not made for offroading

[nomadtw]

my mother has forbade me from taking my car offroad,
hahahahhaha
it came back REALLY muddy this last time, i will have a picture of the aftermath soonish

and she says i forbid you from taking your car offroad again, it was not made for offroading


now...it's not like i was doin some rock climbing or anything

just some rocky trails, and a big mud pit, that i DIDN"T get stuck in, and had to pull my friends toyota tacoma out of

and she says that it's not made for offroading

what are you're thoguhts on this?

[Fish]

yeah it was..
didn't she see that dundee fellow doing the same thing?

[PunksWRX]

Take your mom's advice before you end up getting a big bill for repairs. As much as Paul Hogan and the Subaru television commercials like to portray our Scoobies just as capable as SUV's they are not. Also - everyone's definition of "Off Roading" is a little different. If you are just talking about dirt and gravel roads with small ruts and a few small rocks then you are probably OK. Steeper trails with deep rutting and large rocks are definitely a no go. The problem with the cars lie in the ground clearance and undercarriage protection. Due to the lack of ground clearance the approach angles of the cars are not good and can result in easy bumper damage. The newer Subaru's don't have the skid plates the older cars had to protect exposed oil pans, transmissions, rear differentials and axles.

Having owned several Subarus and living in Colorado I have experience in this and have done some stupid things off road with my earlier Subarus which resulted in bent and scraped rocker panels, torn bumper skirts, and being stuck in places I shouldn't have been. My old Subaru was an 85 4x4 hatchback which was much more capable off road than the newer cars due to the short wheel base, high/low transmission, height adjustable suspension for extra ground clearance, and full skid plating under the engine. It was still a car though and it came nowhere near the capabilities of an SUV. I scraped it up quite a bit trying to prove otherwise!

The Subaru is a great car for slippery snowy or muddy roads that are moderately steep and do not have deep ruts.

Punk

[MBX Motorsports]

Useless fact ... did you know that in the owners manual for the MBW "SUV" it says, "This vehicle is not intended for off-road use."

Now, how the hell can you classifly it as an SUV if you can't take it off road? That's plain stupid ... I hate SUV's.

[Mike Smith]

Ya think this guy off-roads his SUV?

[fellfrosch7]

I don't think Expeditions are made for off-roading, either.

[Dori Dori]

Blingn' off road action daaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwggggggggggg.

Peace,
and I'm out.......

[m750]

listen to your mom...
if your still living at home, she has veto power.
I'll rally cross my car, but I wouldn't exactly take it off road, but I live on my own. Not that I wouldn't love to move back home and save some serious coin.
AO

[PhlypSide]

Originally posted by Mike Smith
Ya think this guy off-roads his SUV?

Dude don't laugh!!! It's the Autobot TrailBlazer FOR REAL!

LOL!!!

lateRZ

[PhlypSide]

Originally posted by fellfrosch7
I don't think Expeditions are made for off-roading, either.

DOH! This poor guy wishes he could be in DUB magazine... but the truck is soo "not working" hahahaha

lateRZ

[J Colman]

That is some major Bling

[Poseidon]

Hell, if we want to be honest, even most SUV's aren't made for real off-road driving. Remember "primitive road" and "off road" are two very different things. The former is usually more or less flat and free of obstacles. All bets are off when you actually leave the road, though.

Jordan

[HIHO]

Its kind of funny nobody that has responded to this has an Outback. If you want real knowledge of the Outbacks offroad limits post in the Legacy forum. You really cant get answers from RS and WRX owners they just dont know. If you want some real info check out this site.Remarcable

[RallyNavvie]

I think it's odd that a lot of you are trying to compare a CAR to an SUV. The Impreza is a car. A car is practical transportation (for most people). A real SUV is practical transportation in the bush. These fake SUVs we have in the US can only get themselves stuck by the crazies who buy them. The only real SUVs left are the Land Rovers, and not the cushy ones, I'm talkin' the ones with the bench seats on either side in the back.

As for the Impreza it's about the most "off-road" capable car I've ever come across currently in production. Well as much as I hate to admit it the Audi All-Road is probably a bit better all-around. SUVs really only have Imprezas out in one thing: clearance. But that clearance can only get inexperienced drivers stuck, rather than get them out of a situation. The same also goes for Subarus, but I've found a lot of people realize their boundaries more with the Subaru whereas SUV owners/drivers think they're invincible.

But on that note I bet on a plain-old dirt/gravel/rough road I'll be able to leave an SUV in the dust, for the Scooby can go faster on dirt

~Garrett

[HoratioCaine]

Why does that slammed Expedition have running boards??

[Marc Sawaya]

Right, people have made some good points. As good as the AWD system is for handling non-concrete roads, and concrete roads in adverse conditions, the Impreza is a sports car. It can handle different terrains as long as they're reasonably level and devoid of big objects. Driving in mud is fine, as long as the mud is shallow! I'm surprised that a Tacoma got stuck and you didn't, because trucks can handle deep mud much better than a sports car. If you're planning on driving somewhere you think you could get stuck in, don't go alone. Just like you and your friend with the truck, you need options in case you do get stuck. Sounds like you're doing everything right.

But don't let your mom catch you.

[Fish]

Fact of the matter is that it's a car..
but it can off road better than most cars

no denying that.

[remarcable]

Subaru's aren't going to get you as many places as a good 'ole lifted truck or jeep.

They are great cars but there is a limit to what we can do.

And yes, you WILL damage and break things offroad. This is true in any vehicle. Driving around offroad is expensive, that's why I haven't been able to do it all summer. I don't go on serious stuff unless I have an extra grand in my savings account to fix the car. Luckily I've never had anything expensive break, but I've been pretty cautious so far (what with the car only having 30k miles on it right now).

If you are planning on any offroad driving I'd suggest getting skid plates, a tow rope, and a cell phone. Having a few buddies with trucks or 4WDs helps too. I also wouldn't take my mom's car offroad. I live on my own (since age 17) and the car is mine. Of course that means if I mess it up then I'm stuck with the bill.

I think someone already posted a link to my site, so I'll stick my most embarrasing picture up instead.

[skyhigh420]

[i] A real SUV is practical transportation in the bush. These fake SUVs we have in the US can only get themselves stuck by the crazies who buy them. The only real SUVs left are the Land Rovers, and not the cushy ones, I'm talkin' the ones with the bench seats on either side in the back.

OK. what about the Jeep and or Hummer? if you think that a Landrover is the only real off road vehicle than perhaps you have never seen a real Jeep or Hummer. Not to mention the imfamous older Toyota land cruisers. Just cause something is expensive doesn't make it the only real off road vehicle. with the $$ you spend on a Landrover i could make a Jeep that would eat it for lunch. Don't be so sure in your weak assurtion!

[kevinsUBARU]

If you want a cheap off roader, go get a 80's dual range 4wd hatchback. Throw a lift kit on it, big tires, and get a LSD from a Turbo wagon. Might not perform like a Jeep or a Land Cruiser 100% of the time, but for the money you cant get any better.

Kevin

[HoratioCaine]

Even the new grand cherokees and land crushers are competent off-road. Suburbans, Exploditions, Expulsions, Yukons & Tahoes are too bulky for their own good. Exploders and Blazers aren't great. 4runners are still decent. Cherokees are good, Wranglers are good. Liberties are junk. All 'cute-utes' are junk.
Not junk for cars, but junk for off-roading.

Anyway. It's a family car, not a truck. If you want something to beat up off-road, buy an old Dodge.
People think finding a part for a Subaru is a chore, wait until you try to locate a passenger's side mirror for an '86 Ram 3/4 ton.

[krzyss]

If You paid attention You would notice that remarcable writes about Defender, a Land Rover which is not luxury truck and which made Land Rover what it is.

Krzys

PS I do not offroad but I think one wants to use something resonably old. Old enough to not cry about scratches and missing pieces of trim (I guess if it has trim it is not off roader ;-) but not too old for spare parts.

PS Jeep claims that Liberty can handle 'Rubikon Trail' so I guess it is off-roader but because of this it is heavier than competition, which only pretends to be offroaders.

[SubyObsessive]

well there is no denying that there are limits to a Subaru, unless u r Dundee himself
as regard to true SUV, the Nissan XTerra is a damn good one. Not as comfy or luxurious as a Jeep or Land Rover, but that thing gets the job done. My mother has a 00' Red XTerra and that thing handles vermont and maine snow every year when we go snowboarding in near blizzards
just my opinion
.... but those low riders were a good laugh, i needed that

[supermarkus]

Leave home kid.

[HoratioCaine]

PS Jeep claims that Liberty can handle 'Rubikon Trail' so I guess it is off-roader but because of this it is heavier than competition, which only pretends to be offroaders.

Yeah, it did the Rubicon. There are reports that it was done with three Daimler Chrysler crews.
1) stacked rocks to ease progress
2) drove the CAR
3) returned the trail to natural

They also apparently skipped the hardest part and they provided the photographers.

If you wanna play like that, my Subie could do the Rubicon.