More car research and other tidbits
We've had a wet morning, but I took advantage of a break in the weather (during which it drizzled and was windy, but not pouring) to drag will out to Subaru this morning.
We drove the Forester first. They've done a major redesign this year, and both of us HATED it. The headrests push your head forward in all sorts of uncomfortable ways (even the salesman admitted the headrests had been a deal-breaker for a couple of other customers), Will disliked the dashboard arrangement, the ride felt a lot stiffer (and this while the salesman is telling us how much better it is than the RAV4 - which it SO wasn't; the RAV4 must've made big improvements in ride recently), the cargo space wasn't quite as efficient for our needs, the back seats weren't that comfortable - it was ruled out immediately, which was disappointing because we both WANTED to like it. We've driven my SIL's 2007 model, and it was pretty darn nice. But this ... wasn't.
We next tried the Outback, which was pretty decent - not a guaranteed winner over the RAV4 (and we don't know about Honda's CRV yet) but a reasonable contender. They currently have some sort of promotion that makes the Outback price equivalent to the Forester (which is traditionally a few thousand less) but, of course, that's just for this month. The ride was better (not totally smooth, but we're used to that), the seats better (as far as we could tell; our Legacy wagon has decent seats until you have to sit in them for an extended period, and then they suck) and I felt I could see better. The control panel (radio, heat, etc) had some of the same issues as the Forester, namely, that it's built right into the panel as a whole, rather than being condensed into a box-size unit that can be replaced by an after-market model if you want a change. Which means you're pretty much stuck with the factory panel. I did like that the new Subarus come with NINE-speed intermittent wipers - which, ok, is kind of a trivial thing, but I liked it.
The manager came to chat us up before we left - first female car-dealer manager I've ever seen. We were just about to leave when the manager mentioned their used-car stock. Turns out they get a lot of relatively recent models from Subaru's headquarters, vehicles that were driven briefly by head honchos as perks/promotional items, and then auctioned off, stuff like that. The extended warranty for those "certified used" cars is a LOT less, and still covers everything. The prices are, of course, less, too. Since you can't pick your options, you just have to take what they've got in stock, of course, but Will and I jumped at the chance to test-drive a 2006 Forester. MUCH better. This one happened to be a high-end model, but that just affected superficial stuff, like having heated seats and mirrors, power seat controls and a moonroof. The ride was better, the seats/headrests were reasonable, it had a regular box-size radio control panel - much much more appealing. ("Only" four speeds on the intermittent wipers, but since our Legacy currently has only one speed, it's still an improvement.) The cargo space is still less than the wagon (in terms of floorspace - total space is about the same but it's taller rather than flatter) but it was better than the new Forester. Also, the 2009 Forester body had been changed to look more like a traditional SUV - SUV lovers have been snapping it up, but since we're not SUV lovers, it has a negative effect on us. Getting a 2006-2008 model would remove that problem. Anyway - the Forester is back in the running as long as we're not getting a 2009 model. We're leaving things a bit up to chance as to what they'll have in stock at any given time, but hopefully, IF we decide on a recent-but-not-new Forester, it'll work out. Will was practically ready to snap up the 2006 we tested, moonroof (which we don't really care for) and all.
We were also pleasantly surprised by the dealership. We'd been to this dealer (F) before, when we bought our current Subaru, back in 2000, and hadn't really cared for them. We bought ours at the Subaru dealer (B) at the other end of our region, and also dealt with them when my SIL got her Forester in 2007. However, since dealer F is a lot closer, we figured we'd at least test-drive vehicles there, even if we didn't necessarily make the purchase there. However, they've improved a lot since then (including getting a new building just down the road from their former location) and I could easily see us buying from there. We also had a young guy - late 20s maybe? - as our salesman, not at all like the usual image of button-down, sleezy salesmen. He's still in his first year there, so not quite as polished, perhaps, but he felt more accessible. I liked the lady sales manager, too. She said we could actually borrow a car for a couple of hours if we wanted an extended test drive - might have to take her up on that.
Anyway - definitely got a lot of food for thought today. Subarus don't get quite as good mileage as the RAV4, and while that's important, I haven't been able to stop cringing at the thought of driving a proper SUV - and that's important, too.
Speaking of shopping, I found this article interesting. I touch merchandise because it helps me know more about the product. I can't say I've ever felt I "owned" it more. What does the fabric feel like? How heavy is the item? What does it smell like? How can you tell these things without handling them? I think people just feel more connected in general by touching.
Got an email from an old HS friend today - she's pregnant! (Her first child at age 36/37.) Unfortunately, it sounds like she's got a really nasty case of morning sickness. She said she's lost 10 pounds and she's always been fit to begin with. Ick. She said she's due mid-Oct so I'm thinking that means she'll near the end of the first trimester soon - hopefully she'll feel better then.
I finished Treasure Island last night, finally. Eh. Just not my kind of story, I guess.
