Winter 2003 Forward to a Friend


Your Turn Letters from our Readers


Worth the Wait

I always enjoy my issues of Drive. I am a four-time Subaru owner, with an ’88 Loyale, a ’92 Legacy, a ’99 Forester and finally, a 2003 Baja. When I read the article about the Baja, I decided that I would have the first one in my area. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, my dealership received my Baja. It arrived at 10 a.m. on a Friday and I took it home at 5 p.m. the same day. We still have the Forester and we will always be a Subaru family. My Baja is the best vehicle I’ve ever driven. It drives like a charm, has plenty of room for people and assorted “stuff,” and it looks really sporty and sharp. I can’t say enough about the quality and workmanship on all of my Subaru vehicles, but I can say that I love my Baja and it was really worth the wait.

Leslie Nahodil
St. Albans, WV


Understanding Technology
  
Nice piece on torque converters (“Technically Speaking: Inside the Torque Converter,” Drive, fall 2002). As a gear head, I’m generally interested in mechanics. Yet, I’ve never fully understood how torque converters work. While I’ve always driven sticks by preference, in part because of their relative simplicity, understanding a technology leads me to more fully appreciate the device. In a few hundred words, you elucidated a critical and sophisticated component present on most cars today. Keep the technical pieces coming.

Neil Stylinski, via e-mail




Magic and Scout Go AWD

After six years of driving my Mercedes, it was time to find a new car. We were delighted to settle in on our new Outback after nearly eight months of comparison shopping.

The hardy leather interior was essential! Magic and Scout go with the family everywhere! The 3.0 engine is a delight to drive. We can’t wait for snow to enjoy the All-Wheel Drive. It works great in the mud and on side trips into the fields to run the pups!

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Forrest
Ben Avon, PA
  
House Call Vet

I was very interested in your article about Dr. Brett Kissela (Drive, fall 2002). I am a house call veterinarian in Colorado and rely on my 2000 Outback to get to my clients’ homes. My practice encompasses Boulder and the surrounding mountains. In winter, the Subaru All-Wheel Drive system has never let me down. Many of my clients live up steep mountain roads and the Outback climbs them with ease. Thank you for making such a well-built vehicle.

Bob Irmiger, DVM
Boulder, CO
  
Timely Tip

I have a new Subaru Outback Sport wagon that I absolutely love. I had just finished reading your “Owners Ask” section (Drive, fall 2002) about the parking light rocker switch when I went to get my car washed. The car wash attendant who washed my car and wiped the dash apparently bumped the rocker switch on top of the steering column. When I got home and was leaving the car to go inside, I saw that the parking lights were on. Thanks to your column, I knew exactly what to do to turn off the lights. Thanks for the bizarrely timely information!

Lexey Bartlett
Arlington, TX


Curious Corgi

Your “Answers from the Subaru Contact Center” (Drive, fall 2002) came a bit late. At my cabin, I discovered that the parking lights of my 2003 Subaru Forester were on. I twisted the light control knobs, turned the key off and on, pushed the flasher button on, then off. Seventeen miles from the nearest town, I panicked. No one was nearby to help. Fortunately, I remembered the owner’s manual and solved the problem. I puzzled over how the switch was activated. Kiera, my 11-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi, had previously turned on the hazard flashers twice. No doubt her busy little paws had activated the parking lights. Later, she opened the passenger window, started the windshield wipers and locked her passenger side door. I am trying to teach her to keep her paws off the dash, but corgis have boundless energy and keep constant vigil on their surroundings. I fear her next step will be using the cruise control. Fortunately, she can’t reach the gas pedal from the seat!

Lori Micken
Livingston, MT


Free Lunch and Temporary Tie-Down

This year, I purchased my first Subaru, an Impreza Outback wagon. I commute 500 miles per week in all types of weather, and I am extremely pleased with the vehicle’s performance and durability. I especially like the safety of AWD in rainy and slippery conditions. The Impreza has a much more solid and stable feel than other vehicles I’ve used. As a pilot and commercial airport owner, I thought I would try the Subaru, since the Subaru E81 engine is often used in experimental aircraft applications. Thanks for a fantastic product and magazine and keep up the good work.

PS: My airport is always open to Subaru owners (who are pilots) for a free lunch and temporary tie-down!

Dennis Young
Keymar Airpark, MD

[Editor’s note: We recommend use of the Subaru engine for automotive applications only.]


Mark and Karen Vogel’s wedding ceremony featured kayaks, a Subaru Outback, Forester, and an Impreza!

Get Me to the River On Time

My new Forester carries kayaks quite nicely for all occasions, but never so proudly as for our recent wedding. The ceremony was on water. We had a kayaking judge to officiate, friends in canoes and a mermaid of honor. A Subaru Outback and an Impreza transported other boats for the ceremony. All had a great time.

Mark and Karen Vogel
Seattle, WA




In the Land Before (and After) SUVs

Our family is on our third Subaru since 1980. Our first was a GL wagon, which took us on many trips throughout the Western states. Before the era of SUVs, we went on off-road camping adventures and trekked on rutted and washed-out mountain roads. In 1997, this vehicle survived a tire blowout and a 360-degree spin-out on the freeway. After a safe return home, we upgraded to an Outback and are now on our second Outback and looking forward to upgrading to the 6-cylinder model. We’ve had complete faith in our Subaru for more than 20 years to take us just about anyplace we wanted to go with a full complement of camping gear, rowing shell, bikes, dog and trailer.

Larry, Sandy and Jonathan McQueen
Beaverton, OR


Above and Beyond

We have owned many Subaru vehicles in the past, but have NEVER seen or read about one being driven in the sand. Many of your articles show Subaru vehicles in the woods, snow, creeks and mountains. This year we vacationed to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The rental house in Corova Beach was accessible only by four-wheel drive and by riding a 10-mile stretch of beach at low tide. Our drive along Corova Beach to the house was uneventful as our 1999 Forester AWD cruised along the strand with the rest of the conventional 4x4s!

Kenneth and Maureen Zebrowski
Rahway, NJ

[Editor’s note: Care should be taken when driving any vehicle off-road. Please see your Subaru Owner’s Manual for details.]



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