Con Te Partiro?
 

I'm sadly considering say adios to my blue baby. I bought her in 2015 with the idea of turning her into a road-trip / GT car. It worked out well. My wife and I drove her from home in South Texas to the DC area in 2017 and had a great time. Spent some money and time on GT upgrades (lighting/wheels/tires/sharpening the suspension/OEM XT oil temp regulator/quieting the cabin a bit) and made her even better. In 2019 we drove her a couple of thousand miles around West Texas. Again, we had a ball.

Then Covid hit and our travel plans did a faceplant for 2 years. Now, we've discovered we're not as young as we used to be and 500+mile (or even 300 mile) days in the BRZ pretty well wreck us. Our thinking is that it's the noise level in the cabin that is the major culprit. But, she is a bit cramped and the ride is rather firm

For the last two falls first I (in 2021) and then my wife (a couple of weeks ago) flew to Seattle and drove the 2400 miles down here with our youngest son in his Outback Wilderness. We think his has car spoiled us. It's much smoother and quieter than the BRZ, and is much more willing to take side trips down unimproved roads.

It's not nearly as much FUN to drive on winding roads, but down here it's a 200+ mile drive to find winding roads. So, the BRZ has become a garage queen. At 7 years of age she has a bit over 22,000 mile on her odometer.

So, we're considering swapping the BRZ in for a new OBW and trying to take some trips out to the mountains - west and east. Do some exploring, take some pictures, that sort of thing. William Least Heat Moon Blue Highways kind of stuff. If those still exist. Not sure yet. I still walk out in the garage, see the BRZ, and my pulse quickens a bit. I can sit down at my work bench and just look at her for hours. And it's far from certain that, even in the OBW, we're still up for 500 mile driving days. I guess we'll see.

I know what you mean. My twin is a very loud car on road trips, and the bilsteins are a much more harsh ride than stock. Often I think about selling all my sports Cars and getting a final cruiser, like a awd luxury sedan of some sort.

But....

I think my '15 twin has 24k miles.

The Outback is very comfortable but after putting 2000 miles on one I find the engine is very unrefined and too much of the noise makes it into the cabin. The start stop is very rough as well.

Cruising on the highway with the radar cruise control is very comfortable and pleasant. I was just very surprised with the engine noise.

This was not the turbo though, sold out everywhere at the time.

The Wilderness version fixes almost everything I didn't care about on the wife's 2018 Limited. Although it was very comfortable and well equipped it was only the NA 2.5 liter so with the CVT and weight it had a 0 to 60 of about 20 minutes. Made the 86 seem blisteringly fast!
we traded it for a 22 Ascent earlier this year and it is a far better road trip vehicle once you get over the increase in size.
That said if I was looking for a new SUV for just myself the Outback Wilderness would be the top of my list. The only draw back is the stupid 2023 touch screen HVAC controls but I suppose I would learn to live with that.

The engine doesn't sound much different than the 86 but boy oh boy that CVT made a racket. The Ascent isn't as noisy so not sure if they fixed that or just added more soundproofing.

Nothing relevant to add to the thread but the thread title now has that song playing in my head. Thank you. I do love that song.

If I were to sell mine, I just know I would regret it for the rest of my life.

I've already thought about the time i would eventually have to sell mine. Im afraid it might come a little sooner than i would expect.

I may need more space sooner than i think.

DAMN this crowd is getting OLD!

(just kidding)

I too have considered selling my 2013 FRS.

I hear ya about the covid layoff and long haul driving. I'm not sure whether it was the two year covid period or being almost 80 years old, but the idea of getting in any car and driving all day has lost its attractiveness.

We have a full sized sedan with AT, paddle shifters and a 3.6 l engine that is smooth riding, quiet and scoots right along.

Even when I just go to run an errand, I'll jump into the sedan rather than the FRS. Why? Maybe it's just easier to "jump into" or maybe it's the heated seats - :iono:

But like ol @Ultramaroon, if I sold it, I'm afraid I'd regret it. Why? Hell, I don't know, maybe for the same reasons I sometimes regret selling my Miata.

I don't know what to tell you - :sigh:

And an incredibly durable back bumper!

