Subaru Test Drive Gone Bad... Really Bad

[sns2]

Had to take a family illness day as my son had two doctor appointments at different places, and a set of x-rays at yet another place. Two were in the morning and one later in the afternoon. I had a couple hours to kill, so I thought I best take a Subaru Outback for a test drive, as I have been seriously considering one to replace the F-150 I sold yesterday. Anyhow, go to dealership and they give me a car and say it's yours for 1/2 hour. Bonus. No salesman in car as he was busy.

So, I say to myself, "Self, if you're gonna drop $36k on a car because you read in the internet that it is good in snow, you better see for yourself."

I quickly proceed to a field I run my dog in cuz I know it has lots of snow. Lol. I put it through its paces in about 8" and man this thing is the bomb. Almost like a Skidoo. So, I say to myself, "Self, time to up the level of difficulty and go for some deeper snow." I proceed. Thirty seconds later, all by my lonesome, I question why I talk to myself. Stuck tighter than bark on a tree. High centred.

I look out my window and lo and behold a gravel truck is dumping his load, as I was at the outskirts of a new neighborhood. Salvation. In my penny loafers, I trudge through the snow to his truck and ask for a hand. He looks at me like I have early onset dementia, and very begrudgingly agrees to hoof it over and drive as I try and push my test car. No luck. He cursed and walks away.

Now, I'm left to call the dealership. The salesman can't believe his ears. I tell him to send multiple men with multiple shovels. He asks for a pin on Google maps. I oblige.

Half hour goes by. I text my AO buddies. They laugh hilariously. The Subaru Posse arrives about 15 minutes later.

Much cursing and questioning of my sanity by the shop hands, and we are on our way, no worse for wear. I think I have crossed the Outback off my list, though it is a formidable station wagon. I am quite sure I will be the subject of jokes for years to come. Lol.

Tonight, I try a Ridgeline. I think I will stay on the beaten path

PS: If you get stuck bad, don't bother texting Pixelshooter. He will only make fun of you.



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[vcmm]

Subaru be doo

[Smokinyotes]

Well it could be worse, you could have busted off a bunch of plastic and had to cough up some cash.

[SuperCub]

If you plan on driving off-road through snow like that on a regular basis, I'd be getting a 4x4 truck with better tires, otherwise the Subaru will probably do fine to use as intended.

[Twisted Canuck]

Well....there is no way in hell I'd ever tell that story on AO ....what were you thinking?

As for Pixel, I totally see that as a legit response. Although in fairness, I almost put a brand new Porsche 911 4S sideways into a snow bank at at a winter driving course that Edmonton Porsche hosted....that'll make your sphincter pucker, as you remember the waiver you signed.

So curiouser, if you had torn off some good bits underneath, maybe exhaust or some heat shields or such...would you be on the hook for off roading it?

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Well....there is no way in hell I'd ever tell that story on AO ....what were you thinking?

As for Pixel, I totally see that as a legit response. Although in fairness, I almost put a brand new Porsche 911 4S sideways into a snow bank at at a winter driving course that Edmonton Porsche hosted....that'll make your sphincter pucker, as you remember the waiver you signed.

So curiouser, if you had torn off some good bits underneath, maybe exhaust or some heat shields or such...would you be on the hook for off roading it?

Not taking oneself too seriously is good.

For sure I would have been on the hook.

I was just cruising powder not serious off-roading

[Twisted Canuck]

Originally Posted by sns2

Not taking oneself too seriously is good.

For sure I would have been on the hook.

I was just cruising powder not serious off-roading

Yeah, concur on that not being too serious...you should see the shirts I wear when on vacation...Mambo Loud!

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Well....there is no way in hell I'd ever tell that story on AO ....what were you thinking?

As for Pixel, I totally see that as a legit response. Although in fairness, I almost put a brand new Porsche 911 4S sideways into a snow bank at at a winter driving course that Edmonton Porsche hosted....that'll make your sphincter pucker, as you remember the waiver you signed.

So curiouser, if you had torn off some good bits underneath, maybe exhaust or some heat shields or such...would you be on the hook for off roading it?

You and I and now Porsche 911? I had one at 305km/h in BC last summer. The owner was beside me.

After all I could say was “still alive at 305”

sns2-i think they even faxed a pic of you to United Cycle. You are REALLY blacklisted

[wind drift]

I’m sure it turned out funny, but I tapped out at “tighter than Toby’s arse”.

[Twisted Canuck]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

You and I and now Porsche 911? I had one at 305km/h in BC last summer. The owner was beside me.

After all I could say was “still alive at 305”

sns2-i think they even faxed a pic of you to United Cycle. You are REALLY blacklisted

Ha! That's crazy too...you got me beat by about 35 kph....that's where the cayman winds out. The cars feel great doing it, but that little voice in my head always says 'what if a moose steps out?'....

