Bye, Bye 2000 Impreza RS

All seasons are a cheap compromise for cheap people. There is no circumstance under which they are better; winters are better in winter and summers are better in summer. All seasons wear faster than summers in summer, and don't grip nearly as well in winter as winters.

I have no snow on the ground for more than a day or two a couple times a year. Driving winter tires on the dry pavement 99% of the time is a poor choice. Driving summer tires during the frequent summer rains is not a wise choice either. While all seasons do nothing exceptionally well, they do everything very well- snow, rain, dry etc can be driven safely on the same set of tires in regions where there are four seasons. I would rather have a quality set of all seasons and drive in snow once or twice per winter than rely on winter tires to handle well and provide short braking distance the rest of the time. Summer tires lack the wet traction to handle downpours with safety while all seasons do just fine. If you live in a place with completely dry summers and arctic winters you are 100% right that two sets of tires is the best choice. For most Americans who experience a variety of weather conditions you are full of S**t.

No. For some Americans who experience very little snow, an all-season may be an OK choice. For someone living in the northeast or the mid-west, you're the one full of sh*t. A good summer does just fine in wet. Some performance summers don't. But a good touring tire or a rain tire (which also does very well in the dry) will get you by just fine... and last twice as long as the all-season.

All-seasons do some things OK and most things not very well.

If they dont last I'll get some $$ back prorated. If they last a solid 50k with good traction I'll be happy. Plus the car has 86k miles on it and I'll buy something else hopefully in a couple years. Most touring tires are M+S rated- goodyear, michelin, Contietc.

May I ask insulting direct questions? Why do you have to wait for August to get dedicated snow tires and why did you skimp on an LSD knowing full well that you live in a snowbelt? Eagle RSA is a very decent 3 season tire but it's probably even worse than Bridgestone 92 in winter.

The potenza was great in the winter when new after 20-25k it sucked i n snow. Cant speak of RS-a but the eagleGA was okay.

a. money is tight right now and we have a Subaru for the bad days, and b. I was in a hurry to buy a car and got a good deal on this one (as I said, money is tight).

True.

Getting tired of the debate on whether all-season tires are a cop- out. It's pretty simple. If you live along the gulf coast or in southern california or at lower elevations elsewhere in the south, you can get away with summer tires year-round. If you're up north, or at higher elevations, dedicated winter tires are preferable if you can't avoid driving when it snows (and some people can. Otherwise a good all-season tire works well for most drivers, and most drivers don't explore the adhesion limits of their cars. Like any other product, some all-season tires are better than others. The Potenza RE92 is crap. That said, I often don't follow my own advice, and ended up using Continental Extreme Contacts, a performance rated all-season, for 9-10 months a year, and switch over to Cooper Vikings from mid- december through february, when we can ususally expect a couple of storms with at least a foot of snow. Besides my joyriding in the white stuff, my job gets busier and it's critical that I get in when it snows. Both are great in the rain, which we get a lot of in the Hudson Valley, and the Contis, with dual rubber compounds, perform about as well in the summer as any all season can be expected to. My wife's outback 3.0 still has the original Bridgestones, but will switch over to Contis soon and probably keep them on all year. I am thinking of moving to a wider tire with a lower aspect ratio to maintain the same diameter. Would likely hurt snow performace but improve dry cornering.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I don't follow. What's inconsistent about getting CEC and your advice?

I've heard nothing but praise for these. I'd try them but I have no snow here.

Are these snow tires or ice tires? Never heard of these. How do they compare to anything else snow/ice bound?

Hmm, I wonder if the initiative for that move comes from you or your wife ;-D

What!? The RE-92 sucked in any weather; snow in particular.

I hadn't heard of the Vikings either until Consumer Reports (not my favorite mag as automotive content goes, I prefer C & D and Automobile) rated them among the best winter tires they tested. In addition to their performance in the snow, they performed well in dry cornering and wet braking, and since most of my winter winter driving is on snow-free pavement, I was looking for something that wouldn't give away too much handling. Wifey don't know about the tire upgrade, and won't care much. I'm planning to take over the Outback (and sell my 2004 WRX - ouch) so she can get an Infiniti G35x. Had one before and has been missing it since the lease ran out. The things we do for love. I figure eventually I'll pick up a used Miata for my sunday morning joyrides, but the Infiniti should do for a while. But I do need a wagon for all the stuff I drag around.

I remember asking my ex what tires she bought and she replied with: "the black ones"

Any reason you are selling the rex instead of the outback?

if you get an RX-8 you'd have some marginal space behind the front seats to haul some stuff and the trunk reportedly is larger than on bmw 3xx. I think you can currently get RX-8 for about $24500 barebones, but spring comes you can forget about discount pricing. Anyhow, good luck with all your rides.

:

Not a done deal yet, but there are a few reasons. As much as I love the WRX, I do like the Outback with the 6. It's pretty well loaded and the leather, sunroof and extra room and ground clearance have their appeal. One thing about the WRX that drives me crazy is the upholstery. I've got a dog that sheds profusely and his hair gets trapped in the waffle-weave fabric and it's a bitch to get out. Plus he matches the tan OB interior (I know, sounds like a lame reason if ever there was one). Also, stand to lose less on the resale value. I guess I'm looking for a challenge; improve the handling on the Outback, maybe add a few suspension upgrades. Was thinking of selling both and getting a new WRX, and that's always an option down the road. I have considered the RX-8, and would love to have one, but need cargo capacity, roof rack and planning to add a hitch for a bike rack and towing a rowboat trailer. The Outback with the 3.0 is a much better choice than the WRX or RX-8 for "SUV" type work. Also, by taking the OB can justify getting a toy, as a I said, for my sunday morning joyrides.

Thanks. I won't be crying if she gets another G35. Terrific car for the open road. Weird though, that our last one reminded me more of my

1971 Pontiac Grand Prix than any other car I've ever owned. Loads of torque, pretty luxurious for its time, and handled well for a big car.

6: Low end grunt or better ergos due to lower noise of the engine struggling to push the carriage off the dead stop?

leather: no static discharge from fabric seats of WRX or you haven't been ever zapped? I'm still struggling to understand the leather appeal considering that in hot weather it seems far less comfortable than cloth. Any pointers would help. And yes, I rode in the cars so equipped on few occasions. I still don't get it.

Argh. Now I'm beginning to understand a little. San the dog the fabric would've been okay?

Why, it makes sense. Tan looks good too.

Of the WRX? You're in luck indeed. Considering the replacement from FHI I'd imagine yours should sell rather quickly. Good timing.

Did you test drive a new one and would like to comment?

I'd think RX-8 is a much better toy overall, but miata is lighter and i could see an appear of a frisky little car even though just sitting in one makes me claustrophobic. You like the chopped roof and an imitation of a trunk too?

And you don't even want to even consider a slightly better handling bmw 325/330 why ?

For some performance bits for Legacy-based models, check out

. I bought my Stromung exhaust (for my WRX wagon) from them. Dale Teague is a great guy. And they probably have some parts for your Outback.

fyi

Carl