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2016 outback vs forester


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I think of my wife as a courages go in snow driver. We live on the wrong side of the mountain, meaning every day she needs to go over it at 7am and 6pm, irregardless of the county plow truck schedule. Our Mt road carries a 55mph speed limit, has a elevation change of 2000 feet and is about 4 1/2 mile long. Thus said she needs to go up and down 2 times a day. She has done this for the past 20 years in a Impreza, Legacy Wagon and her 2012 Outback. Yesterday as a birthday present I bought her a 2016 Forester Touring model, all $35000 dollars worth. Everything was hugs and kisses till we got home and she asks the question. How do I slow it down on the mountain.

I said paddle shifter she said it doesn't have any. I said L, she said it doesn't hold the car back. Yup she's wright, need to have foot on the brake all the way down. No matter what speed you slow down to 20, 30, 40, 50, with in seconds it just keeps picking up speed. Ok into the owners manual, call to dealership, online and youtube. The responses were, youll get used to it by store manager, I have one and I live on a mountain. Well what happens when it snows. Dealer say X mode and hill descent. Yesterday april 5 it snows. I went over first in my 4wheel drive pick up. Called home to say not to bad, I mean slam on the brakes at 30 and you will stop in about 100 feet, not to bad considering all the times there is no stopping at all. Half hour later she calls, crying, afraid to continue on her 75 mile commute to work because it was the first time she ever got sideway on the mountain. Another 15 minutes and she's at her coffee stop and shaking so bad they had to pour her cup of coffee. Well there you go, all the reasons you buy a Subaru just went out the window, really? Really you need to slow down to 10 mph to get in x mode? How do you slow down enough to get there? Back to the dealership I went, stayed calm, was polite, came home with a new outback. Following her down the mt I didn't see her brake light come on once. Thank goodness for paddle shifters on out back. What were they thinking??

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  • 2 years later...

Found this after searching for "new outback."

First thought: what a nice birthday present! 
Next thought: so THAT'S what those paddles are good for.

I just bought an Outback, and it's my first car w/paddle shifters.  Had to ask the salesman how they work/why they have them. Your post was a good lesson- thanks!
There's usually not a lot of snow around here (San Diego)- but hoping to use this car for many trips in the year to come, so...hope to find a reason to use them. 

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