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Subaru

SkiFanE

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Good point. Is an SUV chassis same as a wagon? I don't think so.

We always had boats like that. Fam with 6 kids 2 dogs and occasional cousin or friend trucking it to lake every weekend. We had a trailer to cart all the junk. Thank god for bench seats and 'back back' and no silly seatbelt laws lol

I think its nitpicking to say they aren't wagons... When I was a kid a station wagon was a huge freakin boat... My friends dad had a Town and Country station wagon, nothing today compares to something like that...

1967chryslertcwagon022407.jpg
 

riverc0il

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nobody can answer this? When I saw the "Subaru doesn't make a wagon any more" I was confused. 4 door with hatchback to me is a station wagon...
Hatchbacks are significantly smaller than wagons. With a hatchback, you might get a foot or two (at best) of space behind the passenger seats. In many cases, sedan models of the same hatchback model often times have more floor space (not vertical space, floor space). I don't consider hatchbacks to be wagons. They are compact cars with a rear lid rather than a full bodied wagon with a lot of cargo space.
 

skijay

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The reason Subaru of America didn't bring in the turbodiesel Legacy Wagon was it only came with a manual transmission and Subaru USA thought they wouldn't have enough buyers for it with manual only. They didn't(maybe still don't) have an automatic transmission that could handle the torque of the 2.0 Turbodiesel. I would have bought one but I'm an owner of the ultra rare one year only Legacy GT Wagon with Manual trans. Since Subaru gave up on wagons, my wife and I will probably be giving up on Subaru. She currently drives a WRX wagon. Our next car(s) could be either the VW TDI wagon or the CX-5 hopefully diesel with manual?

Supposedly big brother Toyota may have the automatic transmission issue resolved from the Toyota parts bin with a 5 speed automatic currently in use, that can handle the torque and the RWD / AWD configurations with an inline (not transversely mounted) engine. The RWD refers to a Toyota product. I think it was a Euro spec van or pick-up truck. I read this in a Subaru forum early this year. Not 100% sure of how accurate it is as you would think if you have the transmission and it works just use it!

My thought: They are waiting to see if a CVT will work successfully with the Boxer Diesel.
 
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BigJay

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I've read many websites regarding the Subaru Diesel engine in North America... it was announced 5 years ago when gaz prices started going up... they said that they didn't have the technology for making clean diesel (because NA is more strict on gaz emission apparently). They don't want to buy it from Ford, GM or VW... they want to make their own.

We have a Forester... and i looked at the UK website and find we don't get any of the fancy stuff... auto-adjusting lights... suspension levelling under load... and so on.
 

Edd

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I think its nitpicking to say they aren't wagons... When I was a kid a station wagon was a huge freakin boat... My friends dad had a Town and Country station wagon, nothing today compares to something like that...

1967chryslertcwagon022407.jpg

Ooo that is an awesome looking car. I have huge love for wagons. Sedans are just dumb to me from a functionality standpoint. I think all cars should just be wagons.
 

SkiDork

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Ooo that is an awesome looking car. I have huge love for wagons. Sedans are just dumb to me from a functionality standpoint. I think all cars should just be wagons.

yes - his car was actually yellow. I always wanted one of those
 

bobbutts

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Just go down and drive them. You should definitely try the CVT and see if you like it, since that will narrow the options.
 

SkiDork

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New question: Looking at the Outback and Crosstrek. AFA the outback, I would tend toward the 4 cylinder. Not doing any towing or racing. Any reason why I would want to consider the bigger 6 cylinder for a ski car?
 

BigJay

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I don't think there is a Crosstek with 6cyl. Don't forget that the Crosstek is basically an impreza with more ground clearance... kind of like the old Impreza Outback
 

SkiDork

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I don't think there is a Crosstek with 6cyl. Don't forget that the Crosstek is basically an impreza with more ground clearance... kind of like the old Impreza Outback

If you read my question I indicated it was for the outback... But thanks anyway
 

Geoff

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New question: Looking at the Outback and Crosstrek. AFA the outback, I would tend toward the 4 cylinder. Not doing any towing or racing. Any reason why I would want to consider the bigger 6 cylinder for a ski car?

