Another Car thread: What would you do? Taco vs Outback

[axebiker]

Toyota Prius is faster.

Brilliant. Millions of comedians out of work, and you're here trying to be funny...

[Huskier]

Our Prius V wagon is the slowest car in our stable but we really like it. 80k on the clock with zero problems and it is huge inside. We get 40+ on family roadtrips at high speed and my wife gets 44-48 going back and forth to work. Never fails that everyone who looks at it or gets in it comments on how big the interior is...because it is. All I do is change the oil every 10k and we put a little fuel in it to keep it running. Dick swingers might not like them but they are great little cars.

All these cars are good cars. Toyota puts a 6 speed manual in an awesome truck but then only lets you get a 5 foot bed so a man can't sleep in the back. Honestly I think I'd sleep better in the back of our Prius V but at least our old 4R lets me sleep flat and straight. Still worth looking at because of that sexy 6 speed manual and the double cab. A quick internet search reveals they are about impossible to find, especially with the tow package. I'd spec one just like Car and Driver did here but maybe spend the extra 2k for the tech package I don't want just to get heated seats.

All that being said I'm having knee surgery Monday and on FMLA for a little bit after so I am only shopping not buying.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/how-wed...toyota-tacoma/

Edit to add: We went and looked at a 2016 double cab today. No way a family can own one of those to go places with. Sweet ride for couples with one small kid.

Got the 16 taco.

Got heated seats without tech package, $500 dealer-installed. You won't know the difference.

The auto is miserly and up-shift happy. Has a "tow mode" which defeats this and improves throttle response. 3.5L Motor doesn't pull until 4k.

Truck is sexy and I love having a tail gate, but if I could do it over I'd with the F-150: CAVERNOUS back seat, 2.7L Eco motor blows the Toyota's new 3.5 out of the water (Really)

[Benny Profane]

I'm in my second Tundra, this time a 2011, with a cap. Love it; awesome for car camping, we leave all our gear in the back seat, and sleep in the rear bed. Goes places an RV can't. Hauls plywood, firewood, large appliances, hay bales, junk to the landfill, etc; and on slaughter day, we can toss 20 chickens in the bed without stinking up the cab, then hose it out later.

Not everyone needs a pickup, but for me, it's a necessity.

Yes, yes, I have heard much of that to justify owning a, ahem, truck, although the chicken thing is new. Really. Chickens? How many times, if ever, do you transport........chickens?

Have you heard of delivery? When I ordered a cord or two of wood for five years, the dude delivered it. Pass him an extra 50, and he stacked it with the help of a young Mexican. Plywood? Again, have it delivered. You know, maybe 50-100 for the few times every decade you need plywood, vs 40 grand for a stupid pickup truck. Large appliances? For fucks sake, they fucking DELIVER that shit for a small fee, then they fucking INSTALL it, too. Really.

I would own a pickup if I was really into dirty, muddy MTB, but, I'm not.

[MakersTeleMark]

Yes, yes, I have heard much of that to justify owning a, ahem, truck, although the chicken thing is new. Really. Chickens? How many times, if ever, do you transport........chickens?

Have you heard of delivery? When I ordered a cord or two of wood for five years, the dude delivered it. Pass him an extra 50, and he stacked it with the help of a young Mexican. Plywood? Again, have it delivered. You know, maybe 50-100 for the few times every decade you need plywood, vs 40 grand for a stupid pickup truck. Large appliances? For fucks sake, they fucking DELIVER that shit for a small fee, then they fucking INSTALL it, too. Really.

I would own a pickup if I was really into dirty, muddy MTB, but, I'm not.

Benny, you are an idiot. Did you ever think that they may be his chickens? For fuck's sake, who orders 20 chickens?

It's not that hard to figure out. Try it sometime from a different perspective. Everything.

