3 Great reasons to buy a Subaru

Sonnenblumen

Forget all your prejudices and hang-ups, forget what people may say, deep down, there are many reasons to why someone changes marque.

But here are mine for Subaru, and if you would like to contribute constructively welcome on board, all others PFO.

- Exhilarating Performance (Breathtaking)
- Enjoyable Comfort (competes with the best marques)
- Innovative Engineering (very little ahead, most of the competition behind)
- Understated almost Bland Exterior (limited to the confident types)
- Excellent R.O.I. (you'll be hard pressed to find as much tech for your €)

VROOM VROOM

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor wrote:

I'm thinking of getting a Subaru next...

I only posted this in the last half hour...was wondering what the next marque to be thrashed would be?


zzzzzzz

mloc123

you drive a forester right? why didn't you buy a proper Subaru?

Tobias Greeshman

As an aside to the reliability note about Subaru, my fathers being a mechanic for over the last 30 odd years, and has never seen the inside of a Subaru engine.

Henry Ford III

Dud plasticky and cheap interiors.

Horrendous fuel economy.

Chocolate camshafts

junkyard

I had a few of them over the year before they were famous and I loved them, especially the high spec. estates. In fact I must but another one.:)

cantdecide

i love 'em. i'll get a legacy B4 sooner or later.

peasant

Yes, Subaru build some fine cars.

You got one.

Whey-hey for you !

Happy now?

Anan1

Actually my mother looked at the Forester S turbo back in 98, and almost bought one. What put her off in the end was the slightly squidgy handling (better than a 4x4, but not as good as a good car) and the plasticky interior. She hummed and hahed for a bit, and then took a drive in the then-new Alfa 156. She ordered a new 2.0 Lusso on the spot, which now has 113,500 utterly reliable miles under its belt. She still makes occasional noises about buying a Forester (mainly for the dog's benefit, IMO) but is still pretty much welded to her 156. Funny old world, eh?

dave2pvd

Anan1 wrote:

Actually my mother looked at the Forester S turbo back in 98, and almost bought one. What put her off in the end was the slightly squidgy handling (better than a 4x4, but not as good as a good car) and the plasticky interior. She hummed and hahed for a bit, and then took a drive in the then-new Alfa 156. She ordered a new 2.0 Lusso on the spot, which now has 113,500 utterly reliable miles under its belt. She still makes occasional noises about buying a Forester (mainly for the dog's benefit, IMO) but is still pretty much welded to her 156. Funny old world, eh?

So what you're saying is:
Alfas are better than Subarus.
Unless you're a dog.

You know, I've always thought that too.

maidhc

Does this thread serve a purpose?

Subarus are probably fine cars... but so are Fords, Opels, Toyotas, VWs.... must we have threads extolling the virtues of each?

Guy:Incognito

I think the point is that sonnenblumen is striving to be the netwizkid of the motors forum.

overdriver

Ban the c*nt.

SouperComputer

Ignorelist FTW!

Lex Luthor

overdriver wrote:

Ban the c*nt.

2nd that...

Lex Luthor

Anan1 wrote:

Actually my mother looked at the Forester S turbo back in 98, and almost bought one. What put her off in the end was the slightly squidgy handling (better than a 4x4, but not as good as a good car) and the plasticky interior. She hummed and hahed for a bit, and then took a drive in the then-new Alfa 156. She ordered a new 2.0 Lusso on the spot, which now has 113,500 utterly reliable miles under its belt. She still makes occasional noises about buying a Forester (mainly for the dog's benefit, IMO) but is still pretty much welded to her 156. Funny old world, eh?

Anan1...........ssshhhh. Don't mention that 4 letter word or you'll have all sorts jumping on the Alfa bashing wagon again

ToxicPaddy

SouperComputer wrote:

Ignorelist FTW!

Cruel.. but funny

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

Sonnenblumen wrote:

Forget all your prejudices and hang-ups, forget what people may say, deep down, there are many reasons to why someone changes marque.

But here are mine for Subaru, and if you would like to contribute constructively welcome on board, all others PFO.

- Exhilarating Performance (Breathtaking)
- Enjoyable Comfort (competes with the best marques)
- Innovative Engineering (very little ahead, most of the competition behind)
- Understated almost Bland Exterior (limited to the confident types)
- Excellent R.O.I. (you'll be hard pressed to find as much tech for your €)

VROOM VROOM

and unlike the european cars..... they work.

Wibbs

They're OK, but Subaru spelt backwards reads U R A BUS. Says it all......

Tobias Greeshman

Yeah they're very reliable, probably the most reliable car out there. But they're interior isn't the best (very plasticy), and the impreza is one damn ugly looking car.