It is all relative. I'll take you on a trip in my Soft Top Defender, and the 86 will seem like quiet luxury..

That thought has crossed my mind. :(

I guess it's more important to consider how blessed we are for the opportunities we've been able to explore. I've been thinking about that since yesterday. It's truly a first-world problem. :cheers:

Fer sure, fer sure - :thumbsup:

Several years ago a close acquaintance suggested that modern humans would be much better off if they chose to collect experiences rather than "stuff." As I've gotten older that suggestion has become more central to my thinking about life in general.

The BRZ has assisted me in collecting a number of really memorable experiences. It took my wife and me on several really enjoyable road trips. It became a sort of canvas to create something better (I think) than what it started as. It brought me to this discussion board, and though I haven't actually met anyone on here, I formed some pretty rich and satisfying relationships.

For some time, I've told friends that (except for some pretty serious problems) to me these are the good old days. To have been alive and experience the world for the last 69 years truly is a gift. Cars and motorcycles have come and gone. The important thing has not been "having" them, but where they've taken me. I hope I still have some journeys to take and destinations to see. Not sure how, or if, I'll get there, but that's the case with any road trip - ain't it?

You're nearly 3.5x older than me so your needs and tolerance for discomfort are different than mine, but I'll still chime in. I agree with the general sentiment that this chassis is just a vessel for memories and relationships. In 2022 I drove across North America 3 times, visiting 4 provinces and at least 12 states (I lost count lol). Would I have done it in this car again? Absolutely. Would I have done it in a "cruiser" car, definitely.

If I were to switch platforms, I would be moving to something like a CL9 TSX. Still has a sporty aftermarket and the ability to get it with a manual. Plus out of the box it has plush leather seats, sound deadening, and is designed to be a comfortable highway car. Four doors also means you can more comfortably pack things, though the 86 is no slouch for cargo space.

I do somewhat disagree with getting an outback, there's nothing wrong with them. They're perfectly fine. They go A to B and do it pretty well. Personally I just find them very bland driving cars, but on the highway you can quite easily set and forget the cruise control.

Btw with the newer Outbacks, be sure to keep the sunroof drains clear. They can clog and cause major leaks in the roof that wick their way into the main chassis harness... S/O's uni roommate's 2019 was at Subaru a lot getting the seals fixed and harness replaced.

@villainous_frx Trust me, if I were only twice as old as you are, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Unfortunately, the years do tend to catch up with you, and they have with us. I had a couple of Gen 1 Integras back in the late 80s and a TSX has been on my "like" list for a long time.

That said, the Outback is in the crosshairs now for several specific reasons. First, all wheel drive. Many has been the time we've been on the road and noticed an interesting dirt, gravel, or rocky side road. I have not been able to bring myself to try many of them either in the BRZ or in my wife's Camry. I know other car makers build awd cars, but from what I can tell, for most things short of rock crawling, Subaru still does it best.

Edit: and most affordably.

Second is ground clearance. 9.5" will get me most places that I think I might want to go (and have any business trying).

Third is the powertrain. I don't care much at for CVTs, (Really don't care for them) but the turbo'd FA24 in the Outback Wilderness (and XTs) runs really well. My wife insists she have "ponies" under her right foot and the XT engines seem competitive with her old VQ35 Maxima and her current V6 Camry.

Fourth is experience. My youngest son lives in the PNW and has had first a Crosstrek and now a '22 Outback Wilderness. Last fall I flew up and we roadtripped down to deep south Texas in his OBW, with a couple of side trips on the way. I quite liked the car. Not enough to let the BRZ go, but enough to nobble my wife (unsuccessfully) to consider swapping in the Camry.

This fall she flew up and made the same trip down with him. Over the year since my trip, we have driven several 5 to 6 hour days in the BRZ. Each has left us both pretty beat. In addition, I've managed to break my hip and she's been battling some back issues. Old age is not a place for sissies. After the last 400+ mile day trip in the BRZ she doesn't think she wants to do that anymore. So, here we are.

Thanks for the tip about the drain holes. And, I recommend that as the years pile up for you, keep pushing.

Totally valid reasons! Just keep having adventures :cheers: