scoobynutta555

"I saved a packet (won't say how much but it was alote). "

Tal why wont you tell us how much you saved, are you worried about resale or something?

Chris L

It's true what Pete says - those with problems will shout loudest, it is a fact of life. I've done 25000 miles in MY00 from new - apart from some clutch judder that was replaced without question under warranty, I can't fault the car. Yes insurance is expensive and it is a little thirsty ( ) on fuel, but anyone considering buying a Subaru should be aware of that before putting pen to paper. Personally my biggest problem is finding a car to replace it in a couple of years...

Cheers
Chris

Tal

Right !!

Over the last 3 or 4 weeks it seems that the MY00 and infact the Scooby in general have been taking a good kicking from certain members of the board.

Here's my thoughts

Having owned quite a few 'nice' motors (205 1.6 and 1.9 GTI, BMW 325i, Golf VR6, 106 GTI)
I fancied a Scooby after driving a friends MY98 so off I went to the dealers (S.G.Petch Richmond) had a test drive of a MY99 and was hooked - But the deal (or lack of it) they offered was taking the ****!!. So I thought the dream was dead until I found out about Importing from Europe. I got into a group buy and bought the car from a great bloke ( Gertjan Van De Velde) it took 6 months to come and I saved a packet (won't say how much but it was alote). Had a superb time picking up the car (MY00 Sonic blue 17" OZ's - S-02s extra gauges colour coded).

The car is now almost a year old and has quite honestly been superb not a single problem - No clutch judder No hesitation and Hardly any Paint chips (I did and do use Wax Wizard products from New)

The car has now got a full Scooby sport Exhaust and KN induction kit, it sounds superb and SHOCK HORROR it is faster, handles better, is better looking and better equipt than my friends MY98.

All this talk of BMW's makes me laugh!.My father has had 2 BMW from new MY98 and MY00 he has had loads of problems, and get this he paid £22 000 for a 316se in 98 did 9 000 miles in it in 2 years and got £11 500 trade in against another new one !! (if my car did that I would have to give it away literally)

So to get a BMW with the same performance as my Scooby I would be looking at what 40k for a M3 and then on a wet road it would be bye bye Frits. Nice Interior though (HA HA)

Anyway rant over I love my car and think it is, for the money the best car in world

Come on chaps am I alone ??

Tal

Steve vRS

No you aren't alone.

I haven't got a Scoob yet but realise that happy customers are a lot quieter (and more numerous) than unhappy customers.

Steve

camk

obviously

P.T

Tal,

I also have a Dutch MY00 bought with my own coin last August.

I too have been through a number of 'nice' company cars, BMW's, Audi,Saabs, T4 etc etc.. and my Scooby is without doubt the best drive of the lot.

Unlike you I do have a spot of judder on the clutch (only when cold and not all the time) and the engine does not accelerate as smoothly as perhaps it should when cold. However this does not detract (for me anyway) from the pleasure I get from this car.

Looking forward to some more mods (just P1 wheels at the mo)like the SS exhaust, but NOT looking forward to resale time..I can't stop drving the thing and I use it for work, 20k on the clock already, ouch!

Paul.

pslewis

Great fun car for the money

Superb driving machine

All cars can go wrong

But customer support and build quality are NOT equal.

When customers have a genuine complaint, ie. NO car, at whatever price, should cough and splutter in certain weather conditions at a certain engine speed. Then it is a serious issue - to answer it by, "It is a feature of the car" is NOT the way to endear customers with that fault.

I am not sure, but would hazard a guess, that there are NO BMW's with a "feature" of a hesitating engine? I could be wrong - maybe it is a feature all of cars these days?

And yes customers who are NOT happy shout the most - thats not a new concept

Pete

[This message has been edited by pslewis (edited 30 April 2001).]

RichS

My MY00 U.K. has:

- clutch judder (but only when cold)
- engine surge (again only when cold)
- internal trim rattles (but it's not bad and I knew the interior was one of the car's downsides when I bought it.)

Otherwise it is the best car I have ever driven and I still consider it to be a fantastic piece of kit.

Would I buy another?
Well no, but that's only because I'd prefer to try something else rather than religously stick to the same brand / model.

Any non-scoob owners reading this BBS recently would think the Impreza was crap!

Rich

BTW
Both my brother and my father have BMW's and both have had problems with theirs which make my scoob problems look trivial.

