How do Subs sell in Florida?

[y_p_w]

that Volvo, Saab
or

For sure, it's a center for hippie/granola culture. The cars are almost
Anything But American.

Depends on what part of the area. Import brands are very big, but
it's not as if one gets stared at for driving a Big 3 make. Doesn't
matter where you're from - people value quality, value, and safety,
which is what I feel Subaru offers.

As another said, the Blue State SUV.

Certainly there's an advantage to AWD in rainy driving conditions. As
much as we'd like to think we've got the best weather in the world, it
does rain from time to time. Subaru has also made it hip to drive a
station wagon. You've got the BMW X3/X5 and various "SUVs" like the
Lexus RX, Nissan Murano, etc. These are nothing more than station
wagons with high ground clearance and an SUV cache.

It's all about the image. "I could go skiing if I wanted to and people will
think I'm an outdoorsy type."

Subaru has been sponsoring the US Cycling Federation for years and
various pro bicycling teams. I see a lot of Subarus used to carry
bikes and probably end up going on dirt/gravel fire trails.

I do recall a TV special in the late 80's produced by Eddie Murphy.
It was about a family that included a poseur older brother. He
owned a Porsche 911, which he could barely afford to keep. They
were at the dinner table:

"I'm going to buy a ski rack."

"You don't even ski."

"But people will think I do."

The point is it sells to younger street racers and the "Fast and the
Furious" movie crowd. These are anti-granolas if anything.

Doesn't mean I don't love to open it up if the engine is warm and
I'm at a freeway on-ramp. Fun to drive doesn't have to mean
reckless.

 

[Paul Pluzhnikov]

I also couldn't get the sucker to hydroplane. I tried
hard too!

This is an interesting point.

I live in LA, and we've had some very heavy rains recently.

For a couple of days during that rainy week I had to drive my
friends' Camry, and that thing appears to hydroplane at the least
excuse, or at least much more willingly then my OBW.

Now, I always thought that this is just a matter of tires, but
the Camry is only a couple of month old, so the tires must be
brand-new.

Are there other factors that affect hydroplaning?

Cheers,

 

[MikeL]

Are there other factors that affect hydroplaning?

Yes... but mostly it depends on tire pressures! All conditions being
equal, the tire will hydroplane in >=0.1" of standing water at 9(PSI)^1/2
(or 9 times the square root of tire pressure).

http://www.mountainflying.com/hydroplane.htm -- An interesting read that us
pilot types are all too familiar with.



Mike

 

[WisedUp]

I'm in Minnesota. First Sub in August: a Forester. First AWD / anti-lock
braking vehicle. Friday was our first significant snow, a good 6 or more
(the storm that's hitting the east coast today.)

The Forester rocks! I probably could have gotten through with a FWD car,
but with the Sub, I never faltered It's like a snowthrower, you
don't need them much, but when you do, you're really glad you have them.

Even in the past 6 weeks, when roads were in standard winter driving
condition (i.e. mediocre traction) I noticed I was seldom breaking loose
(although my neighbor says I'm just not trying hard enough!)

This leads me to two questions.

How do other Subs handle in deep snow? I suspect part of my success was
due to the high clearance of the Forester.

How do Subs sell in the sun belt? I would think AWD would have little
appeal in Florida.

Keep on truckin' Pete

We live on the East coast of Florida about 20 miles south of Daytona Beach. I
bought our first Subaru, a 2005 Forester XS, last July. Various members of my
family in Indiana, Michigan and Washington state have owned one or more Subies
for decades. In fact, my youngest son in IN was a salesman for a VW/Subaru
dealer in Indy for a few years.

I bought our Subie because I had a heart attack last year and we decided that my
wife would have to get her drivers license again after several years without in
case anything more happened to me. She just couldn't get the hang of our DC
minivan and the Subie was the largest car she felt comfortable driving and the
smallest I could settle for. We just can't justify owning two cars when we go
everywhere together.

Aside from the obvious better fuel economy, we find the AWD to be very useful
here in FL - we have these sudden, blinding rainstorms that leave puddles in the
shallow ruts of the main roads and we no longer have to worry about aquaplaning.
Besides that, we find the heated seats and remarkably efficient heater useful
during the cold snaps we get even down here, the car is quieter than our old T&C
was on the highway, AND we can now entertain the thought of visiting family up
North even in winter if the occasion demands it.

