2014 Subaru Forester

[matsuki]

Sorry Coligny, it's not made of tapwater...

p1.jpg

They finally gave it a 280PS turbocharged variant of the FA20 (think BRZ/FT86) but paired with some new fangled CVT that is getting decent reviews, it gets 13.2km/ℓ

What do you think? Some wheels, exhaust, and a boost controller and you have a decent weekend warrior?

NOTE: Did they change the SUV laws?? Missing the fender mirrors you see on almost everything else in this cuntry.

[Coligny]

Kid, look at the left side mirror, it got underhang look down mirror. Plus the law allows for digital replacement or the mirror. A camera can replace the left wing mirror. Plus passenger front impact protection might become "a thing" here too... Maybe...

I think... It's still a Totoya and at least the new Legacy Outback comes with an integrated ice box beer cooler in the trunk...

[Coligny]

http://www.subaru.jp/legacy/ex/utility/index.html

And smart roofbars...

Beer buckit:

image.jpg

Plus, remember, Forrester is a tall car... Between Hammer trying to squeeze in his Z3 and you trying to jump to reach the door handle, I might lose my title of insanestest gaijin car owner... Especially with the Nissan living his last week in the family these days.

[matsuki]

Kid, look at the left side mirror, it got underhang look down mirror. Plus the law allows for digital replacement or the mirror. A camera can replace the left wing mirror.

Ahhh, that's the loophole....personally I liked the fender mirrors.

I think... It's still a Totoya and at least the new Legacy Outback comes with an integrated ice box beer cooler in the trunk...

No Toyota D4S injection, Subaru Direct injection on top of a very Subaru Boxer....and the styling is ver Subaru. I loved the old Outbacks and that cooler is pretty neat....but the new one lacks a 2.0T model and is ugly as sin. If anything, the new Outback is a victim of Toyota's uberbland styling...the Forester almost looks like a concept/aftermarket kit as is.

Plus, remember, Forrester is a tall car... Between Hammer trying to squeeze in his Z3 and you trying to jump to reach the door handle, I might lose my title of insanestest gaijin car owner... Especially with the Nissan living his last week in the family these days.

It's not thaaat bad. Especially when you consider the other beast I'm looking at...



....but the usefulness for work (we make parts for it so it's great for PR) is a bit overshadowed by 8km/ℓ, and the headache I imagine it will be driving/parking such a beast. Either way, I need something that has cargo room, AWD/4x4 capability, ideally can tow, and won't blow up on me randomly. (I'll get a sports car that does that in a couple years)

[Coligny]

Towing is cog drive only, no CVT warranty will survive it...

[matsuki]

Towing is cog drive only, no CVT warranty will survive it...

Yeah, that's the downside of the Forester. I wish they offered a 6sp manual like before.

The FJ won't have any problem towing (not like it lacks roof storage either) but I can already imagine me side swiping shit with it being so wide. Even many of the cuntry roads here are narrow

[Coligny]

Wasn't the FJ a Toyota US spec car that finally got imported to Japan ? There are quite some idiots driving around with those in Toyohashi expecting me to leave the road when they come my way...

Should take picture of their "oh... shit... " face the second before they have to stop... I only go offroads for pro trucks and semis... Imbeciles who didn't read the r&t law concerning the choice of the vehicle to drive according to skills and road conditions (really vaguely quoted here) gets no love...

[matsuki]

Wasn't the FJ a Toyota US spec car that finally got imported to Japan ?

It was made for the NA market by Hino in Japan but a shitload of them were brought back to Japan by private companies (look for the LHD) so I guess Toyota gave in and decided to release it here as well. It's basically a landcruiser on a diet of Krispy Kreme and ramen.

There are quite some idiots driving around with those in Toyohashi expecting me to leave the road when they come my way...

Should take picture of their "oh... shit... " face the second before they have to stop... I only go offroads for pro trucks and semis... Imbeciles who didn't read the r&t law concerning the choice of the vehicle to drive according to skills and road conditions (really vaguely quoted here) gets no love...

....which is my worry about driving one here. Great for some inaka offroading and such, the interior can literally be hosed clean...but in the city it's like a sumo wrestler trying to squeeze into a single seat on the train.

