Subaru=torque, Toyota=well...

[entirelyturbo]

I work in parts at a Toyota dealership, so I rarely get to drive one of the new cars sitting on the lot. Well today they needed an extra person to move a car about a half-mile, so I was anointed. It was a Camry XLE, loaded with everything except V6, a 2.4 4cyl with 160hp IIRC. This car was so new, I was probably the first person associated with the dealer to ever drive it. 5 miles!

So, knowing what I do about properly breaking in engines, I tried to be gentle on it, since no one else at that dealer is . I pulled onto a 45-mph road and accelerated gently, but the car wasn't going anywhere, so I gave it a little more, nothing. I nudged it just a little more, and it downshifted to 1st and redlined....

I wasn't upset (it's not my car ), but I am surprised that more people don't appreciate the torque-happy boxer engine design.... My car feels like it has way more torque, even though I know the Camry has more. It might be an issue of auto vs manual but I'd think a car manufacturer by now should be able to make an auto just as responsive as a manual...

Alls I know is I'm sticking to my torque-pig Subaru !

[subaruguy]

I think it might be the AWD factor it makes you feel it in the seat of your pants more. I had a 93 sedan with an auto and when compared to all my freinds auto's mine felt like it hooked up much harder

[Legacy777]

Nope.....it's the boxer motor.

They are soo much torquier then most of the engines out there.

I drove a lancer for almost a month....that thing was a gutless dog when it came to torque...

My car felt like a race car when I got it back.

[Mark Ward]

My 2000 Acura Integra is useless below 4000 RPM...
Mark

[-K-]

My International ScoutII 304 has good torque down to about 2-300 rpm you can lug it down to hear each cylinder fire. But it doesn't like to rev past 4000 rpm.

[paf]

i went to test drive a new 2003 legacy wagon and it didnt feel as torquy as my present one... weird considerint it has higher torque and HP

[entirelyturbo]

The torque/weight ratio is different.

90 Legacy LS Wagon auto 4WD: 23.28 weight/torque ratio (3190lbs/137ft-lbs)
02 Legacy GT Wagon auto AWD: 21.17 weight/torque ratio (3515lbs/166ft-lbs)

Yes, I'm bored

[IggDawg]

I had to drive my grandmother's camryu once. fairly recent... a '98or thereabouts. I was shocked at how little torque it had. I mean SHOCKED. the thing had no grunt at all. even my old '90 loyale felt like it had something on this car.

[Grant]

I think that the 90-94 Legacies, FWD, AWD, Turbo, NA are all some of the best feeling cars I have ever driven. When I worked at a Subaru dealership, we had a Toyota, Nissan, Dogde, and Subaru all within one block under the same corporate ownership. We could drive any car on any of the lots. I never drove ANYTHING that I liked even comparably to our cars. I liked a unmodified 1992 Legacy turbo better than a WRX because I know that with proper tuning it can be just as or close to as quick. There is just something about Legacies. I have always noticed how our cars seem to have much better torque or at least better feeling torque than most cars out there.
Grant

[totech]

Well,

Had to take my father-in-law's new town car one day, he had blocked my Subaru.

It was gutless for a v8 - some 4.6 thing

Reminded me of my really old Mustang back in my foolish days.

Funny how some car companies have changed their models significantly - ie, my 03 legacy is a very qiet car and my 91 is a little noisier - wind noise etc, and Ford can continue to throw out cars that are so dated and noisy.

My 91 was nicer to drive than his TC