Another Thought…
My Outback is in the shop waiting for A/C parts. This is a rather rare car in these parts compared to most other brands and some confusion getting the correct parts sent here.
I wonder if getting parts for a Saab/Subaru wouldn’t get even more confusing.
Probably so
I’ve heard a couple stories of things taking more time because of parts issues. Have to wonder if the mech’s will be up to speed on these (or may just send them down the road to Subaru shops!), but the dealers are all multi line dealers anyway, so work on a lot more than these SAABarus.
Have to agree with Frank’s concerns about extra complexity of AWD too, but it’s been around a long time now.
I may at least have better odds of getting a loaner car for SAAB than from Subaru, and Warranty is very good (better than Subaru’s).
Bottom line - even with any potential SAAB/Sub issues - It fit’s all my needs and I just can’t beat the price.
Do NOT use a Prius for sports hauling
A friend bought one, thinking she could carry sea kayaks on the roof. Found out there are no roof racks for the Prius, and the dealership strongly advises against roof-top hauling, because it will eliminate the only advantage such a vehicle has over others of similar size (mpg). Small-engined cars need a sleek profile to get their mpg.
When she asked about using a lightweight trailer (e.g., dedicated kayak trailer), they said there was no way to attach the trailer to the car. Also, I would never trailer anything with a car of that category, because I would worry about the drivetrain being able to handle trailering, especially in mountain country like we have here.
Another friend told me that putting a mtn bike on his regular Honda Civic killed the gas mileage on that car. Also, somebody called CarTalk radio program with the same complaint, and they said, “Put the bike INSIDE the car!” But you can’t do that with a sea kayak.
So get a Prius for commuting but forget about it for hauling bulky gear.
And…
In twenty years or so may be a classic like the 914…
Smaller Hauler
I have a Volkswagon Jetta Diesel with roof racks and a trailer hitch it will carry my canoe while pulling my small box trailer and still get 55 actual miles to the canadian gallon diesel My last Jetta was a 4dr. doing the same load with 5spd std transmission The automatic transmission in the 2003 offers almost the same mileage within a mile or two My last one ranged 375,000 km without being apart other than two timing belts and brakes This newer one has gone 108,000 same brakes and just changed the timing belt and 2 recals. The diesel makes them great towing cars and the turbo gives them the pep to pass
My solution, GTI+Trailex
All fits in one garage bay. Ignore the m/c, that’s normally in back, so the car fits too.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v718/mhackett/boat/Dcp_1313.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v718/mhackett/boat/Dcp_1993.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v718/mhackett/boat/Dcp_2463.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v718/mhackett/boat/Dcp_2466.jpg
Mike
Nice looking boat! 
Ignore the m/c???
You are kidding right?
Well, SAAB deal’s off
– Last Updated: Jun-15-05 11:45 PM EST –
the 9-2X Aero stick with color/options I wanted (and put a small deposit on) never got on the truck, which means it ain't coming. None ANYWHERE else like that. All they have in manuals are the small wheel no option models in other colors - and only a couple of those (which have likely sold since they told me about them as that's what most are looking for down here).
I could buy the wheel package separately later - and skip the sun roof - and settle for cook me alive in FL sun black color, or...
I can look at something else. Unfortunately (for my wallet I think) I did just that this evening.
***WARNING*** Do not test drive and AUDI A3!!!! Repeat: ***WARNING*** Do not test drive and AUDI A3!!!! Also be damn certain you don't drive one with DSG! I'm a dedicated stick guy, and this transmission won me over in 3 seconds. Way too cool.
I drove the 6 speed first (sweet), then the DSG (OMG I don't care what it costs I'll knock over a bank if I have to). Pure rally car magic.
I won't bore everyone with all the details. Suffice it to say this car makes the MINI feel like the toy it is, and the SAAB like the punk in business attire it is (not a bad thing, but just not on par here). I think my German half has found a mechanical soul mate.
Oh yeah, to reassure everyone my priorities are still straight, it has a nice little pass through in the back seat for Greenland paddles too. Rack solution unknown at this point - but AUDI has something (I saw in EU) and I'm already bugging SARIS to get on it for a clip solution. Roof is perfect for yaks.
