MTL - My Years As a Car Dealer-Chapter 340 : Boxer Engine: Subaru Outback (2)
Chapter 0340: Horizontally Opposed Engine: Subaru Outback (2)
The reason why the Subaru Outback is slow to sell in China is that in addition to its low brand awareness, the price is also relatively expensive.
The black Subaru Outback in front of everyone is a 2011 2.5i luxury version, equipped with a 2.5L167 horsepower H4 naturally aspirated engine and a CVT continuously variable transmission.
The whole vehicle is 4775 mm long, 1820 mm wide and 1615 mm high, with a maximum power of 123 and a maximum torque of 229. It belongs to a 5-door, 5-seat mid-size SUV.
Listed in January 2012, the current mileage is more than 90,000 kilometers, and the new car landed more than 320,000 that year, and the current used car price is around 100,000.
Such body data, such an engine, such a gearbox, what does it mean when the new car was sold for 320,000 yuan?
Meaning the price is more expensive than most midsize SUVs of the same type.
Zhang Chen silently compared the 2012 2.7L two-wheel drive 7-seat luxury Highlander that was listed in January 2014 and has a mileage of 90,000 kilometers.
This Highlander also cost more than 320,000 when the new car landed, but the Highlander is equipped with a 2.7L188 horsepower L4 engine and a 6-speed manual gearbox.
In fact, the fuel consumption of the engine is almost the same, but the horsepower is larger than that of the Subaru Outback. Besides, the AT gearbox of the Highlander is more durable and less faulty than the CVT gearbox of the Subaru Outback.
The length of the Highlander is 4795 mm, which is similar, but the Highlander is 1910 mm wide and 1760 mm tall, surpassing the Subaru Outback's 1820 and 1615 mm.
The second-hand price of this Subaru Outback is around 100,000, while the second-hand price of the Highlander is around 180,000. The value preservation rate of the two is not at the same level.
Therefore, Highlander's brand awareness is higher than that of Subaru Outback, the market demand is large, car dealers like it, and customer satisfaction is high. The price is the same, it can be seen that the price of the Subaru Outback was a lot higher.
In addition to the low appearance, low brand awareness and high price, the reason why the Subaru Outback is not selling well lies in its own common problems and shortcomings.
First is the noise.
It is different from the abnormal noise in some parts of the central control, chassis, engine, etc. after the age of some models.
The 2011 Subaru Outback is buzzing all over the car.
The central control, steering console, front and rear axles, engine and other parts will produce all kinds of noises such as creaking, rattling, rattling.
A person with a bad temper will be slammed on the steering wheel by the noisy forehead, and a person with a good temper can only comfort himself that he is listening to the symphony in the concert hall.
Secondly, some batches of Subaru Outbacks have poor quality ignition switches.
It may be that the positioning spring in the ignition switch has scars on the surface of the spring due to improper maintenance of the processing equipment during the production process, and the spring may be damaged after repeated vehicle ignition operations.
As a result, when there are heavy objects such as extra accessories hanging on the ignition key ring or the vehicle is bumped during driving, the ignition key may be turned to a position other than ON, causing the vehicle power supply to be cut off, the engine to be turned off, and the lighting and other electrical equipment to fail to work, increasing the number of vehicles. There is a risk of a sudden stop and collision, and there is a safety hazard.
There are also problems such as oil leakage from the shock absorber, poor sound insulation, poor brakes, and after the 2012 model, it started to burn oil, and the oil increased.
Since all Subaru series are imported cars, maintenance costs are much more expensive than other domestic joint venture cars.
Most of Subaru's 2.5 engines, including EJ255 and 257, are timing belts. Timing belts, water pumps, and tensioners need to be replaced every three years or 100,000 kilometers.
The 3.6 version is a timing chain design, which is maintenance-free for life.
For the 2.5 version, you only need to replace the oil filter. The oil volume is 4.5 liters. It only takes more than 300 yuan for semi-synthesis, and about 600 for full synthetic.
The 3.6 version can only be fully synthetic, the oil volume is 7 liters, and the minor maintenance is about 800.
Replacing the oil and water of the whole vehicle is unified at 40,000 kilometers, and the cost is about 1,300.
As a whole series of imported models, the most terrible thing is that the maintenance cycle of parts is really long.
In case of any accident on the road, even if it is just a rear-end collision and suffered minor injuries, changing the front bumper or the rear bumper is enough for Subaru Outback owners to have a headache.
If the owner of a Jetta or Corolla changes the front and rear bumpers, he doesn't even need to go to the 4S shop. As long as he goes to a reliable repair shop, he can drive home in less than two hours. What should I do?
Since the Subaru Outback has no ready-made accessories, the waiting time is as little as half a month or as much as a month. The car can only be parked in the repair shop, and the car can't be used during the waiting time.
I can only wait for the accessories to arrive and call to notify, and then after spending less than an hour to replace them, the owner drives away with a depressed and unhappy face.