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by SuperCub

If you plan on driving off-road through snow like that on a regular basis, I'd be getting a 4x4 truck with better tires, otherwise the Subaru will probably do fine to use as intended.

He had a 4x4 lol.

Good times Sns2. Good thing the dealer didn't hose you for"damages" sustained in the test drive. I think it would have been like a Seinfeld episode if you had the salesman in the car when you tried that.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Lol...nice work, I bet that salesman got an earful too

LC

[EZM]

All of us have been there and done that (or similar lapses in judgement).

Don't say we didn't tell you so on your previous thread discussing pickups versus sedans/crossovers!!!!!

Besides, how many decoys can you really fit into that thing?

[elkhunter11]

I told you that it wasn't going to go through snow like a 4x4 truck, but Oh No, you had to try it for yourself.

[brslk]

Originally Posted by vcmm

Subaru be doo

Dammit! Now you have that song going in my head again...

Baby Subaru Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo

[Mb-MBR]

After debating to replace my little old Dodge Dakota I decided to go on the hunt for a Honda Ridgeline. Finally found one locally. a used 2007 with 151k on the clock. Mint condition. Clean car fax...…..

Took it on a bunny hunt last week and got stuck in some drifting snow. A couple of observations, Tires are everything and so is clearance. The rear end got hung up in some hard pack. In time I'll be putting some duratracs on there with a leveling kit...

The Ridgelines have great reviews on line by owners......my personal opinion is its a cross between a truck and a van......I'm sure I'll have other thoughts as I drive it more....

[spoiledsaskhunter]

my first reaction was to respond to this post with some REALLY disparaging remarks, but a cooler head prevailed and i will only make a suggestion.......if you are going to go out 4x4'ing don't you think it would be prudent to take a shovel?

is it funny that you took someone else's vehicle out 4x4'ing in the first place....sorry, but i do not think so. they trusted you to take their vehicle for a test drive, not to have it out in the middle of some farmer's field. guess test drives are different things to different people.

just geezer thoughts, so flame away.

[32-40win]

That "Ya, Ok, I can go further" attitude has resulted in a few winch lines being used for me. I know better, but, still do it occasionally. Or driving along an old logging road and not paying attention and sticking a front tire in a ditch that turned out to be axle deep, didn't look that soft... Don't feel bad about getting stuck in snow in a Subaru. I had to pull an F350 twice one morning in the same wet peafield, and it wasn't because it was deep mud, it was just slick wet, and krappy tires.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by spoiledsaskhunter

my first reaction was to respond to this post with some REALLY disparaging remarks, but a cooler head prevailed and i will only make a suggestion.......if you are going to go out 4x4'ing don't you think it would be prudent to take a shovel?

is it funny that you took someone else's vehicle out 4x4'ing in the first place....sorry, but i do not think so. they trusted you to take their vehicle for a test drive, not to have it out in the middle of some farmer's field. guess test drives are different things to different people.

just geezer thoughts, so flame away.

Hey man, it''s the Internet so flame away. But before you go getting too high and mighty, you sign a form when you take any vehicle for a test drive that you are responsible for any damage or tickets, so wipe your panties clean, and go back to being a killjoy in whatever sandbox you typically play in. Any damages would have been on my bill not theirs. Feel free to put me on ignore.

[abenaki-warrior]

Son in-law got this subaru crosstrek with a 2 inch lift and at tires. Nice South Dakota car, waiting for the reviews of the Copenhagen NY winter.

[JWCalgary]

Classic!

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[mmhmmmm]

Love it! That is how test drives should be... only thing that is missing is a nice set of winter tires!

I hope this isn’t the dealer where I purchased. They had a salesman who refused to ride in the backseat. ( small 2 door.) I had someone with me to test drive and the almost let me leave before requesting my credit card to take the car for a test drive without salesman. The whole thing was hilarious. Ended up purchasing from same dealer the next morning when the more relaxed sales manager was working... Buying a car always seems to feel just that little bit greasy.




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[Soulcousin]

Hahaha kinda reminds me of this video from a few years ago....fella takes a Cobra for a rip

https://youtu.be/PwUJC1sLupI

Thanks for the laugh sns2

[lilsundance]

OMG that's hilarious. Now just imagine guys, I mean really think about sns and treeguy together on a test drive.. here hold my beer and watch this.

[Grizzly Adams]

People never realize, when you have 4x4, it only means, when you get stuck, you're really stuck.

Grizz

[260 Rem]

I guess it’s safe to share this test drive story ... and if anybody on AO remembers Ed Cornett, a chap on my staff in Grande Cache in the mid ‘70s with whom I shared many (often alcohol related) adventures...they will recognize his style. When Ed left GC to teach in Standard, he moved his family to a rental house on one of the “hills” as you climb out of Drumhiller on the North side. The place had a cistern which happened to run dry on a day that we were visiting so Ed and I went to a local auto dealer and asked to test drive a used 3/4 ton ... back to his place...loaded up a tank...filled it at the water station and back up the hill. We were filling the cistern when the salesman came looking for the truck. Ed never missed a beat and told him he needed to make sure it would handle the tank. A bit embarrassing at the time, but now just seems like one of the good times we shared. Ed had MS (which he thought meant “more scotch”) and passed away about 25 years ago.