Now for the color choice, which is limited as I'm without car and need to find one in the state rather soon. I naturally wanted the Lava pearl effect Gray (given the "Grey" thing) - but none around. I can get a Light Silver metallic w. black interior (like 80% of Audi cars ever made) in two weeks. Right now I can get Brilliant Black with Black interior, Venetian Violet pearl effect (? - well, not as bad as it sounds, but no) with black interior, Murano Green pearl effect with tan interior (actually very nice but least attractive interior), Moro Blue (very dark) with gray interior, and get this:
"Ocean Blue" pearl effect! Nice color - and the kayaks would get to be on the ocean while on the road. Plus, gray leather interior to give me my grey fix. Ocean color car with interior that coordinates with my kayak - what more could I ask for! Now, how to pay for it (timely Lotto win maybe...)?
The one thing I like about it…
…over the new Outback is that it comes in RED…
Do you mean to say…
… there is a car that DOESN’T come in red? I thought there was a law or something…
Every car I’m considering comes in red. The A3 I’m looking at now comes in 2 reds, “Brilliant Red” aka plain old red, and “Garnet Red pearl effect” that is so nice even I would consider a red car (but that color doesn’t ship yet).
Otherwise, red is for old fire trucks and kid’s wagons.
The new OBs s*ck!
– Last Updated: Jun-16-05 1:07 AM EST –
More ground clearance and bigger wheels means higher roof line. I think they're trying to appeal to the older folks (no red). I'm old but not that old...
I think you can still get red on the Imprenza.
Bo-ring
Nice for strictly city driving (saves driver energy), but a major yawner for other driving. And their owners complain about how mountain driving eats their brakes…even “shifting” to D2 or D1 doesn’t hold back on downhills anything like downshifting with a manual tranny does. Strange.
I agree on that, but then I drove…
…an Audi with DSG yesterday. It goes beyond best of both worlds. 4 different settings. As manual as you want on up and down shifts, but no lag/power loss between gears. This makes it faster and more fuel efficient than their (really nice) 6 spd manual.
Anything but boring to drive (but will handle that too in traffic jams). I think I have lost my stick only preference.
Outback’s haven’t been…
…interesting since “Crocodile Dundee” was popular! 
Set aside a few hundred for seat covers
If you’re like me, sometimes you won’t want to change out of paddling clothes and into dry ones (or out of dirty, sweaty cycling clothes). Not good for most car seats!
I was using a couple of XXL t-shirts but damp paddling clothes soak right through those…found this out the first time I went paddling and drove my new truck. For the time being, I fold lengthwise an old flannel sheet and drape it over the driver’s seat. Soft, breathable, but definitely not waterproof. Not to mention it’s trashy-looking.
The Wet Okoles are on order. I hesitated at spending $225/pr for these, but someone on a long road trip (crossing the U.S. twice) raved about them, and they do fit perfectly. WO even makes them to work with my passenger-side fold-flat bucket.
I ordered the “ocean camo” graphics.
Roofline is not THAT high
C’mon…I think even shrimpy me could get used to putting a kayak on an Outback’s roof.
BTW, I saw a great talk/slide show given by an OR state park employee who spent a year working as a ranger in an Australian national park. He drove an official park Outback to haul an emu inside!
So it’s for real–an outback Outback.
A3 looks nice
especially since all the other German mfgs seem to have gone off the deep end with their styling lately. It shares underpinnings with the next-gen Golf/Jetta but I don’t think I like the looks of those either, though they are supposed to drive nice.
Not sure the DSG is going to be the enthusiast’s choice, but we’ll see. Haven’t read any real endorsements of it from that camp yet. A clutch is just part of the deal, really, still.
Mike
A Marketing Thing…
As I understand it the Outback was an American model and is only made in Indiana…
OK, KRIS, WE NEED TO TALK…
– Last Updated: Jun-17-05 7:50 AM EST –
We started out looking at other colors, and were going to go silver exterior/grey leather interior, but any those colors with the other things we we wanted were N/A, anywhere, so we ended up with...
A red car...
Our third red car...
In a row...
And agreed it looked better, stays cleaner longer -even if it really IS dirty -and cooks slower than the one other option we could've chosen: black.
And OUR wagon does NOT belong to kids.
I don't think...
At least not TWO kids...
ANd Pikabike? The Soobs roofs WERE too high! We didn't want to pay for premium (turbo or big 6), and every year the hauler's roof gets an inch taller, the kayaks get an inch heavier -and most importantly, WE get and inch OLDER!
But our RED MAZ6s Sportwagon works just fine, and we think it looks great, and are happy to be seen in it carrying our boats on the way to and from where we
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami