Impreza automatic vs manual

[Edward Hayes]

No I am not hard on clutches and I have replaced them many years ago. I
frequently read on this news group what Subaru owners are paying for getting
clutches replaced and $800 seems to be a common dollar dealer figure. My 86
Saab that I sold had 176,000 miles on the original clutch and was still
going strong but, from people on this NG it sounds like a very rare Suby
that gets much over 60,000 but I probably am wrong. eddie

 

[SkaredShtles]

No I am not hard on clutches and I have replaced them many years ago.
I frequently read on this news group what Subaru owners are paying for
getting clutches replaced and $800 seems to be a common dollar dealer
figure. My 86 Saab that I sold had 176,000 miles on the original
clutch and was still going strong but, from people on this NG it
sounds like a very rare Suby that gets much over 60,000 but I probably
am wrong. eddie

Yep. Wrong. My Legacy wagon has 182k on the original clutch. Wife's '97
Outback has 92k on the original.

Heck - we got 90k out of the front brakes. The rear brakes still haven't
gotten pads.

-T.O.M.-

 

[SkaredShtles]

Or you can put the $800 in a money market fund so it will grow to help
pay for the replacement clutch. eddie

<snrrk> Or you can take the $800, invest it, and 10 years down the road
when you still haven't replaced the clutch you can take the $1700 and get a
REALLY nice bottle of wine........

-T.O.M.-

 

[Edward Hayes]

I like your idea if it works !!!!! eddie

 

[David]

No I am not hard on clutches and I have replaced them many years ago. I
frequently read on this news group what Subaru owners are paying for getting
clutches replaced and $800 seems to be a common dollar dealer figure. My 86
Saab that I sold had 176,000 miles on the original clutch and was still
going strong but, from people on this NG it sounds like a very rare Suby
that gets much over 60,000 but I probably am wrong. eddie

I've had Subarus with orginal clutches that were still fine in the
140,000 mi. range. I just had the clutch in a Toyota pickup replaced for
around $700, at 170,000 mi. -- and she does a lot of pulling and pushing
on things, so she's entitled to a clutch now and then...

Of course, when I was 16 and learning to drive with a '76 Camaro with a
3-speed, I was going through about a clutch a year for a while...

 

[David]

I am considering buying an impreza TS sedan (apparently designed for Canada)
which one is more fun to drive? The automatic or manual?

We have a wagon with the manual. It's funner than hell. Probably too
fun. ;-)

However, on a test drive, pay especial attention to what it's like in
stop-and-go or very slow traffic. I don't know if it's the gear ratios
or the clutch or what, exactly -- but it's nerve-racking on the rare
occasions I'm in stop-and-go city traffic. Had the clutch replaced on
some kind of warranty deal, but I haven't been in that situation since
so can't compare.

What it does is jerk along like the engine is lugging, idling in first
gear -- and then shudder oddly when I disengage and re-engage the clutch
to coast. I'd like to think I've had enough manual-shift cars (old VW's
and Subarus, including several years living in a city) that this isn't a
skill problem, because even a really steep learning curve should have
leveled off by 2 1/2 years.

Luckily, I hardly ever drive in that kind of situation.


When we first test-drove an Impreza it was an auto, and we did it in the
middle of winter in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. I remember being amazed at
how on packed, slicked-down snow, I could just step on the gas and it
would just take off and ...go.

God I hate anti-lock brakes in snow.

 

[!!bogus]

Or buy two clutches

<snrrk> Or you can take the $800, invest it, and 10 years down the road
when you still haven't replaced the clutch you can take the $1700 and get a
REALLY nice bottle of wine........

-T.O.M.-

 

[Rob Munach]

hen we first test-drove an Impreza it was an auto, and we did it in the

middle of winter in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. I remember being amazed at
how on packed, slicked-down snow, I could just step on the gas and it
would just take off and ...go.

God I hate anti-lock brakes in snow.

Amen! The ABS light recnetly came on in my wife's '01 Forester. Took it
out in the snow and the ABS did not work - I was ecstatic! Nothing seems
to INCREASE your stopping distances in the snow or ice more then ABS.
Now, if I can just convince her not to get it fixed. Maybe I'll put a
piece of black electrical tape over it.

 

[Dominic Richens]

However, on a test drive, pay especial attention to what it's like in
stop-and-go or very slow traffic. I don't know if it's the gear ratios
or the clutch or what, exactly -- but it's nerve-racking on the rare
occasions I'm in stop-and-go city traffic. Had the clutch replaced on
some kind of warranty deal, but I haven't been in that situation since
so can't compare.

