Winter 2002 Forward to a Friend

Your Turn Letters from our Readers

An Impressive Impreza

I am 20 years old and I purchased a ’98 Impreza RS in April 1999; I have been in love with the car since. It is definitely the best car I have ever owned! I look forward to getting Drive in the mail, because it is a great read. Keep up the good work.

Joseph A. Marino
Burlington, Massachusetts

Bull’s Eye

I was pleasantly surprised when I turned the page in the summer 2001 issue of Drive and saw that Subaru of America, Inc. had forged a partnership with Gary Fisher Bicycles. I purchased my Outback and a Gary Fisher mountain bike in the spring of 2000, one year before this partnership was announced.

This is my first time to own either a Subaru or a mountain bike. You are definitely on target for this customer.

Cheryl Sunman
Fairland, Indiana

Ham Radio Subaru

In late 1989, I took a 5,000-mile trip across the country to Minnesota, taking my mobile ham radio and antenna along for the ride. I talked with people around the world from my Subaru both day and night. I was the invited keynote speaker at a ham radio convention in Minneapolis.

The most interesting radio contact I had was in the afternoon on the interstate north of Cheyenne, Wyoming, with a woman in Kuwait. I was on a freeway off-ramp in a blinding snowstorm, and she asked me what snow was!

The 1979 Subaru pictured below made 344,000 miles before I gave it to my son. I now take my radio across country in a 1994 Subaru Loyale wagon.

In the over 20 years I have been driving Subaru vehicles, and all with my ham radio, I have talked to more than 3,000 stations in 70 different countries and all 50 states.

James W. Young
Wrightwood, California


The 1979 Subaru that James used to drive, with a ham radio antenna
mounted on the back bumper. The interior, with the radio and the writing
area for logging radio contacts. James’ daughter, Eileen, couldn’t join
him for the trip, so she loaned her teddy bear to keep him company.

Happy Anniversary

Bill Sims of Middletown, Maryland, took his wife, Edie, to dinner at the Outback Steakhouse last year. She never suspected that Bill would have a 2002 Subaru Outback Sport waiting for her as a 50th-wedding anniversary present!

Best wishes, Bill and Edie.


Bill and Edie Sims, with Edie’s anniversary present.

Triple Play

My first week at college, I met Lesley and Leah, two other young women in my major, and we quickly became close friends. After college, our lives took us in different directions and spread us out across the country. But we still kept in touch, and we visited whenever we could.

About three years ago, Lesley, who was in western Virginia at the time, needed a car that could handle the weather and mountains and would be extremely safe, since she was expecting her first child. She found just what she was looking for in a Forester. The following year, I was looking for a fun, sporty, yet practical car that would safely handle New Jersey traffic. My red Outback Sport is everything I wanted and was recently deemed “cool” by a couple of boys who rode by on their bikes.

Finally, Leah needed a new car. She wanted something fun and safe that could comfortably handle visitors and their luggage, now that she is living in sunny California. She’s the proud owner of a Legacy Outback wagon.

From across the country and without consulting each other, we all found just what we wanted in a Subaru.

Teresa Conway Stockett
Ocean, New Jersey

Special Delivery

I purchased a Subaru Legacy wagon new in 1999; it now has 190,000 miles and is still going strong. The reason for the high mileage is that I am a courier. When the snow and sleet fall I keep going because of the Subaru All-Wheel Drive. I deliver many different things in my Legacy wagon. Transplant organs and blood are among the most important items.

I do have some problems with getting sidetracked on my return trips. Subaru is not responsible for this, although the Legacy does contribute to the storage space that I have tried to fill up on the return trips.

The adventures that you see in the Subaru commercials are true – I have proof. Recently I was in a state police traffic stop because a family of ducks was crossing the road. It took about 20 minutes and I did not mind at all.

So now you know the real reasons I drive the most reliable car of a courier. My Subaru has given me great service and will continue to do so for years to come.

Dennis Dougherty
Marysville, Pennsylvania

A Tall Order

Carol Peters of Seattle, Washington, traded in a black ’97 Legacy 2.5 GT sedan for a silver WRX sedan. Her husband, John, traded in an Outback Sport for this WRX wagon.

Even though John is tall, he has no problem fitting into his wagon. The extended range of the tilt wheel and the height-adjustable seat definitely help.

“We’re really enjoying our new WRXs,” John reports. “Boy, 227 horsepower is fun!”


Carol and John Peters each bought a 2002 Subaru WRX.

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