a plastic tray with some glue, and just a few fibers. I got 30K and noticed the problem @ 12K. Under the driver's side the carpet is visibly worn.

I wonder if I can get aftermarket legit carpet for it?

rjp

i personally think the Subaru Commercials are a nice change of pace from the rest of the automakers.

we love our forester. it has had some problems..but overall, it is pretty good. i've had a dead animal in the back of ours..dont tell my wife.

Wife just bought a year old Crosstrek, it has high miles but only was driven for 13 months, and had 4 or 5 scheduled maintenance visits in that time.
She got a good price, it had sat on various lots for several months because it has ONE THING that would scare away all of the "active life style marathon runners, off road cyclists, canoeists, wanna be weekend warrior campers, patchouli wearing hacky sack specialists donning the knit cap over the dreads"...


It has a 5 speed :D

So, 30k miles in 13 months, we got a good price and a platinum type extended warranty for 5 more years, I figure that's about the time that something finally breaks on this thing.


I did remind her that she bought a flat 4, AWD, wagon, manual Subaru and it *isn't* a WRX.:rolleyes:

oh yea..our Forester has a five-speed.

haha.

i'm not sure. ours IS the turbo motor one. it's very quick.

i think i could mod the motor easy for more power..i know i can go with STI suspension components and lower the car and make it handle like a WRX.

my wife told me NO! our's is all white, so it is fairly desirable around here. all the kids want first dibs when we sell.

i don't think xt is available in manual in a while

I bought a Legacy Outback in '97 when I lived in Vermont. Subaru is like the official car of Vermont...as ubiquitous as Patagonia or North Face jackets up there.

Mine was a lemony fresh POS and I can never in good conscience buy another...but people sure do love them. Traded it for a '96 GMC Suburban 2500 with the 454 big block.

I like Subaru's butt too!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1513975888.jpg

Around here having a Subaru is like a secret nod to other lesbians.

The only good Subaru is a dirty Subaru. Gutted. And with a cage.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1513979878.jpg

This? ;)



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1513981432.jpg

Yep, just like that but with a moustach.

I have 2 Subaru’s now. I like the cars but not the shop. Bought a new outback drove it home and when turning it made a strange harmonic sound. Something I’ve never heard from a car. Brought it in to be looked at they had it for 4 days and couldn’t find the noise. Drove it home first right hand turn there it was. Got home and filmed the noise turning at around 15-20 mph. Emailed the film to the service director who had just assured me it wasn’t making any noise. Said they don’t drive the car that aggressively when checking them. It was the dust plate on the front brakes making the noise. 4 days they couldn’t figure it out. Next I have a 2015 WRX 13k and the clutch went!!!! Went for test drive with MECH and he said they’ve put a different clutch in the car every year for the last 3 years. WOW. Service manager not knowing what the mech had just told me tells me I don’t know how to drive a completion clutch and even though it’s under warranty I will have to pay for the clutch it’s a wear item. Went off on him for 1/2 hr even after he told I wouldn’t have to pay. I just couldn’t believe he said that. Went on the Subaru forum later that night and there were around 25 people with the exact same problem and only 2 of them were covered. Everyone else had to pay.
So is there workmanship still there or have they sold out? I like the cars but not the company.

I had a 2016 WRX that you could smell the clutch when pulling away in the cold, sometimes on almost flat pavement- this was with 6K miles and I've driven a manual for over 30 year, i'm no rookie.

They will allow ONE clutch under warranty / goodwill, and yes, it's a very common problem with the WRX. I'd be after a South Bend Clutch assembly, not OE or Exedy if I still had that thing.

My STI is solid, no problems, nothing.

rjp

The spark plugs on a turbo car; good times! Thankfully there are only 4.

PS when I bought my 2016, new I squaked about what a POS Starlink base radio was, a total POS. IMHO that thing is broken.

They gave me a $400 Bose home theater speaker in the mail a month later for my efforts. I ripped that Starlink out of the car, told them it was garbage and adios.

PS I love my car, yes, I know it looks stupid with a big wing, and Brotatos own 'em but if you just stay-away-from-the-crowd, and pretend they don't exist, it's not too undignified at all.

It's everything I want in a car, quick, small nimble, easily modifiable, and best of all, RELIABLE. They got personality like a 911 does. Unique.

rjp

since 2001 I have owned a few. I am on number 5(2006 legacy spec b) and 6 (2017 outback wifes car). For the most part it has been nothing but reliability.

One of the 95 outback wagons had a transmission issue. There exists a two sided seal that keeps trans fluid and diff lube separate. In my case trans fluid was pushing itself into the front diff.

I worry about the cvt in the outback. Time Will tell.

Obviously I would buy one again.

How did Subaru go from:
http://subaruidiots.com/wp-content/u...y-rs-ra-06.jpg

to

https://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/s...18172_1600.jpg

-OR-

https://icdn-4.motor1.com/images/mgl...za-22b-sti.jpg

to

https://cars.usnews.com/static/image...gularfront.jpg

Not a fan of the styling on any of the Subaru's from the last 8+ years. Way too plain.

2005 Forester 2.5XS here. It's getting a turbo motor swap if the engine ever dies.
Seems to do pretty awesome offroading for a "Wagon"


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1514052693.jpg

Funny story, there is a high altitude lake close by which had a trail that had some really slick technical sections that 4wd vehicles would not attempt. They would park and walk to fish the lake. This is before the mondo lifted Brodozing 4wds. One weekend there was a lonely Subaru at the lake. The first one many of us had seen. Pretty incredible.

I used to take my old 95 legacy wagon places I wouldn't dream of taking my 1 ton 4x4. I once drove through a field that had ankle deep water standing on it. Pulled up to the field to go back to a tree stand and my nephew said "now what" to which I replied "hang on, we're going". For the drive back to the stand I was singing the Dukes of Hazard theme song and throwing mud. We got back to the stand. I put the car in park. My nephew looks at me and says "you're NUTS". I called that car my ATV with air.

The flip side to this is the STI is basically unchanged since it was introduced way back when.

If you have an STI, you have an STI, underneath they are all the same.

rjp

2004 sti was one of the most fun cars i ever owned

One of my most memorable car adventures was in a friend's '05 Forester XT turbo. That thing was surprisingly fun to drive and fast! I think it was chipped. Subaru rally blue with gold wheels. I was the designated driver after a couple of hours at a remote pub with Ken Block's rally team (we were doing some snow testing that day). We got over 2-feet of snow that day and we had about a 25-mile drive on winding 2-laner back to the hotel in a blizzard. Block and his team had a bunch of rented Ford Flexes. I have no idea how stupid fast we were going because it took 110% focus just to stay on the road but it was insane. I walked away pretty impressed with the Forester.

The friend eventually sold the Forester, I think partly because we razzed him so bad about it being a 'Lesbo car'. :cool:

Different test, same car ...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1514066103.jpg

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8 years of 2nd ownership on an '08 outback 2.5 auto. Winter tire/wheel set mounted. Just changed out the original spark plugs and had the head gaskets done this fall along with new front struts. 4 wheel bearings last fall. 114K miles. I didn't intend to buy this car when I left home 8 years ago but it's been a good car and a demon in the snow with winters mounted.

I need a winter car, tired of driving my truck as a DD. What Subaru can/should I be looking for under $5k to minimize issues.

Look for a five speed Impreza with a 2.2 that has already had head gaskets and timing belts done. They are plenty peppy with the five speed.