Subaru?

[ArmyValker]

Well, time has come for a new car for my wife. The Pontiac G6 has been a crappy car (at best) and I'm tired of replacing suspension components. So I'm looking at the Subaru's. Anyone have any insight? Added plus is the engine looks like this.....

[R J]

one question.

Do you do any across country runs?

If so, get something else..

The have a lot of head gasket problems if you make a run from the left coast to the right coast.

Around town and into nearby states they run for ever.  They just can't handle a 3 or 4 day continuous run.

We have one Tech at the shop that is all he does is head gaskets.   

If I run through the parking area and see any out of state Soob's, I know they is in for a head gasket replacement.

Yes, the engine does resemble a Valkyrie motor.

[3fan4life]

We have a 2004 Subaru Legacy with 117,000 miles.

We bought it new and have had no major issues with it.

We have made several cross country trips with no problems.

Of course I have always used synthetic oil and transmission fluid.

This is the easiest car that I have ever changed brakes on (front and rear can be done in less than 1hr) and I replaced the factory alternator belt last weekend in less than 10mins.

There is one annoying thing that the dealer won't tell you.  Because of the way that the AWD system works you cannot replace just one or two tires.

For instance If you damage one tire and the remaining three are good but not like "new", you'll have to buy 4 new tires.

The plus is that the tire size for our Legacy is 205/55-16. So if I ever decide to go to the "darkside" I have a few slightly used tires on hand ready to go.     

[F-106]

I agree with RJ . I have freinds that have them and they like them. If it were me i would go for the new Accord i drove one with the new 280hp v6. Got 32mpg. Lots of room and big trunk. For 26,000 grand you can not go wrong.

[rug_burn]

One of the guys I work with has one still under warranty-  the sleek looking wagon-  and has had a bunch of problems. He runs it pretty hard, I think.  The latest thing is the head gasket- 

[Bagger John - #3785]

Blondie has owned one (Outback) since 2006. Great winter car...~50K on it and zero problems. We change oil and filter regularly at 3K and use Mobil 1 synthetic in it.

[Big IV]

And one of the older Ural 650 (cheaper) bikes. Put together. Subaru powered side car hack with classic old school styling.


Would the wife need a car if she had a good running powered hack?

[ArmyValker]

Haha... yeah my wife on a sidecar rig in the snow. That'd go over like a fart in a spacesuit...

RJ, what's the deal on the head gaskets? Looks like an engine removal to do one to me.. is that the case?

[Brad]

There is one annoying thing that the dealer won't tell you.  Because of the way that the AWD system works you cannot replace just one or two tires.

For instance If you damage one tire and the remaining three are good but not like "new", you'll have to buy 4 new tires.

This is true of most all wheel drive cars.  Jeeps, Volvos, Toyotas, Subarus, Lexus and so on.  I can not tell you the number of cars that I have seen come through with drive train problems from not changing tires in sets of 4.  On some of the cars you have to disable the all wheel drive by pulling a fuse in the main box before driving with the spare on or you will damage them.

[Madmike]

I have an 07 Outback and an 07 Tribeca.  They are both good, especially in snow etc.  Both of these models are American assembled.  I am a larger person and the Tribeca fits me well, the Outback is a little small for me for long trips.

The 4 cylinder 2.5 comes in a Turbo model - wonder if that is where the head gasket problems are??  There are a few sites around that deal with them perhaps take a look there it may give more detail.

If you don't need the AWD I would go for a Honda.

[Cowbell]

I have a Outback and only problem I have had was the fuel filter went bad.

[R J]

Haha... yeah my wife on a sidecar rig in the snow. That'd go over like a fart in a spacesuit...

RJ, what's the deal on the head gaskets? Looks like an engine removal to do one to me.. is that the case?

It is mucho easier to remove the engine to do the head gasket..  I don't really think you cold get in between the inner fender wall and the head bolts to pull em out.....  It is almost tighter in there than it was with my Nova and the 350 in it......

[elgato]

Why not a U.S. car? Might help us get back on our feet. IMHO   

[Kidd]

http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/makehistory/146,0/Subaru-History.aspx

Google  "Subaru History "  and lots comes up  .

The Japanese  pilots during WW2 used Subaru motors on their one way trips  crashing into to American war ships  .

Subaru holds the land endurance record  on a oval  track in Phoenix , going , I forget how many miles , pedal to the metal  non stop  for 67 hours before  the engine failed ,  out did all other cars , German and American . Stopped for gas and  typical stuff  , I assume .

I bought my Forester last  july  with 33K miles  , what a awesome car.
Grips the road like no other  and power  to spare .
The best car I have ever owned .

I am going through  a  real estate  short sale  starting this month and my PERFECT credit  will be ruined for several years .
I wnated to up grade to a used 2009 Forester  but don't what to pay $19K for one , so 2  days ago I bought a used Hyundai Tucson  that will hold me over for a few years  allowing my  credit to fix it's self  then I will buy a nice used 2009 Forester  .

