General Auto Chat

Almost certainly not going to understand flag colors. Black is just like checkered but without the white bits?

 

> Black is just like checkered but without the white bits?

Yes. Means you need to come in to the pits the next time around and speak to the marshals. There's also the "meatball" which is black with a big red dot: similar instruction but is also a warning that there's something wrong with your car (rather than just your driving).

 

Hopefully that I was being facetious was not lost on anyone. I've done volunteer flag duty at our local road track, back in the day. Never actually raced but have had some fun track time over the years as well.

Now I just wait for F1 to resume, Bahrain March 2023. Hockey will have to fill my sports fix for the next few months.

 

Still had my name on the GR Corolla list at the Toyota dealership near me, they called me today to see if I could come into discuss. Thought why not, could be fun to see what the "market adjustment" price is on it.

Core model with a number of add-ons and few other fees, $40,159... With a $30,000 markup and then licensing fees plus sales tax...

Other insane part was it sold like 30 minutes before I came in.

 

Whomever got it was a dumb f**k.

 

Crosstrek is fun in the snow with traction control off!

Modulating the gas with the lame CVT feels disconnected. Mostly I just mashed pedal anyway because low power and limited space for fun.

The stock all-seasons were fine. Cant say I had better traction than FWD w/ snow tires but at least Subaru AWD doesnt understeer. From a stop seems the rear will actually kick out under hard acceleration in the snow.

These are first impressions only and hopefully extended testing doesnt put me in a ditch.

[ya I was respectful of others, roads were mostly deserted due to winter storm.]

 

GS Lexus or a BMW next year? I was thinking of getting a GS430 or a GS450h next year (GSlll). They are relatively afordable here. F10s drive well but I am not sure I can find one in good condition for the right price.

 

First thing I do after I start the car in the winter Dynamic Stability Control off. It is seriously good at what it does, try and have any sliding fun at all and it shuts you right down. I leave Dynamic Traction Control on, it is like a midway between full and no nanny. Lets you play around a bit but still keeps you from getting too out of line.

I'm gonna be biased toward BMW, but an Audi A6 is worth a look too. A relative has one and it is quite nice.

 

I had fourth-gen F-body Camaro SS in college that was way too much car for me, I thought I'd get sensible and get a Saab (yep, sensible like a Saab), and the day I drove it home it broke down on me... And of course it was an unfixable problem. I still think about that white SS, it's probably still running, the guy who I traded it to probably still laughing at me to this day.

 

BMW are better handling. F10 hits a corner at high speed like nothing. Havent driven the GS so I cant compare.The Lexus is softer they say. I am looking for a compromise sporty vs "Ok" - good comfort.

 

The Lexus V8 engines are super reliable. Cant say the same thing about F10 generation V8, sadly.. First Bi Turbo had a lot of issues I have read. The LCI revision should be ok.


The BMW diesels are like.. Who said you can drive a 180kw - 200kw t. diesel engine with 600NM torque for 30k km per oil change. It is quite obvious why they fail often (blow the engine). Some lazy Yes men will drive 5k extra a couple of oil changes and the engine is cooked.

I want reliability, key factor for me. The BMW needs perfect history.

 

I'd even consider the E60 but the F10 has a nice 8speed transmission (automatic versions) . I liked the feel of the 8 speed. It felt"mechanical" and changed gears fast.

 

The Japanese cars are (almost) always going to be more reliable than the German ones. I'd cross shop Infiniti along with the Lexus as well. When I went to buy my first "premium" car, it was Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, Audi and Mercedes I looked at. Been driving BMWs since, but they all make very nice cars. I prioritize the driving feel over all else.

The ZF 8HP transmission is quite a feat of engineering, that is what I have in my M240. It is my first car with an automatic in decades, but I am enjoying it. I've probably posted this here before, crazy calculations for engineering geeks.

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/03/saturation-dive-zf-8-speed-automatic/

 

Looks interesting.

Main thing was, It feelt good to drive. I knew instantly there was something special about that one.


I did a quick 5 minute drive in a 4series diesel. Overtaking felt more like a "super bike" vs a regular mid class sedan. They are damn good cars to drive. I am looking for a snappy "sleeper" myself. Nothing too fancy. I mostly care about function, drivability ... A good audio system wouldnt hurt either.

I have heard that some of the premium audio systems in BMWs are quite good. I dont remember which brand.

 

Diesels are much more popular in Europe than here in NA, we don't get many (except for trucks). I've driven an E-series 335d which they sold here for a few years and that thing was a torque monster. I could have been quite happy driving one of those.

The TOTL factory Dirac tuned sound system in my previous 335i was very good. Best sound system I've ever had in a car. The optional Harmon Kardon system in my current car is pretty meh, but I'm not going down the rabbit hole of replacing it. I have good sound at home, I'm content with that. In the car now I'm just as happy to listen to the M Performance Exhaust and skip the tunes completely except on the highway.

 

These Diesels are nuts. Some companies tune them.. Its going to go to the read line with no power drop, It just keeps pulling like a gasoline engine. The tuning I am talking about is just remove some blockage from the exhaust system and some adjusted chip settings.

Another fast BMW I drove was a F10 3.0 and this thing pulled. The KW figure do not matter.. something 220kw+ but the instant torque hits the spot. Way more exhilarating than a ~280kw Tesla Model S I drove (P90d.. maybe). No comparison, plus M package handling.


You dont need any tune on the more powerful versions. Look at the torque figures. https://www.ultimatespecs.com/car-specs/BMW/66296/BMW-F10-5-Series-Sedan-LCI-M550d-xDrive.html

As I mentioned before... I'd change the oil 15k km tops. These are torque heavy performance oriented engines. Eco maintenace does not make sense imo.

 

In 2023 Americans are silly in buying Crossovers and SUVs. Yes, there are useful needs in getting Crossovers and SUVs (moar space for more car, more room to haul things than a sedan trunk). However, since I needed a new car I kind of wanted something different that isn't a POS.

After reading the autist @penguins previous comments about his autism on Crossovers and SUVs, I agree with him. I am officially on the camp that Americans with our love for big things went full blown dumb on Crossovers and SUVs. In FL there isn't much of a need for a giant ass Crossover or SUV unless you want to "see better" on the flat roads of FLs or really need the extra space. I wasn't ready to take a MPG hit on moar space, when the most of the driving is basic city driving and 100 mile round trip driving on I95.

Time to see what sedans I can still get at MSRP. In FL prices a few months back are full blown dumb with dealer markups. Also since I have to drive my elderly father around like I did today (he felt very sick when I drove him around in my Honda Fit and my GF is the same way) I decided that a Mid-Size Sedan is what I need just to give the passengers a little more room, try to reduce car sickness, and better seats so I don't hurt when I get my fat ass out of the car.

Used market is slowly coming down in prices, but at the time a few months back the used car prices are closer to new that I was like f**k it, new it is + lower APR since it is a new car. I focused on Honda and Toyota and the dealers in FL and beyond where over MSRP for Accords and Camrys, no thanks.

I have a Subaru fetish since I like their quirks. I did enjoy my test ride in a Forester but then I realize that the Crossover like that vehicle would not be a good fit for me just for basic driving. I also enjoy the Outback since it is a much nicer Mid-Size Wagon than the Forester, but I felt it was a tad too long when I am not using the rear camera or the blind spot detection.

The stars and my gut were pointing to the forgotten Subaru that no body gives a shit about: the Legacy. Outback and Legacy are mostly the same vehicle, with the Outback just being lifted up a bit and have the wagon and da plastic cladding. An Outback without the plastic cladding and not lifted is the Levorg in Japan and other parts of the world (but not available for sale in the US, which sucks). Legacy not being lifted up and being a Mid-Size Sedan is the perfect fit for my needs. I test drove it, and my GF was like lets get the Crosstrek, which I said no since the Crosstrek is too tight for my body frame (and being a Compact, the materials inside aren't nice as the Legacy/Outback) and since it is lifted I noticed it takes more shocks and bumps on the road (which wasn't a problem on the Legacy).




Subaru does allow factory orders in almost anyway you want it (unlike Toyota or Honda), so after I put the deposit down for the Legacy I picked out everything that I want. The color, trim level, add-ons. This is great since I don't like leather seats in FL and I really hate moon/sunroofs since the FL sun is a bitch and I never use one anyway. Was close in getting the Spot Trim with the Turbocharge boxer engine, but I wasn't going to fully use the power that much and I wasn't ready for the terrible MPG hit on City driving, so the stock 2.5L engine it is. The 2.5L engine is the same engine as the stock Outback, but since the Legacy weighs less it is a little more swifter, but not a true fun sports car. Not like you can get it in manual anymore, just the blah CVT that is good enough for regular drivers but meh for sport car fans (that turbocharge engine with the CVT tuned for it is going to blow some heads) After ordering the car in Oct, I got it end of Dec.

The car already earn its worth by being very comfortable and boring in driving. My passengers aren't sick when driving in the Legacy (which my dad was happy with), and the features are getting use. Subaru like other manufactures are bringing the giant touchscreens to their cars, and the Legacy has one. It's like a $200 Amazon Tablet, gets the job done but slow. At least Android Auto and Apple Carplay works wireless with the Outback/Legacy refresh for 2023. I should had gotten the wireless charging station for the Legacy, but I hate wireless charging so I passed on it and just plug the damn thing in the car. For those who live in snow and do outdoor stuff, the f'ing tablet can be annoying. But for a passenger car like the Legacy in FL, it is fine.



The Subaru Eyesight system is cool, but for experience drivers like me it is not needed. You can turn off the lane assistance, but I prefer to just give me a buzzer warning if I'm drifting too far out of lane. I'm still breaking in the engine, so I can't test the cruise control (which by far a lot of owners are saying this make Eyesight worth it). While I drive cloth seats (since it is much better in hotter environments like FL), it come with heat warmers when I want to warm my butt. Since the Legacy and Outback are mostly the same vehicle, viewing angles are quite good on this car. Only real negative is while I like the AWD concept, it is useless in FL since it is a MPG hit. However, AWD with great tires and grip will be great on I95 when it is raining hard that hydroplaning can happen.

I'm glad I got it, since after MY 2024 I'm confident that Subaru will kill the Legacy since no one is really buying it. When I took delivery of the Legacy, there were only three other Legacies on the lot. But I saw 30 Outbacks, 25 Crosstreks, 35 Forresters, 9 WRXs, and maybe one Impreza. Same story on the road in NE Florida, tons of Outback/Forrester/Crosstreks and a decent amount of Ascents, but rare to see a Legacy. A shame, it is a very solid Mid-Size Sedan so far. I got my maintenance schedule ready to go and I check my oil + everything else weekly on my cars. But I am sad to say that unless Americans start buying Sedans, my next car will be very limited on Sedan selection that isn't German or American. Might as well just get the Outback if that happens since I hope it will still be a Legacy Stationwagon that drives similar to a Sedan.

 

Congrats on the new ride. It's nice having something you know a previous owner has not beaten on. The new car smell is nicer with leather, but I can understand why you skipped that option

 

Should I go on another tirade about how much small and mid-size SUVs and similar vehicles with no actual utility value annoy me? This one will probably be more environment related just to help show it's not me secretly thinking "hurr hurr I can't drive 100+ and cut people off with no blinkers in my bmw b/c karen-mobiles are in the way hurr hurr".