[subiesailor]

Can't get a manual turbo Forester in the new model, or the outgoing one. In fact the new Forester turbos only come with a CVT now. The last gen turbo only came with the 4 speed auto. Subaru was out to sell cars, not make interesting ones.

And you're right, the CVT is NOT great in sand, at least not in the 2011 Outback 2.5i when left to do its own thing. I've driven a good chunk in sand, and leaving it in fully auto mode is not advisable. In full auto when you let off the gas it slips the ratio to a more fuel economy friendly one, then the car bogs down in deep sand. Keep it in "manual" and shift with the paddles to keep the rpms high and the car moving. Lock the ratio in "1" and let 'er rip. Not a problem, really.

To be fair any AT regardless of type should always be locked into a low gear in a Manual mode for off road use. Even ramp launching boats on pavement should always be a manually selected gear to be held till you indicate otherwise.

Running any AT in standard Drive AT mode when off road is a Rookie mistake and will cause you problems.

 

[jogosub]

subiesailor: I am a bit late on the "most livable" places on these shores but having lived East/West and now "deep" South, I think the best place to live (in my opinion) in North America is Vancouver, BC (and outside - it would be Singapore). Based on my own experience....

 

[subiesailor]

subiesailor: I am a bit late on the "most livable" places on these shores but having lived East/West and now "deep" South, I think the best place to live (in my opinion) in North America is Vancouver, BC (and outside - it would be Singapore). Based on my own experience....

BC especially in the little warm pocket around Vancouver would be great!!! Oddly enough Anacortes WA has nearly identical weather pattern as SF only they see a little warmer temps in the summers and can get a little dusting of snow once in a while. Also great spot!

Out side North America I'm partial to Croatia. Fantastic people, great culture and they are not on the Euro yet ;-)

 

[Dajeepman]

I'm very curious about your thoughts on this. Obviously your very experienced in building capable off road vehicles but here's where the question comes into play about the CVT. Nearly every manufacturer of All Terrain Vehicles now incorporates some sort of Constantly Variable Transmission and has been for many years. This ranges from 4-wheelers to snow mobiles and utility type vehicles such as the rangers and other variants. Even some tractors are utilizing this type of drive train. Is is Subaru's version that is lacking or is it just a general dislike for them as a whole?

Yea but you can't compare a ATV CVT to a Auto CVT. Polairs CVT uses a belt system compared to a chain. Honda's now uses a Automatic with a TQ converter like in cars. You can still get reguar manual shift trans in ATV.. Snow Mobiles always had CVT trans that i could think of.

 

[Dajeepman]

I was never a big fan of how the CVT works in the cars.. Metal on metal was never a good thing..

 

[camaro_guy_z28]

I would go with the outback hands down if you are driving in sand(beach) just for the ground clearance if nothing else. I had my 2011 outback down at carova nc on the beaches and I was amazed at how well it did, only thing I worried about was the weak suspension on some of the bumps and ruts. Aired the tires down to about 18psi. Also turn off the goofy auto cvt transmission put it in manual and turn off the traction control. Personally I don't think you would get far in auto or with traction control turned on. Just my opinion but I absolutely hate this transmission:28:

 

[reddoak]

I was never a big fan of how the CVT works in the cars.. Metal on metal was never a good thing..

Ummm.. Brakes? Clutches? Gears? Pistons in sleeves? Yes, there is oil between some of these surfaces, but...

There's a lot of metal on metal contact. I'm not too worried about it, personally.