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The Pick H8R's Next Family Car Thread

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
Oddly enough I probably wouldn't mind a minivan. I even told the wife we should consider a Transit Connect passenger setup. She asked which ball I wanted cut off.
I like those Transits, but I can't figure out why they cost as much as they do.

Goes for a lot of Ford's lineup, actually.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,861
4,158
Copenhagen, Denmark
I paid 21000 for my Volvo XC70 in 2009. It was a 2007 and still had 2 years of warranty on it. Rice has the regular one which gets better mileage. Super comfortable and tons of space for the 4 of us.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,376
12,531
In a van.... down by the river
Honda Odyssey, used. Early 2000's. Same mileage if not better than a suby, more room, they handle like cars, reliable as hell, and they are awesome on road trips.
You're smokin' crack on the mileage. 17 city and 25 hwy if you're careful. Subaru is 26-28 without trying. That said - Odyssey is way more practical in almost every other respect.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I've got a TDI Wagon. Only 15k miles in but so far so good. The gas mileage is incredible - I went from 18mpg using premium to 40+ using diesel. Bonus: it can hold a lot of bike stuff.

I really hope it has a different engine than the same gen passat. Though they drive really damn well. I just don't like their auto gears but outside of traffic I don't like auto at all.


btw. H8r have you thought about a mondeo? I don't know what's the US equivalent but the car gets 42mpg and drives really well. The suspension is much better than the ones in the VW but I think it was just a more enjoyable car to drive all around.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
btw. H8r have you thought about a mondeo? I don't know what's the US equivalent but the car gets 42mpg and drives really well. The suspension is much better than the ones in the VW but I think it was just a more enjoyable car to drive all around.
The equivalent US Ford was the Contour. (total crap)

We have the Fusion now in the US, which after 2013 will be the same as the Mondeo.

I would consider a new Ford wagon or hatchback if I lived in Europe, but not any of the US models, mainly because the local Ford dealer sucks a bag of balls. I took my Ranger truck there for a simple diagnostic and they were not just total dicks about it, they were expensive dicks about it.

The local Subaru dealer is a much nicer place, (which is good because we're leaning that way again) and we have one of if not the best independent Subaru mechanics in the area just a couple miles from here.


Test drove the new Impreza today. ("Sport Premium" trim) It drives awesome and the mileage is WAYYY better than previous years. Passenger area roominess is pretty much identical to earlier Outback wagons, it's just about a foot shorter in the rear luggage area. Not a big deal, we have no dog.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
I like those Transits, but I can't figure out why they cost as much as they do
Same reason a business phone line or internet or insurance or carpet or anything else "commercial" costs so much, they charge whatever they can get.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
The equivalent US Ford was the Contour. (total crap)

We have the Fusion now in the US, which after 2013 will be the same as the Mondeo.

I would consider a new Ford wagon or hatchback if I lived in Europe, but not any of the US models, mainly because the local Ford dealer sucks a bag of balls. I took my Ranger truck there for a simple diagnostic and they were not just total dicks about it, they were expensive dicks about it.

The local Subaru dealer is a much nicer place, (which is good because we're leaning that way again) and we have one of if not the best independent Subaru mechanics in the area just a couple miles from here.


Test drove the new Impreza today. ("Sport Premium" trim) It drives awesome and the mileage is WAYYY better than previous years. Passenger area roominess is pretty much identical to earlier Outback wagons, it's just about a foot shorter in the rear luggage area. Not a big deal, we have no dog.
I really liked legacys handling but the one I rode (my mother had one for a year and left it for me when she left the country) had some crappy 130hp 2.0 engine and it was super sluggish.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
Ended up getting the '12 Impreza Sport. In red of all colors, and pretty loaded. Think my wife is having a mid life crisis?

