Subaru question

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Norm Olt
2007 Sonata 5-speed manual trans EPA combined mpg 25

2013 Subaru Legacy 6-speed manual trans EPA combined mpg 24

2013 Subaru Impreza 5-speed manual trans EPA combined mpg 28

Cheers!

p.s. That's from the US Dept. of Energy website...


Not so fast, these numbers don't tell the whole story.

The Impreza is smaller, so throw that number out. That's not a fair comparison.

Subaru has made some changes recently to get the mileage ratings up, and the Legacy is still below my Sonata on a brand new model. I also probably wouldn't be buying a brand new model.

I also drive a lot on the highway, so highway mileage is more important to me.

So for me, there is a mileage penalty with a similarly sized Subaru -and a real one, at that- for the AWD feature I don't really need right now. Again, I like them, but at the moment owning one doesn't make sense for me. Maybe I'll change my mind in the future, but right now the numbers don't work.

Cheers

All numbers from fueleconomy.gov

2007 Sonata 5 speed - 25 combined/31 hwy


2007 Subaru Legacy 5 speed - 22 combined/26 hwy

2008 Legacy 5 speed - 22 combined/27 hwy (they got 1 mpg there)

2009 Legacy 5 speed - 22 combined/27 hwy

2010 Legacy 6 speed (they went up a gear) - 22 combined/27 hwy

2011 Legacy 6 speed - 22 combined/27 hwy

2012 Legacy 6 speed - 22 combined/27 hwy

2013 Legacy 6 speed - 24 combined/28 hwy (Finally, a little improvement, but still not enough to beat my Sonata on the highway)

 

[Gubaru]

Originally Posted By: Doog
Went to a sports event for my kids in Massachusetts a week ago. I must have seen 300 Subaru's in one weekend. What gives with these cars? I have never even ridden in one and was wondering what is the appeal?


Didn't see an answer to your question in my hasty reading of the tread. So it was the Wicked Big Meet, it is one of the largest Subaru meets in the country I believe. They held it at Stafford Motor Speedway, and expected 1000+ Subarus.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: Gubaru
Originally Posted By: Doog
Went to a sports event for my kids in Massachusetts a week ago. I must have seen 300 Subaru's in one weekend. What gives with these cars? I have never even ridden in one and was wondering what is the appeal?


Didn't see an answer to your question in my hasty reading of the tread. So it was the Wicked Big Meet, it is one of the largest Subaru meets in the country I believe. They held it at Stafford Motor Speedway, and expected 1000+ Subarus.


No , I was at UMASS Amherst for the College field hockey tournament.

 

[Gubaru]

Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: Gubaru
Originally Posted By: Doog
Went to a sports event for my kids in Massachusetts a week ago. I must have seen 300 Subaru's in one weekend. What gives with these cars? I have never even ridden in one and was wondering what is the appeal?


Didn't see an answer to your question in my hasty reading of the tread. So it was the Wicked Big Meet, it is one of the largest Subaru meets in the country I believe. They held it at Stafford Motor Speedway, and expected 1000+ Subarus.


No , I was at UMASS Amherst for the College field hockey tournament.


They were probably caravan down to the meet.

 

[JTK]

My average over ~67 almost consecutive fill-ups on my 2012 legacy EJ253 w/ CVT is 29.1mpg. This is mixed driving and I'm not easy on it. http://www.fuelly.com/driver/pomansawd/legacy

Not bad for a car this size and weight. People are crazy nuts for them in the Buffalo NY area as well. You're lucky to get a new one for a few hundred off MSRP and used prices are insane on them.

The worst thing about Subarus is the rust, which makes NO sense. Here is a vehicle ideal for wintertime climates, yet SOA uses materials that rust right out of the box. I have brackets and hardware under the hood on my 2012 that look like they've been through 10 winters- and I wash the engine bay any time I wash the car (not all that often anymore!). Same with some chassis components.

I also have some paint bubbling around the drain holes on the underside of the trunk lid. I'm going to try to hit them with some POR15. There's no way to fix it and I'm not even going to try at the dealer.

 

[joaks]

I will say that my subaru is my favorite car ever and I have gone the V-8 route before (although nothing too crazy). Not particularly fast but very stable and nimble.

Most of the subaru drivers I see here are pretty conservative. They are often older people and I know a lot of our veterinarians have them. We have a large vet school and vets get a discount in case you are wondering of the connection.

 

[meep]

I always liked that I saw more development from their racing arms reach the showroom models than other brands. Perfect example, bearing spacing.

Ever notice it can be a PITA to find much variety in aftermarket wheels for a 'ru? it's in the offset and backspacing.

Why? Subaru spaces their wheel bearings farther apart than everyone else. They found in rally use, the flexing of drive spindles caused the brake rotors to "wobble," by just tiny amounts, but just enough to work the brake pistons/shoes back a touch. Next time you went for the brake, there was more pedal travel than expected. You'll experience this yourself if you take your car down really bad roads, like potholes through sharp turns, at speed. (note, you really have to be aggressive to experience this). By adding distance between the bearings, subaru reduced the flexing of the rotating assemblies, keeping the brakes more consistent in the rough stuff. It just takes more room up inside the wheel, hence the reduced number of good aftermarket rollers for 'rus.

Does the vast majority of drivers notice or need this? no. But if you are an enthusiast....

just one example. pretty cool.

 

[buster]

We've had a TON of rain this week. Severe storms literally every day the last week. The Subaru has been awesome in the rain! That's what I love about these cars. It's always AWD!

 

[Challenger71]

I love my N/A Forester. More than any other car that I've owned. I don't feel gay for driving it nor do I care what individual opinions are of them. What is important is what I like about it.

Often times this forum reminds me of my work: full of cheap talk and big bellies.

 

[JTK]

C'mon dude leave my belly out of this. It fits just fine behind the wheel of my Subaru anyway. LOL!