[This message has been edited by RichS (edited 30 April 2001).]

EvilBevel

OK, let's try to get this sorted out.

Fact: some people with MY99-00 have problems with surging & clutch. Some don't.

Couldn't we try to use the collective brains on this BBS to try and come up with an answer WHY some cars have these problems and some don't ? And, imagine, come up with a possible cure ?

I'm pretty sure there are not x numbers of ECU's for these cars, so I personally don't think it is an ECU fault, but there might be something else into play.

Does anyone who has the hesitation have a boost gauge to see what exactly happens to the boost curve ? (I'm thinking solenoid problems, oil in pipework etc)

Let's try to be productive on this one, and make Scoobynet shine again !

Saying "I don't have this problem" does not make the problem go away for those who have.

Anyone agree ?

Theo

Oh, and BTW: my last BMW 318iS didn't exactly hesitate, it just stopped working at 70 MPH ... had to come to a standstill and try to restart again after 5 minutes. Not funny on highways. 8 months later I sold the car (they could not solve it). It happens to every brand. Doesn't mean you have to just take it on the chin of course.

Hoppy

Here's my experience with Subaru, IM and Prodrive.

I wasn't sure I wanted a Scoob (having driven an older model - too noisy, uncomfortable and thirsty). Through a trade contact, IM lent me a new car for a week. Delivered to my door, full of petrol, and collected a week later. No charge.

I ordered my car immediately, last November, in blue with air con and was told I'd have to wait four months, or I could have a silver one tomorrow. Guess what, I've got a silver one, UK00 four-door.

I haven't suffered any of running problems others have had. Just a pair of cracked front discs, replaced immediately under warranty. Local dealer very willing to please. Now over 30,000 miles.

Then I decided I'd like a bit more power, from a Prodrive Performance Pack. But again, I wanted to try before buying.

Called IM to ask if they knew anyone with a Prodrive demonstrator. Listers had one, with handling kit on as well.

Listers lent me their car for an afternoon and, despite the fact that I'd decided to have the PPP within 30 seconds of driving it (it's fantastic) I drove for several hours, just to make sure Listers even called me to make sure I wasn't in a ditch somewhere! I also decided to have the handling pack, too.

Prodrive fitted the PPP promptly and efficiently, and it's every bit as good as I hoped. Ditto the handling pack, fitted by local dealer.

Following a thread on here about ride heights, I checked mine and, as I thought, it was rather low at the rear. Contacted Prodrive who said it was within tolerance, but only just. Keep them informed. After a couple of thousand miles, it had settled a little further. Prodrive sent a replacement pair, without question. Now after several thousand more miles, the rear suspension is again too low. Prodrive have now sent me a pair of rear springs from the five-door, which are 1cm longer. They're going on later this week.

I can't fault the car, IM, Prodrive or my dealer. My only problem has been getting accurate info on Prodrive products from several dealerships. I've resolved this by contacting Prodrive direct, who are always prompt and efficient.

Richard

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

I too have a euro import MY00, very little stone chips (hardly noticable) but the car is sonic blue also no hesitation, some minor clutch judder but only when its very cold out (new hydraulic fluid i think may sort that problem out) otherwise no problems what so ever some nice 17's with so-2 rubber which made a bloody good difference to the handling and lots of factor from 11k miles worth of driving my "weekend" car

Tony

GazP

I think it is more down to how people/companies deal with any problems you encounter. If there is a problem and it is sorted professionally and courtiously then great, it's another thumbs up for customer service, but if you get treated like dirt and get fobbed off like a small child then it's not the best advertisement in the world for the car or it's company is it. I say enjoy the car and enjoy the moment, the way things are going in this country you won't be able to buy any cars as you will be forced to use public transport

Hoppy

The acid test is would you buy another one? Yes, without hesitation.

Chris L, we're in the same boat - what to get when it comes to changing cars in a couple of years.

By then, I'm hoping the new-shape STi will be even better, complete with 6-speed sequential shift and plenty of after-market goodies available. No brainer, really.

Richard

Bajie

Tal

If you can't drive your car on a wet road you shouldn't drive at all.
All this anti-rear wheel drive buffoonery is totally laughable.
Book a test drive in an M3.
Turn the traction control on.
Find a roundabout and floor the throttle.
What happens. You come out on the other side.
Shock horror! What a crappy car!
Turn the traction control off and the rear can be provoked. Think you can catch it. Maybe you should book yourself on The Wetter the Better after all ...