What it does is jerk along like the engine is lugging, idling in first
gear -- and then shudder oddly when I disengage and re-engage theclutch
to coast. I'd like to think I've had enough manual-shift cars (old VW's
and Subarus, including several years living in a city) that this
isn't a skill problem, because even a really steep learning curve
should have leveled off by 2 1/2 years.

Hmm, so don't know if it was the same as my 95 Legacy, but it only took me a
few months to learn that to start moving in stop-and-go traffic, you first
release the clutch until the car starts to move (don't touch the gas). The
engine will start to drop below idle rpm as you begin to move, so slowly
give it a little gas. Don't necessarily let the clutch in all the way - if
you actually want to go that fast (>5mph) shift right to second and only go
back to first if your speed is dropping below 2 mph.

But yeah, it's different that other manuals I've driving - driving in first
and taking you foot off the gas is enough to spill your coffee all over the
radio!

 

[andy]

This talk of ABS not performing well concerns me. I am considering buying a
subaru and am wondering if I should after reading these few posts. I own an
audi and vw, both w/ ABS and until I read these posts I have said that I
would never own a car without ABS because of how well it works on these
cars. Is this a common problem unique to subarus? Or are these posts in the
minority? Or am I wrong about ABS in general. Thanx for any replies.
andy

 

[FNO]

This talk of ABS not performing well concerns me. I am considering buying a
subaru and am wondering if I should after reading these few posts. I own an
audi and vw, both w/ ABS and until I read these posts I have said that I
would never own a car without ABS because of how well it works on these
cars. Is this a common problem unique to subarus? Or are these posts in the
minority? Or am I wrong about ABS in general. Thanx for any replies.
andy

<snip>

I think it is a matter of preferrence. I have had ABS on my last two cars,
and now drive the STi. It also has ABS. I find it works just fine; not
much different from the last two cars. I also would not buy a car without
ABS (we have the possibility of snow for six months of the year). There are
people who have driven my car and complain about the ABS because they are
not used to it. They don't like the sound it makes, or the fact that it
resists your foot pushing down on the pedal. But, I have driven three
Scoobies with ABS; the 02 WRX, the 03 Forrester, and the 04 STi. They all
seemed to work the same except the STi (it has EBD and behaves slightly
differently). But they all worked fine for me.

 

[Edward Hayes]

My Forester ABS works just fine but it was unnerving the first time as I
never experienced it before. I tried it several times on a open muddy road
to experience the feel and now I will not buy a car without it. eddie

 

[SkaredShtles]

Or buy two clutches

Hmmm..... lessee...

Two clutches......

Nice bottle of wine......

Two clutches......

Nice bottle of wine.......

I think I'll take the wine.

-T.O.M.-

 

[David Buchner]

Amen! The ABS light recnetly came on in my wife's '01 Forester. Took it
out in the snow and the ABS did not work - I was ecstatic! Nothing seems
to INCREASE your stopping distances in the snow or ice more then ABS.
Now, if I can just convince her not to get it fixed. Maybe I'll put a
piece of black electrical tape over it.

I'll probably get flamed for even mentioning this, but there is a fuse
marked ABS on the fuse panel under the dash. I took it out last winter,
and it drove just like a regular car. I've been trying to learn how to
live with it this winter -- as all future cars will probably have this
idiot-proof panic-mode "safety" "feature" and I'll need to adapt. But
I'm getting pretty tired of pulsing past stopsigns, pulsing right
through intersections, pulsing right into deer, pulsing straight forward
when I reflexively try to hit the brake and slide sideways...

I'm convinced it's just for people who panic, shut down, and lock the
brakes when something happens. It allows them to steer without having to
remember to let off the brake. Poo on that.

This talk of ABS not performing well concerns me. I am considering buying a
subaru and am wondering if I should after reading these few posts. I own an
audi and vw, both w/ ABS and until I read these posts I have said that I
would never own a car without ABS because of how well it works on these
cars. Is this a common problem unique to subarus? Or are these posts in the
minority? Or am I wrong about ABS in general. Thanx for any replies.

My uneducated guess is that this complaint about ABS is about the whole
ABS idea in general -- from people who learned to drive in slippery
conditions before there was ABS, and prefer to use their driving skills
than idiot-proofness that increases stopping distance. Maybe it also has
something to do with where the driver lives?