[artie]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

I guess it’s safe to share this test drive story ... and if anybody on AO remembers Ed Cornett, a chap on my staff in Grande Cache in the mid ‘70s with whom I shared many (often alcohol related) adventures...they will recognize his style. When Ed left GC to teach in Standard, he moved his family to a rental house on one of the “hills” as you climb out of Drumhiller on the North side. The place had a cistern which happened to run dry on a day that we were visiting so Ed and I went to a local auto dealer and asked to test drive a used 3/4 ton ... back to his place...loaded up a tank...filled it at the water station and back up the hill. We were filling the cistern when the salesman came looking for the truck. Ed never missed a beat and told him he needed to make sure it would handle the tank. A bit embarrassing at the time, but now just seems like one of the good times we shared. Ed had MS (which he thought meant “more scotch”) and passed away about 25 years ago.

I went to school with Eddie away back in the late fifties and sixties in Coleman Alberta. I had not seen him for many years and then saw him at a teachers convention in Calgary. The M.S. was causing him to be unsteady so most guys get a cane. Not Eddie being an old boy scout he got a good 6 foot piece of pine tree we called them a staff and that is how Eddie got my attention. I got a sharp rap on my foot and that woke me up. For those of you interested in history Eddie has a very good friend named John Kinnear who writes articles for the Crowsnest Pass Herald called Looking Back and I know he has written about his good friend Eddie.

[tri777]

Originally Posted by spoiledsaskhunter

my first reaction was to respond to post some REALLY disparaging remarks ...you took someone else's vehicle
4x4'n..they trusted you to take their vehicle for a test drive, not to have it out in the middle of
some farmer's field. guess test drives are different things to different people..

Originally Posted by spoiledsaskhunter

......
i'd be embarrassed..

Originally Posted by sns2

....So, I say to myself,
"Self, if you're gonna drop $36k on a car because you read in the internet that
it is good in snow, you better see for yourself."..I quickly proceed to a field
I run my dog in cuz I know it has lots of snow. Lol. I put it through its paces
in about 8"..

sns2's words in Bold are all that matter !!
He wasn't pizz'n around tire kicking and playing around, he was about to drop $36G
on a friggn car that he was indeed serious about..totally justified!

[DoePolicyAnalyst]

Originally Posted by sns2

Had to take a family illness day as my son had two doctor appointments at different places, and a set of x-rays at yet another place. Two were in the morning and one later in the afternoon. I had a couple hours to kill, so I thought I best take a Subaru Outback for a test drive, as I have been seriously considering one to replace the F-150 I sold yesterday. Anyhow, go to dealership and they give me a car and say it's yours for 1/2 hour. Bonus. No salesman in car as he was busy.

So, I say to myself, "Self, if you're gonna drop $36k on a car because you read in the internet that it is good in snow, you better see for yourself."

I quickly proceed to a field I run my dog in cuz I know it has lots of snow. Lol. I put it through its paces in about 8" and man this thing is the bomb. Almost like a Skidoo. So, I say to myself, "Self, time to up the level of difficulty and go for some deeper snow." I proceed. Thirty seconds later, all by my lonesome, I question why I talk to myself. Stuck tighter than bark on a tree. High centred.

I look out my window and lo and behold a gravel truck is dumping his load, as I was at the outskirts of a new neighborhood. Salvation. In my penny loafers, I trudge through the snow to his truck and ask for a hand. He looks at me like I have early onset dementia, and very begrudgingly agrees to hoof it over and drive as I try and push my test car. No luck. He cursed and walks away.

Now, I'm left to call the dealership. The salesman can't believe his ears. I tell him to send multiple men with multiple shovels. He asks for a pin on Google maps. I oblige.

Half hour goes by. I text my AO buddies. They laugh hilariously. The Subaru Posse arrives about 15 minutes later.

Much cursing and questioning of my sanity by the shop hands, and we are on our way, no worse for wear. I think I have crossed the Outback off my list, though it is a formidable station wagon. I am quite sure I will be the subject of jokes for years to come. Lol.

Tonight, I try a Ridgeline. I think I will stay on the beaten path

PS: If you get stuck bad, don't bother texting Pixelshooter. He will only make fun of you.



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Well, now I feel a bit bad for speaking so highly about the Subaru and sharing those videos... I suppose that is the thing about the clearance in these cars - you get 8.7 inches but once that is gone, you are completely out of luck.

They are a heck of a lot of fun to drive, though, until you hit that point of no return. I'm especially enjoying the 6 speed (which is why I was even considering these cars in the first place).

[elkhunter11]

I am still waiting for the OPto take his Ridgeline to the same field.