Lifted Subarus

Skeptical of the CVTs and head gaskets (still). Just not the biggest boxer fan, at least in a car.

I don’t hate Subarus though.

 

Why is this in the 3rd Gen forum?

Anyway... I think the lifted Subarus are cool. I had a WRX when they first came to the States and that thing was awesome. Always wanted to lift it and put some AT's on it so I could really hammer the dirt/fire roads around me. Unfortunately a couple horrible experiences with my Subaru service department made me sell it.

edit: Subarus are also fantastic in foul weather (with the right tires of course) but if you want even more impressive snow traction try an Audi or the new Mazda AWD system; practically unstoppable.

 

I had a coworker with a forester that he modified pretty much as far as you can a subaru without making it something that is no longer a subaru. He thought it would perform like a real 4wd at that point but it didn't. He's called to rescue him multiple times. The and system sends power to the wheels with the least amount of traction so he'd have a tire off the ground or just one stuck and it wouldn't go anywhere. If you are going to actual wheel low range and lockers are a must. But for lots of people AWD is enough. As someone who runs a Japanese specialty auto repair shop I only buy Toyota and Honda products. The long term reliability and quality is still not there for any of the other brands.

 

Probably will be stickied by sunset.

 

No Raptor lights or Glock here, that butterfly trigger is not for me. The subu is what it is…it’s not a Tacoma and my vette is not a subu. It does get better gas mileage and is AWD, not 4WD, has a CVT, no CVT 4 me.

I’ve considered the new WRX as a daily, but would rather have the new Passport. The V6, AWD, 9 speed trans and aftermarket 3.5 lift being installed by some Honda dealers is quite interesting. Passport/Pilot 3.5” lifts.

 

agree. Also, I’ve never been to a public range with government furnished weapons. If you need to qualify, you’ll go tdy to the nearest government range, or they will reserve the entire range and close it to the public.

I’d have to think if you were working somewhere where you have a government issued punisher van full of guns, then most likely the government would have its own range nearby for said guns and employees, they wouldn’t send them out in town to the nearest public use range and say hey fellas, be sure to leave the doors open so everyone can see inside.

 

A note to add on that 9 speed the transmission service is a good bit more expensive that previous Hondas. It takes a fluid that almost 40 bucks a bottle and it says it requires replacing the drain and fill bolt. We don't risk not doing that. The bolts are 30 bucks each. So you are $200 in just materials on a service that should be done every 30,000 miles.

 

As far as standard garden variety passenger cars goes I have come to the conclusion that I would never own anything other than a Subaru.

I've had 'em all, and my wife's 2017 Forester has outperformed all of the rest.

 

How much does a new CVT cost ?

 

You mean a trans service? It depends on what make and model but for instance cvt crv takes type 2 cvt fluid that's around $12 quart. So parts and labor is under $100.

 

No sir, it’s a CVT, replacement cost. I would never own one though.

 

Oh a good good bit. At least 2 grand.

 

I'd never touch anything with a CVT, however Subaru seems to do them the best in terms of "shift" performance. Now Honda is using the ZF 9 speed which has the worst shift characteristics of any modern automatic in my opinion.....Jeep and Land Rover use the same unit and it's terrible. Whenever I get annoyed at the Tacoma 6 speed auto I just remember how bad the ZF 9 speed is.
On the flip side, the 9 speed seems pretty stout I didn't see many actually fail in the KL Jeep, but the shift quality and characteristics were horrendous.

 

Picked up this Subaru part last year on a favorite 4x4 trail.

 

3.5"!? Seems alot for those CVs? Without knowing any specs on the lift.
Transforms the look of it though for sure.

 

I think they were one of the first to use them and heavily invested in making them run " non cvt" like from what I recall. Them an Nissan

 

I am between the Crosstrek and the RAV4. The RAV4 base model has more power and is slightly quicker than the RAV4 with the 2.5, bigger, motor. I like the looks of the Crosstrek a quite a bit better. I think the RAV4 would haul my bikes a little better and maybe easier to stay overnight in before a race or something. I am leaning towards the RAV4. I rented a RAV4 a month back when the wife's Edge Sport was in the body shop. The RAV4 was like driving a go cart I really had a blast in it. I didn't try it out in the desert since it was a rental. I think I will try to rent a Crosstrek and go from there. ...good chat

 

I had a 2001 Forester purchased new. Bought my 2004 Tacoma in 2007 because I liked the style of the First Gen and was concerned the Subie wouldn't last. End result: replaced the short block with 476,000 on the odometer because I had worn out the rings. After reaching 533,410 miles on the Subie, I sold it to my mechanic in 2017 who used it as a loaner car for his customers. That Subie took me all over the US in all weather and road conditions. If it wasn't for the fact I own the 2004 and 2020 Tacomas, I'd consider another Subie, this time with a manual.

 

The CVT's are not known to love offroading.

Apparently, the Subara cvt is a very capable system, but is behaves unlike a geared auto, so some people are initially put off by it.