Subaru Automobiles

[MossRoad]

The adaptive cruise control on my Toyota truck brakes when it detects a vehicle changing lanes ahead of it. Using the throttle would be ok, I guess.

Well, I brake if someone changes lanes ahead of me as well, so I can't see the difference. I've got the Outback set for maximum distance right now. It's always just let off the throttle when I come up on someone going slower than me. It holds me about 2.5 - 3 seconds behind the car I'm following, which is what I try and maintain when I'm driving manually. I like it.

 

[jjeff]

The adaptive cruise control on my Toyota truck brakes when it detects a vehicle changing lanes ahead of it. Using the throttle would be ok, I guess.

It uses the brakes on my wife's Honda. I suppose I could drive behind her and tell her to drive towards an immovable object then take a picture of the brake lights coming on? Nope, after further consideration I will not bring that up to her.

 

[California]

The '05 Outback suffered from the notorious head gasket leak. It also went through wheel bearings and brake calipers on a regular basis. We had the head gasket fixed at around 125,000 miles and we traded it at 148,000 on the Legacy.

Before I bought the '99 Outback I read a lot in the then-Yahoo Subaru group.

re head gaskets: Someone who adapted Subaru engines for light aircraft (where they have to be reliable), had advice that has worked for me: He said every head gasket case he knew of was caused by heavy throttle, causing localized uneven heating, before the engine was fully warm with everything at uniform temperature. Works for me. At 140k miles on the '99 the head gaskets are original, and that year was notorious for the head gasket problem appearing when Subaru went from 2.2L to 2.5L OHC a year or two previous.

Why this works for me is both home and ranch have a few miles of quiet residential or country-lane pavement before reaching an on-ramp or anything that needs heavy throttle.

Incidentally one thing from that Yahoo group that I've confirmed: Under 3k rpm the Outback is calm, unobtrusive, genteel. Use the shifter to keep RPM in the 4k~6k range and its a whole nother beast.

Wheel bearings? All original.

Brakes? At 10 k miles I want to the nearest Subaru/Ford dealer for the first tire rotation and a general checkup by a 'Subaru Professional'. Got robbed. The idiot there torqued the lug bolts so hard that he warped the rotors. At 20 k miles we couldn't stand the heavy vibration when braking so I had my usual neighborhood shop replace the rotors and I think, pads. Then the 'first' brake job at 135 k miles.

Overall, I really like Subarus, but something deep down inside me has a distrust for the durability of CVT transmissions.

Me too. Just a suspicion. But I can't see how slipping a belt against a pulley can be as troublefree as the torque converter in my 4EAT A/T. I bought the Subaru to replace a 4 cyl 5 speed Trooper that was killed by the neighbor's tree falling on it. And chose the A/T version Outback specifically for being able to nudge one tire at a time over significant obstacles without a low range. Doing this with a CVT just doesn't sound right. But I've read that after that first year when they upgraded an inadequate bearing, the CVT is fine.

 

[cqaigy2]

But I've read that after that first year when they upgraded an inadequate bearing, the CVT is fine.

I had suspicions about the CVT as well, but it sounds like at least the later model vehicles have pretty much figured it out. I have a 2014 they used a bushing for the shifting solenoid the last year for that. I had to replace it at 110K miles. The replacement uses a real baring. I've talked to some people that have replaced/flushed the transmission fluid after 100K miles.

 

[IndyIan]

They don't use the starter to restart the car. The computer stops the engine at the exact point that all it has to do is fire off that spark plug.

I don't subaru is using that system? I had a 2022 Legacy as a loaner and it seemed to crank normally after every stop. I can see how it saves gas if you have a lot of long stoplights in your normal driving.

 

[California]

Here's why I need a small SUV.

The Outback followed years of used 4x4's. Willys Wagon, 2 of them. $500 with Studebaker V8 (SBC) then a $1k one with a Ford Y-block 292. But both so old that stuff kept breaking so I sold each after a year. (I was poor back then). Then a good 4 speed 302 Wagoneer that I ran for years until it was hit while parked. A later Wagoneer, that had an overwhelming number of undiscovered problems. AMC Eagle, $7k used, ok until I cooked the transmission towing a light travel trailer in 105 degree weather. Bought a new 88 Trooper. Troublefree until a tree fell on it at year 10. Then the '99 Outback bought new. The only major repair has been $1100 for a new speedometer / instrument panel assembly, oh and I put an alternator in it a couple of years ago.

Every one of these was bought with a specific task in mind. To make it out the 20 miles of logging trails from our gold mining claim to the pavement. Even with light snow overnight making this climb from our camp, slippery.

 

[AnotherBueller]

Ddin’t Nissan try CVT transmissions and they were a failure?

I have a 2009 Nissan Maxama with a cvt and I've had NO problems with the trans.

 

[cqaigy2]

A buddy of mine has a gold mine, looks like similar enough countryside that i did a double take at your picture. Was a great place to go camping with pretty good fishing in the creak down below.

 

[Oaktree]

I have a few friends that own Subarus and have nothing bad to say of them. I keep telling myself that car is for her not me I just have to occasionally relearn everything I know in order to get it out of my driveway.

I hear ya on that. Many Suburu owners I know are very loyal too, but their cars just don't do anything for me. Quirky controls, rather uncomfortable driving position, not for me.

Wife looked at them last time she was car shopping, and of the dealers we visited the Suburu dealer was the most knowledgeable and easy to work with. But neither of us liked the car.

 

[MossRoad]

Got curious. Found this video of a Subaru CVT transmission tear down.

Turns out it's belt made out of chain. With pins that run through the links. It appears the pins are what ride on the sheaves.

Pretty darn cool!