Saturday April 29, 2023 Guerneville CA.
My brother Barry came by my place this morning to give me a ride to a friend of him and his wife’s who was selling her car.
Old car
I’ve pretty much ran my old car into the ground. It has a few problems and needs to be replaced. The old one was a 1988 Subaru which I’ve had a long time and someone else had it before me.
Newer car
Anyway, his friend was getting a new car and needed to get rid of this one. It’s a 2017 Subaru Outback with all the modern bells and whistles. Stuff I have no idea how to use. I didn’t know how to start it even. The lady showed me enough to get me going.
The car looked good so we closed the deal. Barry took off for home and I slowly took off, figuring out how this thing worked as I headed for home. It goes pretty good as the first time I hit the gas, I almost snapped my neck. I took it easy after that.
Manuals
I parked it here and got all the manuals out to see if I could figure this thing out.
Everything is different
Just about everything about this car is different than my old one, so it was slow going and I spent most of the day working on it. I’d try to do something and go to the manual and go back and try it and go back to the manual, working through each thing, one at a time. Most of it isn’t really that hard, it’s just different from the old ways of doing things, starting with an FOB as there’s no key to get it going.
I got enough figured out to use it, but I still have more to figure out, but it was too much for one day.
Nice day.
Slick ride. No key? Can you jump start it? I have faith in your mechanical skills.
You’re technically oriented Bob- you will soon be used to it & will apply what features you find worthwhile & ignore any others that don’t compliment your driving.Most newer vehicles today run better,for longer & are safer.Subaru continues to have top ratings & as you become familiar you won’t even think about it- enjoy the experience.Al at Bayfield Bunch sure likes theirs.All the best.
Good advice. If Al can do it, I sure can. It is a nice car and I’ll figure it out. And you are right, most of the stuff is mostly simple, at least the parts you really need to make it go.
Thanks,
Bob
I have a new F150 setting in the back yard. I’ve had it a year or so and it has 138 miles on it. Can’t figure out all the buttons and screens on it!!! Haven’t driven it except to the dealer and back! Bout ready to trade for something that a teenager won’t have to show me how to run!!
Don in Okla.
Hi Don,
After buying this one and working on figuring it out, I know exactly where you are coming from. Sometimes I think figuring out all this modern stuff is a real pain and wonder if all these bells and whistles are really needed. Just more stuff to break and have to pay for to get fixed.
Bob
Oh. I dread the day my 2004 Honda Element dies. It still has a key…. like an actual key.
And no bells and whistles. I’m old and tired of learning new stuff about how to operate something. Good news is, it’s in great shape and not a ton of miles, and I think it might outlast me….5 more years will bring me to the age limit of most of my old female fore-bearers. Except for 2 outliers in their 90’s, one of whom died at 99 and the other I still talk with on the phone – she’s 97. Whew.
Nice car … and a Subaru which will last two lifetimes.