So now we have a small red space ship in the driveway. Her first ever brand new car.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
This one.... (not actual pic...wife is at work with it now, real pics and review later)

 

Leppah

Turbo Monkey
Mar 12, 2008
2,294
3
Utar
You're smokin' crack on the mileage. 17 city and 25 hwy if you're careful. Subaru is 26-28 without trying. That said - Odyssey is way more practical in almost every other respect.
Subaru's are about 27 if you're a good driver. If you get a newer model with no turbo, you can get that mileage.
I get pretty good mileage in my van. Probably around 25 overall. It's a minivan, so i never drive it fast. I'm also never in a hurry. A lot of it has to do with the way you drive. I do know that when i had my 2000 legacy GT, it might have gotten about 24 mpg. Small engine+tons of weight+AWD=mediocre mileage.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
New Imprezas have a 2.0 liter engine now, and they knocked off some weight. 27/36 mileage, but that will probably average up a bit with my wife driving, and down quite a bit when I'm driving.

:D

The new Outback wagons are fvcking pigs, and butt ugly to boot. We both test drove a used 09 Outback Limited, which felt heavy and vague compared to the new Impreza.

Got a good deal, but not screaming, cause the Sport version is actually hard to find right now, but they gave us a decent rate for our credit situation and we bumped up the warranty to 7 years/100k miles. (which is good, cause we drive cars to the grave)
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,013
Sleazattle
Congrats on the new car smell.
Last new car I got damned near killed me with the smell. Turns out I am rather sensitive to certain chemicals and had bouts of vertigo after breathing 'new car smell'. Nothing like some bromides and PVC gasses to get you moving int the morning. Luckily my employment status will keep me away from new cars for quite a while.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
For some reason the front of that car reminds me of a Seat or something like it.
Somewhat like the Exeo.

It's kind of a weird car. It looks a little "off" from each angle, but as a whole it works for some reason.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
Last new car I got damned near killed me with the smell. Turns out I am rather sensitive to certain chemicals and had bouts of vertigo after breathing 'new car smell'. Nothing like some bromides and PVC gasses to get you moving int the morning. Luckily my employment status will keep me away from new cars for quite a while.

Ok...how long has it been that your avatar has been a winking gif? I just noticed it. Please tell me it hasn't been like years and years.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,013
Sleazattle
Ok...how long has it been that your avatar has been a winking gif? I just noticed it. Please tell me it hasn't been like years and years.
MilkMan Dan has been rocking the skull logo(hard to see) and winking for years.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
The Outback has had it. In the shop now, we'll put just enough money into it to make it run to sell it.
Mechanic called us this morning. It wasn't just the fuel pump. It was the timing belt that went, which basically destroyed the engine.

And it needed a new tranny anyway. (the AWD was eating itself) And a fuel pump. And tons of electrical work. And massive detailing. Basically thousands into it so we could get it back to about $1500 blue book.

Shop gave us $500 so they could use it for parts.

RIP.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
Nice. New Imprezas have a CVT, and get much better mileage than any suby made since they went AWD.
It's a weird thing to drive, the response is..."odd". I like it though the more time I spend with it. It has 6 speed sequential paddle shifters too, which I like. (and the wife refuses to use)

But yeah the mpg was the clincher.

The only things we need to get used to is lower profile tires with more exposed rims, (which will be shredded on a curb) and the lower ride height from the Outback. We actually need to be careful pulling into our driveway now so we don't scrape the front trim off.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
good choice dude. I got my '12 impreza at the beginning of january. Have been very pleased with it. Averaging 32-33 mpg on my work commute, which is mostly highway.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35







A one week review:


Love the handling and the interior. The exterior I'm neutral about. Subarus are weird.

We got the "Sport Premium" package which is only avail in the 5-door hatchback.

Includes 17" rims (grey), winter package with heated seats, (good GOD those are awesome...) Bluetooth, cruise control, CVT auto with manual paddle shifters, roof rails, rear cargo cover, cargo mat and a few other misc amenities. Etc etc.

Most car website reviewers hate the CVT but I actually like it. Just takes some getting used to is all. You hit the throttle and the engine winds up into the 4k rpm+ range, and stays there till the CVT brings you up to the speed you want. There is no variation of the rpms as the tranny goes through the gear ranges like on a normal auto.