I'm surprised you don't want one Coligny, it's the "right brand" for your area and they even have a model that fits your lifestyle...

[Coligny]

I'm moar into RapeVans these days. Plus, in a doctor family, nothing says more "i didn't have money for a Mercobenz Gelandwagen" than this pos...

[matsuki]

I like this micro rapevan...and it's AWD turbo! (18.2km/ℓ) just worry about some stupid shit happening on the highways....though it is the #1 contender for lemur's replacement vehicle.

[Coligny]

The Honda NBox is one of the most cleverly designed vehicle on the market these days. CHeck their website, they replaced the need for an advanced left mirror with a trick on networked mirrors on both side of the left passager side door rearview one.. The 'plus' edition even have a slanted cargo bay fittable with a loading ramp for roll-on roll-off items or trolleys. It got electric side door and optionnal white and blue with racing stripes Gordini inspired scheme. If it was a full size car diesel and trail rated I would have bought one one the spot...

Should have gotted one of these when they where on the market:

image.jpg

image.jpg

image.jpg

[Russell]

The Honda NBox is one of the most cleverly designed vehicle on the market these days. CHeck their website, they replaced the need for an advanced left mirror with a trick on networked mirrors on both side of the left passager side door rearview one..

Trying to figure out what the hell you are talking about.

Studied the web site again and again (not that I want to buy one, I already have two Hondas), but it seems it has just two side mirrors and one back mirror. Some hidden technology?

[wagyl]

The Honda NBox is one of the most cleverly designed vehicle on the market these days. CHeck their website, they replaced the need for an advanced left mirror with a trick on networked mirrors on both side of the left passager side door rearview one..

Trying to figure out what the hell you are talking about.

Studied the web site again and again (not that I want to buy one, I already have two Hondas), but it seems it has just two side mirrors and one back mirror. Some hidden technology?

Not the easiest site to navigate, but http://www.honda.co.jp/Nbox/webcatalog/ ... tail/#pita

[Coligny]

While my explanation could nominate for a 2013 award in sucking donkey balls, honda's website seems to have also been designed to hide as well as possible what'cham'talking aboot...

Finally found a drawing of their system.

Screen Shot 2013-08-07 at 11.jpg

Direct link:
http://www.honda.co.jp/Nboxplus/webcata ... tml#safety

I think the [B] mirror is an even better upgrade to the trick that was not available in previous model years.
It's also available standard on the Stpwgn (voyel still optionnal, I think it's aimed at penetrating the Serbian housewives... market...)

[Coligny]

Equivalent system for the stpwgn:

http://www.honda.co.jp/STEPWGN/webcatal ... ader#anc02

[Russell]

Thanks guys.

Wow, even with Honda's explanation, it took me some minutes to figure it out.

So, to sum it up, they made some cameras and displays to look around the car, especially the left side. This is presumably convenient for parking.

[Coligny]

No, it's just a game of mirrors, not a single camera or screen...

just network of mirrors working together...

ph_main.jpg

(Right of the pict, left for the car, the outside rearview mirror have a front facing mirror too)

slide_06.jpg

left of the windscreen On the ...pre-A pillard... you can see the 2 little mirrors, 1 looking right down (the little on top) and one looking in the front facing mirror of the external rearview mirror (medium bottom one)

[Coligny]

I always found mirrors 10 times better than external cams... No need to wait for activation... always ready to go...
All available at the same time without putting too much focus on the center console main screen (which isolate too much form the rest of the world)

[Russell]

OK, if it is just mirrors, it is actually quite cool.

Thanks.

[matsuki]

The Honda NBox is one of the most cleverly designed vehicle on the market these days. CHeck their website, they replaced the need for an advanced left mirror with a trick on networked mirrors on both side of the left passager side door rearview one.. The 'plus' edition even have a slanted cargo bay fittable with a loading ramp for roll-on roll-off items or trolleys. It got electric side door and optionnal white and blue with racing stripes Gordini inspired scheme. If it was a full size car diesel and trail rated I would have bought one one the spot...