Tal

No you see I have nothing against rear wheel drive or BMW for that matter ( I would love a New M3) it is just i could buy a house with the price difference !!.

BMW's are fantastic it's just I think in real world UK roads a Scooby with a few tweaks is a better value car. (and a fantastic one at that)

Sorry if I have upset you in anyway.

I was driving a twisty B road last night (okay I know it like the back of my hand)it was dark lots of standing water, now I can get power oversteer in the wet and I was having big fun!! I don't know how good a driver you are but to stay with me or overtake me in them conditions you would have to be a dam good one in a BM alote better than me.

I went round some S bends at 90+ to be greated with a lake !! on the road at least 6" of standing water for about 30 feet the scoob just ploughed though straight as a die - amazing

Tal - if I could afford a M3 I would have one

[This message has been edited by Tal (edited 30 April 2001).]

Triggaaar

I have become quite sad about cars since buying the scoob (MY00 WRX Jap import).
Owned for 10 months, 9500 miles, 4 track days, no problems related to subaru (except I lost an anti roll bar bush on track). Fall in value doesn't bother me one bit as I have no intention of selling for years.
The car rattles more than a beemer, but costs half as much (M3), and is faster (real world). Only car simillar is the evo, which too cost a lot more.
If I could afford an M3, I'd still prefer a scoob (the rattles bother me less than they seem to bother others)

Scotsman

iTrader: (3)

It's all relative really. The BMW's are nice machines - especially the 330D's. But they do cost £8k + more.

I heard a lot about the crap interiors of the Scooby but I'm very happy with mine - a LOT less crappy than I was led to believe (it is a MY99 which I think had a make over). I love my car - bought it 6 weeks ago for £15k - though have £7k per year car budget from my company, so could have got a beemer. I would not be happier though. Love the car, love the driving.

Never had anyone try and race me - though living in Dunblane (central belt of Scotland) means there's not many Nova drivers around

[This message has been edited by Scotsman (edited 30 April 2001).]

sco_si

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Scotsman:
<B>Never had anyone try and race me - though living in Dunblane (central belt of Scotland) means there's not many Nova drivers around

[/quote]

Try driving in Angus, there's plenty of the Nova squad around. Far too many if you ask me!

Gastro

Hi all,

I too have had some 'nice cars' [BMW 320i, Integra R, Porsche 911 Carrera 4, Porsche Boxster - and now a P1]........
I agree totally with Tal's comments. It all depends on what you want.
Ok , Spudgun for example clearly is the retiring type (now!)....wants loads of low end torque, and a bit of status + build quality........OK - thats fine, but dont argue 'in the real world etc... - cos it simple isnt as quick when it comes to a twist road - or off the mark even etc..'.....

Other members argue that build quality is rubbish etc... warranty problems etc.... Put all of this in perspective - you want great performance, reliability + build quality - right ?? etc... Look at these + tell me who would be happy with them :-

1) TVR - fantastic performance, looks etc.... reliability - no, does not compute - even TVR dealers will tell you that, and for build quality - definitely *no* - shut lines, paintwork & repair problems with fibreglass - not a patch on the thinly panelled scooby (really !)..and servicing - not exactly the cheapest - and many moan about the servicing of the scooby

2) Ferrari - Fantastic performance, image, and in the new models quality. Fine - pay £100K - not exactly the same figure as a scooby is it.....??? Ok - take a secondhand 348tb - probably about £30-40K... clutches - they are built to last about 6K miles....and a snip at £1500-2000 to replace, stop getting het up about the judder thing - at £500 its a bargain to replace if you are using the performance and enjoying it !!
3) Porsche - looks, build quality, performance etc.... Fine; clutches, flywheels, engine oil leaks (bar the 993), smokey engines - all really quite reasonable - all starting at £1500 +++.........Plus servicing (over £450 before you have started).......Scooby doesnt look that expensive does it - for very similar performance - if not for status ?????

Finally - I havent mentioned fuel economy or insurance - all of the above use SUL, all do 20's MPG on a long run, and all of them have their *unique* problems that cost a darn sight more than the scoobys.....!! And insurance is also more expensive !!

