TheWeatherWarrior Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Anything will get stuck with crappy tires or a dipshit behind the wheel. I was a tech for over 10 years, the most common theme I saw when it came to tires was, "Whats the cheapest one that fits my car":rolleyes: I'm in Damascus MD so I know the storm you're taking about. It has nothing to do with the tires. Maybe 1 or 2 out of the 20 plus Subaru's I saw may have had crappy tires. Again...I think it had more to do with folks overselling AWD. I was doing just fine in a FWD PT Cruiser convertible (Subaru was not available...lol...reliability...not so much). Again...it's a decent mix of attributes on a single vehicle, but it's no award winner (otherwise, there would be a lot more awards). At least Subaru is finally getting rid of teh 2.5. I say it's a horrible motor. Even the new ones. There is no reason in this day and age to still be using a piss-poor belt driven design. The FB motor will be chain driven...although only (at first) be in the Forester....booo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Once they ramp up production in Japan and in Indiana at the motor-build plant there, I think you'll see more of the new FBs in more models. - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doccrowley Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Best AWD car for your family needs! We've been through 4 subies previously and currently have 2 in the stable. First subie was a late 70's and was still on orig motor at 335K (several fuel pumps later). 2 late 80's (XT6) and then a 92 Legacy Sport Sedan acquired at 67K and running strong at 177K (very rusty from 4 Iowa winters) and then got into my current 06. I've put almost 80K on my 06 and my wife just demanded an 09 2.5i before winter hit here in Utah. She's been in a Durango for the last 4 winters and absolutely loves her Subie. We found an 09 2.5i lease return with 18K miles and bought it for 5K below book value in Nov '10. Have you looked for any super low mile lease returns??? Unless you demand new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozz84 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 Have you looked for any super low mile lease returns??? Unless you demand new. I have not looked. I dont demand but prefer new with all my vehicles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gire Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Has anyone in this thread mentioned All Wheel Drive yet....? Because that's a factor. (just playin') Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doccrowley Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Winter time carries a premium price on AWD subies, but we did find an amazing deal on the super clean lease return. There were 30 lease returns for sale between 3 dealerships in late Oct/ early Nov and we got all 3 dealing against each other. It helped that we weren't too picky on which car we got as long as it was clean and checked-out ok by our subie mechanic. Good luck. She's super happy with her first Subie all to herself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleo Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 AFWIW - I'd bet a dime to a doughnut that the Subarus Outbacks that were getting stuck, were on summer or all season tires. AWD is no excuse for ill-equipping your vehicle for real winter conditions and putting yourself at risk of getting stuck. Of course. However, people around virginia/DC area generally don't expect craptons of snow in a single storm. We simply got hammered last winter and no one was ready for it. I'm from Michigan & know how to drive in snow, but the same can't be said for people down here, where 18" over a day is the biggest single snowfall in ~15 years. They took forever (like 3-5 days) to properly plow the roads & get the city back on its feet. Since then, their snow readiness has greatly improved. This year, however, is a more typical year with minor snowfalls (I think we might have gotten 6-8" at one time before christmas). Since then, we've only gotten like 1 'storm' that dropped about 3 inches. Would it really be practical for people around here to have a dedicated set of snow tires? No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdlwn1 Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I researched my 09 Legacy 2.5i for a year and then searched for a 10k miles used one. The main thing is that the car handles really well both in good and bad weather. It does exactly what you think it should do no matter how close to the limit you get..never surprises you. Yes the interior seems a little on the cheaper side..but far from plasticy that you will find in many new american cars that cost more...more of a scratch problem than stuff not fitting or falling apart. I spent time in the mountains of Lake Tahoe and the majority of cars on the road that were more than 5 years old were Toyota and Subaru. Now, to the guys that say the suspension is too soft, if your driveing down the 405 in LA....yes they're right...but if you live where the roads get hammered from cold weather....the suspension is damn near perfect.....and balanced. The same applies to the motor..170hp is fine for 2 adults and gear. Wide open flat roads are not what the car was set up for. The 09 is for smaller people..you have to sit in one to see if it works for you. Finally..to the "masses" of supposed Subie drivers who got stuck in the DC storms...that was nothing other than a ground clearance/tire issue with drivers who just don't have the experiance....it's the WAY that the car handles in snow...not just because it's "awd" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Would it really be practical for people around here to have a dedicated set of snow tires? No. I live in SoCar and have dedicated Dunlop M3 Winter Sports on my car right now... have since November. We've seen enough ice and cold weather conditions to warrant dedicated snow tires and if you go anywhere remotely out of the area, you're in snow country. Don't want to be caught without. Most feel that ASes are good enough for this and living in SoCal for so many years, I was in that vocal majority. However, East Coast weather has recalibrated my thinking. And I was born and raised in NW PA, the land of the lake-effect snow, so I learned early and exercised often how to drive well in all of the bad weather conditions. - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleo Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I live in SoCar and have dedicated Dunlop M3 Winter Sports on my car right now... have since November. We've seen enough ice and cold weather conditions to warrant dedicated snow tires and if you go anywhere remotely out of the area, you're in snow country. Don't want to be caught without. Most feel that ASes are good enough for this and living in SoCal for so many years, I was in that vocal majority. However, East Coast weather has recalibrated my thinking. And I was born and raised in NW PA, the land of the lake-effect snow, so I learned early and exercised often how to drive well in all of the bad weather conditions. I guess it all depends on how well-off you are. Some people can't afford to just have a dedicated set of winter tires/rims in an area/style of life where they're just not necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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