Archive for 2015
Private Fleet Car Review: Subaru Forester L and S diesel.
It’s always nice to do a back to back comparison of like models from a manufacturer. In this case, the new diesel auto Foresters from Japanese maker, Subaru, were parked in the driveway and A Wheel Thing checks out the L and S models.
Powersource. Two litre engines seem to be the rage and there’s no difference here, plenty of torque at 350 Nm, from 1600 to 2400 revs and a surprisingly low 108 kW at 3600 revs. These two, though, aren’t intended to be high revving diesel sports machines, they’re family friendly load luggers. Hence the addition to the range of the automatic option, in the form of a CVT (constant variable transmission).
It’s here where, in A Wheel Thing‘s opinion, the Achille’s heel is exposed. The way the CVT works sapped performance and response, didn’t provide the instant on throttle response from standstill a hydraulic auto does and blunts rolling throttle response as well… For an explanation on CVT’s, click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission
From a standing start in Drive, there’s a lag, a hesitancy, almost as if you’ve asked someone a question and they need a moment to process it before answering. With other diesels of same size and torque matched with a hydraulic ‘box, there’s more of a instant response, providing quicker acceleration and potentially a safer environment with oncoming traffic.
Rolling response is also not as sharp, with little of the normal feeling of being shoved back into the driver’s seat, lacking that increasing linear, almost wave like build up. the transmissions are electronically geared, with seven rations programmed into the system and available for selection via the gear lever or flappy paddles. The diesels themselves were somewhat more chattery than expected under load. Fuel economy averaged out at just under 7.0L per 100 kilometres, coming close to equaling Subaru’s official figures (6.3L combined, 7.6L urban, 5.7L highway).
The Suit. The 2016 Forester has a strong family link to the first model, with a series of evolutionary designs. Compared to the previous model, the changes are subtle but noticeable if you look for them. Subaru’s designers have avoided the high profile look of SUV’s by providing a station wagon look to the Forester family, with a lower window line into the doors, which also offers a measure of extra visibility from inside.
Apart from the wheels, which were 18’s on the S, with an almost Eiffel Tower design to the spokes and clad in Bridgestone Duelers at 225/55 size and 225/60 Yokohama Geolander rubber on the L (with a simple five spoke design for the 17 inch alloys), the cars are virtually identical. The S came fitted with a sunroof (a good sized one, covering half of the roof), an electric tailgate with memory height, roof rails, single exhaust and…no rear parking sensors.
That last one troubled A Wheel Thing momentarily; there is a reversing camera with lane guidance, but, as a driver trained in the day to judge distance using mirrors and to watch (in a car sales environment) others guiding movements, the decision was made that this is not an oversight but a chance for careful family oriented drivers to be a driver, not a pilot.
Both cars featured non LED driving lights at each lower corner of the front bumper, flanked by black urethane that leads to the rear via the sill panels. Both cars rear windows had privacy glass fitted and had a rear window spoiler/dust deflector.
On The Inside. To be honest, the interior of the S is a bit of a letdown; the L features a key start, cloth trim and manual seats, the S is keyless (push button) faux leather and electric driver’s seat, plus heating (High/Low) for both front pews. Given there’s no in between model, this may account for the lack of luxury feel for the top of the range S. There’s no other difference between the two, as plastics are the same; dour, a touch hard to the touch and eye, the same look and feel to the tiller and gear lever as well…
Subaru have also chosen to stay with a cargo space design A Wheel Thing finds somewhat odd; there’s a full sized spare instead of a space saver but laid at an angle. The liftable floor terminates in a downward angled slope towards the tailgate, ideal for items that have rolled or moved in transit to fall out as soon as the ‘gate is opened….Cargo space is good at 474 litres with the rear seats up, which increases to 1474 with them laid flat.
Also, the Forester diesel autos don’t come with the award winning Eyesight system, a curious decision. What they do get is the Starlink navitainment system, the simple yet utterly effective ergonomics for the aircon and the clean look to the dash, plus both get the lockable centre diff for off road shenanigans.
