Ranger83

I have a 97 OBW, for comparison. Best tank is 28.4. If I take it easy, 65-75, I get 26-27. If I go 75-80 and do more city driving, it's 24-25.5. If you don't use cruise control and drive hills like the truckers do, you'll get better mileage. Let 'er roll downhill, hitting 80 if you have room. Use that momentum on the uphill section, tapering to maybe 65mph. Towing a boat with a Ford van, this technique was good for 1-2 mpg, and there's a big difference in range between 11.5 and 13.....

As far as OB's being tough on tires, I replaced the OEM Michelins at 63,000. At exactly 120,000, I replaced the Michelin Plus tires at that time with the Michelin HydroEdge. The tire dealer also mentioned that Subarus were tough on tires, and was quite surprised to learn the M Plus still had 5-6 32nds of tread left after 57,000 miles. The HydroEdge is the best all-around tire I've ever had, on any car. I've had good luck with Goodyears on other cars, though.

One rule of thumb is that the value of your car is decreased by the value of the modifications. Don't put a cent into it. Save your money and buy something that has more performance potential. Putting a more powerful turbo engine in it will just make the tires and brakes inadequate. Keep the Subaru as-is and buy a motorcycle....

None? Really?

I have a good mechanic at home but have been working in Manchester, NH. There is a Subaru dealer there (Manchester Subaru) but are there any good independent mechanics in the area that are really good with Subarus? The car is a '97 Legacy Outback wagon.

You can't say that here - you'll be drawn and quartered! The fact that Toyota has a had a bunch of problems wit head gaskets - as one example - doesn't seem to surface. The local garage that does work on my 97 OBW has never done a head gasket job. Of 8 friends with OBW's - 97 and 98 - one will have had head gaskets replaced, at around 140,000 miles.

Subaru is the official car of New England Engineers, Lesbians, and School Teachers. Some of us are two for three.... 1. Middle-aged woman or Senior male. 2. Who cares. 3. Legacy? Senior Citizen Outback? Mom. Outdoorsy. I'm amazed that Subaru does not make more of their rally experience. I was very pleased with how the Outback handles, and as a former road racer and performance rallyist, delight in stuffing it up the back of BMW's driven by ham-handed white guys who think "the line" is the one down the middle of the road. The suspension has decent ride quality while being able to handle a substantial load and offers excellent ground clearance on dirt roads and snow.

Did you check the temp of the output air?

Is there a test you can do yourself? I'm getting some bubbles in the overflow tank of my '97 OBW (138K mi) but the only kit they had at the auto parts store tests coolant for Ph, but doesn't directly state how to test for combustion byproducts. I could have an oil analysis done, but it will take longer than I want. The private garage that does my work says it will be about $1,000.

Does the 15"x6" steel wheel that came on a 2001 Impreza have the same offset and other details as that for a 97 Legacy Outback? I want to get a full-sized spare.

It used to be that only BMW owners drove around all the time with their fog lights on. Now it's spreading.....

We had two 97 OBW's. One was much noiser than the other on startup, but actually idled more smoothly than the other. It had 87K miles when we sold it and their mechanic blessed off on it. In general, the Subaru flat fours, especially the 2.5's sound like a can full of rocks at idle. The one with 131K was noticably quieter on cold start when we switched to Castrol High Mileage oil.

A friend of mine bought one two months ago, that's about what he paid. I'd be surprised if the hitch fit, but I usually call a Uhaul dealer and ask them.

Sir, sorry - All is Lost and your head gaskets will jump out of your engine as soon as you turn your back on them. That's right, the engine that powered the most popular car in the US, by far, of all Subarus - 9x Outbacks - and garnered Subaru a reputation for reliability and durability is actually prone to headgasket problems far beyond any other car made. Or not. Mine has 131K, still no head gasket problems, stay tuned.

I have 130K on one 97 OBW. I usually change every 5K (easy to remember) but have no problem going to 7 or 8K. Twice I've had oil analysis done by National Tribology (http://www.natrib.com). There doesn't seem to be any reason whatsoever to change more frequently than the recommended 7-8K. But people who change at 3,000 seem to be doing doing it for emotional reasons so they'll never be convinced otherwise. I've started using Castrol GTX High Mileage and the car is noticably quieter on startup, don't notice any other difference so far. I'm also using a Purolator Pure One oil filter, which has a synthetic element.

We had two 97 OBW. One shudders at a light. The other doesn't. As the one that does always got 1-2 mpg better mileage than the other and now has 130K with no problems, I don't worry about it.

I have seven friends with 97 or 98 Outbacks, with mileage from 72,000 to 191,000. None of them have had the head gaskets replaced, including mine - 130,000. My mechanic also says it's rare. But to read this forum sometimes, you'd think the majority of cars have this problem.

What I mean is I've never once seen someone post here empirical tests that prove the sales claims of aftermarket air filters. The changes I made were changes reputed to improve performance of a relatively stock car (a 1979 VW Scirocco) in road racing at what was then Bryar Motorsports Park in Loudon, NH. I was looking for improved acceleration at speeds of between 30-80 mph. One of the first tests I did was to remove the air cleaner completely. If there was an imprvement in acceleration, it wasn't measurable. Look, I don't have a dog in this fight. I use OEM paper filters because I'm more concerned about silicate buildup shown by oil analysis than the claims of increased horsepower. By all means, post the before and after mpg or performance gains shown by your buddies in making this change. Or anyone else has done such tests. But most people seem to do what you are planning to do - start making multiple changes without first establishing baseline performance data with which to compare it. For example, I had to make two trips to Maine - Baxter State Park - and back. 350 miles one way. So the first round trip I put our Yakima RocketBox on top. Second trip left it off. Set the cruise at 75 mph for both, and drove the speed limit on local roads. The difference in mpg with was 1.1 mpg, btw.

