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Post by lowender on Feb 9, 2020 21:07:16 GMT
Got a new daily. Levorg 1.6 GT direct injection turbo flat 4, CVT, AWD. My 7th Subaru on the trot.  |
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Post by wannabe on Feb 9, 2020 22:20:35 GMT
Nice  Well, apart from the CVT 'box, which is the work of the devil  |
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Post by lowender on Feb 10, 2020 10:08:43 GMT
Well, apart from the CVT 'box, which is the work of the devil Not this one. It's very good, nothing like any others I've driven. Drives like a DSG but better. If it was rubbish, I wouldn't have bought the car  |
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gbuk
Chats A Bit
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Post by gbuk on Feb 10, 2020 18:55:19 GMT
That looks really nice. Can't say I've noticed one on the road. I guess reliability is not an issue if you have that much loyalty to the brand!
I have a Kia Ceed estate diesel that ought to be replaced soon, will definitely add this to the list of possibles.
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Post by lowender on Feb 10, 2020 19:17:09 GMT
Can't say I've noticed one on the road. Not surprising, neither have I! They've been available for 5 years, but there's only a few hundred in the UK in total. They've sold shed loads in Japan, Far East, and Australia. The torquey 1.6 DIT was replaced here for 2018/19 with the n/a 2-litre from the XV. Not nearly as good. |
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jon
Chats A Lot
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Post by jon on Feb 10, 2020 19:58:04 GMT
Once I realised the name was Grovel backwards, they forever became named that in my head, no matter what the Subaru marketing department thinks about Legacy Revolution Touring...
I'm on my 4th Scoob (2x 2.5XT Foresters, a JDM 2.0T Twinscroll Legacy Wagon and now a 3.6R Outback) - not sure where to go next as Subaru UK seem to have lost the plot with which cars they import - they don't really import any of the 'hot' ones anymore (apart from the WRX), leaving a lot of asthmatic N/A petrols and diesels that are notorious for being unreliable... I know the big petrols weren't sellers here, but it's a real shame - the 3.6 flat 6 is an absolute belter of an engine...
If you go to the US, especially the colder/mountainous states Scoobs are everywhere - especially Outbacks and SVs (aka the Crosstrek), but they've never really been a hit here, at least since the early impreza rallying days!
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Post by lowender on Feb 11, 2020 8:52:59 GMT
not sure where to go next as Subaru UK seem to have lost the plot with which cars they import - they don't really import any of the 'hot' ones anymore (apart from the WRX), leaving a lot of asthmatic N/A petrols and diesels that are notorious for being unreliable... I know the big petrols weren't sellers here, but it's a real shame - the 3.6 flat 6 is an absolute belter of an engine... If you go to the US, especially the colder/mountainous states Scoobs are everywhere - especially Outbacks and SVs (aka the Crosstrek), but they've never really been a hit here, at least since the early impreza rallying days! It seems that a lot of MX5 owners have a Subaru as a daily. I started with a SF na Forester back in 1998, followed by a BH Outback H6, then a na Bugeye Impreza, then a V5 Impreza 2000 turbo with PPP, then a Forester 2.5 XT with PPP, and finally a BPE Outback 3.0R. I hadn't intended to change it for a bit, the flat 6 is a wonderful engine, but running costs were getting me down (£550 VED, 27 mpg on V-power etc) and the 'vorg came up at a decent price nearby. It's very much a Subaru, great to drive, and as roomy as a gen 4 Legacy. Much more economical, and £145 VED. I was considering a JDM Leggy twin scroll, or a JDM 3.0 spec B. We'll see how it pans out. The new Levorg (1.8 turbo direct injection) won't be coming to this country, and the new Outback will only have the na 2.5, not the new 2.4 turbo. I'm pretty much stuck with Subarus - all mine have been 100% reliable, and engaging to drive. Easy to work on too. Fantastic in snow and mud. I rented a brand new Audi A5 sportback tfsi for a week last year, I thought it was horrible to drive, the engine sounded and felt like a truck, and it had a crippling offset driving position and terrible visibility. |
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Post by Horney on Feb 11, 2020 8:58:14 GMT
I really want a Forester STI but no space in the fleet or budget for one at the moment.
