numerobis

The LED is anticipated to last a very long time, almost the lifetime of the car. In the rare case where the headlight no longer works, $400 is quite reasonable taking into account other cars. For example, Acura's LED headlights are like 4 times more.  

In one of my old cars, the HID bulb was like $200, but at lease it was a straight-forward replacement, no need to take a whole bunch of parts off the car and re-align the headlight after replacement.

OEM 18 inch wheels are 18x7.5J Offset 55. They fit 225-50R18 tires.

The WRX wheels are 8.5 inches wide, which may not be appropriate to mount 225-50R18 tires.  You may want to check with a reputable tire shop.

Much more activity in the outback forums, since it's basically the same car albeit the "station-wagon" version lol...

You can always try inquiring here and see what responses you get.

Thanks for the info!

The long story about the tires is that I already have a set of 2 month old Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 on hand, same size, so I will swap them and sell the OEMs.

100% Agree with all 4 changes.

For the battery, after the first year, I will be looking at installing a 24F AGM, but (according to a Subaru bulletin) need to replace 3 parts for proper fit (Tray, one J hook and bracket).

Factory tires will be swapped for Michelins in the spring (dealer did not want to consider replacing them out before delivery).

 

I would probably also check /clean / lubricate the brakes (depending of you drive in the winter in salt/snow). 
 

The new front bumper appears to be more fragile. Less contact surface to protect the car during tight parking situations, where the car in front backs up and contacts the bumber. Not as bad as the Lexus "waterfall" front bumper style but definitely less robust than the 2020-22 design.

From personal experience, the "acoustic glass" appears to make the windshield weaker than "regular" ones.

If you have the accessory "remote engine starter" module installed, it comes with 2 remote start fobs. These fobs are bi-directional and have a 400' range. (i.e., they provide feedback when the car starts).

 

Once this accessory is installed, you can also start the engine using the car's original key fob by pressing twice the lock button then pressing it a third time and holding.

 

The car will start (but you're limited with the short range of the key fob and of course there is no feedback).

This type of rattle is difficult to pinpoint exactly, and most often the perceived location is not the actual origin of the rattle.

 

It's really trial and error. Anything that can rattle should be lined with either friction tape or adhesive foam tape.

 

In some cases, the rattle originates from the window mechanism attached to the inside of the door panel. Try to see if you can access it and check the bolts/screws for tightness, or add friction tape at strategic locations.

The new windshield is definitely aftermarket. Looks fine only they weren’t able to calibrate the Eyesight system and the cabin seems louder to me. If OEM is in fact acoustic glass, then I’ll have to insist on having it replaced with OEM glass. Thx.

 

Can you clarify what you mean by "they weren’t able to calibrate the Eyesight system"? Were you able to have it calibrated at the dealer?

I suggest you try the trackpad-like interface of the new infotainment of the 2021 TLX. It has been the dealbreaker for me, and the reason I have not looked at a Lexus for a while.