I have my  Forester listed on Craig's list 
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/1147042054.html

If you have never driven a Forester   , it will redefine   driving  .
The steering  is like no other  , handles like a race car  .
Low to the ground  , fun fun fun to drive .

The Tribeca  has really bad reviews  , I am hoping they will redesign them  into something better  for me  .

The head gasket  problem is  on 2002 and before models  and only  a few .
Cost $1500  to replace  them .

Rented a Outback a couple of weeks ago   , loved it  , wnat one , 2005 or later , could not find one under $15K  , another reason  I bought a Hyundai  instead  .

Kidd

[Bagger John - #3785]

Why not a U.S. car? Might help us get back on our feet.

If and when the U.S. auto manufacturers can build something of equivalent reliability, fit, finish and price it competitively...maybe.

Oh, by the way...you DO own a "Valkyrie", right?  ???

So why not ride a "U.S. Motorcycle" ?

[rmrc51]

http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/makehistory/146,0/Subaru-History.aspx

Google  "Subaru History "  and lots comes up  .

The Japanese  pilots during WW2 used Subaru motors on their one way trips  crashing into to American war ships  .

Subaru holds the land endurance record  on a oval  track in Phoenix , going , I forget how many miles , pedal to the metal  non stop  for 67 hours before  the engine failed ,  out did all other cars , German and American . Stopped for gas and  typical stuff  , I assume .

I bought my Forester last  july  with 33K miles  , what a awesome car.
Grips the road like no other  and power  to spare .
The best car I have ever owned .

I am going through  a  real estate  short sale  starting this month and my PERFECT credit  will be ruined for several years .
I wnated to up grade to a used 2009 Forester  but don't what to pay $19K for one , so 2  days ago I bought a used Hyundai Tucson  that will hold me over for a few years  allowing my  credit to fix it's self  then I will buy a nice used 2009 Forester  .

I have my  Forester listed on Craig's list 
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/1147042054.html

If you have never driven a Forester   , it will redefine   driving  .
The steering  is like no other  , handles like a race car  .
Low to the ground  , fun fun fun to drive .

The Tribeca  has really bad reviews  , I am hoping they will redesign them  into something better  for me  .

The head gasket  problem is  on 2002 and before models  and only  a few .
Cost $1500  to replace  them .

Rented a Outback a couple of weeks ago   , loved it  , wnat one , 2005 or later , could not find one under $15K  , another reason  I bought a Hyundai  instead  .

Kidd

I completely agree with Kidd's post!!!!!

We are on our second Forester and the new model is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! My daughter-in-law drove it for the first time this weekend and she couldn't get over how nice it drove. She mentioned that it seemed to 'FLOW rather then roll. lol

[RRS]

We have a 2007 Outback with a 6 cylinder 3.0 engine.  Many trips to Calif. and one trip cross country.45,00 miles in 2 years and no problems.  Drives like my old 300 ZX.

[3fan4life]

Why not a U.S. car? Might help us get back on our feet. IMHO   

Our Subaru was built in Indiana.

That's American enough for me.

[elgato]

Why not a U.S. car? Might help us get back on our feet.

If and when the U.S. auto manufacturers can build something of equivalent reliability, fit, finish and price it competitively...maybe.

Oh, by the way...you DO own a "Valkyrie", right?  ???

So why not ride a "U.S. Motorcycle" ?

Yup I Ride a Valk.. that was made here! That reliability crap don't fly no more.
We gotta start somewhere, but If we continue to have that "maybe" attitude we might as well forget it.
Oh, and when it does come time to buy another bike? You bet I'll be buying American!

[3fan4life]

That reliability crap don't fly no more.
Oh, and when it does come time to buy another bike? You bet I'll be buying American!

I am all for buying a product that was made in America by American workers.

I am not for using my hard earned money to buy an inferior product.

I've ridden Harley's and I've ridden Victory's.

In my oppinion they are inferior. 

But then in my oppinion all motorcycles are inferior to the Valkyrie.

I hope that my VALK lasts me forever.... there is no motorcycle past or present that I would rather ride.

But, if it does need to be replaced someday where its replacement was built will be a secondary concern.

I will buy the bike that best suits my needs, likes and budget.

Reliability is a primary concern for me.

If I can find a comfortable, reliable bike that gives me the performance that I desire and it's also "Made in America" that's a BONUS.


But I will not ride an overpriced, unreliable piece of crap just because it was assembled here.     

[R J]

We have a 2007 Outback with a 6 cylinder 3.0 engine.  Many trips to Calif. and one trip cross country.45,00 miles in 2 years and no problems.  Drives like my old 300 ZX.

Sorry about that, I should of said the 4 bangers.    I just called our Service Writer at the shop and he said they had problems with the 00 thru 03 Forester and Outbacks.