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Post by wannabe on Feb 11, 2020 9:41:35 GMT
I really want a Forester STI but no space in the fleet or budget for one at the moment. The missus bangs on about getting a bigger, 4-door car for when (a) small person(s) arrive - tempted as I am to get her a Landcruiser Amazon to teach her a lesson  something like a Forester would be a great mid-size family car with go-anywhere ability and none of the 'label' of Brand New PCP'd 'Sports Utility Vehicles' (which are neither 'sporty' or 'utility'  ) Don't the Turbo versions have the same engine as the Imprezas? Which can be a bit, er, terminal if something goes wrong??  |
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jon
Chats A Lot
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Post by jon on Feb 11, 2020 10:22:33 GMT
I'm pretty much stuck with Subarus - all mine have been 100% reliable, and engaging to drive. Easy to work on too. Fantastic in snow and mud. Yep - they have something about them. I read somewhere that they are one of the few brands that are still designed by engineers rather than accountants, and I tend to agree - they tend to be well thought out, well engineered and logical. Maybe not the best at everything, but certainly very good all rounders. In between the Legacy twinscroll and the current Outback I had a RR Vogue TDV8 - while in some ways it was fantastic (loads of gadgets, radar cruise control, great road presence, amazing hifi!), as an overall package the Outback comes very close - the ride is *nearly* as good (despite not having super complicated adaptive ride control and air suspension which kept throwing sensor errors), it's *nearly* as quiet on the motorway, it's definitely cheaper to run in terms of consumables and touch wood, it won't try and bankrupt me (over the course of 18 months, 2x new turbos needed, 2x EGRs, new auto box, etc etc and probably close to £3K in service costs at an independent specialist). The Outback is just an unpretentiously good all rounder. If it got written off tomorrow I'm honestly not sure what I'd replace it with other than another Outback 3.6R (of which there aren't that many more than Levorgs!). Maybe a Volvo XC70 petrol, or a big petrol 4x4 on LPG and accept the fuel costs! |
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jon
Chats A Lot
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Post by jon on Feb 11, 2020 10:25:49 GMT
Don't the Turbo versions have the same engine as the Imprezas? Which can be a bit, er, terminal if something goes wrong?? Yep - either the 2.0 or 2.5 Turbo. The 2.5s have a reputation for head gaskets (my second one came approved used having just been done), and drinking a bit of oil, but they aren't as bad as everyone makes out - as long as they are well maintained and not boosted to the moon then they are OK. Mine had also been remapped to 260BHP which made things a bit more fun |
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Post by lowender on Feb 11, 2020 14:35:11 GMT
The 2.5s from a particular era have a reputation for piston ring land failure, but only when mapped to high boost and silly power. I've never had a single issue with any of my Subarus. My classic 2 litre Impreza was mapped to 260 bhp with supporting mods, and was faultless. Mind you, I changed the oil every 2500 miles. My Forester 2.5 XT had the Prodrive pack and a remap to 280 bhp and 315 ftLbs, totally reliable with 3000 mile oil changes. With it's low gearing in manual form, it would do 0-60 in about 4.8 secs, comical for what looks like a farmer's car - the ultimate sleeper. My original Forester is still going strong after 22 years, now in the hands of my daughter in rural Wales. Still runs like a sewing machine, it's only had a clutch, radiator, and a couple of wheel bearings in 160000 miles. My Outback 3.0 on winter tyres was a beast in the snow, I once overtook the council snow plough on a Welsh mountain......
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Post by boggissimo on Feb 11, 2020 17:13:12 GMT
I'm also a Subaru man, had a blobeye Impreza WRX wagon for 5 years (originally PPP, then modded with a bigger turbo and running ~320bhp) until I mashed it into the wall at Silverstone this time last year. Since then, I've been in a JDM Legacy twinscroll wagon, which is brilliant. Fast, responsive, roomy, comfortable, subtle and not too bad on the fuel economy. Mine gets around 30-31 mpg. The old Impreza was similar but smaller, much louder and only a bit faster!
I got my Eunos to take on track/motorsport events so that I don't destroy the family car again!
Also we have a Nissan Leaf for the wife, and my boring short journeys and commuting.
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Post by lowender on Feb 11, 2020 18:50:31 GMT
Since then, I've been in a JDM Legacy twinscroll wagon, which is brilliant. Fast, responsive, roomy, comfortable, subtle and not too bad on the fuel economy. I was seriously considering a BP twin scroll, and if that stunning S402 recently for sale on the Legacy forum had been an estate, I would have had it, even at that price. The Levorg is a bit of an experiment - it's purpose is long distance touring and cross country UK journeys, if it does that reliably and in an enjoyable and engaging way, I'll keep it. If not, it's back to a JDM manual BP on LPG....... There's no doubt the Leggy is easier on the eye:   |
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jon
Chats A Lot
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Post by jon on Feb 11, 2020 19:03:37 GMT
I really liked my twinscroll - as said it was plenty quick, very understated and a bit different...
The downsides were the requirement for quality super unleaded (it was recommended to use VPower or Tesco only, we moved house and there's only BP stations locally), and again due to a move out into the sticks the hard JDM bilsteins and skinny tyres were not a good match to rough country roads and very deep potholes...
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something like a Forester would be a great mid-size family car with go-anywhere ability and none of the 'label' of Brand New PCP'd 'Sports Utility Vehicles' (which are neither 'sporty' or 'utility' 
)
le sigh
Jul 15, 2023 20:03:52 GMT
le sigh
Jul 15, 2023 20:03:52 GMT