Subaru Automobiles

[Hay Dude]

I heard that Nissan collects the most driver information. They have cameras that watch eye movements and load all that info into a data system.
Most people don’t know that when they sign an agreement to buy a vehicle, there’s an agreement by the buyer to literally be spied on, have their data collected, then be constantly pestered with offers, advertising, etc.

 

[Oaktree]

People in MY area that drive Subarus are mostly old ladies with Bernie Sanders stickers on the bumper.

They do seem to disproportionately appeal to people of that particular slant, though not just old ladies. Actually, around here toyotas seem to be the choice of the bluehairs, poking along doing 40 in a 55.
Suburu sedans seem popular with the "ricer" crowd with the fart-can mufflers. Not sure why.

Most people don’t know that when they sign an agreement to buy a vehicle, there’s an agreement by the buyer to literally be spied on, have their data collected, then be constantly pestered with offers, advertising, etc.

Never been able to get a straight answer on this...is it possible to disable all that telemetry on a modern vehicle and still have it run?

Cellphones and their aaps are great tracking devices too.

 

[California]

When I bought the Outback in 1999, Subaru had discovered some who bought new Outbacks and Foresters were independent women who liked women. So a portion of the marketing subtly played to that. I took some good-natured kidding at my choice of vehicles.

In reply to the kidding I quoted a friend: "I don't have anything against that preference except it takes two hot women out of circulation!"

 

[ericm979]

Suburu sedans seem popular with the "ricer" crowd with the fart-can mufflers. Not sure why.

The Subaru WRX and WRX Sti are fast affordable small cars. They have been making them for a long time so there are affordable used ones out there for kids to buy. Just like in my generation when kids were buying '67 Malibus or whatever and hot rodding them. There's also the BRZ which while it's not AWD or turbo, handles well.

Never been able to get a straight answer on this...is it possible to disable all that telemetry on a modern vehicle and still have it run?

Sometimes. Supposedly it can be done in VW Golf Mk7s, with quite a bit of work (if you want to keep the nav system working). That's the one I know about, I'm sure there are others.

Some newer cars use over the air software updates now. If you disable the telemetry on those you would not get the updates.

Close to 15 years ago I interviewed with a company that was going to do the security for automaker OTA and telemetry. The car companies were already working on it then, seeing that in the future a lot of updates were going to be software only.

Cellphones and their aaps are great tracking devices too.

Yes, phone apps are generally terrible for tracking and privacy violations.

 

[Hay Dude]

When I bought the Outback in 1999, Subaru had discovered some who bought new Outbacks and Foresters were independent women who liked women. So a portion of the marketing subtly played to that. I took some good-natured kidding at my choice of vehicles.

In reply to the kidding I quoted a friend: "I don't have anything against that preference except it takes two hot women out of circulation!"

Why are women who like women “hot” women????

 

[California]

Why are women who like women “hot” women????

Guess you've never met a teasing hottie college girl who presents herself with a big smile as a GUG (Gay Until Graduation) ?

 

[Hay Dude]

Guess you've never met a teasing hottie college girl who presents herself with a big smile as a GUG (Gay Until Graduation) ?

Maybe thats a “San Francisco” thing???

I tended to gravitate to the women who like guys.

 

[Torvy]

Most of the women that I know who like other women are not in the category I would call hot. I suppose there are a few, but definitely the minority.

 

[California]

Maybe thats a “San Francisco” thing???

True. a lot of people move to where they can meet their own kind. Ie, SF.

An interesting consequence is DINK female couples making Silicon Valley incomes are buying the small farms around here and putting in showplace 'ambiance' vineyards. Two such within walking distance of my place. Good decent neighbors.

 

[Sigarms]

If I missed it, apologies. We have a Honda Pilot that averages about 18 MPG local driving, and can get up to about 23MPG with the vehicle loaded for long (plus 2 hour highway trips on way), but with it being just my wife and I this December, we feel that the pilot is getting to big for us for the fuel economy.

Couple of questions...

1 - Everyone who owns a subraru, what is your average gas mileage and what model is the vehicle?

2 - What's the towing capacity and do you tow anything yourself?

3 - What are the models you want to look for particuarly in the outback model? Been looking on Auto Trader for some time now on the outbacks, and it seems they have a lot of different models and it gets confusing for me. Do like the way the trekker (sp?) looks in the outback model.

4 - Would you buy another subaru again (we would buy another pilot, bought it used for 15K years ago with 75K on it, and other a heavey maintence bill when it got to over 200k, it's been holding well for another 25K miles.

5 - Genearlly we buy used, cash, paid in full and look for the best deal to limit the variables of new car pricing. That's why I'm wondering about all the different models over the last couple of years. Any particular model of the outback you would stay away from?

Always fond of my buddies subaru in the 80-90's, but back then it always seemed to be an oil problem over 100k on the odometer, but I believe from reading here that issue seems to have been resolved.

Genearlly we will ride the vehicle for at least 300k on the odometer, and since it's going to be just me and the wife, may contemplate actually buying something new and not used. That said, our nature is something used with under 100k on it and find the best deal.