So, if you want the economy of a SMART car, the status of a Merc, and the Performance of a Ferrari - dont read on - 'cos there *isnt* such a car available today - the nearest is probably a scoob - and thats why *you* own one............Just be happy with what is probably the best rounded performance car there is ......

Thats me done anyway !

Gastro

spudgun

ok, i thought i'd chip my twopence worth in as the thread seemed to be aimed at people like me...so here goes..
since when does a uk my00 cost 20k, really? by the time youve done the suspension, put better 17" wheels on, tried to fit some lights that actually work, got ppp because youve got used to the speed, got a leather retrim coz the quality of the cloth on the seats is appalling, took valuable time off work to sort clutches, services every 6 months etc etc etc. add up all the mods you want and then compare it against a decent spec new 3 series, and i think its the scoob that starts looking rather expensive. dealer mods that cost a fortune, yet worth NOTHING come resale etc etc .
now, i had the bmw dealer drop a FREE loan 318ti compact off today at my shop. i have the car for 1 month and then my 330ci is ready. for the first time in months i enjoyed a drive home. i was expecting a right dreadful little car, but its actually rather sweet. its 6 years old, done 75 k miles, and yet STILL looked better inside than my old my00.also, it wasnt that much of a slouch, yet noone tailgated me. all this talk about scoobys being the best car in the real world is drivel. how often do you have a road to yourself? speed cameras, old dears doing 20mph in white metros etc etc. in the REAL world, outright speed is secondary IMHO to practicality. if your lucky to be able to afford to run TWO cars like me , then great, u have the best of both worlds. but to say the my00 is worth the money, then i'm sorry , i have to disagree. as ive said before, our my95 is FAR better built, and seems to have a lot more oomph and charachter.
as for the future? when princess gets rid of the my95 for a skyline r33 gtr, then i will buy a uk 5 door in dark green for weekend use/ taking the dog to the beach...OR a pulsar, and do some crazy mods on it.
finally, i aint having a go at members of this bbs, i enjoy speaking with you. i think the impreza is a fantastic car, thats why i bought one, still have one, and probably buy another in the future. BUT , i will not buy a my00, i will buy an old one for about 8-9k, now THATS a fantastic bargain, not 20 plus k, for the my00.

Gastro

Spudgun,

Ok - I cant comment RE MY 95 vs. MY 00 - but your impressive comment with regards to your courtesy car - Your surely not naive to think that its *FREE* ???? please, when your 330d comes in for more services etc,,, dont you think that BMW might recoup that in servicing costs etc...... Just a thought
Or are you suggesting that servicing a BMW is cheaper than a scoob - please dont make me laugh any more .........diesel or not !

Good luck,

Gastro

spudgun

gastro
as far as i'm aware, the 330 has a service at 15k miles. i do 6k miles a year. my service will be not for a while yet then eh?
oh, and it aint a diesel, its a petrol, and an automatic
i am not saying a 330ci is cheaper to run than a scooby, nor is it any less depreciating in value. all cars depreciate to some extent, some more than others. one of my main beefs is being encouraged to only fit dealer/IM approved mods, and for them to be worth NOTHING.
finally, the scooby is a better sporting drive than a 330ci.i have to agree, only a fool wouldnt. however, if u want a car that is a joy to be in, still has more oomph than a lot of cars on the road, is less attention grabbing to thieves vandals nova boys and cops, is good looking and has prestige, then u could do a lot worse than a beemer 330ci sport.
also, IMHO the dealer i'm buying this car off knocks spots off the subaru dealers i've used in the past, in terms of friendliness, and allround good manners and service.
no car is perfect, its whatever tickles yer fancy i spose. i do prefer scooby owners to beemer owners on the whole though. bmw's problem is some of the knobcheeses who drive their cars. not all of em, just a lot it seems

camk

I see a Scoobyfever is spreading quicker than Foot and Mouth. Why is it that Scooby owners always compare on the grounds tha suit's and when its challenged the rules change.
I had a 94 Sti for 2 years and loved it but its not the best car in the world, sorry its noisy, mine was unreliable(most second hand cars are ) and was also expensive to run . Too often I see guys on here giving it oohhh my dad had a BMW 316 and it was crap, yeah right so they must all be crap then.
There is no right and wrong here, sure scoobys are quick(what is the real world anyway), EVO's are too, so are BM's,Porkers and the rest.
There are too many factors to be right and wrong here, surely our reason for getting together via the internet is to look at the good things about all our cars.
I've a BM and a Porker, before I've had 3 Golf Gtis which have all been much cheaper and simpler to maintain than my Scoob and cheaper to buy. I had a Fiesta Supersport whcih was possibly the worst car investment ever but I'd change nothing, don't knock others cause they are different, listen and learn. Now that is the real world.....

Cammy

spudgun

oh, and another thing
the compact IS free for a month. they are charging me NOTHING for its use, i only have to cover the insurance. that sounds pretty free to me. the good thing is, i didnt even ask for it. i have a my95 parked outside, yet i will use this thing for commuting. i aint having a go at you gastro, nor any other my00 owner, i'm just making my own personal point of view...otherwise this would become 'snoozynet' if we all agreed..would u agree?

Hoppy

Gastro, excellent post. Yes, that's why I've got a Scoob!

Spudgun, glad you're happy with BMW service and value. Some great cars (and some not so great) and all with so many optional extras thrown in free. 318 Compact, now there's a splendid machine. And I'm sure you'll enjoy the luxurious showroom and generous hospitality next time you visit a dealership. Helps to swallow the bill. All for free, of course.

Richard.

SCOSaltire

Hi

I luv my Scooby...
pure and simple..
i have all the quirks common to the my99 car.

I looked at the beemer.. and i agree the car is lovely... but.. its too expensive for me just now.

my first choice was a lotus elise... but practicality and cost ruled out the elise and beemer.

ideally (with out supercars) the 330ci and lotus elise would be my ideal combo...

BUT... for under 20k, and major performance, with warranty, the scooby was the only choice...

and i luv driving it....

i have made the best choice...

spudgun

hoppy
if u own a my00 ( which is why youre here debating this, right?) then, wouldnt u agree u paid way over the odds for a uk scooby? so what if beemers aint cheap? neither is a p1 for example(seeing as its a reworked sti plus 10k )
i'm lucky, god willing and im thankful for it, but i can afford the car.i could afford any car i like within reason. the point is not what is affordable, but is the my00 what its cracked up to be?....and dont even get me started on the pig ugly my01!.
sorry i dont meet with approval on this subject, but you really ought to stop thinking the my00 is the perfecr car.IMHO its far from it , thats why i got rid.

Ian E

iTrader: (1)

Tal, thanks for posting this thread - I was about to do the same - getting sick of people knocking the best cars I've ever owned!

I've previously had a MY1997 purchased from a UK Dealer and now have a MY2000 purchased direct from Holland.

Both cars have been absolutely excellent. My only warranty claim on the MY1997 was to replace the radio cassette (rewind button stopped working). I haven’t bothered extending the warranty on my MY2000 but whilst it was within warranty I didn’t need to make a single claim.

Clutch judder has only ever been noticeable on both cars when warming up from cold and is fine from then onwards.

I haven't noticed the hesitation problem on the MY2000 - but I always warm the car up very carefully from cold.

I disagree with Spudgun on the amount you need to spend on a 'basic' Scooby. At the end of the day the only options I consider essential are the Prodrive Settings (£70) and uprated (100W) headlight bulbs (£30)

Even at £21k new I don’t think there’s much else to compare. At less than £16k there was nothing to compare (in my opinion).

Cheers,

Ian (Very Happy MY2000 Scooby Owner )


[This message has been edited by Ian E (edited 30 April 2001).]

pslewis

Youre getting sick of people knocking the best cars YOU have ever owned????

Sorry if I am missing something - but I cannot remember anyone knocking your cars???

What Spudgun and I are doing, if you care to look beyond your nose, is to knock OUR cars!! well, I am not knocking mine - I AM knocking IM and Subaru UK however the point remains ........ look at the real meaning before you start jumping up and getting all excited.

Some of you take it soooo personal???? its a car NOT your lover!!! (or is it?? )

Pete

Ian E

iTrader: (1)

Pete,

The title of this thread is "MY00 lets get it into pespective". Hence my answer.

I (personally) have no reason to knock IM and Subaru UK. If you have then fair enough. Just out of interest (to save me doing a search) give me a (short!) summary of the problems you have had with your Scoob and IM.

Thanks,

Ian (Very Happy MY2000 Scooby Owner )