New cars...maybe I don't like any of them

[bluecoupe30!]

I had an '07 Subaru Legacy Wagon that was pure entertainment in deep snow. Would just walk past any other vehicles spinning wheels in the streets. Sadly, the seats were the weak link and it had to go. Back to RWD BMW E39 Wagon. A " different" sort of "entertainment" in any snow. . But I still have it. It requires snow tires on every corner, then it is fine.

 

[Nicad]

I had an '07 Subaru Legacy Wagon that was pure entertainment in deep snow. Would just walk past any other vehicles spinning wheels in the streets. Sadly, the seats were the weak link and it had to go. Back to RWD BMW E39 Wagon. A " different" sort of "entertainment" in any snow. . But I still have it. It requires snow tires on every corner, then it is fine.

The E39 is one darn pretty wagon. I still have it's baby brother, the E46 Wagon. It is pretty good in snow for RWD and on level ground.. Planning on trying to sell it. Out in the country at night time, with snow drifts I need the peace of mind in knowing I'll get where I was planning to go and get the ability to make some mistakes and keep going. Is your E39 a 6 or V8?

 

[bluecoupe30!]

The E39 is one darn pretty wagon. I still have it's baby brother, the E46 Wagon. It is pretty good in snow for RWD and on level ground.. Planning on trying to sell it. Out in the country at night time, with snow drifts I need the peace of mind in knowing I'll get where I was planning to go and get the ability to make some mistakes and keep going. Is your E39 a 6 or V8?

It is the 6 cylinder. And mileage is getting up there. So, thinking about something else with AWD that my wife feels comfortable driving in the snow.

 

[Markos]

It is the 6 cylinder. And mileage is getting up there. So, thinking about something else with AWD that my wife feels comfortable driving in the snow.

My 2009 outback has 90K hard miles on it. I bought the extended warranty for $1K back when. That covered a head job (~ $3K), rear wheel bearings ($700), some suspension issues ($700), and some coolant leaks (~500?). Didn’t cover a bad CV because the boot was torn. Also didn’t cover the tierod damage from me playing Ken Block
in the snow.

 

[bluecoupe30!]

My 2009 outback has 90K hard miles on it. I bought the extended warranty for $1K back when. That covered a head job (~ $3K), rear wheel bearings ($700), some suspension issues ($700), and some coolant leaks (~500?). Didn’t cover a bad CV because the boot was torn. Also didn’t cover the tierod damage from me playing Ken Block
in the snow.

Ooh, smart, Mark. I wish I had a perpetual warranty for this E39iT. At well over 300K Km, the dashboard warning lights are killing me. Have been lucky, up to now. Most issues I can deal with in stride, and I have been happy to replace parts with OEM stuff and carry on, but the new brakes in the chain are eating into my hobby. I mean a DD is supposed to just be there, right? May have seen the last dashboard indicator. Wife has questions.

 

[rsporsche]

one of my favorite wagons or hatchbacks is the porsche panamera sport turismo. its a little expensive, its big + heavy, but it has power even in the base model with the 300 hp v6. comfortable back seats and even handles pretty well for a big car. finding one that is a certified car with 3 or 4 years of warranty for 60% of new is worth looking into.

 

[vince]

Love the Panamera touring! But... If my company went away from company cars and gave us all a decent car allowance, I would stretch and buy this...

2023 Audi RS 6 Avant | Luxury Performance Wagon | Audi USA

With powerful horsepower and plenty of cargo room, the 2023 RS 6 Avant uniquely combines sport and utility. View price, specs, and more.

www.audiusa.com

 

[TravL350]

Love the Panamera touring! But... If my company went away from company cars and gave us all a decent car allowance, I would stretch and buy this...

2023 Audi RS 6 Avant | Luxury Performance Wagon | Audi USA

With powerful horsepower and plenty of cargo room, the 2023 RS 6 Avant uniquely combines sport and utility. View price, specs, and more.

www.audiusa.com

A wagon with nearly 600 hp & torque...now we’re talking

 

[bluecoupe30!]

Well, I would have no trouble driving to Costco and filling this up to bring a "wagon size" order home :

 

[Nicad]

I think I saw that model Ferrari in Black at a gas station in Italy two winters ago. He was about an hour from the Dolomites, so that must have been where he was heading.

 

[Nicad]

I did get a drive in my wife's new RDX A Spec tonight. It is slick . Incredible electronics that makes the MDX seem like a donkey cart. Stereo is the best I have heard yet. (Really liked that) Gearbox runs through ten gears very quickly and precisely (It has the 2.0 turbo from the Honda Civic Type R). The car is comfy and the ride is well controlled. I found some parts for my Forester from a Junkyard an hour away today also. They are the same colour (Which I am really hoping works out) It is going to a shop for a frame straightening estimate tomorrow. If they can get it straight for a reasonable amount, the body parts will cost $470. Hoping to hit 400,000 KM with it then and re assess.

 

[Nicad]

I had an expensive test drive last night. My Forester cannot be fixed by any normal means according to a local body shop, but I am still driving it for the time being. I have been away on the island a lot lately and found a local 2008 US spec Forester XT with the coveted and rare manual gearbox in an ad. I spoke to the owner and decided very quickly that I would put a deposit on it. Last night I went to check it out and the body failed miserably. Lot of rust creeping out everywhere (my Canadian car from the rust belt is far cleaner. I spray it yearly with Krown rust proofing)
Anyway, this one has the usual tuner recipe for a fast Subaru Turbo. Bigger intercooler, injectors, fuel pump, headers, tune.More boost and a bigger Turbo
Since it was rusty, it was a no go. I asked the seller for half my deposit back figuring that was the gentlemanly way to get out of it, as I had taken a long time between deposit and checking it out. He was happy with that. Asked me if I wanted a test drive? Sure

The clutch was upgraded and far too heavy for a daily driver. Once we got out of the residential neighbourhood, I had a straight stretch of road and gunned it. My glasses, which had been on my forehead flew off my head and landed behind me. (First time that has happened). The car dynos at 310 HP and 365 ft/lbs torque. With a low first gear and perfect traction, this thing felt crazy fast. I'd probably want a detuned one to drive every day. I loved the shifter though. It was very tight, quick and precise. Clearly someone got that just right. Doing a Continent wide search for a manual 2008 XT pops up very little, but I'd buy a clean one if I could.

