Farewell faithful companion......

Dick Rees

Dick Rees

Curmudgeonly Scandihoovian
Jan 11, 2011
1,551
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St Paul, MN
Time to retire my '92 Aerostar. Best work vehicle I ever had. It'll limp along through one more winter, but that's it. So at 20 years of age and a couple of hundred thousand miles together we'll part company.

No idea about a suitable replacement. I do have a '96 E-250 and a trailer, but I'm used to having something smaller for the run-of-the-mill gigs and errands. I'm guessing a station wagon like a Jetta or maybe a Subaru Forester.
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

Dick Rees said:
Time to retire my '92 Aerostar. Best work vehicle I ever had. It'll limp along through one more winter, but that's it. So at 20 years of age and a couple of hundred thousand miles together we'll part company.

No idea about a suitable replacement. I do have a '96 E-250 and a trailer, but I'm used to having something smaller for the run-of-the-mill gigs and errands. I'm guessing a station wagon like a Jetta or maybe a Subaru Forester.
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My wife had a Forester. Nice vehicle. We kept it for the first 60,000 miles on a lease. Maybe in the future we will get another. Now she's driving a Honda. It seems to take a bit more fuel than the Forester though.
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

You would be amazed how much sound equipment I have crammed in the back of my Yaris hatchback, which I bought just as a local commuter car. Last road trip was MD to central SC to western NC back to MD on less than 25 gallons of gas.
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

Tim McCulloch said:
Also consider the Chevy HHR in either the 4 door or panel wagon versions. Highway rated at 30 MPG.
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I still have my original Forester with well over 200k (miles). My daily driver is a 2004 Legacy wagon which is about to be replaced by a handed down 2007 Forester from my parents (we keep cars in the family...). The cars aren't perfect, but I love the consistency. My alternator died on the '99, so just to double check that it was indeed the problem I checked the 2007 and it was the same part. The 4 year old alternator went in the old car and the new one in the 2007. Same with suspension. My 1999 was getting pretty sloppy, so I pulled the suspension (complete take-offs) from the 07 and dropped it into the 99, putting the new parts in the newer car. Their like lego! I really find this to be evidence of them having gotten it right the first time. Most of this compatibility changed with the new 2009 model year however.

Complaints:

-The Forester is based on the Impreza and despite looking similarly sized, the Legacy/Outback platform is a good bit roomier and holds way more stuff.

-Replacing the clutch is a PITA. If you buy something near the 100K mark I'd be tempted to do the waterpump, timing belt and clutch all in one go. It'll cost more, but the belt is due at 100K and at least you won't have to dig in there for a while to get at the clutch which may need doing shortly thereafter depending on how it was treated. (Assuming you buy a manual car, which I understand can be tough in the US).

-Fuel economy is ok, but nothing too special.

I'm sure there are some other things I'm missing, but I can honestly say that I love my Subarus!

P.S....

Funny new Forester commercial:

Great Forester forum: www.subaruforester.org

Great source for Subaru parts: http://www.subaruparts.com/
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

With the seats down in the back of my '10 Forester, I can carry a DM1k in a Pelican 1660, two 10space ATA shock racks, four ATA workboxes with around 50 mics and a couple laptops in them, a case with a dozen tripod boom stands, and a case of a half dozen Meyer MM-4XPs without having to exert much in the way of effort to get everything to fit. I also carried 3 10k DLP projectors in road cases, 4 Pelican 1560s, and two Pelican 1650s recently without much trouble. I love that I can do this with a car that drives like a large sedan and doesn't bankrupt me at the pump. Obviously, I haven't had it long enough to comment on reliability.
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

The 2010 Forester looks much larger than the previous models. Does anyone know if the actual size of the vehicle has changed, or did they just do some sheet metal magic?

