I was driving a group of people in my car this weekend, and we had to go through a few gas stations/drivethroughs/etc (long drive). At almost every place, people in the car commented on the turning radius (how small it was). I suppose I've just gotten used to the fact that my car can turn around and pretty much bite it's own tail. Parallel parking is trivial in it.

 

Also, there are some wider residential streets I park on occasionally, and leaving is really easy - crank the wheel, turn around in the width of the street, laugh at those doing 3 point turns.

 

Anyone else surprise people by how tight your wagon can turn?

 

-=Russ=-

leaving my house in the morning is just crank it and uturn. i think parallel parking is easy in it as well i can fit some tiny spaces but then again im parking in portland everyday. all and all love it

WagonsOnly was telling me there is only something like 3 cars with a tighter turning radius..the Justy?,Geo Metro? and I forget what the third is or even if I am right on the other 2.. I think we only need somethign like 10 feet to turn around it....hey...if it means anything..Mazda Miata need more space then us...its great never to really have to look for a spot to do a 3 point turn..just Uie it in the street.

 

EA82s rock:headbang:

Yea i noticed how small the turn radius was. When i drove my Pontiac Grand Prix, It was 3 point turns everywhere, lol

I'll never forget, the first Crawl 4 the Cure. we had a big group, of almost all Jeep Cherokees and Wranglers, and then MorganM and I in our EA82s. there's one spot on the trail where there's a very tight switchback, and morgan and I were the only ones who didn't have to stop and back up on that corner! Even the wranglers, whose wheelbase is so much shorter, didn't have a prayer.

I've always blamed Subaru's tight turning radius on the short life of the front axle boots. Rear axle boots last forever.

The turning radius was one of the first things that impressed me about my Loyale. I make all my friends jealous when I can enter parking spots from almost any angle and still end up straight or can turn around without having to find a wide spot. I also love how it parallel parks. I parked my car along a street one day and the guy who was parked in front of me looked at me funny when I got out and asked if I parked there or was trapped in by the car behind me. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him that I just parked there.

I almost wrecked a friends cougar, whipped the wheel over and hit the lock at around 25 mph, though i was gonna make the turn, would have in the subie, luckily the brakes were adequate and i was able to stop in time.

 

In the shop i'm always doing 4 and 5 point turns just to get some rigs on the lift, in the subie, no matter how i come in, i can always get her to line up first go.

Yea i noticed how small the turn radius was. When i drove my Pontiac Grand Prix, It was 3 point turns everywhere, lol

 

I had to move my brother's minivan at one point in the driveway, and I commented afterwards that it seemed to have the turning radius of a Mississippi river barge. He wasn't particularly amused.

 

I thought the van was just amazingly bad at turning, but I think it may be that driving the Subarus for a few years now, I'm used to being able to bite my own tail.

 

-=Russ=-

It stinks jumping out of an EA81 or EA82 car into a Honda or pretty much anything with a double wishbone suspension up front... turns like its a big rig in comparison.

Try going from your EA82 to your fiances Toyota truck...that thing has to be the worst...I think my old F350 tow trucks had better than Tommys Tacoma

the only cars that i know has tighter turning radius than the ea82s are the 80's vw carbiolets, 31ft towing circle compared to ea82s 32ft towing circle, and I think the ea81s have a 31ft towing circle... but i'm not actually positive.

the only cars that i know has tighter turning radius than the ea82s are the 80's vw carbiolets, 31ft towing circle compared to ea82s 32ft towing circle, and I think the ea81s have a 31ft towing circle... but i'm not actually positive.

Yeah, my VW rabbit (two door, so it's a good 2 feet shorter than the subaru I think) can do just as well, but not much else can. I love pulling Uies in just about any street. But my mitsubishi pickup truck sucks. Actually, our new 16 foot isuzu box truck can do better than my pickup... as I can my dad's old full F100. A full size International pickup truck is about the worst I have ever seen though -- had to be about 60 foot circle.

It stinks jumping out of an EA81 or EA82 car into a Honda or pretty much anything with a double wishbone suspension up front... turns like its a big rig in comparison.

Bah, its no problem, actually turns tighter than my Brat. Just go faster and grab that handbrake.

WagonsOnly was telling me there is only something like 3 cars with a tighter turning radius..the Justy?,Geo Metro? and I forget what the third is or even if I am right on the other 2..

 

I was saying...for mass production cars since the Loyale went out of production, the Justy, the Metro (and siblings) and the BMW Z3 all have tighter turning radii. Nothing else (mass-produced) even comes close.

my friend has a bronco that will pivot on one wheel

I know my Brat has a tighter turning radius than my 86 sedan, but it's pretty close.

 

GD

Bah, its no problem, actually turns tighter than my Brat. Just go faster and grab that handbrake.

What get's me is you get into a car that's about the same size and just assume its going to turn about the same and then blam! wide to the right and you hit a couple senior citizens and all of sudden your a bad guy...

The turning radius has always impressed me. I think it is one of the qualities that makes Subarus feel maneuverable and fun to drive.

 

Then I climb in to my Aerostar, which has a worse turning radius than my mile-long (well, 22-ft) Dodge Maxi-van...and for no apparent reason :-\.

I think this mini has us beat:grin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61omPpPBxF8

I think this mini has us beat:grin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61omPpPBxF8

that was totally awsome and kinda scary at the same time

His brakes are very good in that mini. I noticed the turning radius even after we just towed the car to my house and backed in it lol. My supra probaly is the worst car ever for turning radius. Worse then my moms boat(85 buick +blown shocks = Ur on the river).

that mini owns!!!

that mini owns!!!

A subaru could do much the same if we used separate parking brake cables. BTW, that "finish" reminded me of the time that I lifted the back of a Mini-Moke off of the ground and held it over my head one-handed. The Minis and the Moke are really light in the rear...REALLY light.

The only thing I have driven that might have a tighter radius would be my Mom's Renault Alliance. That thing was ridiculous. The Encore was the same, too, if I remember. My wagon feels close to that, but I'm pretty sure it must be a little wider.

 

My friend had a Prelude with 4WS, but I honestly don't remember it being any better than the Alliance, and I'm thinkin' that's cheating anyway, hehe.