 

[Nicad]

If anyone is still interested, I have stretched this out and come full circle. My wallet is much lighter and I have nothing to show for it. I had a Mid life crisis after my accident this summer. Thought I was old and no longer a car enthusiast, so I put my money down on a new 2021 Outback XT in Silver. Found a set of 2017 Outback rims for winter use, bought some Michelin Xice-snows, new roof box, Weathertech mats. Plan was to give my mostly repaired ForesterXT to my Son and the 13' MDX in great condition to my daughter. Got the car almost a month ago (At 62 my first new car). At first I didn't want to take it on the highway till it was broken in. No flooring it just yet. Managed to put about 250 miles on it driving it around town. Super comfy really, quiet , great ride. Then it occured to me.....I really don't ever see enjoying driving this car. The electric steering is numb, the ride wallowy if you get aggressive, too big for me and the dog, the CVT always wants to be at rock bottom RPM, so you get zero turbo benefit. Leaving an Onramp and getting on the gas....big lag. Two weeks ago I was like in a talking heads song..."My God How did I get here?" Yes a mid life crisis. I bought a Lincoln Town Car.
So I phoned the salesman almost two weeks ago and said, maybe I am an STI guy. He had one for me to try and no, I am not an STI guy. Those aren't happy unless driven hard. So, I came up with a solution. I don't want to lose the taxes I paid, so traded the Outback in on two brand new base model Crosstreks to set the kids off in life. Now go forward and get out of here! My Son got the cheapest and best one that they have with a 6 speed manual and Not much else in never wash it again Silver. Delivery will be in a month, as Subaru is not keen on selling these stripper models. My daughter got a White automatic, to be picked up Wednesday. Both have new Michelin Snows and Weathertech mats. I don't want to do the math to total how much this bad decision actually cost me. Driving it to the dealer, and not wanting to crash it reminded me the whole way this was a bad choice. It is a great choice for someone who want a very quiet and comfortable car. Now that I think about it, if they made a Golf Type R that was raised 3 inches and could tow 1,500 pounds, that would be my choice, but they don't.
Over the weekend I spent Saturday under the Forester outside like old times, removed the exhaust, only to find the replacement one that was shipped from Calgary does not fit. Then struggled to swap out the two O2 sensors that have have triggered the CEL and done their job for 300,000 KM. Engine working pretty good, new big roof box fits well, hopefully just the windshield left to do to make it legal and carry on driving it till 400k. thinking about rebuilding the suspension to make my Forester STI a 2.0. version, which would involve getting some new FSTI struts from Japan (might not be easy) , getting rid of the harsh Group N upper strut mounts, and going to a smaller rear sway bar as mine is too stiff. The ride is so loud in this car, but if you were deaf it would be fine. This one below in the video is the car I ultimately want the most.

 

[bluecoupe30!]

Whew, that was exhausting! Bob, I think it is great you came to your senses, and what a clever way to help your kids get ahead. My son wants a new pickup, but he will have to trade in his Audi for that. Cannot help wondering, the hours you spend on that Subaru, umm, think of the progress you could be making on your Coupe!

 

[Markos]

Nice job! When calculating your investment reminder yourself that your kids have good safe cars that will be nearly trouble free until they are presumably in their early 30’s and gainfully employed. They are also in safe modern vehicles. Subaru vehicles have fantastic crash ratings.

IMO, the CrossTek fills the aesthetic void that
came about when the outback turned into a forester, and the forester turned into a Honda Pilot.

 

[Nicad]

Whew, that was exhausting! Bob, I think it is great you came to your senses, and what a clever way to help your kids get ahead. My son wants a new pickup, but he will have to trade in his Audi for that. Cannot help wondering, the hours you spend on that Subaru, umm, think of the progress you could be making on your Coupe!

Best kick a Man could give me.Thanks. The hours spent on the Subaru the last few years have really been minimal in terms of work, but since August in terms of back and forth with insurance,pondering, and moving cars around to avoid parking tickets in my tight urban setting, big time absorbers. I think my ideal setup would be Forester, Cayman , Coupe. and some bikes. My Coupe has been on hold with zero progress to report in a while.
\

 

[Nicad]

Nice job! When calculating your investment reminder yourself that your kids have good safe cars that will be nearly trouble free until they are presumably in their early 30’s and gainfully employed. They are also in safe modern vehicles. Subaru vehicles have fantastic crash ratings.

IMO, the CrossTek fills the aesthetic void that
came about when the outback turned into a forester, and the forester turned into a Honda Pilot.

I was in and out of the dealer in 5 minutes today. Masks on, papers to sign. The Salesman and I did an elbow bump as the new way to seal a deal. My daughter will head back to her University house to be locked down with people her own age, as Ontario goes full lockdown tonight at midnight. Pulling out of the dealer was great. It is the perfect little car for a new driver. So easy to drive, can see out of it, has all that you need, uses a key rather than a push button to start. It will be close to impossible to get stuck with that ground clearance and fresh Michelins.