On The Road. The L felt softer in the ride than the S; it’d be hard to say the slightly higher profile tyres would have had much of an impact, so possibly a different suspension tune or slightly lower tyre pressure would account. Both cars gripped in the tight roundabouts, off camber turns and sweepers equally, with a touch of squeal from the Yokohamas occasionally.
As they’re identical mechanically, the drive was the same, steering and brake feedback the same and headlights at night gave a good spread across the road. Consequently, they both offer a competent package, torque sapping CVT aside. The Wrap. They’re both nice cars to have but depending on your feelings about CVT versus traditional autos, the driveability may be a sticking point. Otherwise, fit and finish, the feature list for each and, of course, the massive options list available, plus a good price point (range starts at around $29K) should have them high on the “To Check Out” list. Head to www.subaru.com.au for the range plus pricing and download the brochure.
The Car. Subaru Forester L and S.
Engine: 2.0L diesel.
Transmission: Constant Variable Transmission (CVT).
Power/Torque: 108 kW/350 Nm @ 3600/1600-2400 rpm.
Tank size: 60L.
Consumption: (claimed) 6.4L/7.6L/5.7L per 100 kilometres (combined/urban/highway).
Dimensions: 4595 x 1795 x 1735 (L x W x H in mm).
Wheelbase: 2640 mm. Weight: 1627 kg.
Cargo: 422/1474 litres.
A P-Plater In The Family
My teenage son got his provisional licence last week. I guess that most parents in this situation will have a mixture of emotions: relief (no more having to sit in the passenger seat! no more Mum’s taxi duty!), worry (I’ve read the stats on young male drivers…), wistfulness (my little baby boy is all grown up) and pride (hasn’t he done well!). I had expected that I would be a lot more worried the first time he drove solo (out to his uncle’s place for dinner and to drop off some furniture). When it actually happened, I was more worried that he was going to not tie the furniture onto the deck of the old ute properly and have it fall onto the road.
Which brings me neatly to one thing that the parents of P-platers need to remember: P-platers are still learning. They may be able to drive solo, saving you some of the hassle of running them about, but they still have got a lot to learn. My son still needs a few lessons in tying loads onto the deck of a ute or a trailer (it’s part of driving in daily life, after all), and in driving in snowy or icy conditions, for example. Your P-plater may need other advanced level lessons to sharpen up their skills.
Admittedly, some of the things they need to learn while on their P-plates are only going to be learned through experience. They need to learn to take responsibility for their actions even when Mum/Dad/the cops aren’t looking. They need to develop enough backbone to leave band practice on time to they don’t break the curfew.
And if they mess up, they need to do something to pay for any repairs or fines. If they don’t have a job and you have to foot the bill, then extra work should be done around the home to help you in return for this. You shouldn’t cover their butts and take all the consequences for them. With privilege comes responsibility, after all.
Having a P-plater in the family does bring a shift in the dynamics. There are new rules and possibly new routines to be sorted out. During the inevitable negotiations, remember that you are the real grown-up and you are still in charge! It’s your name on the ownership papers of the car, after all, so you do get the final say.
Some points worth discussing and setting boundaries for may include the following:
- What activities can and can’t your P-plater take your car to? For example, we have the rule that my son can take the car to band practice, to jobs and to church activities, but not to school, as there’s a perfectly good school bus that our taxes pay the petrol for… except on the days when his little sister has gym practice and he can drive himself and her to school as long as he takes her to gym (Big Brother’s taxi instead of Mum’s taxi). Rule two is that if we’re all going to the same place, we all go in the one car and don’t take two cars per family. You will probably have your own set of activities and rules.
- If you have more than one car, are certain cars off-limits to your P-plater? This may be for insurance purposes or for safety purposes or both. In our family, my son can drive the old Nissan Navara ute solo but not my Volvo. This may come as a surprise to some who know about the almost legendary safety standards of Volvos. However, the old Nissan ute is a manual with column change and a small diesel engine that can tow trailers well but isn’t particularly speedy. The Volvo, however, is an automatic and has the tendency to creep up over the speed limit, as it doesn’t have cruise control. Fast automatic car + young male driver = trouble.