He also said the new head gasket material has pretty much cured the problem, but, yes, there is still an occasional one goes out.   The 00 and 01 Forester and Outback have an extended warranty complements of Subaru to 100,000 miles on the head gasket problem......

So, I guess I popped off too quick before I had all the details.  I was going by what I had seen in the shop and this one poor tech does about 4 or 5 head gaskets a week.....  Most of them are out of state vehicles, passing through.   I also talked to the Tech today and he has a Arizona and a New Hampshire cars in now for gaskets.......Both he said are 01's...... They were towed in off the I/State over the weekend.......

Cory (service writer) said the new 6 cylinder ones are a screaming vehicle.  I wanted to say Eagle but that sounds too much like Hardley Diversion..........

So, I'll stand up and say, go for a 6 banger, they sound like good vehicles and have the gskt problem cured.   Sorry for leading you astray and thanks for setting me straight.

[Scott in Ok]

I'd love to own a Subaru.  In fact, I really, really wanted a Baja.  Like the Valkyrie tho, it is no longer in production.  



-Scott

[Big IV]

http://www.airtrikes.net/engines.shtml
Turns out you can convert that engine to an ultra-light.

[ArmyValker]

Wow, hot topic here I guess. Thanks for the clarification RJ. I understand how as a mechanic you see some of the "lesser knowns" of reputable brands. I'm a mechanic myself, and I'm familiar with Boxer type engines, having rebuilt numerous motorcycles of the type, and, Subaru comes with AWD standard and has a reliable engine. You can't even approach those features in any domestic (or foreign) competitor for anywhere near the price. Not to mention that they actually design vehicles with utilitarian value for those of us that would rather have a hatchback than a cool lookin sedan...

I'd love to by American. I did last time.

My wife's Pontiac has 60,000 miles and has needed 4 struts, 2 wheel bearings, outer tie-rods and an oil pan gasket. I understand that these are normal wear type things but the struts went bad at 30,000 miles, the tie-rods at 40,000, wheel bearings at 45,000 and the oil pan gasket for as long as I can remember. Not impressed with the quality components on a brand new American car.

My 04-Ford F-150 had an engine replacement at 95000 miles (stuck valve). 

I've spent plenty of money on American cars, and thank god I'm a mechanic, or it'd be MUCH more... I'm done wasting money for some misguided notion of patriotism. I'm buying the best, regardless of what country makes it.

[RoboCop]

We have a 2007 Outback with a 6 cylinder 3.0 engine.  Many trips to Calif. and one trip cross country.45,00 miles in 2 years and no problems.  Drives like my old 300 ZX.

new head gasket material

Thanks for that bit of info, the service writer at my dealership didn't know if the gaskets had changed when they installed them on our '02 Legacy Outback.

They had to see if a "coolant supplement" would fix the leak before they would warranty install new gaskets, which they ended up doing.

Overall happy with the car, it's great for the winter driving here.

[Bob E.]

My brother has an '01 or '02 Outback Limited wagon with the 4-banger and he had the head gasket problems fixed under warranty.  They tried with the stuff they dumped in the coolant and it didn't work so they put a new head gasket on it with no more problems.  He also had to have one of the axles replaced due to a bad CV joint...but then again he has about 140,000 miles on it, if not more.  Aside from whacking a couple deer with it about 2 months apart last summer (he just got it back from the shop from hitting the first one when he hit the 2nd one), he's had no other problems that I know of.  And he really likes the car.

I think its a little small for what he paid.  I had just bought a 2001 Dakota Quad Cab Sport 4x4 truck with a V8 and we paid about the same money...I actually think he paid a little more than me, if I remember right.  But still, it's a pretty nice little car.

[Hogg]

I like the idea of Buy American too...........But I bought a 2008 Accord last year.
Fabulous car, especially "for the money".   Good driving dynamics, good ride, good power, great economy, great room, love the style inside AND out,  etc. etc.
The Subaru Forester was named 2009 SUV of the Year by a major magazine.  Total upgrade.
On the American car side, I rented a Malibu last month, drove 1300 miles.  Very impressed.  Good ride, quiet, handled well, and the interior looked awesome.   A receptionist saw me drive up to her office, she was going to be trading in her truck, she ask me numerous questions about it, she thought it looked very modern and sporting.   My boss thought I must have spent a foturne on the rental, thought it was aa $35k car.  If you are looking for a mid-sized 4-door, at least test drive a Malibu.
Now, I've test-ridden Harleys more than a few times......after I got off from the ride, and waited the ten minutes it took to get my eyes to stop wobbling from the vibration so I could see again, I was very glad to get back on my smooth, powerful, chrome-laden, cool-sounding Valkyrie. 

[Bagger John - #3785]

America can't (or won't...) make this, so it seems I've got to go to Italy to get one: