As a proud owners of an 08 SX4 you guys helped us through many issues. Through the maintenance, adjustments, experiments and upgrades you fellers were there to help at every twist and turn but in the end it was Hurricane Sandy that claimed the life of our much adored little AWD Hatch. My better half and I moped around in anguish and denial with touches of anger for a month at the loss of such a fine faithful car but today we brought home a new replacement vehicle that although is much more refined and comfortable to scoot will , to us, never able to fill the little boots of our SX4. As I write this I'm choking back little tears of sweet memories but I know in time we will be happy again with our new 2013 Subaru Crosstrek. So, to you all, especially you guys at Road Race as well as the individual 'SX4 Heads' I bid you farewell and once again thank you for all your efforts. You've been helpful, challenging, patient, and loyal and for that I respect you all.
Thank you for your kind words, its good to hear that you had such a good experience with your sx4! Thanks for being a part of the forum, and good luck with your new subaru!
Very eloquently stated! I also wish you luck with the Subaru XV Crosstrek. I will be recommending one to my niece and am very interested in your comments, especially with regard to fuel consumption as compared with the SX4 (should be about 20% better). Cheers.
Well thanks for the reply and so far after two days of ownership I can note these first few differences: The mileage is better than the '08 SX4 by about X%. Cruising range is much better due to the bigger tank and more efficient engine - It's claimed to be a gas sipper and it is true - I can verify that. I do miss the two wheel drive mode that the SX4 has - being in AWD in the Subaru all the time seems much much safer than the SX4 but I still miss SX4's selectable modes. Traveling at 70mph and encountering surprise surface conditions or road debris should be easier to relax through in the Subaru so that's a big plus. The 8 inch lift that the Subaru has is very nice whereas the SX4 would scrape from time to time on certain driveway entrances (mine) and curbs I had to hop during rush hour tie ups. Also the lift makes getting in and out of the vehicle a breeze for us 6 foot guys. Oh and the Subaru's oil filter is on top of the engine - big plus. I will be replacing the stock brake pads very soon - My Crosstrek stinks like chemicals after even light braking so I'll be ordering the appropriate Akebono dustless pads this week. The cup holders in the Subaru absolutely SUCK. The suspension is stiffer than the SX4 and the cup holders do not have size down flaps to adapt for skinny cups or bottles. So far I've had a thermos fly across the cabin and a Wawa 20 oz paper coffee cup splash the center console trying to fly out the same way. I had rented a Toyota Yaris prior to buying the Subaru - The cup holders in the Yaris are the best I've ever used - amazing amazing holders....they're like cup clamps! I was very close to buying a 2013 TDI Jetta which has a 700 mile cruising range on a full tank - something neither the SX4 or Subaru can compete with. If VW ever brings us a $29,000 lifted TDI Jetta with their 4Motion configuration it may be game over for more than just Suzuki - that Jetta hauls ass, sounds wicked with an interior fit and finish that is the nicest of sedans. If your niece does not need AWD and a hatch ( I have dogs, like to fish from a drive up pier and carry long shit from Home Depot sometimes etc, etc..) tell her to try out the Jetta Diesel with the electric seats - it's a marvel that will last 400,000 miles easy. F the price, F the payments, get the Jetta - that engine is a crazy launch pad - the hoses will rot before she will need a rebuild....and the cup holders are excellent compared to the Subaru's too! The Subaru's insurance is about 1% cheaper for me than the SX4 - that was a nice surprise and I like discounts at any percentile really. I had also looked at and drove the Chevy Volt - that's a great car if you can afford it. 44 grand that they want for the Volt can be spent to buy a Crosstrek, a hitch, a toy hauler and a watercraft - it's just too much money for that little 2 wheel drive car. The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is coming soon - that's a classy car warranting a good look as well.
I'm sad for Suzuki's USA situation but I also think that had they brought over their 55mpg diesel version of the SX4 and offered packages that included a car, a trailer, a dirt bike, and maybe even a tent priced nicely they would have had a better impact. They make so much stuff that rolls, jumps, floats that they should have grouped things together to offer the real rugged crowd. They make violins! The 100k mile warranty was more than Suzuki could chew. If your niece is looking to have tons of fun with more risk......Subaru and Toyota have teamed up to make the BRZ - what a car that is. I was afraid to drive the one the Subaru dealer had on the lot --- I might have bought it.
So I'll come back and update you guys as to how the Subaru is doing if you want....other wise just tell me to buzz off and I'll be happy to do that too.
Thanks so much for the great info - you should consider writing for an auto mag; more informative than many of their generic articles. I hear what you're saying about some of the viable and exciting choices in today's auto marketplace, but the niece has narrowed it down to AWD, SUV (or Xover), hatch, great fuel mileage, reasonable MSRP, and (subjectively) good looks. Pretty well a choice of one. Your comments have reinforced my recommendation to her. As an aside, I'd be first in line for a diesel SX4. It matches all the above points and, as a car guy (my niece is not), the motor and performance would appeal to me in particular (and for the first few months until word spread, its uniqueness). Anyway, enjoy your new ride and RIP American Suzuki.