The downsides are the reduction in interior space and that dealers are few and
far between here on the East coast. The Orlando area has 3 (the nearest of which
is over 40 miles away) but there is none on the coast between Jacksonville and
just North of Miami. Bummer.

And I have noticed a LOT of Subarus in the Atlanta area when we pass through on
our way North.

 

[Bobby]

Millions I imagine. But the ALL wheel magical mystery seems to handle it
better then anything else I've driven. I assume it's because the wheels
start losing power whenever sensors can tell it's losing traction. I don't
push things too much now that my tires are worn and I have 2 little ones in
the car with me at all times.

I'm also known to make up stuff to explain facts. In other words, I don't
know crap except that it works - and quite well for me. And I don't adjust
anything when I drive in the rain (tire pressure, driving style, etc.)

--

|
| > I also couldn't get the sucker to hydroplane. I tried
| > hard too!
|
| This is an interesting point.
|
| I live in LA, and we've had some very heavy rains recently.
|
| For a couple of days during that rainy week I had to drive my
| friends' Camry, and that thing appears to hydroplane at the least
| excuse, or at least much more willingly then my OBW.
|
| Now, I always thought that this is just a matter of tires, but
| the Camry is only a couple of month old, so the tires must be
| brand-new.
|
| Are there other factors that affect hydroplaning?
|
| Cheers,
| --
| In order to understand recursion you must first understand recursion.
| Remove /-nsp/ for email.

 

[CompUser]

@fe2.texas.rr.com>, "MikeL"

Yes... but mostly it depends on tire pressures! All conditions being
equal, the tire will hydroplane in >=0.1" of standing water at 9(PSI)^1/2
(or 9 times the square root of tire pressure).

I think the "tire pressure" with regards to
hydroplaning is considering the tire's pressure
on the roadway itself, not the tire's internal
air pressure... ;-)

 

[CompUser]

Now, I always thought that this is just a matter of tires, but

the Camry is only a couple of month old, so the tires must be
brand-new.

Are there other factors that affect hydroplaning?

Tread design (how well the tire can squirt
standing water out to the sides, letting the
tread contact patch push down to the road
surface; generally, directional-tread designs
have better performance), tread depth (as the
tire wears and tread depth becomes shallower, it
will hydroplane more easily), vehicle speed (at
some speed, all tires will eventually hydroplane
when they exceed their water displacement
capability), depth of water, road surface
(grooved pavement, for example, helps prevent
it).

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

excepting for some slight sidewall stiffness - aren't they the same?

all the weight of the car is being supported by 4 tire 'footprints'. Add
the total area of the footprints times the average tire pressures and
that is the weight of the car.

Um - I am not familiar with the formula in the OP - is it saying that
hydroplaing is gonna begin im .1 inch of water at (for tire pressures of
-say- 36psi) 6 times 9 miles per hour? 54mph? regardelss of tread design?

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[Andy M - Tampa Bay]

Plenty here in the Tampa Bay area. See quite a few on my way to work at 7am
and plenty more in the evenings.

 

[y_p_w]

Plenty here in the Tampa Bay area. See quite a few on my way to work at 7am
and plenty more in the evenings.

Doesn't it rain, and I mean, rain a lot in South Florida? The
Enterprise Florida website says Hillsborough County (i.e. Tampa)
has a median precipitation of 53 inches, which I'm guessing a
typical 0% is snow, and 107 average rain days.

 

[y_p_w]

Doesn't it rain, and I mean, rain a lot in South Florida? The
Enterprise Florida website says Hillsborough County (i.e. Tampa)
has a median precipitation of 53 inches, which I'm guessing a
typical 0% is snow, and 107 average rain days.

Forgot to add - annual numbers.

 

[Generic]

Doesn't it rain, and I mean, rain a lot in South Florida? The
Enterprise Florida website says Hillsborough County (i.e. Tampa)
has a median precipitation of 53 inches, which I'm guessing a
typical 0% is snow, and 107 average rain days.

That's well above the annual total for Seattle, but Seattle has a lot of
drizzly days.

-John

 

[CompUser]

@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com>, (e-mail address removed)
says...

excepting for some slight sidewall stiffness - aren't they the same?

Not at all. The contact patch psi is dependent
on patch size and vehicle weight...and number of
tires, of course. Tire internal pressure is
dependent on how much air you care to pump into
it. I'd guess at either end of the internal
pressure curve, you'd get some change in contact
patch size; the percent change in that scenario
exceeds my knowledge and interest.

Um - I am not familiar with the formula in the OP - is it saying that
hydroplaing is gonna begin im .1 inch of water at (for tire pressures of
-say- 36psi) 6 times 9 miles per hour? 54mph? regardelss of tread design?

If that's what it's saying, I'd guess it's wrong.
:-/

 

[CompUser]

Doesn't it rain, and I mean, rain a lot in South Florida? The

Enterprise Florida website says Hillsborough County (i.e. Tampa)
has a median precipitation of 53 inches, which I'm guessing a
typical 0% is snow, and 107 average rain days.

You bet, there's more rain down south, and when
it comes, it can come really heavy...as far as
rainfall being something to interest folks in
(the capabilities/greater expense of) AWD, I
don't think it's as powerful a motivator as snow,
however. The difference is that when we get
really heavy rain, folks will pull off to the
side of the road and wait it out (at that point,
drivers are responding to the *impaired
visibility* caused by the rain, not traction
problems). The heavy stuff that renders wipers
useless normally only lasts about five minutes,
then you're back on your way. Contrast that to
snow, which can sit around for days or weeks,
messing with traction...I grew up in the North,
but live down South now, so I've seen
both...that's my take on it.

I've noticed that greater Atlanta has four (or
five?) Subaru dealerships...otherwise, they are
pretty sparse thru out the state. I'd guess the
Atlanta dealerships exist due to the number of
folks who might travel up into Tennessee or NC
mountains in the winter for skiing, expecting to
be dealing with snow...

 

[WRX-F1]

I live in Miami and will often spot a subaru on my daily commute. They
are mostly modded WRX and STI's. I'm probably one of the only WRX
ownsers around with a stock car It seems that more and more people
are buying them too. Personally I don't know how I could be without AWD
now. The traction during the rainy season is a real plus. Other cars I
have driven haven't been too reasuring in the rain.

 

[y_p_w]

You bet, there's more rain down south, and when
it comes, it can come really heavy...as far as
rainfall being something to interest folks in
(the capabilities/greater expense of) AWD, I
don't think it's as powerful a motivator as snow,
however. The difference is that when we get
really heavy rain, folks will pull off to the
side of the road and wait it out (at that point,
drivers are responding to the *impaired
visibility* caused by the rain, not traction
problems). The heavy stuff that renders wipers
useless normally only lasts about five minutes,
then you're back on your way. Contrast that to
snow, which can sit around for days or weeks,
messing with traction...I grew up in the North,
but live down South now, so I've seen
both...that's my take on it.

Well - I was driving from San Diego to LA on New
Year's Eve morning in a borrowed Camry. I didn't
have my WRX since the front was messed up and the
right headlamp assembly was smashed. The body
shop I took it to was closed over the holidays and
couldn't fit in the time to just replace the lamp
assembly. The car was driveable, but if heavy rain
hit the bulb probably would have shattered.

So I was going up I-5 when the most horredous rain
hit Southern California. Somewhere around Irvine,
there was a multi-car pileup with one car that
obviously spun-out (probably after hydroplaning). I
swear they don't have a clue how to drive in the rain
in Southern California (although it was worse that time
I drove in Arizona). It was near the point where the
wipers didn't work, and drivers were still going 80 and
following at 50 ft. I was almost about to exit at
the nearest off-ramp and wait it out before proceeding
when the rain subsided.

And strangely enough, it didn't rain when I got to
Pasadena for the Rose Parade. Kind of cold and
miserable, but not wet.

 

[Bob H]

If only the new Legacy GT wasn't so boring looking!

-John

Wow, I just bot one partly because it IS "boring-looking".

This is key when ducking/evading/hiding from/driving past the omnipresent
state police in this northeastern coastal state...

This car couldn't be better in that respect, except for the giveaway hood
scoop.

 

[CompUser]

Wow, I just bot one partly because it IS "boring-looking".

^^^
Three times in four posts? Spending too much
time in chat rooms??

 

[Bob H]

^^^
Three times in four posts? Spending too much
time in chat rooms??

I think upon reflection you might ask yourself that very same question. And
you are off-topic.

 

[Paul]

That is exactly the reason I am seriously considering one. Nobody took too
much notice of my WRX when they first came out but now there are so many
morons in large pickups that want to race me and try forcing me off the
road.