Subaru advice

exactly, thank you
Plastic lower body cladding, taller springs and shocks but no skid plates or anything else that might be nice to have on a car where increased ride height and AWD is the sales pitch.



IMO it’s a lot of extra money for some extra weight.


I wasn’t going to reply, but since you

– Last Updated: Sep-15-13 5:45 AM EST –

replied to my post.
I feel I should.
1. I wouldn't have a vehicle with a side opening rear door. I think they are a pain in the butt. I just let the hatch back go up against the boat. Not only that, but they are great for loading stuff in the back when it is raining out.
2. My new Forester has a nice step across the rear to stand on and tie stuff on the roof down
3. Don't know about the RAV, but the Forester has more rear cargo space then my Ford Escape, and it's four cylinders are peppier then my 6 cylinder Ford Escape.
4. The all wheel drive is awesome for my steep mountain driveway.

To each his own

Jack L

the only advantage would be
Clearance on potholes gravel tracks and deeper snow.



Ryan L.

remember the old outback?
If I recall it had skid plate protection in some places in addition to the raised clearance. Also had a nifty weather band radio, and a bombproof factory roof rack.

Subaru head gaskets
I talked to a former Subaru service manager. He told me that the problem with Subaru head gaskets has not been solved. You might need to change them twice in the life of the car. I once helped a friend get her Outback head gaskets redone. It was a nightmare trying to figure out what was needed in parts and methods—lots of controversy and confusion about what needs to be done. Some warehouses stock old gaskets that will also eventually fail, so you have to ask the year the gaskets were made. I would never own a Subaru after that experience.

Wow
Tons of great info, y’all, Thanks! I like the idea of using Yakima racks & towers instead of putting bars over the factory rails, but according to the Yakima website, the distance between the bars is only 33.5". That seems really close.

If your boat (s) are secured properly
you won’t have any problems.

This weekend I had a 18’-6" long ultralight canoe centered on the Yakama bars strapped down with cam-lock buckle straps and with a front tripod tie down, and drove several hundred miles on the interstate with speeds up to 70MPH. and had absolutely no problems. the boat never even wiggled when I was passed or came up on eighteen wheelers.

I would never do it with the Yakama bars attached to the Suburu factory bars though.



Jack L

.
Thousands of miles at 80mph with two sea kayaks on Subaru factory rails and Subaru factory crossbars.

Yes, but that is not one of these new
curved roof abortions!



Jack L

Odd, - I was told by a mechanic
that it was solved



Jack L

this and last years

– Last Updated: Sep-16-13 9:45 AM EST –

Motors are new, at least in the crosstrek and impreza. It wouldnt be logical to assume the same maintenance issues across the whole fleet in all years, especially anecdotally.

Ryan L.

I wish!
It is one those curved f-ups. The rear bar is lower than front, this forces me orient fish form kayaks stern first. Additionally, ~2ft of bar spread are wasted on cosmetic moldings for rail towers. The whole setup is moved towards the rear of the car.

I would understand (sort of) if it made the car look better, but it looks like crap.



I blame all these design changes on idiocy of American drivers.

Here is why -

  • they find it difficult to remove regular crossbars, hence those Outback abortions. Thule’s towers can be removed in seconds from mounting plates ( I am talking about your setup)
  • they want their vehicles to look more menacing, hence raised rails with space wasted for tower moldings. Or, again, those Outback mutants, with lots and lots of plastic. Euro style/flush rails are not manly enough for Americans, but available in Japan and Europe




meh
The roof profile is taller in front than in back for one reason - aerodynamic efficiency.



You don’t have to fret about what end of your kayak goes in front (is it more difficult to put it on the roof stern-forward than bow forward?). The wind will not lift it off your car as the leading end encounters wind. The hull is relatively narrow and if you mount them hull down, hull profile should allow wind to stream either side. Besides, the airflow comes from the hood and windshield as much as from in front.