Although the Legacy (Saloon) 2.0GL mmmmmmm!!!
Some day, Some day....

ambro25

silas wrote:

the impreza is one damn ugly looking car.

It's not made to be pretty. The same way a Delta Integrale (with the aerodynamic ratio of a period oak dresser) isn't made to be pretty. It's made to be driven.

Ever heard of 'function before form' design?

Hint: it's the exact reverse of me-too blandmobiles™ out there

Anan1

ambro25 wrote:

It's not made to be pretty. The same way a Delta Integrale (with the aerodynamic ratio of a period oak dresser) isn't made to be pretty. It's made to be driven.

Ever heard of 'function before form' design?

Hint: it's the exact reverse of me-too blandmobiles™ out there

Of course, I can't see Sonnenblumen having any more time for my Delta integrale than he does for my mother's Alfa 156.;)

Tobias Greeshman

ambro25 wrote:

It's not made to be pretty. The same way a Delta Integrale (with the aerodynamic ratio of a period oak dresser) isn't made to be pretty. It's made to be driven.

Ever heard of 'function before form' design?

Hint: it's the exact reverse of me-too blandmobiles™ out there

Well I suppose it wasn't long before an Impreza driver would get upset by me calling their car ugly.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

silas wrote:

Well I suppose it wasn't long before an Impreza driver would get upset by me calling their car ugly.

upset... i wouldn't say that's the reply of an upset driver...
that a perfectly reasonable answer...
if you want to see what a replies from upset drivers look at the alfa and BMW threads... those boys can get very upset and cranky.

but then again can ya blame them.

alias no.9

ambro25 wrote:

It's not made to be pretty. The same way a Delta Integrale (with the aerodynamic ratio of a period oak dresser) isn't made to be pretty. It's made to be driven.

Ever heard of 'function before form' design?

Hint: it's the exact reverse of me-too blandmobiles™ out there

The delta was fairly contemporary, possibly even futuristic, in its styling, it was launched in 1979 when the competition took the form of the mkII escort and opel kadette. While I get the whole function over form thing, I've always thought of the imprezza as having borrowed styling queues from the generation of corrolla previous to its launch.

ibanezjem

Unlike the BMW thread, this really is an opporunity for Subaru heads to "blow their own"..erm....trumpet!

Boring........

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

ibanezjem wrote:

Unlike the BMW thread, this really is an opporunity for Subaru heads to "blow their own"..erm....trumpet!

Boring........

dont you mean just like...

Tobias Greeshman

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

upset... i wouldn't say that's the reply of an upset driver...
that a perfectly reasonable answer...
if you want to see what a replies from upset drivers look at the alfa and BMW threads... those boys can get very upset and cranky.

but then again can ya blame them.

Well ok upset was the wrong word to use, well it wasn't going to be long before some Impreza driver came along to defend his pride and joy.

Ah yeah couldn't blame them at all, afterall their cars are constantly burning a hole in their wallet.

Wibbs

ambro25 wrote:

It's not made to be pretty. The same way a Delta Integrale (with the aerodynamic ratio of a period oak dresser) isn't made to be pretty. It's made to be driven.

Not quite. Both the subaru and the delta were cars that were reverse engineered for a specific purpose, not designed for that purpose from the outset(certainly the case with the early model impreza). Hence the period oak dresser aerodynamics. Look at what lancia did when they had a clean sheet to design a rally car. http://carpictures.duble.com/picturesphotospics/lanciastratospicturesphotospics.htm Looks nothing like the tarted up econo boxes that the regs required. Same with the ford RS200 http://www.autobellausa.com/images/cars/ford_rs200.jpg Neither look anything like the faux rally scoobies/evo's etc.

Ever heard of 'function before form' design?

Form follows function when pure design ethics are followed. The only reason people think they're the ultimate "rally" type car is purely down to what people have gotten used to.

ambro25

silas wrote:

Well ok upset was the wrong word to use, well it wasn't going to be long before some Impreza driver came along to defend his pride and joy.

It's not my motoring pride and joy. She is.

To the risk of repeating myself, the Scoob is the family car. Which role it fulfils admirably. And I've long (i) shed aspirations to €00,000 cars and (ii) felt the need to portray status, manlyhood or such other nonsense that people consciously/subsconsciously project on their cars, with mine.

silas wrote:

Ah yeah couldn't blame them at all, afterall their cars are constantly burning a hole in their wallet.

Model: Impreza 2.0 L Sport (non-turbo), 1997.

