Too40gawlf Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 My in-laws have a 2016 explorer, the only seating area that is roomy is the front, the 3rd row is not what anyone should call easy to get into at least not with the bench 2nd row. And its not comfortable for an adult. Everything else is meh. Right on par with our Odyssey...except for roominess and gas mileage which the Honda excels at fully loaded 29 mpg on the highway at a steady 70-75. Their explorer does 23mpg with less cargo following right behind us. Also, the Odyssey is a stellar people mover, no doubt. and im also a fan of the J30 series Honda engines, but there is a long list of reasons why the Odyssey falls short of the Explorer in my books: -3.5 TT Ecoboost has ~80 hp and ~90 ft/lbs of torque over the J35 -Explorer has 4WD - 4WD/AWD was a requirement for me -Honda insists on the silly cylinder deactivation technology which eats piston rings alive -Explorer can out accelerate, out brake, out turn, and out pull the Odyssey -Explorer can go offroad and in poor conditions -Explorer isnt a minivan Lastly, fuel economy is of zero concern. If fuel economy was one of my top concerns, I would've got some bland ....... (Ascent), but I wanted power, durability, reliability, aesthetics, pleasure to drive, and value. Explorer Sport had those qualities in better ways than anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gathermewool Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 This is the first time I've read the Ascent described as a "bland .......". Interesting. Bland, sure, but .......? Note: I'm not a Subaru fanboi; I actually like and will consider an Explorer when it's time to upgrade. I personally want a mini-van, but my wife can't stand them. :sighs: I won't complain about all of the positives you mention over a minivan, though, that's for sure. With a cargo box to make up for the space differential between the two, the only issue will be SERIOUSLY reduced gas mileage, which I do care about. To make up for whatever gas guzzler my wife picks within the next five years (if we have a third kid), I'll likely keep my boring 2.5i-powered Legacy for forever...and eventually replace it with something like a Prius or EV -- GASP!!! '15 FB25 Magnatec 0W-20 + FU filter (70,517 miles) RSB, Fr. Strut Bar, Tint, STI BBS, LED er'where Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 There is no making up for poor seating position in the Explorer 3rd row no matter what you cover the seats with. Having said that the Ascent is not bigger that I could tell its just more comfortable, the seating position is up higher. I really don't care much about power in a people mover at all, but the Honda can definitely get out of its own way but the FWD sucks. The new Odyssey does have the 10 spd and can hit 60 in 6.5 sec offroad ability aside I don't see a very big performance gap for such poor fuel economy. As for reliability, I would have stayed away from an ecoboost on that transmission especially with the awd. It has not been proven a reliable combination as much as say the zf 8-speed dodge/jeep use. Scratch that I would have stayed away from Ford period, unless you were buying an F150 or a mustang that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 I'm waiting to see what the new Passport is like in real life. Then we'll decide what to replace our Legacy with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too40gawlf Posted December 31, 2018 Author Share Posted December 31, 2018 There is no making up for poor seating position in the Explorer 3rd row no matter what you cover the seats with. Having said that the Ascent is not bigger that I could tell its just more comfortable, the seating position is up higher. I really don't care much about power in a people mover at all, but the Honda can definitely get out of its own way but the FWD sucks. The new Odyssey does have the 10 spd and can hit 60 in 6.5 sec offroad ability aside I don't see a very big performance gap for such poor fuel economy. As for reliability, I would have stayed away from an ecoboost on that transmission especially with the awd. It has not been proven a reliable combination as much as say the zf 8-speed dodge/jeep use. Scratch that I would have stayed away from Ford period, unless you were buying an F150 or a mustang that is. Im glad to see the Odyssey works for you. Keep an eye on your piston rings. I'll take my chances with the durability of the Ecoboost and its drive line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too40gawlf Posted December 31, 2018 Author Share Posted December 31, 2018 I'm waiting to see what the new Passport is like in real life. Then we'll decide what to replace our Legacy with. Yeah, the Passport looks pretty spiffy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubieN8 Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Ford customer service was terrible to deal with I had issues with my brand new 2014 Mustang. Subaru customer service has always taken care of me, when I've had issues with previous vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norskie Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Yeah, the Passport looks pretty spiffy: EDIT: we test drove a Pilot, not a Passport. I'm an illiterate idiot. We test drove one about a month ago. We concluded it would be a great place to spend time on a straight