Pulling onto a highway on ramp with a full load could be a little adventurous in a 4 cyl Outback. 173 hp and 174 foot-pounds of torque with a CVT for a 3500 pound car with 4 people, the back stuffed with groceries, and a fiberglass pod on the Thule bars is going to feel sluggish climbing hills and accelerating to highway speed or to pass somebody. If you want 30 mpg on regular gas, that's the penalty you'd pay.

It would be a much bigger deal out west where engine performance at 7 to 8,000 feet goes to hell.
 

AdironRider

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The crosstrek is a waste of money IMO.

4-5K more for a lifted Impreza? Sorry Ill take the Impreza with coilovers and save 3k.

Heard they are severely underpowered. New Imprezas arent that powerful to begin with and its going to be a nightmare in the crosstrek. Seems like a marketing ploy to me more than anything.
 

BigJay

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The 2.5L is a novelty in Europe. Most of their car is sold w/ the 2.0 diesel engine... the others come with 2.0 fuel engine. You can forget about a 6cyl Subaru in Europe... no one would want that...

It's not all about horsepowers. I took a trip w/ a friend thru NM, AZ and UT in a Impreza with 2 bike racks and a box on top. We averaged 26.x MPG. Pretty good to have the conservative CVT and 2.0L engine. My forester does around 24 MPG with nothing attached to it... with a roof rack and a box, i'm sure it would go down to 21-22 MPG... and the way my gf drives, we can sometimes average below 20mpg in the city.

So the Impreza isn't underpowered... it's an AWD Honda Civic... not everyone likes and wants the Civic SI... that's why the new impreza is selling pretty good north of the border!

Now think how great it would be to have the DIESEL engine over here in North America!
 

gmcunni

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Don't forget that the Crosstek is basically an impreza with more ground clearance... kind of like the old Impreza Outback

i've always like the previous outback wagon body style. if i were shopping for a new car the Crosstrek would be high on my list.
 

Cannonball

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The crosstrek is a waste of money IMO.

4-5K more for a lifted Impreza? Sorry Ill take the Impreza with coilovers and save 3k.

I'm currently debating the crosstrek vs the impreza and not sold either way yet. If your numbers were correct the impreza would be a clear winner for me. But they aren't. An impreza equipped like a crosstrek (impreza sport premium) is only about $1,200 less than the crosstrek. That $1,200 clearly includes a bit of marketing - but also a beefier suspension and towing capability, plus the ground clearance. That's what's making it a tough call.
 

Puck it

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I'm currently debating the crosstrek vs the impreza and not sold either way yet. If your numbers were correct the impreza would be a clear winner for me. But they aren't. An impreza equipped like a crosstrek (impreza sport premium) is only about $1,200 less than the crosstrek. That $1,200 clearly includes a bit of marketing - but also a beefier suspension and towing capability, plus the ground clearance. That's what's making it a tough call.

I saw one of those in the lot at Cannon early in the season. I had seen one. I like it enough to look it up online. I would go orange though. I would condiser it if the FJ goes away.

Replacing the Tundra? How was the repair on it go? BTW.
 

Cannonball

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I saw one of those in the lot at Cannon early in the season. I had seen one. I like it enough to look it up online. I would go orange though. I would condiser it if the FJ goes away.

Replacing the Tundra? How was the repair on it go? BTW.

Haha...I hate the orange! But that's what the wife likes, so we'll see...

Tundra has been in the shop for a week with at least another week to go. Prob around $8K in body work when said and done. The accident isn't really the reason for car shopping but it was the catalyst. Just time to improve on MPG. I have owned trucks since I was 17. A subaru would be a culture change. But I'm not afraid.
 
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