A little disconcerting at first but the gas mileage is wayyyyy better than the 2011's and earlier. We're looking at about 500 miles for our first tank of gas. (spent a week driving all over the place and still more than a 1/4 tank)

The paddle shifters are a nice touch. You can go "full-manual" (shift the floor shifter to "M") or when in normal "D", you can up and downshift temporarily over-riding the auto. It doesn't really pick a gear, it just indexes the CVT to a set of 6 fixed ratios. It works well, and it's snappy.

There is a touch of lag to the throttle from the CVT but we didn't buy this to be a street racer. It does what it's supposed to do. The handling is a bonus - headed out to the Pacific Highway the other day and it rails through the turns. Way more go kart than I thought it would be.

The red wasn't our first color choice but the gun-metal grey in this trim would have taken well over 2 months, they are way back ordered. (supposedly we bought one of only two of the Sport models available new in the state...) I like the red, it's not so mid-life-crisis as some other reds can be.

The suspension is firm-ish but not harsh.

Wind noise (especially at the mirrors) is much improved over the old Outback we had, and even some newer ones I test drove. The car is quiet but not detached feeling.

The interior is roomy. Getting the 4-year-old in and out of the back is actually much easier than in the (now dead) old Outback wagon. This came as a pleasant surprise. The rear doors open wider and hooking up a child seat is a no brainer. The LATCH system points aren't buried under the fold of the seat bottom, they are just behind small flaps in the lower seat back and top anchors (3 of them) are easy to use behind the seats.

The rear seats fold down flat without having to flip up the seat bottom. There is an amazing amount of cargo space once they are down too. It's one of those cars that feels much much larger inside than the exterior of the car would leave you to believe. Only thing we lost was maybe a foot of rear depth back in the hatch. (a stroller and other gear still fits) The passenger area is just as if not bigger than the Outback.

The interior is less confined (imho) than the 2011 and earlier Imprezas. Less curvy and swoopy too, it's a more straight and understated design over all.

The new 2.0 engine they are using has a 7500 mile oil change interval, and a timing CHAIN instead of a belt. I like that, considering that is what just killed the well-serviced Outback.

More later once we put some time into it and eventually, bikes on it.
 
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Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
Dark red/grey looks excellent. Well, as excellent as an Impreza can look. ;)
 

woodsguy

gets infinity MPG
Mar 18, 2007
1,083
1
Sutton, MA
This will probably replace my wife's Mini (its just too hard to get a car seat in the back). Anyone out there get over 40mpg in their 2012 Impreza? Currently my wife gets 37-39 in her '08 Mini with a roof rack (I get 45-49 when I drive it but I drive the speed limit). Her Mini is rated at 37hwy and the Impreza is rated at 36hwy so I'm hoping to get at least 42mpg in the Impreza.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
good choice dude. I got my '12 impreza at the beginning of january. Have been very pleased with it. Averaging 32-33 mpg on my work commute, which is mostly highway.
A friend here also just got a new impreza, he seems impressed.

I have 8500 miles on my focus now, which is a manual trans, (which gets less mileage then the auto which is rated at 37, to get the 40 mpg you have to get some special package car that isn't available with some stuff) and is rated at 36 mpg highway, I have gotten 34 mpg, but never anywhere near 36. Over the life of the car 8500 miles, I am averaging just under 33 overall, it's like 32.7. I keep it under 80, try to keep it under 75, and haven't noticed a big improvement in mileage from 65, 70, or 75 mph trips...

I miss the awd for the fun factor on snow covered roads, but the fwd has gotten me through anything we have seen so far this year just fine, and when it really gets bad I just jump in my f350.

I have to flip the bottom of my seats up to take advantage of the fold flat, that's another tick in favor of the impreza IMO.

what did you guys pay out the door on your cars?

My focus with the 17" wheel option and bluetooth, winterpackage with heated seats, and the sport trim came in just over 20k + change.