Time to figure out what to do with what's left of my kid-free afternoon. Hmmm. Happy Friday, all!
We drove the Forester first. They've done a major redesign this year, and both of us HATED it. The headrests push your head forward in all sorts of uncomfortable ways (even the salesman admitted the headrests had been a deal-breaker for a couple of other customers), Will disliked the dashboard arrangement, the ride felt a lot stiffer (and this while the salesman is telling us how much better it is than the RAV4 - which it SO wasn't; the RAV4 must've made big improvements in ride recently), the cargo space wasn't quite as efficient for our needs, the back seats weren't that comfortable - it was ruled out immediately, which was disappointing because we both WANTED to like it. We've driven my SIL's 2007 model, and it was pretty darn nice. But this ... wasn't.
We next tried the Outback, which was pretty decent - not a guaranteed winner over the RAV4 (and we don't know about Honda's CRV yet) but a reasonable contender. They currently have some sort of promotion that makes the Outback price equivalent to the Forester (which is traditionally a few thousand less) but, of course, that's just for this month. The ride was better (not totally smooth, but we're used to that), the seats better (as far as we could tell; our Legacy wagon has decent seats until you have to sit in them for an extended period, and then they suck) and I felt I could see better. The control panel (radio, heat, etc) had some of the same issues as the Forester, namely, that it's built right into the panel as a whole, rather than being condensed into a box-size unit that can be replaced by an after-market model if you want a change. Which means you're pretty much stuck with the factory panel. I did like that the new Subarus come with NINE-speed intermittent wipers - which, ok, is kind of a trivial thing, but I liked it.
The manager came to chat us up before we left - first female car-dealer manager I've ever seen. We were just about to leave when the manager mentioned their used-car stock. Turns out they get a lot of relatively recent models from Subaru's headquarters, vehicles that were driven briefly by head honchos as perks/promotional items, and then auctioned off, stuff like that. The extended warranty for those "certified used" cars is a LOT less, and still covers everything. The prices are, of course, less, too. Since you can't pick your options, you just have to take what they've got in stock, of course, but Will and I jumped at the chance to test-drive a 2006 Forester. MUCH better. This one happened to be a high-end model, but that just affected superficial stuff, like having heated seats and mirrors, power seat controls and a moonroof. The ride was better, the seats/headrests were reasonable, it had a regular box-size radio control panel - much much more appealing. ("Only" four speeds on the intermittent wipers, but since our Legacy currently has only one speed, it's still an improvement.) The cargo space is still less than the wagon (in terms of floorspace - total space is about the same but it's taller rather than flatter) but it was better than the new Forester. Also, the 2009 Forester body had been changed to look more like a traditional SUV - SUV lovers have been snapping it up, but since we're not SUV lovers, it has a negative effect on us. Getting a 2006-2008 model would remove that problem. Anyway - the Forester is back in the running as long as we're not getting a 2009 model. We're leaving things a bit up to chance as to what they'll have in stock at any given time, but hopefully, IF we decide on a recent-but-not-new Forester, it'll work out. Will was practically ready to snap up the 2006 we tested, moonroof (which we don't really care for) and all.
We were also pleasantly surprised by the dealership. We'd been to this dealer (F) before, when we bought our current Subaru, back in 2000, and hadn't really cared for them. We bought ours at the Subaru dealer (B) at the other end of our region, and also dealt with them when my SIL got her Forester in 2007. However, since dealer F is a lot closer, we figured we'd at least test-drive vehicles there, even if we didn't necessarily make the purchase there. However, they've improved a lot since then (including getting a new building just down the road from their former location) and I could easily see us buying from there. We also had a young guy - late 20s maybe? - as our salesman, not at all like the usual image of button-down, sleezy salesmen. He's still in his first year there, so not quite as polished, perhaps, but he felt more accessible. I liked the lady sales manager, too. She said we could actually borrow a car for a couple of hours if we wanted an extended test drive - might have to take her up on that.
Anyway - definitely got a lot of food for thought today. Subarus don't get quite as good mileage as the RAV4, and while that's important, I haven't been able to stop cringing at the thought of driving a proper SUV - and that's important, too.
Speaking of shopping, I found this article interesting. I touch merchandise because it helps me know more about the product. I can't say I've ever felt I "owned" it more. What does the fabric feel like? How heavy is the item? What does it smell like? How can you tell these things without handling them? I think people just feel more connected in general by touching.
Got an email from an old HS friend today - she's pregnant! (Her first child at age 36/37.) Unfortunately, it sounds like she's got a really nasty case of morning sickness. She said she's lost 10 pounds and she's always been fit to begin with. Ick. She said she's due mid-Oct so I'm thinking that means she'll near the end of the first trimester soon - hopefully she'll feel better then.
I finished Treasure Island last night, finally. Eh. Just not my kind of story, I guess.
Time to figure out what to do with what's left of my kid-free afternoon. Hmmm. Happy Friday, all!