It sucks the car was totaled. However it could have been much worse... I'm glad you both are okay. Make new memories with your soobie. They are great cars.
Funny you mention that about Mazda - I had rented a Mazda 3 a couple of months ago and liked it but honestly I don't see many of their cars on the road at all in NJ. I personally thought that the suspension and acceleration was far superior to the SX4 but I'm just not a fan of dealing with a sedan trunk - never have been never will be. Mitsubishi was never even a consideration for me - I once rented a big diesel Mitsubishi SUV to cruise around England for three months and didn't care for the crazy engine vibration or horrible cruising range. I really had to put my foot into the thing to get going and nary a diesel pump I didn't visit (Fillups were $200) . The 2013 Lancer Sportback has no masculinity whatsoever and the interior plastics are terrible but the fact that they brought over a battery powered car
that has no fossil engine is astonishing. The quickest it can charge is 8 hours from a 220v outlet and it goes completely dead after 60 miles of normal driving.....and that's day 1, not year 4. On the other hand I just can't see Subaru in trouble at all. The sales guy we encountered in Philly (Rafferty Subaru, props to Andre) was terriffic - they have plenty of pre-orders for the Crosstrek and the company puts out high quality products that you're not going to find elsewhere. They use one proven engine (The Boxer) that has pistons firing sideways that allows for excellent vibration control and is said to "slide" under the cabin during a front end collision. Think about that for a second. 4 banger engines are shaped a lot like the window air conditioners in your home....Subaru has their power-plants laying on their side and really low in the compartment whereas conventionals, such as the J20 (the SX4 engine) is upright with all pistons firing at the same altitude. The All wheel drive holds at all speeds and the basic warranty is sensible. Companies that offer the 100k, 10 year backing have shot themselves in the foot - their leadership has done them less favors than burden. Ford and the others will shake if VW or Subaru makes (prints parts/ assembles in USA plants) some diesel pick-up trucks with Jetta quality that get 45mpg. Speaking of which - if you are reading this and have some extra cash perhaps you'll check on symbol AMAVF. It's a company printing in metals - soon there may be no need to make extra car parts - just send in a request, receive the cad program and print out a replacement part locally. No shipping, no waiting, no out of stock we won't be making that anymore responses. Here's a link of the heads up I got...... Is There An Undervalued 3D Printer Manufacturer? Yes: Arcam AB - Seeking Alpha
Geez I gotta go - nice to hear from you though.
Last edited by Trainlinezoo; 12-07-2012 at 10:21 PM.
Funny you mention that about Mazda - I had rented a Mazda 3 a couple of months ago and liked it but honestly I don't see many of their cars on the road at all in NJ. I personally thought that the suspension and acceleration was far superior to the SX4 but I'm just not a fan of dealing with a sedan trunk - never have been never will be. Mitsubishi was never even a consideration for me - I once rented a big diesel Mitsubishi SUV to cruise around England for three months and didn't care for the crazy engine vibration or horrible cruising range. I really had to put my foot into the thing to get going and nary a diesel pump I didn't visit (Fillups were $200) . The 2013 Lancer Sportback has no masculinity whatsoever and the interior plastics are terrible but the fact that they brought over a battery powered car 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV: How quickly can you run the battery down? - shopautoweek.com - YouTube that has no fossil engine is astonishing. The quickest it can charge is 8 hours from a 220v outlet and it goes completely dead after 60 miles of normal driving.....and that's day 1, not year 4. On the other hand I just can't see Subaru in trouble at all. The sales guy we encountered in Philly (Rafferty Subaru, props to Andre) was terriffic - they have plenty of pre-orders for the Crosstrek and the company puts out high quality products that you're not going to find elsewhere. They use one proven engine (The Boxer) that has pistons firing sideways that allows for excellent vibration control and is said to "slide" under the cabin during a front end collision. Think about that for a second. 4 banger engines are shaped a lot like the window air conditioners in your home....Subaru has their power-plants laying on their side and really low in the compartment whereas conventionals, such as the J20 (the SX4 engine) is upright with all pistons firing at the same altitude. The All wheel drive holds at all speeds and the basic warranty is sensible. Companies that offer the 100k, 10 year backing have shot themselves in the foot - their leadership has done them less favors than burden. Ford and the others will shake if VW or Subaru makes (prints parts/ assembles in USA plants) some diesel pick-up trucks with Jetta quality that get 45mpg. Speaking of which - if you are reading this and have some extra cash perhaps you'll check on symbol AMAVF. It's a company printing in metals - soon there may be no need to make extra car parts - just send in a request, receive the cad program and print out a replacement part locally. No shipping, no waiting, no out of stock we won't be making that anymore responses. Here's a link of the heads up I got...... Is There An Undervalued 3D Printer Manufacturer? Yes: Arcam AB - Seeking Alpha
Geez I gotta go - nice to hear from you though.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience. It is nice to hear from you as well. Hope you enjoy your new car
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It's all over for us guys - I do thank you all.
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