- How will your P-plater contribute towards the upkeep of the vehicle? Not all P-platers have jobs. If your P-plater has a job, then it’s reasonable to expect some contribution towards petrol money, especially if he/she takes the car to get to the job. If your P-plater doesn’t have a job, then assistance can be made in the form of extra chores or running errands in the car.
Above all, remember that it’s your car and that you control the car keys. Use of your vehicle by someone else is a privilege, not a right.
Safe and happy driving,
Megan
P.S. The furniture didn’t fall off the ute and he got back before curfew.
BTCC Memorable Drives: The Unsung Hero of 1999
Image taken from: Speedhunters.com
The 1999 British Touring Car Championship is remembered most fondly as both the year that Laurent Aiello won the title as well as the first time an independent won a race outright when Matt Neal stormed to victory during the first feature race of the year at Donington. Perhaps even many would remember the first ever night race in the BTCC at Snetterton where Peter Kox became the first Dutchman to win a race. However when I look back to 1999, I think of the return of a true legend who echoed what Ford did in 1993, competing in less than half of a season yet storming up the [independent] field. May I present the unsung hero of the 1999 season, the late great Mr Will Hoy.
For the 1999 season, Arena Motorsport entered an ex-works Renault Laguna which would be driven by Russell Spence. It was clear from the outset however that Russell Spence lacked both the machinery and determination to challenge for the top places. In his defense however, the lead independent was the mighty Matt Neal in the Team Dynamics Nissan that started the year making mince meat of even the works cars. The other independents never really stood much of a chance. For Spence, his season may well have been defined by his huge accident during qualifying at Oulton Park at Lodge Corner; his car cut the final corner and launched over the barrier. Luckily no one was hurt.
Ouch. Time to call for backup? Enter Will Hoy stage left. Image taken from: SuperTouringRegister.com
As the season headed for Snetterton and the first night race, it was announced that Will Hoy would be taking over duties in the Arena Motorsport camp for the rest of the year. This marked Hoy’s return to racing a Renault Laguna after two years racing for the Ford Mondeo team. Hoy was never going to follow in the footsteps of Matt Neal, given the obvious lack of performance in the Arena Motorsport Renault, but it didn’t stop him driving the wheel nuts off the car for the final six rounds of the year.
The independents field may have become somewhat depleted as the year went on, but that should take nothing away from Hoy. Incidentally, Will Hoy was the only independent driver in 1999 to finish every race he started, beating even Matt Neal on that front. The independents title of 1999 went down to Matt Neal, Mark Blair and Will Hoy. Even though Neal won by a country margin, what Hoy achieved was something staggering. At the end of the year, the finishing points were as follows:
- Matt Neal – 353 points (9th overall, 109 points) [26/26 rounds]
- Mark Blair – 183 points (16th overall, 11 points) [26/26 rounds]
- Will Hoy – 131 points (15th overall, 15 points) [12/26 rounds]
- Lee Brookes – 78 points (17th overall, 5 points) [14/26 rounds]
- Paula Cook – 41 points (Joint 18th overall, 3 points) [16/26 rounds]
- Russell Spence – 25 points (Joint 18th overall, 3 points) [14/26 rounds]
You are reading that correctly; Will Hoy competed in 14 rounds less than the top 2 and yet was only 52 points behind second place man Mark Blair. Taking an average of how many points Will scored per round, if he had competed in the full year he would have earned himself 283 points, which would have secured his 2nd place overall. Furthermore, this does not take into account the improvements that he would have made across the year with the consistent developments that come naturally with a full season’s racing.
