'24 Subaru Outback - New Owner Diary

I got it! I got it!

Drove it home this evening. Drives like a dream! It's a HUGE step up from the old 2011 Camry with 213,000 miles on it. YUGE!

Due to the time driving it home, no daylight photos. But I got these tonight.
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When you open the door, the bottom projects a "puddle light." Cool!
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Inside:
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Nice! Looks very cool! That's one helluva instrument panel! I just installed some custom puddle lights I had made for my Titan. Mine are kind of the same idea.
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Warhammer said:
Nice! Looks very cool! That's one helluva instrument panel!
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One of my peeves for the touch screens on MOST cars is that they stick up above the top of the dashboard. Or sometimes they don't stick UP, but they stick OUT. They look like they took an LCD panel and slapped it on the dash.
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These are expensive cars, and they look like they got some surplus parts at the "Computer Warehouse" and slapped them on the dashboard! I think it looks cheap and cobbled together.
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^^^ I just hate that look! ^^^

I like that the touchscreen on the Subie is flush and built into the dash console.

Warhammer said:
I just installed some custom puddle lights I had made for my Titan. Mine are kind of the same idea.
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Wow... you made them yourself?
 
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Racer88 said:
One of my peeves for the touch screens on MOST cars is that they stick up above the top of the dashboard. Or sometimes they don't stick UP, but they stick OUT. They look like they took an LCD panel and slapped it on the dash.
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^^^ I just hate that look! ^^^

I like that the touchscreen on the Subie is flush and built into the dash console.


Wow... you made them yourself?
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I meant that I had someone make them for me, not that I made them myself.

I agree on the touchscreens. Many of them look like an afterthought, rather than being integrated into the interior. The Subie dash and console look really good!
 
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I love that Subie has kept a couple of knobs and has the climate controls in their own, easy to access display. Nothing worse than having to go through multiple menus just to adjust the A/C.
 
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Warhammer said:
I love that Subie has kept a couple of knobs and has the climate controls in their own, easy to access display. Nothing wore than having to go through multiple menus just to adjust the A/C.
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Yeah... some complain about most of the a/c controls (such as fan speed) have to be done on the touchscreen. But at least the temp up-down buttons are mechanical buttons.
 
Racer88 said:
Yeah... some complain about most of the a/c controls (such as fan speed) have to be done on the touchscreen. But at least the temp up-down buttons are mechanical buttons.
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My 87 yr old dad just bought a used Subie 2023 (Forester I think) with 9k miles on it. Looks brand-new. Smells like new. Yep those controls were a bit of a curve for him to learn, but heā€™s acclimated. He loves the car, and it replaced a 2017 Cadillac CT6 (w/ultra low miles) that he totaled and by the grace of God walked away from a few months ago. Iā€™ve driven the Subie once and although it wasnā€™t for very long and was in the rain, the vehicle seemed pretty nice. Lots of people love their Subarusā€¦.
 
Congrats on the new addition to the stable! It will be the only Subaru in existence with a Gadsen flag sticker. šŸ˜œ

The irony of touchscreens is that one cannot find things on it by touch while keeping their eyes on the road. I am looking forward to the return of buttons. IMHO there are not enough splashy animated graphics in the world to outdo the simplicity of use and luxurious feel of a well made set of buttons.
 
Alex said:
The irony of touchscreens is that one cannot find things on it by touch while keeping their eyes on the road. I am looking forward to the return of buttons. IMHO there are not enough splashy animated graphics in the world to outdo the simplicity of use and luxurious feel of a well made set of buttons.
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1000% agree.
 
Commuted to work today, about a 45 minute drive. This thing feels like a luxury German car - but BETTER, compared to my old 2011 Camry. Quiet. Smooth. I don't have to turn up the radio to overcome the road noise, like I used to!
 
Alex said:
Congrats on the new addition to the stable! It will be the only Subaru in existence with a Gadsen flag sticker. šŸ˜œ

The irony of touchscreens is that one cannot find things on it by touch while keeping their eyes on the road. I am looking forward to the return of buttons. IMHO there are not enough splashy animated graphics in the world to outdo the simplicity of use and luxurious feel of a well made set of buttons.
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Like Racer, completely agree!

When we were planning developmental flight testing of a "new" naval fighter in the 1990s, the contractor and navy program "managers" selected a touch screen Multifunction Display in the design phase that we knew would have to be used for almost every critical data entry, including switching radio frequencies, transponder codes, navigation waypoint entry, air-to-air or air-to-ground weapon mode selection, etc. and despite our experienced developmental flight test pilot warnings that this would present significant problems operationally with data entry using touchscreen panels in turbulent conditions, especially during low-level ingress/egress to/from the target, they the developer did it anyway! Sure enough, during operational several workarounds, including hardware and software mods and it's better, but there are still noteworthy problems with data entry to this day!

Ergonomics of any system play a hugely important role in it's safe and efficient operation! Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should! :rolleyes:
 
Yanno itā€™s amazing how far the manufacturers have come today. The adage ā€œfine German engineeringā€ has been infused into much of the market in varying degreesā€¦and now the Germans are playing catch-up whether the huns admit it or not. Lol.

Case in point- the CT6 Cadillacā€¦when I first test drove their twin turbo 400 variant, I was stunned. Gobsmacked. That engine was such a jewel. Sounded and performed like something straight out of BMW. The doors closed with that solid ā€œchumpā€ that was such a German Auto hallmark. Handling was great and so, so quiet. My Dad didnā€™t have the 400, but he had the one right below it and I drove it quite a few times. Now, I am biased- as we were had a 2003 BMW 530i with that majestic, superb inline 6ā€¦but in honesty that CT6 gave up nothing to the bimmer, and even bested it in cabin quietnessā€¦and yes there was that 15 year age disparity with the 2018 CT6 that he totaledā€¦but I digress.

Correction: my Dad got the Outback, not the Forester. Itā€™s rock-solid and as you pointed out Brian, very quiet. Doors close with that same Germanic ā€œchumpā€. I canā€™t wait to see how it is on the highway, but in town itā€™s an impressive piece of kit. He got a great deal on it and they threw in a lifetime warranty. None of the usual car lot nonsense. Iā€™d buy from those folks in an instant.

Congrats again, my friend. Itā€™s nice to step-up, isnā€™t it? And a Subie, of all things! Whoda thunk it?
Years ago my wifeā€™s parents (when she was a teen) had that spartan Subaru Brat. Theyā€™ve come a long way. Cheers!
 

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