Accelerate gently, drive slowly, and keep your tires pumped up. Why? But if you do, drive the car for a while we a clean paper filter and record mileage and acceleration figures. Most people who buy them seem to accept the sales claims at face value and don't do objective before-and-after comparison tests. My experience from racing is that any change you make to a car (especially if it costs money or is not easily unistalled) makes the car "feel" faster.

I think it is far more likely that we will see a direct injection gas engine from Subaru than a diesel. Hybrids are probably a given. Most diesels today are "shared" across many product lines and this would be difficult to do with most Subarus designed for boxer motors and most other cars designed for inlines. Subarus are at the smaller/lighter end of the sprctrum of vehicles and diesels deliver their largest benefits at the bigger/heavier end of the spectrum. I work with a fellow who owns a Jetta TDI. Good motor, but he has had typical VW problems (mostly electrical) with it. It did start in the cold weather this winter (-10) once he got a new battery, which cost him over $100. It has quite acceptable performance. Diesels may become more popular in the U.S. once we get lower sulfur fuels. But with our relatively low fuel prices they're hard to justify unless you tow. I looked at a diesel for our company Ford cargo van a few years back. It was about $4,200 more to purchase but had roughly $2,500 higher resale value at the likely trade-in mileage/time. Fuel economy was substantially better (like 19-20 versus 14 on the highway). But diesel fuel costs more than gas around here, and the maintenance was higher. The break-even mileage was higher than we expected to keep the truck for. But if you're regularly towing heavy trailers, they can't be beat. Guess I'll have to wait for the head gaskets to jump out of my '97 OBW (129,000 miles), then decide....

Pep Boys in Manchester has them.

I just put it into my '97 OB wagon with 128,000 miles. And a Purolator Pure One filter. It's quieter on startup but it'll be a while before I have any other information. I will probably change it at 135,000 and then do an oil analysis at 140,000. If the head gaskets don't leap from the engine in the meantime:-p

The New York Times published an article entitled “To Avoid Fuel Limits, Subaru Is Turning a Sedan Into a Truck" 1/13/04 Here is the letter from SOA (Subaru of America)Chairman, President & CEO T.K. Saito 1/13/2004 in response Mr. Saito writes: ”We strongly believe this article was written to capitalize on the controversies surrounding pending NHTSA policy changes with respect to vehicle classifications. The article does not represent the company’s position regarding fuel economy and emissions standards. Subaru has always made fuel economy a top priority in its product development process. Given our experience in developing cross-over vehicles, our market research indicated that our customers and potential customers wanted Subaru to enhance the Outback product to include even stronger SUV-like features such as higher ground clearance, dark-tinted side rear windows, greater axle clearance, and greater approach and departure angles suitable for off-road driving. With this research in mind, the new 05 MY Outback was redesigned to be a light duty truck and will debut next month at the Chicago Auto Show. We are confident that the new Outback will continue to deliver the best of both worlds to the popular cross-over segment and remain a strong alternative to SUVs. Subaru has a track record of producing superior crossover vehicles that meet stringent federal safety and emissions standards. The new Outback is no exception. The base model Outback is expected to have improved gas mileage for model year 2005, while we will also offer a model with enhanced performance characteristics for those customers that have expressed that desire. Both the new Outback Wagon and Sedan will exceed the standards for a light duty truck on 4 of 5 requirements including break over angle, departure angle, running clearance, and axle clearance. We're giving customers what they desire, while at the same time complying with federal emissions standards. The new Outback Sedan and Wagon is expected to meet federal emissions standards for light duty truck – which is as stringent as emission standards for light duty vehicles as defined by the EPA and ARB. However, final testing by the EPA for emissions compliance and fuel economy label calculations for model year 2005 Outback has not yet been completed and therefore is not available. Subaru is committed to developing advanced technologies that improve fuel economy and emissions as evidenced by the new Sequential Series Hybrid Electric (SSHEV) propulsion system in the B9SC and the urban commuter electric vehicle R1e concept cars featured at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. In addition, the new Outback released later this year will feature advanced engine technologies such as Active Valve Control System (AVCS) that improves overall engine efficiency. Further, the newly designed Outback body structure reduces overall vehicle weight by as much as 180 pounds. Subaru always has been and will continue to be committed to safeguarding the natural environment that so many of our customers avidly enjoy."

I understood the agreement to be that the manufacturers would not advertise a top speed in excess of 155 mph / 250 km/hr.

Check out this thread: http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7141 As Crutchfield couldn't give me any recommendation on what speakers would fit the rear of my car, and wanted substantially more for the Infinity Kappas that I eventually bought, no I can't recommend them. eTronics as recommended by Alias had much better pricing on them, and they shipped fast. A friend of mine whose wife has a '98 OB listened to them for two minutes, then referenced the same thread, bought them and installed them as well.