Ranger83

Nordman 2's are Nokians: http://www.nokiantires.com/en/tire_nordman2.aspx

reason I asked is that if you're travelling West to East in Winter, you can get some insane mileage on the plains if the wind is strong. On a trip to Colorado from the East coast, we averaged nearly 25% better mileage W-E than E-W.

Most of the tires mentioned are dedicated winter tires that don't even have a UTQG wear rating. If you can get the X-Ice for $60 a tire that's a great price. The Nokian WR is an "all season" with the Severe Duty snow (Mountain/Snowflake icon) rating - the only passenger A/S tire so rated. They're more expensive, though and not sold mail-order or at discounters. But you'd only need one set of wheels and tires. We have them on our minivan because if the weather is really bad, we'd take the Subaru (which has Nokian RSI's). A lot of folks in moderate climates are using them as dedicated snows, since they last a whole lot longer than tires like the X-Ice or Nokian RSI.

Can I make a guess? This mileage was logged driving West to East?

What's the center bore diameter? I believe Subarus are 56.1mm. There should be numbers stamped on the wheel - something like JJ 17 7 ET 53. So you can look at the wheel and see if it fits. Tirerack says a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT Coupe has 40mm offset.

Is a Camel a Mammel? It's not that complicated - if you have four wheels, and they are driven, you have four wheel drive. There are several AWD systems used on Subarus but if you have a turbocharged or H6 model, you also have "VTD," and if you have the VDC model you have VDC, Subaru's all-wheel electronic stability option. I mention VTD because it can, in fact, lock the center differential. See the [translated] article at: http://210.101.116.115/fisita/pdf/G347.pdf This doesn't always put you in the clear. At: http://www.bigbearmountainresorts.com/bearmtn/livedata/wx.html for example, they list three road conditions: Whereas in CO, restrictions are listed as:

They sell them at Pep boys. It covers H6. A few errors but helpful overall.

I told the dealer I was going home to call the previous owner and they cut the price $1,500 on the spot....

I do so whenever possible.

We used to tow racing sailboats regularly - as big as 30 feet and about 5,000 lbs on the trailer. They also have a lot of wind resistance. Claimed towing limits are all over the map. A lot of SUV's with high towing limits turn out not to be able to tow those limits in Overdrive - not practical. Their "real" towing limits are much lower. Ford puts out a towing brochure that lists towing limits by vehicle, weight - and frontal area. It's very well done. States are all over the map in terms of things like trailer brakes. The limits vary from 0 to none. Most are around 3,000 lbs. Most allow 8'6" but some mandate 8" - narrow for most boat trailers. See http://www.americanboating.org/towing.asp and others. I used a Ford Econoline E250 HD van to do most of our towing, which is just about perfect for the task. I wouldn't hesitate to tow 3,000 lbs with an H6 Outback if you had a trans cooler and trailer brakes, even on highways and hills. If you think Subaru is bad - some European manufacturers have no tow rating. I was on my way to the VW dealer to buy a Passat wagon a few years ago when I found out VWOA doesn't allow towing with it. Sale cancelled.....

I'd love to see a Subaru video of Outbacks with Bridgestone ImPotenza RE92A's on snow. That won't happen. Speaking of beer and chicks, my theory is that the CEO of SOA got his orders to equip the car with them after someone at home did some contract signing after a long night out......

Is that the model where gold comes out the exhaust pipe?

How long have you had yours?

Simply put, an AWD vehicle does not stop or turn any better on snow or ice than anything else. Two winters ago after driving my OBW with A/S, our Honda Accord V6 with Nokian RSI's, and another Accord with A/S back to back in a snow storm, the three of us who took part all went out and purchased dedicated snows. If you don't drive much or live where there isn't much snow, YMMV. We live in Boston, which only gets about 50" of snow a season, but live on a big hill and drive a lot throughout Northern New England.

Martina Navratilova signed on after Paul Hogan in 2000. Some people actually thought that using the greatest female tennis player ever might be seen as an endorsement of outdoor activities, not indoor activities. But the best Subaru ads ever were the "That's why Cadillacs Drive Subaru," ones.

The Michelin HydroEdge is superb in rain and you can get them at Sam's Club or Costco at better prices than the locals. They also last an incredibly long time - they were half worn at 67,000 miles when we sold the car!

Not normal, spray them with silicone spray or wait until later in winter, when it's colder....

If you put the trans in Sport mode, it will upshift earlier and hold each gear longer. You don't have to shift it manually - just slide the lever to the left and leave it there. Makes a big difference in shift logic.

Call your insurance company. Legacy GT's are generally less to insure than the WRX. YMMV and insurance is expensive here. The LGT was 15% more than our Outback 3.0R wagon. The WRX was 50% more.

Sure, that's why Jeff Perrin's turbo H6 (410hp) is interesting. Do you own a Legacy GT, or Outback XT? Word is the non-Limited GT wagon with manual may be back in 08. I don't fit under the sunroof so my choices were limited in 06. The XT probably handily outsells the H6 models in the US because of the focus on 0-60 times here, but there is less difference at legal speeds. The turbos respond to tuning and have tons of parts: the H6's have virtually no tuner parts until the aforementioned H6 kit comes out. The guys at TDC say the XT has about 200 whp stock, but this works for me.

The boy racers buy the turbo because it's quicker 0-60. In a magazine test the XT 5EAT was .2 seconds faster 45-65 than the H6 5EAT - that's about one car length. Burning regular fuel at a lower rate makes up for it. The H6 has been on the market since 2001 and it's an extremely durable, reiliable engine with a nearly flat torque curve. Unfortunately Subaru does not offer the Spec B wagon in the US - Legacy wagon with 3.0R motor, 6 speed manual and Spec B suspension. 0-60 in 7 s for those who care. Go to the 22:10 minute mark of: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4486568282229035994&q=fifth+gear for a track test.

Only old people buy them and they don't know how to use the internet....

Advantages of H6 versus H4: - More equipment standard. - 5EAT trans - lower final drive ratio - Much more quiet, relaxed, powerful Disadvantages - 1-2 mpg less than 2.5 under most conditions - more $$ than H4 - heavier than H4 models - no tuning parts available currently - 2007 only available in $$$ LLBean and VDC models H4 turbo advantages - Very fast - 15% more whp than the H6 - SI-Drive improves mileage - Tons of engine parts available - Can be purchased as 5mt or 5EAT in US. - Can be purchased as Legacy GT (auto only) or Outback XT H4 turbo disadvantage - requires Premium fuel - not as refined as H6 for long distance travel (but not horrible)

Mr. Expert does not seem to be aware that the XT and H6 used the VTD drive system, which puts 55% of the torque to the rear by default. Most Gen III wagon drivers also put 1-2 psi more tire pressure in the front, which also helps balance the car. If you watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYKJIVajAIE you'll see there's little understeer evident - it's quite neutral.

Have you driven a current generation OBW with Potenza RE92A's in heavy rain or snow? They're fine in the dry. In the wet they don't just merely s#ck - they really, most sincerely s#ck. Go to Legacygt.com. There are several thousand posts by actual owners of these tires........