Save the manuals

My 06 WRX (is that considered late model now?) is much better than my '69 SRL-311 Fairlady was, about the same or slightly better than my '81 Civic wagon was. I really like the short throw too but some folks may not. I recently switched from factory lube to Redline Lightweight Shockproof synth. No noticeable difference in operation, perhaps slightly less differential/gear noise. (I put the same lube in my wife's outback's diffs, and the front diff got much quieter.)

Evidently, the 06es got a different first year synchronizer IIRC. But I dunno what the previous ones felt like. Also, many people switch to non-soob gear oil - sometimes even using a mix of lube oils to improve the feel and synchronizer operation. (Uncle Scotty's 'cocktail' w'ever over at NASIOC.)

Not very close to your exact question I know.

**Well, I had a new 2003 Jetta 1.8t and it shifted horribly. A second gear that crunched all the time (from the very beginning), hard to find the gates, and just not a nice feel at all. I thought it was me because I had learned to drive stick on it. And, since I could drive stick finally, I was able drive my sister's 2001 BMW wagon and, sweet jebus, it was soooo wonderful. Snick snick snick, shifting it was a thing of beauty. I then understood that it wasn't me, it was the vehicle.

I purchased a new 2005 Impreza (basic) and it shifted superbly. Loved it! Clean shifts, nice and grippy and I just loved the whole set up. (I honestly wish that I still had it.) I now have a 2008 Impreza (basic) and I have to rate it a notch below the 2005. The few changes to the gearing and drive train took away a lot of the *fun* of the

2005 and it just doesn't shift as cleanly as the previous Impreza. Don't get me wrong, however, it's still very nice and everything but it's become a bit milquetoasty now. Quality, all around and especially the interior, seems to be just a bit lower in this particular incarnation of Impreza.

In October, the car goes off-lease and I have to make a decision as to whether buy/lease another Subaru or possibly another make.

kaboomie

Still, interesting to see how people work around the "undesirable normal" problem that subaru should've had in the pipe for a long time. It would be interesting to hear your impressions of the basic impreza (manual) if you get a chance to drive one.

I take it the outback is the automatic and you put the gear oil just in the center diff?

If you stay with subaru new basic 2.0 impreza should have a thinner bore and longer stroke and thusly less of the dreaded inertia of the 2.5 liter pig that powers normally aspirated impreza for US of A.

I don't know about your SRL (R20 engine) but my SPL (R16 engine) had, quite literally, a truck transmission. Specifically, Nissan needed something for the line and decided that the tranny from the Miler pickup would probably work.

So far, I've found that the 6-speed in my MX-5 is the slickest tranny I've tried -- it might be possible to fine tune the shifts with lubricant changes or something but it is hard to imagine how.

Yeah, just the fron t and rear diffs on the OBW.

Keep in mind also, there are a lot of tuner types, true hobby racers and street racing idiots - of all ages, modifying Soobs. There are a ton of different shfter kits, upgraded shifter bushings, fluids, dog- tooth gears, clutch/flywheel set-ups etc. After I experimented with my seat position for/aft to solve clutch use weirdness, (I DO seem to stall the car a coupla times a year)I never had any trouble shifting my car as stock. I don't race, but have done 1 autox and 2 HDPEs, never missed a shift up OR down. Sometimes I have trouble going into reverse and a trip into the second gear slot helps with that. But I've had that in every 5 speed I've owned. I do much of my own maintenance and light repair work so, I put the 'saved' money into OEM or better parts/fluids.

If you are deciding between a soob and another car, an issue unrelated to transmissions is the Secondary Air Valves. While not unique to Subaru, many people are reporting early failure of these valves (worse in wet/humid parts of the country). If the other car you're considering still has a front Catalytic converter - that might be a point in its favor.

Yeah, it def felt like a truck trying to get into first gear. Ugh. And I often had to double clutch at other times. In all fairness, it may have been abused before I got though.

That is one thing I don't miss much. No offence, but I somehow doubt I could best the car maker in this department and, realistically, few people could do much of an improvement to the drivetrain.