Fact is it has nothing to do with idiocy and more to do with market demands. Kayakers are not a big market influence and we just have to accept that.

Words of wisdom
Your wife is considering a new car, and you you are seeking advice. Perhaps you should admit she has a brain and allow her to make her own decisions.

In the old days, 40s,50s,60s
100,000 miles often meant a minor or major engine overhaul. This would include a head gasket job, and possibly lots of other work, such as timing chain, rockers, lifters, valves, etc. It is true that many of today’s engines do not often need these types of service.



My 2005 Mariner V-6 Ford has 215k with only an alternator, two batteries, and the coil packs as non- preventive maintenance, and one could argue the batteries as scheduled, because if they say its a 60 month battery, that’s all its going to last.



My 2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara had as scheduled prev maint change the timing belt at 100k, at an estimated cost of over $1000.

The likelihood of a Subaru head gasket issue, as well as its driving utility, should be factored into the “True Cost to Own”. Edmunds.com has some good data on this.



My son bought a 2006 Impreza used, he had to replace the cat and get a valve job. The valve issue probably caused the cat issue. So far, due to the good deal on the initial purchase, overall a reasonable expense. I drove it safely thru a multiple car crash at interstate highway speeds in a snow squall. If we had been in my 4wd truck, we probably would not have escaped, due to the difference in size and nimbleness.

my $.02

do you need AWD?
If not - get the mazda.

Service manager told me that
Subaru claims the problem has been solved but that it hasn’t. That was in March this year. Only time will tell because the problem seems to happen at around 80,000 to 100,000 miles, which is 7 or more years after manufacture. Subaru has claimed in the past that the problem was fixed but it wasn’t, so they’ve now lost credibility. Although it appears that they now have a redesigned engine, only the designers know what has been changed.



For me Subaru lost credibility when I had to track down the serial numbers of updated head gaskets to make sure I wasn’t buying parts that were identical to the ones that failed. No consumer should have to go through that. I spent at least 50 hours researching this problem, talking to clueless dealers, buying parts, returning parts. It was maddening. Never again.



When the rest of the car lasts 200,000 miles or more you’re looking at a minimum of two head-gasket replacements, which is a heck of a lot of money.

well that’s funny
Mine had over 200k on the original HG when I parted with it.



Additionally, anyone who has had more than one HG replacement had faulty parts or a poor repair.


if you are considering a subaru

– Last Updated: Sep-16-13 5:26 PM EST –

...you ought to know that subaru struggled with head gasket failures up until the most recent engine design. The problem seems to be overwhelmingly with the 4 cylinders. It's probably not known yet whether the newest motor has the same problem, since it's only 2 years old and since it is a complete redesign.

That's the scary part.

Reality is you will find many, many people who did not have to replace head gaskets. My '99 lasted over 200k without a HG rpair. I know of at least one other person with the same experience. I do not actually know anyone who had to have the repair. Of course, this is anecdotal.

Reality is you're also considering a subaru. Not a toyota or honda, which have their own problems but are generally more reliable. But only subaru, audi and volvo make an awd wagon. Good luck getting the same reliability out of either of the latter, compared to a subaru.

There is plenty of advice regarding how to detect a failing subaru hg long before it becomes overly expensive or catastrophic. As with most cars with hg problems, the fix can often eliminate chances of any future hg problems, using stronger or redesigned gaskets and/or head bolts.

I understand you're in Louisiana, but if you've traveled to any snowy climate, you probably noticed the proliferation of subarus, old and new. There is a reason people own them.

Just wanted to add a voice of moderation regarding the great subaru hg panic.

FINALLY
Her Toyota Sienna had developed some problems she did not want to spend the money on, so Saturday we went looking again (3rd time) and she fell in love with the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. I planning to get the Subaru aero bar for single boat hauling and change over to my Malone 65" bars for double boat hauling, which doesn’t happen that much. Thanks for all the advice.