Pilot1226

I commented on this over on the Ascent board. Yes, I'm surprised that they dug in with their 7-person only Touring configuration. I've heard a lot of feedback from people that got the Limited so they could get the 8p bench, but then were mad they couldn't even option the front view camera or smart rear mirror. The Java Brown grew on me after seeing it in person. I like it with the Crimson Red, especially, but even the Magnetite or Black still gives it that "luxury" two-tone appearance. (I'm also a black-on-black Subaru driver for 3 Subarus so far, love that dark combo, looks mean...) I am curious about the low beams being LED or not. In 2019, they added non-responsive LED's for the Forester. But, the trade-off is that they lost their Konoji style LED DRL's around the housing, and my low beams are just the LED's running at a slightly lower intensity. I didn't realize this when I bought it, but it is one of those things that, although petty, would have pushed me into a Limited trim for the Konoji's. I'd also like to see the smart rear mirror and the front view camera available as an option in the future. I'm sure the beancounters figured that if they added those as an option they'd lose out on some more Touring sales, but whatever. If I had an unlimited budget and massive driveway, I'd absolutely still have the Ascent 8p Limited on my short list. 2 years and 6 months left before my lease is up - the mid-cycle refresh for both models (Foz and Ascent) is going to be really important to my decision next time around. Until then, I'll try not to get too wrapped up in the minutiae and hypotheticals. It will literally keep me up at night thinking if they're going to add a FozXT in the future, or FozPHEV, etc.

Sport grille!

Well, from a reliability standpoint, they've proven it'll last with the Prius all over the place now... I like that it's about a second faster 0-60 (the Crosstrek PHEV) compared to the standard one, I just am not a fan of forcing you into the Limited/Touring-esque trim level to get it. Toyota charges about $2000-2500 more for the Hybrid variant of the RAV4 compared to the standard ICE, across all their trim levels. I'm personally hoping that the Crosstrek PHEV is more of a "tech demo" to show everyone that it works well compared to the previous XV Hybrid it replaced, and also now that we're on the global platform, we can spread it across the fleet. Not a fan of the "no spare tire" thing, and I hope they can come up with something about that. I don't really want to go for run-flats, but I would if I had no other choice. I understand the battery in the Crosstrek is between the "existing" spare well in the back and the trunk cargo area, but maybe there's a way to figure it out to go from the bottom. Also heard the RAV4 is going to return to the rear-mounted Spare and horizontal liftgate on some trims... that would be interesting. To me, the RAV4 is the most attractive competitor in terms of reliability, functionality, and efficiency, but it's certainly not a Subie. I love my Forester.

The one in the Crosstrek Hybrid has the similar design as the Toyota Prius one with the sun and planets.

Now the million dollar question is how we find the info on it... maybe BITOG forum or something... Is "idle" bad for potential DI Carbon buildup compared to cruise or acceleration phases of driving? Can AS/S help mitigate it?

@Covertrussian I'm wondering if idle affects the engine and direct injection moreso than just regular driving... in which case it might actually be *beneficial* for AS/S to activate...

There is a button on my Forester to turn off the feature but it is not permanent. You would have to press it every time you start the car. The Crosstrek Hybrid performs as you said. If the engine turns on it stays on for a few minutes to get it up to efficient operating temperature. But if you stay below 50% throttle application and under 65mph you will be in all EV mode for the ~13 miles or whatever exhausts the battery.

Yeah portable charger would probably work...

That's probably a function of lane keep assist rather than a lane centering function. Lane centering is essentially an all the time adjustment type of think, LKA only activates when the computer thinks there is a "strong possibility" of lane departure - which means you basically have to drift and then it reacts, as opposed to always being active. Regarding AS/S, it's not that big of a deal to me in the Foz. Yes, I know the components and batteries are more expensive, but at the end of the day we all know this tech is coming whether we want it or not. I suppose you can always disable the function every time you get in the car - that's what the button is for, anyway... for me it's more of a saving the planet from idle emissions compared to, say, saving the fuel. In the 4 months I've owned the car, I've saved about 4 gallons of fuel, but I've also saved about 9 hours of idling, and those emissions mean more to me. Especially the big ocean approach - my car is but a drop in the ocean in emissions, but if we're all using the same tech, it adds up to a big ocean. I'm curious down the road what happens - if people are truly anti AS/S, will they replace the heavy duty battery with a cheapo Costco special since they aren't using AS/S (through the button or other permanent disabling... hmm....?)

I'm wondering/hoping if the Front View Camera is available in the future model years as an option... I'm also waiting to see if they have some of the new 2020 Outback/Legacy tech get into the Ascent, no reason why they can't I guess... Specifically: Front View Camera Driver Fatigue Mitigation System Auto Stop Start Auto Lane Centering Full Size Spare Tire (Onyx XT Outback) The glorious 11.6" infotainment Motion Activated Subie Emblem for Rear Harch Ventilated seats would be cool in a non-Touring trim Sounds amazing. One of the neighbors has the Magnetite Gray limited, so that would be out for me. I'd be all over a Black or maybe even a Crimson one, haven't seen them yet. But I'd also want to probably go with a Premium 8 or Limited 8, don't think I want to go Touring.

Yeah, I love that blue. My coworker has one on a Touring, it really compliments the Java Brown in that trim level. I don't know about the liners in your model, but in my Foz they don't cover the middle hump in the rear seats. I would like this covered up like the weathertechs generally do.

