Ezorisu 0 Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Originally Posted By: soubriquet Your Suzuki Escudo won't have a narrow track, live axles and leaf springs. The Jimny will. Suzuki are a fine engineering company. They sell good machines, and make a profit selling basic stuff to those who don't care. Suzuki have an ace business model. IIRC, the current Jimny is still front and rear live-axle, but is running on coil springs with a modified 5-link-type rear and leading arm front suspension. MB G-wags don't have the market cornered on 3 lockable differentials - my LandCruiser came that way. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I think Im going to pick up an Impreza for mtn/beach trips, and then get a motorcycle to cruise to school and around on - gotta have my toys Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Thanks for the explanation, Soubriquet. Picked up lots about 4wd & diff locks when I was a kid cos my Dad's hobby was 4x4-ing and I spent a large part of my early childhood in the back of a Landrover halfway up some mountain or at some rally or other. Was never taught me about live axles though. If I remember I'll dig some photos out when I'm home this Christmas. Yep, the Stagea a good ride, but it hasn't ever been "fully tested" CB, I remember you posting a while back that you had given up motorbikes after a scary near miss? Link to post Share on other sites
okonomiyakiman 0 Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I have an Impreza - no problems there, though I'm no car expert. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Imprezas are good solid cars. Only thing to really watch out for are the rubber CV-joint boots on the front drive shafts. They're supposed to last about 100k kilometers, but tend to go early. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Any independently sprung car will have CV joints, and boots liable to failure. That's a very small downside considering all the upsides. Beams are fine, but limiting. No racing or rallying series (except maybe Paris-Dakar)uses beams if they are free to use independent suspension, for very good reason. I'm aware the Jimny has moved from leaves to coils. You're still stuck with beams, narrow track and high CofG. Fine for tootling to the shops and clambering on mountain tracks. A pain in the arse for long expressway trips on a snowy night with a crosswind. The real problem with physics, is it rules the universe. However much you wish, it won't go away. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I was just saying that the CV boots on the Impreza tend to wear out quicker than the ones on other makes and models - that's all. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Not wishing to be contradictory but that's not my experience. Imprezzas share the Legacy/Liberty platform, and I'm on my fourth. I've had one CV boot fail, and that was on a Liberty with 220,000 km on the clock. I'm not bagging anyone's choice of wheels. I'm an unreconstructed petrolhead, and enjoy operating anything with an engine, from a grey Ferguson tractor to a 38 tonne Scania 110. I've been a bottom feeder for most of my life, so my list of wheels includes plenty of "interesting" and well used metal. I'm a big fan of Subaru because the mechanical layout lends itself ideally to AWD, and gives a low CofG (=stability). They are also slightly "premium" vehicles, and that shows in their suspension control. I've driven a lot of km in Subarus from serious gravel tracks in WA, snowy mountains in Japan, and I like to red line them when the road conditions are right. Over many years, mine have been 100% reliable, totally stable/predictable, and I've never been bitten. I can't say the same for many of the products of more mainstream manufacturers that I have driven. That is personal and subjective opinion, but based on some reasonable level of experience as well as a feel for the technicalities of vehicle dynamics. Beam axles + narrow track + separate chassis = a vehicle with sub-optimal dynamic and passive safety. Fine for specific work, but less than ideal for long/fast journeys. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I've read somewhere that Subaru appeals mainly to country folk like farmers in Japan 'cos it's a sensible drive. Whereas in HK, they are all driven by idiots who can't handle 280 horses and they either end up upside down or wrapped around lamposts. They are all tailgaters 'cos they think they're Colin McRae RIP. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 The WRXs appeal to Turbo-nutter-bstards the world over (like Indo , except he's one of the EVO tribe). I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a Legacy turbo, actually , except that these days it's the memsahib paying the bills so she gets to choose. I have managed to persuade her to go for all-disc brakes and a 5-speed auto when the current Legacy expires. Legacys appeal to sensible country folk like me because they are comfortable and refined, with a sporting edge when you ask the question. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 get yourself an AE86 Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Bike riding buddy's 1st. generation Impreza - both inner front boots at around 60k km. Mum's and same riding buddy's 2nd. generation Legacy - one inner boot at 40k km., both inner boots at 80k km., respectively. Sister's, and another friend's 2nd. generation Forester XT - all good. Maybe they are getting the boots from a different subcontractor now or they got the formulation worked out. That's my experience. Never had to change the CV boots on my Nissan S12 (before I got rid of it around 100K km.). Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Fair enough. Inner boot failure is very odd as they only have to take the suspension deflection. Normally its the outer fronts which go because they have to deal with the much higher steering deflections. 40k from an inner boot is definitely unacceptable, so point taken. Whatever, Subaru must have fixed the problem, because I've never seen it. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Yeah, I can see how the outers have to deal with two dimensions of movement like you said... Maybe the inners had more exposure to heat or fluids being up against the transaxle? Hmm... The vehicles in question were all low-mileage vehicles, so age more than mileage may have had something to do with it. They are still ace cars! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I hate the look of Subarus and I spesh hate one in my rear view mirror. I slow done as much as I can so they have to stay right there, 2 feet from my rear bumper. Then if they try to over take, I put my foot down just to see what they can do. And it's usually not much. This is not a Subaru thing, but an HK pandemic. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 The Imprezas have looked like shite since day one, and the Legacys make grey seem brash and in-your-face. Being anonymous in a Legacy suits me just fine. Pace with grace, and no-one sees or books you. I'm either backed well off from the car in front, or on the way past. Never investigating the exhaust orifice. Ex-wife's brother had a Honda Ricer in HK. He managed to kill himself. Link to post Share on other sites
cheeseman 1 Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 The Cheesemobile is a Legacy. Link to post Share on other sites
Dean 0 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 continuing the Subaru theme...thought about a turbo forester?? I found gave you that little extra height over the legacy and they still can move when you put your foot down. They go round corners sideways very nicely when you feel like being 17 again I bought my forester back to Oz with me and has been great. But funnily enough the boots at the front recently went and it has 80k on the clock. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 A used one might be within the "wallet friendly" range. Link to post Share on other sites
panhead_pete 27 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 In my new job I get to salary sacrifice a fully maintained novated lease so was just about to purchase a new VW Tiguan but after a lot of thought and wanting to keep my bad debt as low as possible just purchased a new 08 Subaru Outback. A proven model with a LOT of room in the back. Altho not much help over there but a big sale on at the moment here in Aus incls all on road costs, dealer deleivery and on top I managed to upgrade to leather for the same price, just over $6K off the rec retail. Havent got it yet but spoke with a lot of current owners who are very happy. Anyone else got one? Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 No direct experience of the current model, but the shell is lighter and stiffer than the previous generations. Revised suspension too. The 2.5 litre motor is a bit gruff, but it really does the business. I loved my Gen II 2.5 Liberty, best car I`ve ever had. btw, the current Legacy has just clocked 122,000km. No replacement CV joint boots needed so far. I must be doing something wrong Link to post Share on other sites
its-a-clock 0 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Does my Daihaitsu Mira have a good reputation Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 If it does what you want and you are happy, it`s good. You get what you pay for. Some people pay a lot attention to keitais or other accessories. Vehicles are my thing, but how it is engineered and how it drives is more important to me than the badge on the bonnet. Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I used to have a Mira - good little car it was. Unfortunately it got ill and it was made much more sense to replace than fix up and do the shaken. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Toyota are not to my taste, but a very smart company. Toyota make a profit selling cars where Ford and GM are bleeding to death. Toyota's cheap cars are not called Toyota. They are called Daihatsu. Their expensive cars are called Lexus. Link to post Share on other sites
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