Sounds like the impreza has better handling, similar mileage...I looked at both cars, but ended up with the ford because a friend of mine sold me the car, I am not certain I would be happier with the impreza, but it certainly sounds like a very nice package.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
This will probably replace my wife's Mini (its just too hard to get a car seat in the back). Anyone out there get over 40mpg in their 2012 Impreza? Currently my wife gets 37-39 in her '08 Mini with a roof rack (I get 45-49 when I drive it but I drive the speed limit). Her Mini is rated at 37hwy and the Impreza is rated at 36hwy so I'm hoping to get at least 42mpg in the Impreza.
don't hold your breath. i'm averaging 32-34 mpg, and i drive mostly highway, and this jives with what i've read & heard elsewhere (including automotive test sites). which is still really good when you consider its an AWD vehicle.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
are you trying to point out something I already noted in my post?

I've done an entire tank of gas, fill up, get on e-way, drive to destination @ 65 mph, then done the same thing at 75 mph, both tanks yeilded nearly identical MPG.

Are you trying to point out the obvious that the two biggest factors in mpg, Engine RPM and wind resistance are both higher the faster you go?

The window sticker is rated at 36 mpg highway, since 2008 the epa estimates have been done on the highway with speeds of up to 80 mph, not the old standard of topping out at 60 mph.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,861
4,158
Copenhagen, Denmark
Isn't it more about how much an increase effects mpg which is the important part of the. If the effect was just 0.001% increase who care but if mileages drops with 50% its important just as an example.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
My focus with the 17" wheel option and bluetooth, winterpackage with heated seats, and the sport trim came in just over 20k + change.

Sounds like the impreza has better handling, similar mileage...I looked at both cars, but ended up with the ford because a friend of mine sold me the car, I am not certain I would be happier with the impreza, but it certainly sounds like a very nice package.
Impreza in the setup we have was $22k, but with a manual shifter it's $1k less, and I'm sure once the 2013's hit the market it will drop some.

So it's similar spec to the Focus, but you get AWD and in my opinion a much nicer interior. I sat in a new Focus for a few minutes and frankly it seems cheap and much less refined than the Impreza. In fact just sitting in the Focus after being in the Impreza made me not even bother to take it for a test drive.

We dropped the coin on the extendo warranty, which in turn they dropped the financing rate several points. Covered for 7 years/100k miles.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
BTW - my rough math before our first fillup: 35 mpg. And that's with me driving like an asshole. With some attention to technique I can get much better mileage than that.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
BTW - my rough math before our first fillup: 35 mpg. And that's with me driving like an asshole. With some attention to technique I can get much better mileage than that.
out of curiosity - where you live, is there a lot of elevation change in the roads? or is it mostly flat?
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
out of curiosity - where you live, is there a lot of elevation change in the roads? or is it mostly flat?
Mostly flat. We went for one drive along the coast, rolling hills and such.

Note that 35 mpg is my rough math, I won't know until we finally fill it up.


Whatever it is, I'm stoked. The old Outback got maybe 280-300 miles to a tank of gas.


At about 15000 miles per year, we're looking at close to $1k saved in fuel costs at today's prices. That's half the cost of a new car over 10 years. Not bad.
 

w00dy

In heaven there is no beer
Jun 18, 2004
3,417
51
that's why we drink it here
I'm super happy with my prius so far. Well designed interior. Gets 40-45mpg on regular gas and has a ton of space. If you can put up with the nerd factor it's well worth it.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
Mostly flat. We went for one drive along the coast, rolling hills and such.

Note that 35 mpg is my rough math, I won't know until we finally fill it up.


Whatever it is, I'm stoked. The old Outback got maybe 280-300 miles to a tank of gas.


At about 15000 miles per year, we're looking at close to $1k saved in fuel costs at today's prices. That's half the cost of a new car over 10 years. Not bad.

got it. my commute to work is rather hilly. the other weekend when i came home from CT my mpg was on the high end (just over 34mpg), and it was less hilly of a drive.

you know the digital display above the radio will give you your mpg right?