Subaru Outback's interior material grade is not good, in the same class in the low-grade.
The overall configuration is simple, and the multi-function steering wheel, stereo, horn, air conditioner, etc. can only be said to be basically sufficient.
Zhang Chen told everyone about so many shortcomings. However, the Subaru Outback model has not disappeared. Instead, it has continued from generation to generation, and it still has its advantages in attracting consumers.
This has to mention that Subaru has unique technology.
In Zhang Chen's view, Subaru is a very special car company with a bit of a stick.
Because in the environment of open source and throttling, many OEMs can't wait to change all full-time four-wheel drive models to full-time four-wheel drive, or the front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive are different, all Subaru's models are still all horizontal. Four-wheel drive system.
It has been developing a unique four-wheel drive system and a high-performance horizontally opposed engine. After more than 20 years of continuous improvement and driving experience in harsh road conditions around the world, the performance and quality have been continuously improved.
Therefore, the high chassis, full-time four-wheel drive system and boxer engine are the advantages of the Outback.
The steering wheel is light, the directivity is good, the body stability is good, the overall power is strong, the start and acceleration are fast, the accelerator and brake are sensitive, the gear shift is smooth, and there is no frustration. Overtaking can almost kill most models in seconds.
Subaru has an all-wheel drive system that can overcome all-day and all-area road conditions, and when driving, power is distributed to four 215/55r17 tires through a full-time four-wheel drive system.
Although the Outback's body ground clearance is a bit high, it does not affect the Outback's cornering performance. When cutting into a corner at a high speed, the full-time four-wheel drive system plays a role, and the four wheels tightly grip the road. The 1.5-ton body stably follows the expected trajectory, and the suspension is relatively tough, which can absorb road bumps and accurately transmit road information.
While the Outback is a touring sedan for SUVs, its sprinting performance isn't much compromised.
However, the four-wheel drive system of the 2.5 version is different from the 3.6 version. The 2.5 version is biased towards the front drive, and the rear axle limited-slip differential is missing. .
Zhang Chen told everyone that compared to the four-wheel drive system, the most attractive to consumers is the horizontally opposed engine.
There are only two horizontally opposed engines in the works, one is Porsche and the other is Subaru, both of which are famous for producing sports cars.
A horizontally opposed engine means that the engine pistons are evenly distributed on both sides of the crankshaft, and the pistons move left and right in the horizontal direction.
There are many benefits to a horizontally opposed engine.
Because of the horizontally opposed arrangement, it is equivalent to the cylinder lying in the car. The overall height and length of the engine are reduced, which not only reduces the center of gravity of the whole vehicle, but also frees up space for the upper part of the car. It can also make the front of the car flat and low. , These factors can enhance the driving stability of the car, and the vehicle is more stable when driving, which is most obvious in Porsche.
The mutual force of the engine cylinders can easily cause the engine to shake. Before the balance shaft comes out, the torque generated by the pistons on both sides of the horizontally opposed engine cancels the vibrations of each other, which greatly reduces the vibration of the vehicle while driving, so that the engine speed is very fast. Great improvement and noise reduction, which is a lot more disadvantageous than other cars.
Because the horizontally opposed cylinder layout is a symmetrical and stable structure, which makes the engine run smoother than the V-type engine~www.novelbuddy.com~ The power loss during operation is also the smallest.
Of course, the lower center of gravity and balanced distribution also bring better handling to the vehicle. Lowest fuel consumption than other engine types.
The control is better, the model can be made lower, the shape is more attractive, the noise is small, the power loss is also small, and the fuel economy is more economical. Everyone understands the benefits of the horizontally opposed engine.
But people don't understand that the horizontally opposed engine is so bad, why is it not used on a large scale in civilian vehicles?
Zhang Chen smiled and explained that the main reason was the high cost.
Due to the dispersion of horizontally opposed cylinders, both the chain and the belt are longer than ordinary cars, and the design requirements are higher.
On the other hand, because it is horizontally opposed, the complexity of the chassis exhaust design is much higher.
In short, for the sake of sportiness, the cost must be high, even higher than that of the V6. Of course, the price of the vehicle is not cheap.
And because it is horizontally opposed, the horizontal cylinder will cause the oil to flow to the bottom due to gravity, so that one cylinder cannot be fully lubricated.
The oil may be unevenly distributed, resulting in improper heat dissipation and lubrication, and it may burn the oil. The old Forester was plagued by this trouble, and the Outback after 2012 also has the problem of burning oil.
Another point is that the horizontal opposition can counteract the lateral vibration, which is only an ideal situation. If the valve cannot be fully closed due to carbon deposition and other reasons, it will also cause the cylinder pressure to be unequal, which will cause the lateral force to be unequal. The same situation will cause left and right jitter.
The biggest headache for novice drivers is the small car accident, and the horizontally opposite is also more afraid of collision. Once it hits...the engine may cause irreversible damage.
So, Porsche don't get rear-ended, Subaru don't hit the wall.