Cost of purchase, march 2004: £3,000 - 59,200 miles (incl. HPI & RAC checks)

Aggregated cost of service (2/year since): about £900 - 74,500 currently

Insurance (TPFT): about €300 pa

Economy
* combined (town/n-ways/m-ways) about 30-31 mpg,
* mway-only about 38-39 mpg

Hardly a hole, methinks

It's not so much a 'defense' (though it will undoubtedly be taken as such), than a few quick anecdotal remarks about a car I own in the context of a discussion about its brand. I've never felt the need to justify what I drive to anyone, and I'm not about to start now either

Tobias Greeshman

I was talking about the Alfa and BMW with continuously needing repair.

ambro25 wrote:

It's not my motoring pride and joy. She is.

Yes the MX5 is a lovely car, i'll agree with you there. Lovely car to drive as well.

ambro25

Wibbs wrote:

Not quite. Both the subaru and the delta were cars that were reverse engineered for a specific purpose, not designed for that purpose from the outset(certainly the case with the early model impreza). Hence the period oak dresser aerodynamics.

Well, close enough then

I suppose what I meant was that they were not first and foremost designed to be pretty (e.g. with focus groups, marketing types and what not). For that matter, the Delta was designed and sold as a FWD family hatchback long before the 4WD Integrale version. I should know, I've owned both a 1500 LX (nothing but trouble , I swear to this day the f*cking thing was possessed!) and then an Integrale ina moment of youthful indulgence).

But the Impreza (note: one 'z' only) and slightly bigger Legacy were always 4WD - the few Impreza 2WD variants (I've heard of - never seen one) were introduced later. What I therefore meant was that the innards were designed first, then the shell. Not the other way around dictated by vertical economies of much larger car manufacturers (i.e. same power plant/chassis/etc. between several distinctly different models).

Wibbs wrote:

Form follows function when pure design ethics are followed. The only reason people think they're the ultimate "rally" type car is purely down to what people have gotten used to.

Quite correct. Taking for instance Ford's Puma: a remodelled Fiesta. The function is marketing-defined and -led, hence the youth-appealing form.

Ownership of an Impreza will be, IMHO, one of two diametrically-opposed variants: wealthy boy racer for the image, or family type looking for something a bit different/more individual.

Ownership of a Subaru in general... well, take the Legacy for instance: in all honesty, who gives them a second look (aside from myself and the select few owners out there )?

unkel

I quite like Subarus in general. No-nonsense capable cars. Anti-stylish inside & out

Sonnenblumen wrote:

- Exhilarating Performance (Breathtaking)

The Legacy WRX is very fast, but the performance of any other Subaru can hardly be called exhilarating or breathtaking, surely?

Sonnenblumen

In comparison to my previous cars EClass(O/A performance was disappointing ) and Beemer 520 (good performer but otherwise all aspects associated with BMW involves a rip off) the Subaru Forester stacks up very well.

External appearance could be improved, but the performance is better than most! I'm not sure where all the plastic jibes are coming from, the Subaru leather job is as good as the Germans but much less costly.

mloc123

Sonnenblumen wrote:

520 (good performer but otherwise all aspects associated with BMW involves a rip off) the Subaru Forester stacks up very well.

Well if you tought the 520 had good performance then I guess anything slightly quick could be considered exhilarating.

kevmac

One Impreza, two Forester sturbos and now a Legacy Spec B.

Could not be happier (well, okay I'd like a bit more torque)

HashSlinging

Lets be honest here apart from the legacy they are the most chaved up yokes on the road.. Every skanger in the country wants a scooby. If you want speed why not buy a bike.

Henry Ford III

HashSlinging wrote:

Lets be honest here apart from the legacy they are the most chaved up yokes on the road.. Every skanger in the country wants a scooby.

No and yes I reckon.

Boy racers tart up Glanzas etc. much more, but can't afford to buy/run a proper turbo model.

A nice standard Impreza is an attractive car. Sadly it also attracts lots of uindesirables.

HashSlinging

Good point I suppose, I dont mind the pre-00 models, they went crazy froggin after that.

kevmac

Would argue that the Forester and Legacy escape the WRX image.

And even then the WRX only gets the boy-racer image when they pick up 1990s Jap imports for next to nothing and make a show of themselves.

Know a 52-year-old who is driving a 2.5l STi and he swears that it is a more satisfying car than his old M3.

Strip out the prejudice and you have supremely well-engineered cars, permanent All Wheel Drive, and value for money.

weemcd

Interior in that pic kevmac posted looks flawless to me tbh. Have to say bar something like an a4 avant, there is no estate around thats nicer and more practical imo.