Hmm, subaru seating position was flawless as far as I remember. A4 seat itself is better without weird seat cradle cutting into the thighs but seating position is kinda odd, I'm still adjusting. (the whole

5'10" of me)

Despite the refinement of the gearbox of A4 I have the same problem with reverse ->

sometimes I have to shift into a forward gear a few times before the rear would engage. I wonder if rears have synchros at all or I just screwed it by switching to reverse once while the car did not completely stop moving forward (subaru did not mind such an abuse though, as far as I remember, and I was worse at shifting back then, naturally)

I do not believe subies are as sensitive to the fluids as VWs. VW engines are notoriously picky motor oil wise. I've never heard of a picky subaru engine. As for the parts I have blind trust in tirerack even though I never bought anything other than tires from them. Brake pads wise they have a nifty rating system for various components of performance.

Subie is on hold now -> I have to find out how to avoid local morons from testing brake performance one axle at a time.

They use a contraption similar, for example, to the single axle dyno featured at the end of this video

except they spin the wheels slower to test the brakes: still, I assume that's plenty to create the windup in the differential and create torque bind.

To quote the technician "but but but we never heard a complaint in 7 years that we've been doing this"

Looks like lower tech luddite resistant setup on A4 works better for me. The downside is that given the recent [lack of] performance in dirt I won't be able to save money by buying mid grade winter tires

I keep FT-86 somewhere in the back of my mind though, once it changes the status from vaporware into the real things and reviews pour in I might give subaru another try. Especially when/ if assymmetrical rwd biased awd layout filters down into the other lines and understeer is eschewed for good.

Ya look at that Hyundai I pointed you to?

**I don't recall the model that you mentioned. I was at Hyundai yesterday and getting any of the new popular models (Elantra, Sonata) is damn near impossible at this time. There's a shipment of 20 Elantras coming in and they're all sold.

The 2012 Imprezas sound interesting improvement-wise. The dealership called me to talk about the end of the lease and I said, it's not up until Oct. He seemed cheesed and said, Dang, they send these memos too early. I'd like to know the pricing on the new models.

I also got to check out a Ford Fiesta courtesy of a really nice customer of mine. She had a brand new candy apple Fiesta and it was very nice if a little small. Great starter car.

kaboomie

I agree that the fiesta is nice, but small. If you liked it, the new focus is probably a viable option. It is blowing away the competition in the magazine comparison articles. It looks really sharp too in my opinion. It's the first time I've looked at a focus and said,"Wow, I like that." Apparently the manual is the way to go, and at least Car & Driver said they didn't like the MyFordTouch with Navigation system.

I personally can't own one since they are too closely related to Mazdas, and mazdas are a curse in my family. I've driven over half a million miles accident free except for two accidents. Both were in mazdas that I had a total of maybe 20k miles in. Bad luck for me. My sister had one mazda. Three accidents. None since. My father was never in an accident in his life until he got a mazda 3. Within a year he had a deer run out in front of him, and a guy back into him at a stop sign. That 5 to 10 mph collison did 2600 bucks of damage. Fortunately the other guy owned up to what he did. I worry that my father still owns his mazda. But I'd suggest them and related Fords to other people.

Have a good one, Bill

The Curb...

BTW, I have to agree with AD ...the Mazda 2 is a neat little car. If I could afford a new car, I'd get one for my job.

I can't so my 1989 626 is just fine...

**The Focus is on my list. I'm beginning to see the new Focus and Fiesta around town. Oddly enough, the drivers seem to be older than I expected them to be. I figured that Ford was trying to appeal to the younger crowd with the new design.

kaboomie

**Eh, I'm okay with the power in the Impreza now. It's slower off of the line than the 2005 so we'll see with the new one. It's supposed to be lighter and stiffer.

My Subaru dealership doesn't even know when the new Imprezas will be in stock. I'm also interested in seeing the pricing.

**What do you think of the new Civics?

kaboomie

Like Toyota with the Scion brand. Younger people like the tC, but avoid the xBox and the xD like the plague...

One of my clients came home with a '12 Civic Friday...

Pretty much about the same as the last 3-4 iterations...

I haven't driven a Civic for a while. I know my Scion has been "cheapened"...(don't even BREATHE on the sheet metal!!!)

If the door swings open too hard the A PILLAR FLEXES!!!!!!

I think that has as much to do with CAFE as it does with Toyota trying to save money...

And, I should switch back to Hachi, eh? ;)

Here in urop focus is considered a family car :)

Frankly you are lucky you got 2nd gen, it's being phased out here and by fall even the wagon will be replaced by 3rd gen.

3rd gen focus is tighter inside than 2nd, especially in the back. I guess ford here is trying to push mondeo harder reducing focus interior room

So it's to your advantage that ford is so slow to bring its new generations of euro focuses to the states