I know you can get 4 people, a dog, and a weeks worth of beer, climbing gear, and water jugs in the old forester. If you want to take lawn chairs, you'll need a roof rack.
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

Mike Butler (media) said:
http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/audi_tdi_clean_diesel_cars.html?csref=36960466215057041
42mpg, baby!
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No Quattro though, at least as far as I know. AWD/4WD is pretty important to me. The 2.0T gas engine is still very efficient. My dad drives a 2006 A4 wagon that he bought summer 2005. It still drives likes its new and is better on fuel than any Subaru. That said, its a different price league, and will have higher ownership costs down the road. If FWD was an sacrifice I was willing to make, there are some awesome Passat TDi wagons around here. They hold their value well though, so the fuel savings are offset by the higher purchase price and ownership costs. I've done fairly extensive analyses estimating ownership costs and worst-case future gas prices - it only works out if you drive ALOT and are able to benefit from higher resales that would result from those fuel increases. Add losing AWD and its just not worth it from what I considered.

As for the Subaru size, it looks like you're right (and so are my observations about my wagon being bigger than my Forester)

2007 Forester - Cargo space (rear seat down) [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]57.7cf (56.4 with moonroof)
2010 Forester - [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]68.3 cf (63 with moonroof)

2004 Legacy/Outback wagon [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1] 68.6 rear seat down
2010 Outback [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]cargo volume with seats flat 71.3cf (05-09 was 65.4cf)[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

I stuff a lot of equipment in my 1999 BMW 528IT wagon. Nice power - comfortable - and since I like a manual tranny...
Daily driver - 24+ mpg avg, almost 30 mpg at somewhat legal (maybe not) highway speeds. Highway range is 500 miles/tank.
Since the wagons just don't sell like sedans, price is fairly reasonable.
Mine has ~ 190k and is running strong - probably will need a clutch at 200k...
frank
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

I just bought a 2006 VW Jetta Wagon TDI. Being able to get 700km's (435 miles) per tank is a big bonus for me. I haven't carried any gear in it yet, but looks like I can carry alot.
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

Marlow Wilson said:
No Quattro though, at least as far as I know. AWD/4WD is pretty important to me.
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And to me at least part of the time, Marlow (like at my Vermont house in the winter).

Dick didn't specify whether his van was 4WD/AWD or not, but i believe most Aerostars were of the front engine-rear wheel drive variety. Therefore I didn't look at the FWD layout of the A3 as a loss of traction, especilly considering that the Transit Connect, which we are led to think of as Ford's replacement for the 'Star, is FWD.

Dick also didn't say whether or not his big van was 4WD, but I didn't see him complaining about getting around in snowy Minnesota, so who knows!
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

I'm old school on the 4WD stuff. Just give me rear wheel drive, enough ground clearance and some good tires and I'm fine. I still have tire chains if I really need to go somewhere.......
 
Mike Butler (media) said:
And to me at least part of the time, Marlow (like at my Vermont house in the winter).

Dick didn't specify whether his van was 4WD/AWD or not, but i believe most Aerostars were of the front engine-rear wheel drive variety. Therefore I didn't look at the FWD layout of the A3 as a loss of traction, especilly considering that the Transit Connect, which we are led to think of as Ford's replacement for the 'Star, is FWD.

Dick also didn't say whether or not his big van was 4WD, but I didn't see him complaining about getting around in snowy Minnesota, so who knows!
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I'm less sure of the US resale market, but Subarus demand a premium here. If the AWD isn't necessary or desirable, I'd skip it. Not only do they result in a higher purchase price, but they also have higher maintenance and operating costs compared to FWD models. For example, tires need to be with a 1/4" circumference - damage one, and you might be in for a new set depending on wear (or risk differential damage). They also need to be towed on a flatbed (though I've never required towing) and use more fuel in general.

They are still great cars but, in Canada at least, when people buy Audi and Subaru, AWD is usually a primary consideration.

Just my thoughts...
 
Re: Farewell faithful companion......

Marlow Wilson said:
... They also need to be towed on a flatbed...
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I wouldn't let any vehicle I or my wife own be ground-towed anyway. Not the Mercedes SLK, the Silverado, the Grand Cherokee nor the Harley. Knocking on wood that we don't have any occasion to tow any of them, but if needed, all the tow shops around here have flatbeds.
OK, maybe the backhoe, but they'd use a gooseneck trailer anyhow.
 
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