[s-cars] How failtastic is the B7 S4 automatic? Anyone have a line on a manual avant?

[LL - NY]

Instead of grousing about how bad Subies you haven't driven are, why not go
to the Scoobie shop and try them?

The Legacy GT (not spec B) can most definitely meet or draw near mfg's
specs. Test drove one and off the line through about 110 it seemed pretty
comparable to  my MRC Stage 2 UrS, but it started to fade at the top end of
4th gear (the UrS keeps pulling). Is the paintwork and sheetmetal up to VAG
standards, no, but hardly cut rate. Interior is also more in keeping with a
mid-sized family sedan (at least up to Camry standards), nothing to be
ashamed of, but certainly not up to near-lux level. The Spec B adds a small
bit of boost beyond the stock GT, and that is accessible in the Sport #
mode, a bit less boost and less aggressive throttle is in the Sport - mode
or whatever it's called for when you're more conciencious. Haven't driven
the "Sport" knob models yet. In any case, the car is not of the character to
launch itself "into the nearest china shop".

Admittedly, the only autoboxes I've driven of them (all of the previous
generation of either the Legacy, Impreza or WRX, the now outgoing and
current ones have somewhat different boxes to the best of my knowledge)
leave much to be desired, particularly with the turbo cars, seriously
exacerbating the lag.

As for the Outback, did you perchance think to check the position of the
dome light switch? I'm not an overt Scoobie fan, but they're competent cars.
The blast you gave them seems a bit over the top me thinks...

LL - NY

95.5 UrS6
05 Saab 9-2X Aero - a.k.a. Saabaru WRX

On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 3:09 PM, Brett Dikeman <brett.dikeman at gmail.com>wrote:

>
>  However, it was nothing compared to the horror of a Subaru Outback
> (another Zipcar selection.)  BREATHE on the gas pedal in "drive" and
> the car jumps off the line (with very little to follow it up.)  I've
> read that the Legacy GT Spec B doesn't deliver full boost unless you
> put it in "Sport Sharp" mode which probably means that if you start
> your foot moving towards the gas pedal, the car snorts and seeks the
> nearest china shop.  I also found it extremely difficult to believe
> that a Legacy GT 2.5 Spec B can get 0-60 in under 5.5 seconds like
> Subie claim.  Anyone driven one?  Specs and price-wise, it's right up
> my alley, but I find Subes to be badly built and equipped.  The
> Outback I rented didn't have an automatic dome light.  WTF?
>
>