Yeah, they're pretty awesome cars...which is why the lemur is getting one when she replaces her current Kei. Unfortunately, I've seen the results of too many Kei car crashes to think it's safe to do as much highway driving as I plan to do. Why do you want diesel though? Lil engine that could plus turbo seems more than capable and gets hybrid level gas mileage...err kilometerage.

[wagyl]

The other comment I would make about trail rating, is that most of the tracks in this country are made to be passable by kei trucks, which is essentially what those kei vans are. Any track which is so washed out that is needs a Pajero or a Jimny, well you should probably be walking it anyway. (I do have reservations about full time viscous coupling 4WD though, so that is a valid concern) You can certainly get more places in a kei one-box than you can in a Delica, mainly because it fits through a smaller gap.

[matsuki]

The other comment I would make about trail rating, is that most of the tracks in this country are made to be passable by kei trucks, which is essentially what those kei vans are. Any track which is so washed out that is needs a Pajero or a Jimny, well you should probably be walking it anyway. (I do have reservations about full time viscous coupling 4WD though, so that is a valid concern)

When you say tracks, you mean roads, right?

You can certainly get more places in a kei one-box than you can in a Delica, mainly because it fits through a smaller gap.

Why I'm pretty much ruling out the FJ...I would hate the gas mileage but my drive this morning (minivan) through rural Tokyo is bad enough with a regular sized car. Then there's parking...folding mirrors won't do that beast much good.

[Coligny]

A kei truck ain't no kei car, the Nbox is super low on the ground to accomodate wheelchair passangerz. Yes, some 4wd kei truck can be wild (Suzuki Samur, Mitsu Mini Pajero, but small too). I have a req. for 7 seaters.
I'm going more and more to river banks for flying drones, and the Note got stuck high centered because of a stupid hole deeper than my clearance hidden covered in herbs often enough that I'm now quite good at winching out with a come along winch... That never leave the trunk anymore...

Yes, the Delica is big, it might lose more paint against the bushes than a kei,
unless chokonen start importing plastidip car kits from dipyourcar.com.
But, diesel have insane torque, cog gearbox for towing, excellent idling consumption to be used as living quarter for ground station. And even dual electric system car/comfort so you don't get a flat start battery because you ran the beer cooler.
also, diesel is safer for storage (ask the usna on this) in fires, gasoline explode, diesel just burn. And in shit hit the fan scenario it will always be easier to barter diesel from a truck driver and their gigantic fuel tanks than gasoline from another stranded car driver. At worse i might even get away with mixing kerozene with added oil to run (better check on the 1 fuel policy of some armies)

[Coligny]

The other comment I would make about trail rating, is that most of the tracks in this country are made to be passable by kei trucks, which is essentially what those kei vans are. Any track which is so washed out that is needs a Pajero or a Jimny, well you should probably be walking it anyway. (I do have reservations about full time viscous coupling 4WD though, so that is a valid concern) You can certainly get more places in a kei one-box than you can in a Delica, mainly because it fits through a smaller gap.

More on this.

Sure, with a 15 kilos toolbox, the computer, antenna mast, windshock poles, crafts and table, seat, screens, cameras (...) plus now all the equipment for pre and post wildlife encounter...
Not everyone goes in the wild for taking pictures of birds (or just some spotting like some guys i knows do)

[matsuki]

I didn't mention if before but besides the aluminum can status protection a Kei car provides at highway speeds, the other reason why I'm leaning towards the Forester is cargo room....I've got a massive 10x20 EZ UP, tables, loads of display products, and tables to lug around to events. I'd need a luggage rack or kei trailer bigger than the car to make the N-box feasible in those situations. (and even then, all the shit is exposed to the elements, theft, etc.)

There's also the added bonus of using WRX/Legacy parts on the Forester. Some guys in the US are already fitting WRX titanium exhausts on these things. Between that, some lightweight wheels, and a carbon/fiberglass hood, that's a pretty significant amount of weight reduction with little effort. Better fuel economy an response...while I'd prefer a 6sp manual, the CVT is getting many good reviews.

[Coligny]

Widebody highroof Toyota Hiace 4x4 3l diesel...

Yankee's favorite.... Pretty sure it got the waterbed as factory fitted option...

And you can even buy it as a Nissan if your are delusionnal enought...

[simplebeing]

Yumm 3L best engine ever!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk