2013 Outback-things that annoy me

[OBSubi]

Originally Posted by SRC

We needed a 4 wheel/all wheel drive vehicle.
. . .
That I had to give up my beloved Passat TDI for this car . . .

1) On a SAP model I still have to hit a button to unlock the passenger doors or I have to open the passenger side and walk around to get into the driver's seat.
2) No auto lock. . . .
3) No auto unlock . . .
4) I cannot get a crate the fits my dog in the back . . .
5) The NAV, the clunky interface . . .
6) Radio controls. . . .
7) Fit and finish issues. . . .
8) Electric parking brake. Who thought this up?
9) NAV based satellite clock. I like to run my clock a little fast but I can't.

Mind if I ask, why did you need AWD vehicle in the first place?
Giving up running and loved car for a new one sucks but it was your choice after all.
1. I believe, there is a sequence in you manual to reprogram it for free.
2 & 3. Unless you're living in a city this auto lock / unlock feature is not very useful. In my previous car this constant locking and unlocking wore out door lock solenoids and they stopped functioning. That was a royal pain to lock unlock them manually from the inside!
4. You should've bough a compartment separator option with your OB, then you don't need to worry about your dog crate.
5. Nav. interface is a known issue. Why did you buy it if you could use Garmin in the first place?
6. Radio controls on your steering wheel provide all the necessary functionality. What else do you need?
7. It's a utility station wagon, not a collector's car. What have you expected at such an inexpensive price?
8. Electric parking brake actually is a very nice feature. No cable to pull and stretch. What don't you like about it?
9. Why would you need to run your clock faster? Are you kind of slow to react or what?

[SRC]

I don't need to defend my gripes. These are valid in 2012. That I loved my TDI is true and that of course amplifies the annoyances.

I was aware of several of the items on the list before I purchased, that doesn't justify the limitations. The lock management was a bit of a surprise as we own other vehicles that do it much better. I had merely taken for granted that in 2012 any car with a FOB would also allow for auto lock and unlock. I was wrong. Lock management is the biggest grip that I have.

Just because I purchased a vehicle doesn't mean that I must now defend the faults.

Subaru should listen and modernize their vehicles. The competition is getting tougher out there. The Ford Escape, the new Rav4 etc. are/will be tough competitors.

And I really wish we had more diesel options. Right now, there are no reasonably priced 4/all wheel drive diesels. Subaru could fill this void (but I suspect the diesel Tiguan will come first).

[SRC]

Originally Posted by OBSubi

Mind if I ask, why did you need AWD vehicle in the first place?
Giving up running and loved car for a new one sucks but it was your choice after all.
1. I believe, there is a sequence in you manual to reprogram it for free.
2 & 3. Unless you're living in a city this auto lock / unlock feature is not very useful. In my previous car this constant locking and unlocking wore out door lock solenoids and they stopped functioning. That was a royal pain to lock unlock them manually from the inside!
4. You should've bough a compartment separator option with your OB, then you don't need to worry about your dog crate.
5. Nav. interface is a known issue. Why did you buy it if you could use Garmin in the first place?
6. Radio controls on your steering wheel provide all the necessary functionality. What else do you need?
7. It's a utility station wagon, not a collector's car. What have you expected at such an inexpensive price?
8. Electric parking brake actually is a very nice feature. No cable to pull and stretch. What don't you like about it?
9. Why would you need to run your clock faster? Are you kind of slow to react or what?

My parents live in WY and are old, I make trips back there often. In Oct, my TDI got stuck.

I have read the manual twice and the only reference, I found, to fix issue 1 was the dealer

I think the compartment sep refers to the grille Subaru sells. I have thought about it but I like to put other things in the back with the crate. I will build something (probably).

I got the NAV for two reasons, 1 we needed the memory seats. 2 the dealer wouldn't negotiate much on the price for a non NAV vehicle. YES, I could have threatened to go someplace else but the salesman had spent many many many hours with us and he lives on commission.

Station search is not on the steering, when you are driving across NV it is nice to have.

As for the brake, I cannot coast the car without turning on the car (maybe I am wrong on this).

On the clock- I have a wife and two daughters. Running the clock a little fast helps get places on time. I can sit in the car as I wait and yell out the time as the minutes tick away. Yeah, I could tell them something different than the clock readout but it helps bolster my angst when the clock says what I say.

[Sequoia225]

Just playing a little devils advocate here:

Regarding #5 - I for one, am planning on buying a SAP package OB. Not because of the Nav - as I am guessing I will still use my Garmin (I have a nice garmin - the REAL thin one and paid a bit for it too - I am certainly not going to have it sit in a drawer and use an inferior product).
But I HAVE to get the NAV if I want the SAP. So, that is why one may buy the NAV even if they have a better GPS.

Regarding #6 - I dont know what the poster was talking about specifically regarding radio controls, and I havent played with it yet in these newer outbacks, but I am an audio engineer and very picky about sound, and I am OFTEN playing around with more controls on my radio than just volume and channel - but I have an aftermarket stereo (dont get me started on the problems I had with 4 OEM 2003 outback units) and its nice to change all those controls using dials and buttons, rather than a touch screen. I am often adjusting the sound quality depending on what I am listening to. Its a matter of opinion what is considered "necessary" controls.

regarding #7 - to me, there is nothing inexpensive about spending 30K on a car.

Regarding #8 - I have never had a parking break malfunction in a car Ive owned - and I own cars till they die. I CAN however see potential for more failure options with an electronic parking break.

Regarding #9 - There are a LOT of people I have known that set clocks "ahead" as they feel it makes them not late to anything. I am NOT one of these people - as to me - you just plan to leave that much earlier all the time - but I have known a lot of people that do this with all their clocks. Strange human behavior.



Cheers

Originally Posted by OBSubi

Mind if I ask, why did you need AWD vehicle in the first place?
Giving up running and loved car for a new one sucks but it was your choice after all.
1. I believe, there is a sequence in you manual to reprogram it for free.
2 & 3. Unless you're living in a city this auto lock / unlock feature is not very useful. In my previous car this constant locking and unlocking wore out door lock solenoids and they stopped functioning. That was a royal pain to lock unlock them manually from the inside!
4. You should've bough a compartment separator option with your OB, then you don't need to worry about your dog crate.
5. Nav. interface is a known issue. Why did you buy it if you could use Garmin in the first place?
6. Radio controls on your steering wheel provide all the necessary functionality. What else do you need?
7. It's a utility station wagon, not a collector's car. What have you expected at such an inexpensive price?
8. Electric parking brake actually is a very nice feature. No cable to pull and stretch. What don't you like about it?
9. Why would you need to run your clock faster? Are you kind of slow to react or what?

[KCMike]

Even with all of great comments from friends and family, I am ambivalent on the choice. That I had to give up my beloved Passat TDI for this car (my wife wouldn't part with her car and I lost the coin toss) has only amplified the things that annoy me.

Must be something in the water. These are mostly the same reasons I now have a '12 OB instead of an '04 Passat TDI. The long term ownership cost persuaded me to give in and buy the OB.

The OB just doesn't drive like the German cars. I miss the torque of the TDI and the rock solid feel on the highway. To be fair, the OB is a completely different car. It's higher. It's lighter. It should drive differently. I knew I was trading off certain drive qualities for more practical cost considerations. Maybe after this winter I'll like the OB better.

I would have been happier w/out the Nav. I don't even attempt to use it anymore. A premium model with the HK sound system would have suited me better.

[OBSubi]

Originally Posted by SRC

The lock management was a bit of a surprise as we own other vehicles that do it much better. I had merely taken for granted that in 2012 any car with a FOB would also allow for auto lock and unlock. I was wrong. Lock management is the biggest grip that I have.

Just because I purchased a vehicle doesn't mean that I must now defend the faults.
. . .
And I really wish we had more diesel options. Right now, there are no reasonably priced 4/all wheel drive diesels.

If you're a DIY type of person, you can cheaply install auto lock/unlock feature from another model which has it. No one is expecting you do defend any faults. I didn't like the inability to open / close windows when the engine is shut. So I've purchased 2013 Model Year Service Manual Wiring and fixed this issue along with that stupid always on DRLs crap. Diesel is good but natural gas is better and cheaper. I converted my car to run on both gasoline and CNG (compressed natural gas). Subaru is a car for people with certain attitude - where others see problems to whine about, subaru folks see opportunities to fix and brag about. Choose our pick.

[Michael Aos]

Regarding the auto-lock / auto-unlock.

I didn't realize it until after we bought it, but the 2013 Acura RDX lets you select / program which behavior you prefer. It's pretty slick.

[foxrider68]

Originally Posted by mikelipke

I don't think anyone is looking for sympathy.
They are just saying what they don't like. Subaru can listen, or not.
Make a great car even better, or not.
Maybe you would like someone should start a forum that only allows praise and love letters.

The OP can say what he wants and I can say what I want. He's already looking ahead in time to when he can get rid of the car, thats ridiculous IMO. In my mind there are a lot of other options that could have been chosen to work with his wife, however it sounds like both were stubborn so now he gets to live with his decision. Subaru watches the forum to a point but contacting them is the best place to voice a complaint if its for "long term" benefit.

[seeren]

Originally Posted by OBSubi

I converted my car to run on both gasoline and CNG (compressed natural gas)..

Hey, there was another guy that did that not too long ago... must be gaining popularity.

[fatabbot]

Originally Posted by seeren

Hey, there was another guy that did that not too long ago... must be gaining popularity.

LOL

The cat came back!