[Benny Profane]

Well, duh. Of course they're his chickens. (Let's not even go near why somebody has chickens for now) so, where are the chickens going? Maybe, just maybe, the receiver of chickens can pick them up, because, duh, they are in the business of chickens, and have a chicken truck? I mean, it's not as though this transfer happens every month, you know. You're justifying a huge, heavy, expensive, gas guzzling truck so that you can transport.......poultry? C'mon. We all know why it's necessary to own one of these things. Because, you know, of that, little, you know, problem.

Travel around farm country in Europe for a little while. Yes, they have farms there. And fireplaces. And they use plywood. You don't see every schmoe driving around in a huge truck. And somehow, miracle of miracles, they survive and thrive. Furcryingoutloud.

[El Chupacabra]

For fuck's sake, who orders 20 chickens?

Five Joliet Jake impersonators, that's who. And a 4-door Toyota Tacoma could maybe just about fit all five, with space for the 20 chickens.

[MakersTeleMark]

Five Joliet Jake impersonators, that's who.

Hell yeah!

[MakersTeleMark]

Well, duh. ... duh, they are in the business of chickens, and have a chicken truck?

[skiitsbetter]

Make sure you get the right insurance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDyhiq0vJGo

[alfajores]

Get the Forester instead of the Outback. The latter has a hideous proprietary roof rack system that both Thule and Yakima make no base systems for.

A pickup truck? Really? Why? Oh, why?

Benny, agree on the roof rack of the outback. Yakima Rail Grab on the tie downs (reversed) has held strong for 30k miles, but I almost regret not having RackRoad replacing the whole system for me when I bought the thing.

[alfajores]

Please...enlighten me on what is wrong with the Crosstrek. I'd love to hear this.

The lack of room inside, power on the pedal, and performance and safety features that would bring it into the last decade with vectored braking and the modern Subaru AWD system.

[Charmander]

Saw you got the subie. good choice IMO. I have an 08 tacoma double cab 6 speed manual and the things a turd, no power and fuel economy is terrible. My 2500 dodge diesel on 37's got better highway mpg than the toyota.

most days i drive the womans forester if its available, a lot nicer to drive, more room to sleep in etc.

[axebiker]

The lack of room inside, power on the pedal, and performance and safety features that would bring it into the last decade with vectored braking and the modern Subaru AWD system.

Guess I've had quite a different experience - I'm on my second one now as well - first a '13 and now a '16. I love them! More space than I'll ever need, plenty power...since I don't need to win any dick-swinging contests, and more safety features than any other car I've owned.

Oh well...

[alfajores]

Guess I've had quite a different experience - I'm on my second one now as well - first a '13 and now a '16. I love them! More space than I'll ever need, plenty power...since I don't need to win any dick-swinging contests, and more safety features than any other car I've owned.

Oh well...

Why would you think it is about dick swinging? Such a profane and degraded dismissal of facts. The fuel economy on my Outback is similar but with more power for climbing hills and getting up and over ruts to trail heads. If you want to go for a 6cyl, the hp to weight ratio is not a notable advantage beyond moving from a stop.

What I was disappointed about is starting a thread about comparing the two vehicles, as if you were really interested in the two and wanted experiences, but then retreated to what you knew and liked in the first place. It just has this feel of starting a flame war for the sake of it. While that may not have been your intention, it was anticlimactic to get the Crosstrek. Are you active in the XV thread?

[axebiker]

Why would you think it is about dick swinging? Such a profane and degraded dismissal of facts. The fuel economy on my Outback is similar but with more power for climbing hills and getting up and over ruts to trail heads. If you want to go for a 6cyl, the hp to weight ratio is not a notable advantage beyond moving from a stop.

What I was disappointed about is starting a thread about comparing the two vehicles, as if you were really interested in the two and wanted experiences, but then retreated to what you knew and liked in the first place. It just has this feel of starting a flame war for the sake of it. While that may not have been your intention, it was anticlimactic to get the Crosstrek. Are you active in the XV thread?

We have a 2016 Outback Ltd as well. It serves a different purpose than the Crosstrek, and I am quite aware of the +/- of both models. My first post in this thread was addressing the Taco vs Outback question quite directly. You brought up the Crosstrek... I was trying to understand your beef with it. To address your other "concerns"...

*I don't buy cars for horsepower - never have. I prefer economy, and in MN, I don't have a lot of mountain passes to drive up, so there's no need to argue about hill-climbing-power. Hence my "dick-swinging" reference, since the "tuners" I know have a habit of trying to impress others by wasting gas and tires. It may impress college co-eds, but I'm well past that.

*The XV thread is pretty old, and yes, I was active in it...a post or two maybe. Oh -- and I STARTED THE THREAD.

Anyway, back to the Taco vs. Outback...

[uglymoney]

We have a 2016 Outback Ltd as well. It serves a different purpose than the Crosstrek, and I am quite aware of the +/- of both models.

How much nicer is the 16 than your old 13? They look way nicer!

[axebiker]

How much nicer is the 16 than your old 13? They look way nicer!

Ride is a bit smoother, although the 13 was already "the flying couch". Noise level is much improved, and the CVT shift point have been changed a little bit to make it a bit more fuel efficient, and just a bit more "noticeable" so that you don't feel as disconnected from the car. The interior is REALLY nice. We had the Premium before, and the Limited trim is wayyyyy nicer - especially nice to have leather rather than cloth. The touch screen stereo and dual climate controls are the highlights, but there are a number of other things that really make it nice too - dual driver seat settings, LED lights in the inside door handles, blind spot warning lights and mirror turn signal indicators, Harmon Kardon speakers everywhere, auto lift door that can be set to not hit our roof box, larger wheels (18" I think) -- too many things to think of! And yes, I like the looks of the vehicle better than the 13.

The Crosstrek is a lot nicer too - highlights being the much plusher ride quality, and lower cab noise.

We got REALLY good trade offers, and after my NSP discount, we both got into higher end vehicles, and lowered our overall payments too.

[bodywhomper]

Curious, why are larger wheels better? I have always thought that it's a bit of a conspiracy between auto and tire manufacturers; auto makers increase the wheel size and the same tire at overall size is more expensive at larger wheel size.

[LightRanger]

On an Outback? They're not.

[Mustonen]

Curious, why are larger wheels better? I have always thought that it's a bit of a conspiracy between auto and tire manufacturers; auto makers increase the wheel size and the same tire at overall size is more expensive at larger wheel size.

They look cool. They can also provide more room for big disc brakes.

There's a sweet spot for both overall wheel size and wheel size in general. Smaller isn't always better any more than larger isn't always better. Small parts of a big system..... I don't think there are any non-aesthetic benefits to extremely low profile tires, though.

[axebiker]

They're only an inch bigger.

[LightRanger]

Does an Outback really have such big rotors that you need an 18? Pretty sure not...

My 4R has big-ish rotors to deal with the A-TRAC system (4x4 brake-activated LSD system) and still only requires 17s.

[bodywhomper]

Looking on tire rack, as an example, its over $50 more per tire for 17" vs 18" on an '13 XV for blizzaks. Those seem to be all oem sized. I assume brakes and such are the same for the same model-yr.

[axebiker]

We're worrying about tire cost on a $32K+ car? If a couple hundred bucks is THAT worrisome, you should be buying cheaper cars... I can't imagine that the tires everyone wants on their Tacos are exactly a deal either.

(Not sure why the '13 XV came into the convo either - about wheels anyway??)

Anyway, forgot to mention that the 16 Outback's handling seems improved to me, and I think the wheels and tires have a lot to do with that. The taller sidewalls on the 13 seemed a bit more "mushy" (with both factory and replacement tires), and seemed to add to the body roll feeling in corners. The tires always seemed a little "balloon-y" if that makes any sense. The 16 feels more "connected" to the road and to myself. The ride quality didn't seem to suffer however. No science there - just my opinion.

[bodywhomper]

My point was that the larger oem wheels on the subura and tacos are only an item of aesthetics. For those that have their vehicles for more than 3 or 4 years at a time and will buy multiple sets of tires through their ownership, they will be paying a lot more for their tires if they have larger wheels.

For me, this is something to consider.....