I know all of you love to change the oil in your own cars, in the driveway, but I sure don't want to know what you do with the used oil. I know if I mention that Subaru gives me free maintenance for two years or 24,000 miles someone will snarkily claim that the service was priced into the original price of the car. I'm pretty sure that whatever brand or model of car I purchased several commenters will quickly "educate" me about why I've made a horrible and life-crushing mistake with my own choice which will haunt me for years. With all that in mind I thought I'd just write a jaunty and upbeat synopsis of my adventure today.
I worked hard at swim practice yesterday so I decided to sleep in this morning and just chill. Eventually I dragged myself out of my toasty warm bed and padded down the long hallway to the kitchen to make a cup of (perfect) coffee (hand ground, Columbian Supremo) and take a bit of sustenance. I read the news, checked MJ's site for updated diet, car and medical advice, and then answered a few emails.
I looked across the dining room table and noticed that B. left me a mailer that came in the mail. It was from my Subaru dealer reminding me that I'd be smarter to do my every six month or every six thousand mile oil change, filter change, tire rotation, and 24 point inspection timely than I would be if I put it off for too long. Now, I don't drive nearly as many miles as I did when I was working too many hours in too many days. And, if we drive on vacation we generally do it in the family car as opposed to the business vehicle. I noticed that I only had 20K miles on the car but I do understand that Texas's hot weather tends to break down oil over time, not just driven miles.
So I grabbed the old laptop, my phone and an M series Leica and jumped into the Subaru at 10:45 a.m. I was at the dealership at 11 a.m. and checked in by 11:10. The service advisor went over the scheduled maintenance with me and suggested that it might take a bit longer than usual. Maybe two hours instead of one. Would I need a loaner? Naw, I've got stuff to work on.
The baristas were holding court in the very clean, very well appointed waiting area and I got a very nicely composed and presented latté to sip on. Popped the lid on the laptop, plugged in my noise reduction ear buds and settled in. This is the second new Forester I've owned and I've had nothing but great experiences with the vehicles. I think the secret is... to do the scheduled maintenance and use the recommended oils, fluids and authentic parts.
The dealer's wifi was quick and perky. The staff young and personable. The cost? Zero. The upsell? Non-existent. When I hear horror stories about predatory car dealerships and larcenous repair shops I think back to my days as a BMW driver. That was a horrible experience. Subaru? So far nothing but smiles and saved money.
I don't buy fancy cars anymore. The turbo-charged Volvo 960 wagon was a gut wrenching disaster the minute it eluded its warranty. How many turbo chargers can one car destroy? And really, before you tell me it was driver error, I have to say that I used to let the damn thing idle for at least two minutes at the end of every ride. The BMW 540 was the worst product I ever bought. It was well mannered for exactly 48 thousand miles (and very fun to drive) and then, the day after the warranty clicked off it transformed into an on again, off again, car invalid. Front suspension issues, a blown radiator, the "marvelous" theft proof ignition system died and had to be special-ordered from Germany, along with a set of very, very pricey ignition keys that were an integral part of the anti-theft system.
Since my car trauma of owning and delivering intensive care to the BMW ( would be cheaper to take it to a hospital ICU and have a surgeon look at it...) I permanently swore off any German car and any "luxury" car. At 5 mph on Mopac expressway in rush hour the ability to accelerate wildly, or cruise at speeds over 100, becomes absolutely meaningless. Now I am an avowed Honda, Subaru and Toyota fan. In fact, the day I decide that I'll never put a couple hundred pounds of photo gear in the hatchback ever again is probably the day that I'll buy a base model Toyota Corolla and never look back. Ben's hand me down Corolla is a 2003. He does the basic maintenance (or, rather, his mechanic does it), changes the oil, rotates the tires, replaces stuff when it's needed and continues to drive for, basically, pocket change.
Since I now think driving anywhere more than 200 miles from home is a waste of time things like "Oh, my Suburban is such a great highway car!" are meaningless to me.
And here's one more thing to enrage all the car fanatics out there... everyone in my family replaces their car batteries every three years. No exceptions. So much cheaper and more efficient than getting stuck somewhere and tossing away a half a day of your own precious time. Further inflammation and outrage? The Subaru dealer will charge me $225 to replace my "perfectly good" battery. And I'll smile and gladly pay it as I remember the BMW battery that left me helpless and furious one late night at the parking garage at the Austin airport. I vowed: Never Again.
Ooops. Gotta go. The car is ready...early.
Just one more thing. The car, brand new and ordered just the way I wanted it was $26,000 plus tax, title and license. Just slightly more than half the average price that American consumers pay for the average car. Cheap enough to buy without the need for financing. But... everyone's mileage will vary. A lot.
