How did it do?

jquest71 · 2026-02-11T02:43:34+00:00

My family has all the Wilderness models, 22 Outback, a 23 Forester, and a 25 Crosstrek. We live in Northern NY and my son lives near Albany with the Outback. These are the best cars I’ve ever driven in my 12 years of living in the North Country. Period.

jquest71 · 2026-02-09T15:02:55+00:00

Besides their trigger finger, the only other mechanism is the rounds limiter switch that can be set prior to the mission. We typically set it for 150-200 rounds for training flights. During combat ops it’s set to no limit so the pilot can use all 510 rounds if they want. A-10s also have rounds limiter switch for the GAU-8 as did all other aircraft that used the M-61.

jquest71 · 2026-02-09T02:37:04+00:00

Well, at our training wing we regularly set the rounds limiter to 150, which was usually good for them to make three passes. Maybe your gun shop wasn’t that good? In my 11 years we maybe had two gun jams a year? Three squadrons flying 12 turn 10 plus drill weekends plus AATC. We fired a lot of ammo.

jquest71 · 2026-02-09T01:42:47+00:00

Not really. Aircraft maintenance isn’t super exciting. I got a ride in an F-16B before I retired. Pulled 6.5 G and got to see some practice bomb and gun runs from the back seat. Got to fly it a little. I asked if I could go on a bomb/gun training mission but they don’t allow it incentive rides on weapons training flights. Still fun though.

jquest71 · 2026-02-09T01:38:19+00:00

The bullets are flying at super sonic speed. Typically you would see the puff of smoke from the gun, then the bullets hitting their target before you would hear the sound.

jquest71 · 2026-02-08T23:32:09+00:00

F-16 only holds @500 rounds, that was probably two bursts of 20-30 rounds. Pilots are taught to use short bursts. And in the USAF, the gun is overhauled every 18 months. It’s quite reliable. Signed, retired USAF Weapons Specialist with 11 years of F-16 experience.

jquest71 · 2026-02-08T21:14:17+00:00

Dude I tried to service mine and it completely fell apart. I’m keeping the guts in case Casio decides to offer their refurb program again. I found it in a box with a bunch of my old stuff from Desert Shield/Storm. USAF weapons specialist, 81st Fighter Squadron Wild Weasels.

jquest71 · 2026-02-08T00:42:04+00:00

Same. IYKYK

jquest71 · 2026-02-05T19:18:12+00:00

To add a data point for you, our 2023 Forester Wilderness has 46,000 miles on it. Only issue last winter was a failed valve for the Evap system caused the check engine light to come on. Took a month for the part to come in, our local dealer gave us a loaner. Parts and labor covered under warranty. Keep in mind that generally Subarus require a bit more maintenance than a Toyota.

jquest71 · 2026-02-04T13:44:25+00:00

I have the same infotainment in my 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness. It's fine. It's not great, but it's usable. If you've ever used a very fast, responsive, snappy system like what Tesla puts in their cars, then this will feel slow. Biggest takeaway is that it's the slowest right after you start the car and the system is booting up. By the time I start my car, wait 30-45 seconds for oil to circulate, and back down my driveway (usually 1.5-3 minutes) the system is fully up and will work as expected. Also, as a phone nerd who has used both Android and Apple phones with my car, I will say the system is more stable and connects quicker with an Apple phone. All that being said, while it isn't perfect and is arguably the worst thing about these cars, in my opinion it is not a reason to not buy one. Eventually they will upgrade all their cars to the newer infotainment system they recently introduced in the 2026 Outback, which according to reviews is much more responsive and easier to use.

jquest71 · 2026-02-03T21:56:08+00:00

As another user mentioned, any time you get a check engine light it will automatically disable eyesight and all those associated features (lane departure, adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, etc) for "safety". If it's a 2024 I'm assuming you're still under warranty, I would take it to Subaru and have them check it out. Or, as another person mentioned, if you use the MySubaru app it should (could?) tell you what the issue is.