 

[andy]

Wow I guess if I had hit a deer because my ABS didn't stop me when it should
I might feel differently too. Thanx for your firsthand advice. It sounds
like you had your ABS fail in every possible situation.
I have on the other hand found ABS to act different in my german cars.
Granted, it did take time to unlearn how I drove in the snowy midwest and 20
years in colorado mountains. That said, I will never forget the first time I
used and needed ABS. I was turning into a parking space at relatively low
speed on icy pavement. The ABS brake system allowed me to slow down and turn
into a space without hitting the car parked right next to me (what would
have been in my grill w/o ABS I am convinced). I thought "it can't be that
slick" and proceeded to fall on my ass when I got out of the car due to
black ice.
My question again is this. Is there something wrong w/ ABS on subarus that
people are diabling(?sp) it instead of using it? I have received a few
replies that have stated they work fine and then there are a few like yours.
I get the impression that you feel that ABS is only useful to ignorant,
unskilled drivers ( a group I may fall into despite my relative lack of
accidents). I have always heard that ABS can pump the brakes more than a
human. I have also heard teachers instruct on how ABS is safer in most
instances than not having it. I have attended a few driving classes, both
winter and summer, in relation to work. To all, please enlighten me! Thanx
again,
andy

 

[Greg Reed]

hen we first test-drove an Impreza it was an auto, and we did it in
the

Amen! The ABS light recnetly came on in my wife's '01 Forester. Took
it out in the snow and the ABS did not work - I was ecstatic! Nothing
seems to INCREASE your stopping distances in the snow or ice more
then ABS. Now, if I can just convince her not to get it fixed. Maybe
I'll put a piece of black electrical tape over it.

I used to have a '92 Chevy full-size Blazer 4x4 that had the worst ABS
system I've ever experienced. If you hit a ripple in the pavement under
hard braking, you'd hear a "RRRRRrrrrrrr" sound as the ABS system released
essentially *all* brake pressure to all 4 wheels -- and suddenly you're
driving on marbles. After I rear-ended a guy in traffic with it (on dry
pavement and starting with about a car-length between us), I pulled a relay
under the hood to intentionally disable the system. Best thing I ever did
to that dumb truck. Other than selling it, of course.

- Greg Reed


--
1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 9-Pass sedan
(FS: http://www.dataspire.com/caddy)
1989 Audi 200 Turbo Quattro 5-Speed sedan
2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
2001 Chevy Astro AWD (wife's)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon (when available in U.S.)

 

[Greg Reed]

This talk of ABS not performing well concerns me. I am considering
buying a subaru and am wondering if I should after reading these few
posts. I own an audi and vw, both w/ ABS and until I read these posts
I have said that I would never own a car without ABS because of how
well it works on these cars. Is this a common problem unique to
subarus? Or are these posts in the minority? Or am I wrong about ABS
in general. Thanx for any replies. andy

Andy,

I'm new to this group, and I'm only here because I'm *going* to buy a
Subaru. Since the couple of test-drives in a Forester XT didn't really give
me much reason to try out the ABS, I can't speak about Subaru's ABS. But I
can speak about the ABS in several other cars. It is my opinion that ABS
works best on dry or slightly wet pavement. On gravel or snow/slush, you're
better off without it -- *if* you know what you're doing. As a previous
poster already mentioned, if your skill level confines your actions to "mash
brake pedal, close eyes, pray" then you'll probably do better with ABS in
*all* circumstances. But to reassure you, I don't expect that Subaru's ABS
is significantly different from the systems in the other cars you've driven.

- Greg Reed

--
1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 9-Pass sedan
(FS: http://www.dataspire.com/caddy)
1989 Audi 200 Turbo Quattro 5-Speed sedan
2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
2001 Chevy Astro AWD (wife's)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon (when available in U.S.)

 

[Rob Duncan]

ABS is only better than a good driver on dry pavement. In the rain, ice,
or snow its worthless for a person who knows how to drive. It increase
stopping distance by a lot.


Rob

 

[John Opezdol]

ABS is only better than a good driver on dry pavement. In the rain, ice,
or snow its worthless for a person who knows how to drive. It increase
stopping distance by a lot.

To this point. I believe on Acura NSX abs can be turned on/off with a button
on the console. But automakers seem to assume that just because a car is
affordable there is always an idiot in the driver's seat. It's an IQ test in
a sense. If an operator is so dumb that he can't locate the ABS fuse and
pluck it out for the winter then he should definitely have ABS on.

 

[!!bogus]

I finally bought my impreza TS. I am not an experienced driver and I've
never driven in snow before. In fact I try avoiding doing so as much as
possible. I've never driven a car with ABS before too. My question is... is
this ABS supposed to work fulltime or only in certain situations?

Thanks