Cool, congrats. Head over to the Ascent forum

I think it's a KIA through and through, but I'm biased. I'm not a fan of the styling, I am drawn to the giant black grille of the Ascent and I love those konoji DRL's.

+1 yes, make sure you've got the latest infotainment software. Apparently that helps.

You know one of the biggest things I took for granted was a physical button or dial for things. I notice it all the time now in my wife's Honda Pilot, and it's annoying as hell. I really appreciate the volume and tuning and climate knobs in my 19 Foz.

I'd be fine with 37, as long as it had some of the options I wanted anyway. I did make some mistakes when I optioned out my '19 Forester.

I am drooling at the Onyx edition. This is exactly what I would have been hunting for - a Turbo variant without having to get into the "Limited or Touring" leather trims.

If you’re leasing with the intent to purchase at the end, the miles are irrelevant. You could also buy the lease with high miles at the end and then guaranteed trade in value it towards a new lease and then pay off the loan with a check from the dealer. I have a coworker that drives around 30k per year and does just that. Depending on the miles you will take a hit for the GTP value though.

My kids are almost 8 and 5. The little guy is still in a high back booster. The middle seat is extremely tight by anyone older than 10 in my 11 Outback. If I sat back there I couldn’t put my arms down. My Forester is definitely bigger back there but still not exactly third row roomy. My wife previously drove the Legacy. The only reason we traded it was because of the car seat fiasco in our Outback so we wanted something bigger for vacations. Hindsight is always 20/20 and to be perfectly honest there are things that I’m not pleased with with the new Forester but it is still night and day better than my Outback. I love the Foz. I wish i had done more education and research on the Honda stuff, like the Timing Belt and VCM and DI. I also foolishly rushed into a first model year which seems to have quirks. And Honda sensing and CarPlay. Oh well. When it bothers the Mrs I will be happy to be rid of it. Maybe she will take my Foz and I’ll get an Ascent. Or even an EV Ascent at that point

@covertrussian I noticed this too, but it was more about the headroom. I'm 6'0" tall, and I was able to fit in the Ascent only when I reclined the seats back. This means less cargo room if you're using the third row with adults. Yup, I don't understand why Toyota or any manufacturer is holding out on this. I think a lot depends on the temperature too. I've noticed on my Forester that on warmer days where the engine warms up quicker and it doesn't have to work as hard to bring the cabin up to temperature the Auto Stop Start will activate within a mile of driving without a remote start. I like the CVT, the only concern I would have with the CVT is the fluid since there's no change interval unless towing. I would sleep better at night if they just required a 60k fluid change interval. Yup, this is the biggest positive from this powertrain. However, it comes with the caviat that if you ever need work done on the engine, from what I've heard it's "triple" the labor because of the setup. Not familiar with this. You're saying you can basically keep the car in FWD mode for better economy with a button? There are certainly glitches here. The infotainment often (I would say 50% of the time, has been duplicated by service department, unable to correct, tried to "Reset" system a few times.) drops the preferences for the radio stations. So, they are blank, but they'll still tune the radio if you tap on them. Also, my model has no CarPlay. I don't have the Honda Sensing package, but in hindsight probably would have been smart to get it. Yup, wish I'd thought about the timing belt also. Oh well. This year (2016 EX-L) does not have the auto start stop. It gets lousy mileage, even on the highway. I've heard the VCM is better in the 2016+ model years, but again, it's new so I don't know if anyone has 100k on these things yet for more practical long-term results. Especially with the direct injection. There's a part of me that hopes the Mrs. just wants to get rid of the thing, and a part of me that doesn't care if it breaks (as long as she's not in it.)... I really don't like this vehicle at all. I'm not saying I would absolutely go buy an Ascent and not look at anything else, but I'm just saying the Pilot would absolutely NOT be on my "top 3" models. Honestly, looking at how infrequently we use the third row, she might be better off with one of the larger "normal" two-row SUV's, but that's for her to decide. For me, my next time, I'm going to get a plug-in hybrid of some kind, the Forester sounds good (if it's available in 2022) or I'd "downgrade" to the Crosstrek. I'd prefer to have it be a Premium trim rather than the higher ones. Toyota, for example, offers their Rav4 hybrid in all their trim levels, and it's only about $2000 more than the conventional engine equivalent. That's substantial.

Thanks. I'm curious if that's a complete TB changeover including tensioners/pulleys, water pump, and thermostat while they're down there, or if it's literally only the belt. That's annoying about the struts. Sounds like a design flaw since they keep failing (like the head gaskets in the 00's)

Right, I'm trying to remain optimistic about that because my wife drives about 80% city/urban with it. I'm hoping she's done with it before the TB service on that thing too...

It’s separate from the Econ button I think you are referring to. Also the Pilot has the EarthDreams 3.5 engine. Not sure if that’s the one in the Odyssey. The only way i know of to disable it is that muzzler- lots of reading on that piloteers page.

Same. I think the separate crossbars have higher load limits too. Check out the Piloteers forum. There is a guy that makes something called vcm muzzler that prevents your car from turning off the cylinders. The deactivation only happens at highway speeds when it is up to temperature so if you are an urban driver you probably won’t see it. Yes the issue with the seepage is suggestive of lack of pressure. The problem is that you get a bunch of oil in the cylinder when it fires up again. The longer you are on highway the more oil weeps into the cylinder. Almost all of the cylinder issues like this are the same exact ones.

You don’t want cylinder deactivation. There’s quite a bit of oil seepage causing problems on Honda V6s etc.