Subiesport Magazine - June/July 2008 - (Page 14)

BACKFIRE ents! s your comm Send u backﬁre@subiesport.com “The salesman was very enthusiastic about the new 2008” Fixed on the older Forester I am one who did buy a 2004 5-speed turbo Forester. It now has 118,000 miles and we are getting ready to replace it. I drove the new 2009 turbo Forester (automatic) yesterday and it is no match for my car. It seems anemic after driving mine. Also, it didn’t have heated seats and the version I was in didn’t have climate control. What’s up with that? On the positive side, the new Forester is quieter, handles better, has better mileage and has more room than mine. But I don’t want a new car that runs worse than my old one. In summary, my 2004 Forester Turbo is a great car with incredible performance for the money. The following attributes led me to buy this car. 1. Lots of room 2. Great visibility 3. Incredible performance for the money 4. Sleeper (generic looks but cars costing twice as much better look out!) 5. Good gas mileage for the performance 6. Great reliability 7. Safe 8. Manual transmission Subaru: Please build a special edition of this car with a manual transmission (STI 6 spd) and upgraded suspension and I’ll buy one. Roy Skidoo via drivingsports.com (Subiesport article syndicated.) Modding the 2008 WRX I really enjoyed the article (“Driving the 2008 WRX and 2008 STI on course,” Subiesport.com). I am working on the suspension of my 08 WRX 5 door and I want something that works on the street, i.e.: corners well, but not too harsh. I thought the stock suspension with stock wheels & tires worked surprisingly well for how comfortable (soft) it was. I have put on 18” wheels and 225/40-18 Toyo Proxes and Cusco coilovers. The car now corners (and looks) much better. I am now thinking about adjustable sway bars, but not sure if I will notice any difference except on the track. Your articles certainly help one consider the many alternatives. Thank you. Paul Trapp via subiesport.com Ed: Paul, the swaybars do make a big difference, but the car just loves to push. I would think that with your coilovers you could tune this out; perhaps even going to a stiffer rear spring would help. Good luck with the car; it seems you are on the right track. Pondering a 2008 STI I appreciate this article (“Driving the 2008 WRX and 2008 STI on course,” Subiesport.com) because I’m actually in the market for a STI Limited but just for kicks I stopped by the Subie dealer around the corner here to see if they had any 2005-2007 STIs in stock for me to check out. They did not, but the salesman was extremely enthusiastic about the new 2008s. I mean, it’s a great car, and I would love to have one, but it’s almost impossible to see myself owning due to its nature, there is no way I could keep the eyes of the boys in blue off me in one; hence my attraction to the 2007 Limited. Also, their daily drivability entices me to the 2007. Adam via subiesport.com Ed: The 2008 and 2007 STIs are basically identical in the drivetrain, so drivability should not be a major factor in choosing one year over the other. Options, looks and pricing would be the major differences. I am with you on the 2007 Limited, you can’t go wrong there, it is a very nice car. However, I think the 2008 STI offers all that the 2007 does, and then some. Why? Because hardly anybody bought one I live in Australia and own a 2001 H6 Outback and a 2003 2.5 Outback. I am about to buy a 2009 Forster XT Premium (manual transmission) that is available here. I can’t understand why Subaru don’t offer it in the USA. I test drove the standard XT and was pretty impressed. I preferred the Outback to the Forester because I have two kids under six years old but the ‘09 Forester has more room than the Outback and feels much bigger inside. I think that they have a winner though I would have preferred a diesel (we always want more). Greg McNamara via subiesport.com Ed: I am not sure why you think the 2009 runs worse than your 2004. There are some differences in the ECU tuning that may make it feel anemic, power delivery being more linear can do that, you don’t get the big surge of power like you would on your 2004. Drive by wire can do this as well. In short, the drivetrain is better and updated in every way. The only difference being the transmission. But that is a big difference. Of course, you can always do a swap. Subaru is not offering the manual in the United States since sales of the stick version were at a dozen a month, at the very most. As for a diesel, it should be available soon, but no official word, so probably within the next few model years. 14 JULY 2008 WE LOVE TO GET LETTERS! Send us your thoughts, pictures and ideas. Write: Subiesport Magazine, 4176 148th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052 Or, you can email us at backﬁre@subiesport.com Materials sent will not be returned, but all your feedback is appreciated! We reserve the right to edit your letters if they’re chosen for the magazine. http://Subiesport.com http://subiesport.com http://Subiesport.com http://drivingsports.com http://subiesport.com http://subiesport.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Subiesport Magazine - June/July 2008

Subiesport Magazine - June/July 2008 Contents Editor Letters Readers’ Rides Subaru News Fresh Squeezed Hell's Legacy Under the Radar Project GT Rebuild New Engine AVO 420 Turbo Perrin Intercooler Rally Like a Rockstar Rally Jordan Adventure WRC Rally Argentina WRC Rally Jordan WRC Rally d’Italia Sardegna Where to buy Subiesport WRC2008 Debut Rally America: Olympus Ad Directory Rally America: Oregon Trail Spotted!

Subiesport Magazine - June/July 2008

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