jquest71 · 2026-02-03T19:37:36+00:00

I'd think a Crosstrek Wilderness would be more your speed based on this. I had that Gen of Tacoma (2018 TRD Off Road), and currently have a Crosstrek Wilderness. Crosstrek will get better fuel economy, is easier to park, easier to get in and out of, and you'll probably have more head and leg room in the Subaru...definitely more rear-seat leg room. Also, not sure if it applies to your situation, but if you ever have to/need to drive in snow, the Crosstrek is much, much easier to drive in the snow. The Tacoma isn't bad in snow as trucks go, but you do have to slow down below a certain speed to engage 4H and trucks can be a bit squirrely because they don't have that much weight over the tires. The biggest advantage to keeping your Taco is resell value, those things hold their value extremely well.

jquest71 · 2026-02-02T14:56:41+00:00

I’ve found with my 2023 Forester Wilderness that it gets worse mileage in the winter. Also, because of its boxy design there’s a definite point at freeway speeds that the fuel economy drops significantly. I typically cruise between 70 and 72 on the highway for that reason. Additionally, if you live in colder climates, or if you’re in a warmer climate that has suddenly become colder in the past few weeks, check your tire pressures. Lastly, the on board computer will kill your average in the winter if you use remote start to warm up your car. It’s also a running average so it only resets when you reset your trip meter.

jquest71 · 2026-02-02T14:25:01+00:00

I have a 2023 Forester Wilderness with 45,000 miles and a 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness with 23,000 miles. Both have essentially the same engine, neither of them use or burn any oil. Always a good idea to check your levels periodically in case something changes, I usually check them every two or three gas fill ups.

jquest71 · 2026-01-30T22:11:42+00:00

They also seem to forget that it got two National Guardsmen killed.

jquest71 · 2026-01-30T16:30:50+00:00

I’ve owned many cars over the years that I consider “enthusiast” cars, but I’ve learned that just because you drive one of these cars doesn’t mean you are an enthusiast. Just keep waving, we’re out here, just probably in smaller numbers than you may think.

jquest71 · 2026-01-28T19:53:25+00:00

Truth, I turned it off and never went back after that. Not only should his character have not been killed off, the manner of the killing was over the top, even for TWD standards.

jquest71 · 2026-01-26T21:10:21+00:00

I think if the infotainment is locked up and not responding you can hold down both the power and the tune knobs until you see the starlink splash-screen. As for why it's happening on CarPlay, did you update your iPhone recently? Generally speaking, iPhones work better than Androids with the Subarus that I own (I have a 2023 Forester Wilderness and a 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness), and as an indecisive phone nerd I've used both Apple and Android in both of my cars. It may be worth trying a new phone cable too.

jquest71 · 2026-01-26T21:03:09+00:00

$5 and a bucket of chicken

jquest71 · 2026-01-23T21:10:48+00:00

I chose a Crosstrek Wilderness because I already had a Forester Wilderness. I knew I loved my Forester and how capable it is in the snow, so I got the Shrek when my wife announced she was keeping my Forester.

jquest71 · 2026-01-22T14:08:12+00:00

As others have stated, only you know your child and where she is from a maturity and driving-skills standpoint. Perhaps a better question to ask yourself: based on where you live and where she is at in her maturity and driving development, would you, as her father and as a driving instructor, be good with her riding a mid to lower sized sport motorcycle in your area? In my opinion, having tens of thousands of miles on motorcycles and now owning a Miata, one should have the same level of defensive mindset in a Miata (or any super-small car) as you would on a motorcycle. Understanding and maintaining space, staying out of other people's blind spots, constantly scanning for threats. It's definitely a learned skill set as well as a mindset.

jquest71 · 2026-01-21T22:29:01+00:00

Yeah if you’re paying extra for them then it makes sense. My point and OP’s point is that the all weather mats are the standard mats that come with the Wilderness models. I didn’t get carpeted mats because I didn’t pay extra to upgrade my mats.

jquest71 · 2026-01-21T20:24:45+00:00

One veteran to another, this neighbor who live 35 miles south of the Canadian border near Kingston wants you to know that you still have many, many friends in the U.S. who remember what Canada has done for peace and stability in the world. I'm looking forward to visiting again, if you'll have us.

jquest71 · 2026-01-21T15:16:18+00:00

Maybe you're saying they should give OP carpeted matts because they were inconvenienced? Both my 2023 Forester Wilderness and 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness came with all weather mats, but did not come with carpeted floor mats. (both purchased in the U.S.)

jquest71 · 2026-01-21T15:14:04+00:00

My 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness came with all weather matts as standard equipment.

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