boring interstates, but around town it was heavy, cushy, and a high COG. The engine was a gem, but the transmission sucked. For example ... give it some throttle, get a little acceleration ... want more acceleration, give it more throttle, and then suddenly it downshifts and jerks the vehicle forward. It made for a less-than-stellar ride. I don't know what a good alternative is; we decided we didn't want any large SUV at all, got a WRX instead, and when our Legacy gets to the end of it's warranty we'll see what else Japan/Korea has for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too40gawlf Posted December 31, 2018 Author Share Posted December 31, 2018 Ford customer service was terrible to deal with I had issues with my brand new 2014 Mustang. Subaru customer service has always taken care of me, when I've had issues with previous vehicles. Do you mean Ford corporate or the specific dealer? I too dont like Ford corporate as it is staffed with surly Michigan types, but the dealer I bought my wife's car from has taken care of me previously in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too40gawlf Posted December 31, 2018 Author Share Posted December 31, 2018 We test drove one about a month ago. We concluded it would be a great place to spend time on a straight boring interstates, but around town it was heavy, cushy, and a high COG. The engine was a gem, but the transmission sucked. For example ... give it some throttle, get a little acceleration ... want more acceleration, give it more throttle, and then suddenly it downshifts and jerks the vehicle forward. It made for a less-than-stellar ride. I don't know what a good alternative is; we decided we didn't want any large SUV at all, got a WRX instead, and when our Legacy gets to the end of it's warranty we'll see what else Japan/Korea has for sale. I would love a WRX in the fleet. But the Explorer is my wife's car and it needs to transport the kids - which the WRX cant. So the Explorer Sport was one of the few options available that would meet the kid transport duties and still had some type of performance aspect to it. I really didnt give a hoot about driving her Legacy, but i really like driving the Explorer. In a year or two, maybe after a raise, I may circle back to eye some WRXs - provided Subaru doesnt make them all CVT cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammcinnis Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 This thread has long since ceased to be about the 6th Gen Legacy. Moving it to General Chat. "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Subaru is a quality car, but the corporate heads insist on deviating from what bolstered their brand and they are going to lose a certain core of their market. The Ascent would've been a natural progression for my family, but like I said, it so bland and boring, I could never justify paying for what they are asking. Subaru used to build cars for people passionate about driving. Now they build appliances for people who dont care. Subaru's core market has almost always been economical utilitarian vehicles for safety conscious consumers. The WRX came around to the US in 2002, and that opened up a niche market for the brand, but don't let your confirmation bias skew the true identity of the brand. You're just wrong on the point that core was driving enthusiasts. Anyone who sold Subarus in the early 2000's when the WRX and STI were new to the US and all the rage can tell you that the majority of the customer base were still nerdy/analytical/frugal engineer and accountant types. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 We test drove one about a month ago. We concluded it would be a great place to spend time on a straight boring interstates, but around town it was heavy, cushy, and a high COG. The engine was a gem, but the transmission sucked. For example ... give it some throttle, get a little acceleration ... want more acceleration, give it more throttle, and then suddenly it downshifts and jerks the vehicle forward. It made for a less-than-stellar ride. I don't know what a good alternative is; we decided we didn't want any large SUV at all, got a WRX instead, and when our Legacy gets to the end of it's warranty we'll see what else Japan/Korea has for sale. Where did you test drive a Passport? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norskie Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Where did you test drive a Passport? I'm in illiterate idiot. It was a Pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Im glad to see the Odyssey works for you. Keep an eye on your piston rings. I'll take my chances with the durability of the Ecoboost and its drive line. We aren't keeping the Odyssey, as soon as our son is front facing we are trading it in on an Ascent. The wife really likes it and the fuel mileage for her should be similar if not an improvement. Mostly city and short highway drives. Mostly we want the towing ability, better seating position, and awd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Are you still here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammcinnis Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Thread closed. Everybody chill; any more trouble and I will take further action. "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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