The highlight of Hoy’s season however came in the final race of the year at a very wet Silverstone where a titanic battle took place between Neal, Muller, Radermecker and our man Will. Lap after lap the four cars were trading places, and even though it was obvious that Hoy lacked the horse power of the other cars, he never let up until the very end. The final two races of the year saw the Renault man take a 6th and a 7th overall. Hoy was never a man to suffer in the rain, as he proved in 1998 when he won at another wet Silverstone in a Ford Mondeo that was in no way the fastest car in the field. The man was very much the living proof that motorsport is as much about talent as it is machinery.
Will Hoy will always be remembered as one of the true greats of BTCC – a real gentleman and a hugely competitive racer.
1999 proved to be his final year in the BTCC (minus two races in Class B in 2000), and what an encore it was.
Here is to the unsung hero of the 1999 BTCC season, and to the true hero of the series. Will Hoy – this one’s for you.
Don’t forget to comment with your other BTCC Memorable Drives, and follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
Fathers Day: Flowing in the Family Fuel-Line
“The Force runs strong in my family. My father has it, I have it. You have that power too”
This weekend, I chose to go back to my homeland to visit my parents. For today is Fathers Day. And as I write my dad sites atop his throne, catching up on the weekends’ motorsport. People say that some thing don’t change, this tradition has been in effect throughout my life and I can’t see this changing. While many people I know are posting wonderfully sentimental Facebook statuses with obligatory father-child photo, I thought I would take it one further. The Glynn family gene pool has been dominated by motorsport since the beginning of time. Today is the perfect day to celebrate and thank the man responsible for introducing me to the world of cars.
While growing up, I never did quite fit in with those around me. Now I’m sure there are a multitude of reasons why this may be, but for me there was always one that stood out. Everyone would always be talking about football; great goals, terrible fouls and my personal favourite of referring to their team as ‘we’ as if apparently they have some say in how the team is run. For me though, all I wanted to do was talk about motorsport. Did I wish I could join in the sports chat? Not one bit.
My love for all things cars can be traced back to my dad. Honestly? I could not be more thankful for it.
Some of my earliest memories consist of three key aspects; my dad, motorsport and Brands Hatch. Many of my childhood weekends were spent with my dad watching all manner of racing, indulging my ever-growing passion for cars. I can recall it almost as if it was yesterday; my dad would have his race day clipboard and program, filling in all the results so he could keep a full record of the racing. It was not long until I was doing the same thing. It was around this time that my dad started telling me stories, and entrusted me with a true piece of Glynn family history.
Sitting in the Paddock Hill grandstand, my dad handed to me a clipboard of my own. Covering this clipboard, in much a similar fashion to his was a blistering array of motorsport stickers of seemingly rather considerable age. This was not just any clipboard; this was his father’s clipboard. This was a ceremony, the passing on of a great institution to the next generation. My dad went on to tell me of a time when he was the child and it was his dad taking him to race weekends. I just hope that one day I can pass on the motorsport legacy to a new generation too.
When it comes to cars, there are few opinions I value more than that of my dad. When I bought my first car, my dad was there. If my car breaks down, he always has the answer. If I want some advice on a race weekend or a race series, my dad always knows.
Image taken from: insidebtcc.com
Without him, I never would have discovered the BTCC. If my weekends were not spent at racetracks, then my dad and me would be watching the VHS reviews of BTCC seasons. People may wonder where my obsession with the series came from. Another point for my dad right there.
When I walked through the door upon my return home this father day, the familiar scene I was presented with is what made me genuinely realise how interwoven cars are into my family. It would not be a normal day if I did not find my dad watching motorsport on the television. Without this relationship, my passion for a career in motorsport would never have been born. Just like my dad’s life is scheduled around keeping up with the latest races, mine is based around covering events and keeping the Internet up to date with my take on proceedings.
All that remains for me to really say is thank you. For me, there is no motorsport without my dad. He passed his lifestyle onto me and I just hope that I can uphold this as we plough on through into the future. As I place my hands around what would have been my grandfather’s race day clipboard, it all becomes clear. By enjoying motorsport I am celebrating who I am. And where I come from.
Happy Fathers Day, Dad. And thank you for everything.
Keep up with me on Twitter @lewisglynn69
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
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