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

[Taka Mizutani]

Brett-
Subaru Legacy Spec Bs have been manual transmission only- if they recently
slipped in an automatic, I'd be a little surprised. It has, more or less,
the same 6-speed manual that is in the WRX STI. Why wouldn't it do 0-60 in
5.5s? You probably need to do a 6000rpm clutch drop, but I don't see that to
be an impossible number. If you don't like Subarus, I dont' recommend you
buy one, though.

I've never heard about the parking brake shoes and wheel bearings going in
the V70R- the bevel angle gear does go bad- there is a euro S80 part that
basically addresses that issue, though. I'll deal with that when the time
comes. Exhaust making noise is nothing new- our old '99 A4 did the exact
same thing with the Borla exhaust- that is not a major issue at all- don't
drive really fast through lots of standing water. The traction control
levels are a joke- either run with it off or leave it alone, the reduced
setting doesn't do enough IMO. Also, since you're up in an area that really
gets snow, the Haldex sucks for deep snow- you get weird handling issues
(over/under/oversteer cycles) and the fact that the car tries to run as a
FWD as much as possible.

The nav system works fine, yes. The seats- they are very comfortable, but
offer no lateral support whatsoever- those huge bolsters are squishy like
marshmallows- they're a total joke. The stereo is fine- I don't expect nor
need an audiophile stereo in a car, but the stereo is nice and clear, plenty
of power, nice clean punchy bass.

BTW, you can buy a "one day" VADIS subscription, so for diagnostic issues,
you can actually do a lot by yourself if you really want to do so. That's
what my mechanic does- he doesn't spring for the full-on subscription
because it's ridiculously expensive.

If you do lean toward a V70R, be aware that the shocks are stupidly
expensive, like $700 each and the car badly needs sway bars and a front
strut bar to help with handling.

Taka



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

> 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?
>
> One of the things that is tipping me in favor of a V70R, despite its
> true-to-halo-car-status reliability record (transmission has a splined
> collar that strips, the exhaust rubs against the rear driveshafts
> after going through a puddle, they go through rear parking brake SHOES
> and wheel bearings like candy, reportedly) is that the
> traction/stability control has a few different levels and it seems
> possible to switch almost all of it off save the Haldex controller-
> and it won't come back on unless told to.  I think it's pretty cool
> that you can run the traction control in "getting groceries" mode,
> "we're at Watkins Glen" mode, or "we're 16 years old and in an empty
> snowy parking lot" mode.  Same for the adjustable suspension- 3 modes,
> though I wish they hadn't tied it to accelerator pedal mappings.  Gah.
>  Looks like it MIGHT be possible to get that "fixed" through IPD.
>
> The Volvo is also a much sharper looking car, it's actually a USEABLE
> wagon (there's a lot of storage, and it is is box shaped), and Volvo
> tends to put fantastic stereos in their cars (the 960's stereo is
> probably the best OEM system I've ever heard in a car.  I haven't
> 'test driven' a V70R stereo.)  Really comfy seats, too.  The
> navigation unit is brilliant in terms of ergonomics (controls are on
> the backside of the steering wheel, and the screen pops out of the
> center of the dash.) I don't think I've ever seen a vehicle that had
> so many OEM accessories.  Roof racks, cup/change/trashbag/sunglass
> holders, and about fifty different ways to keep Fido in the back.
> Almost every option that you could order on the car can be acquired
> from Volvo via parts channels, with install instructions online in
> PDF/HTML format.  Nice.
>
> On the flip side, any Volvo made in the last few years requires VIDA,
> which is like VAG-COM, a Bentley manual, and whatever Audi calls their
> dealer technical network all rolled into one, only with a huge
> subscription fee that puts it virtually out of reach of all but the
> biggest and busiest indie Volvo wrenches.  Get a load of this BS- Audi
> may not ship modules "coded", but Volvo doesn't ship them loaded with
> firmware.  You have to use VIDA to encode the module after you install
> it in the car- and that requires live internet access, because the
> firmware is ENCRYPTED for THAT specific car/module by Volvo!
>
> /rant
>
> Brett
>