KeriBlog

Cars, Security & a Peek into my Life

Subaru’s X-Mode is for Extreme Off-Roading

X-Mode is Subaru’s exclusive off-roading system.

It overtakes the all-wheel drive system, applies torque individually to each wheel, to help both ascend and descend hills.

Push the button and it’s on, exceed 40-ish km/h and it shuts off.

You know that “hill assist” feature that’s en vogue right now? Like that, but on steroids.

These are ATV trails I’m driving on. If it can do that terrain unaffected, the road to a cottage will be easy.

Tested on the all-new 2015 Subaru Outback, in Newfoundland.

My review for the newspaper here.

That feeling really is the best eh.

What the video really looks like; that’s my Final Cut editing file.

 

 

First CVT I’ve Ever Liked

Found in Subaru’s 2015 WRX.

Non-car nerds: CVT – Continuous Variable Transmission, a new type of engine that’s en vogue. Instead of fixed, mechanical gears, it uses a belt that can be programmed to have an infinite number of gears.

You can identify a CVT in 2 ways:

1 – when you stomp on the gas, it’s one second two second, and then the engine kicks in and launches

2 – the high-pitched, loud whine it emits

That whine is the sound of “improved fuel economy”, which is why automakers are switching to them; CVTs claim better fuel consumption than their mechanical counterpart.

I don’t like CVTs because of points #1 and 2.

But Subaru masked the loud whine, and instead there’s a little boxer engine growl, and they definitely solved the launch lag, because over and again I was, “woah I’m at 80 already? Nice.”

 

 

So Much Running Around Today Yuck

IMG_7422.JPG Had to swap cars twice this week. My car yesterday wasn’t ready, because the auto journalist who was slated to return it didn’t, I have never done that in the 3 years I’ve been at this, and if you’re reading this, you owe me 200 km and 4 hours. IMG_7395.JPG But I now have my first Subaru WRX, and that’s awesome because non-car nerds: this is a good car, like a sleeper. So my style, and hello amazingly balanced on-ramps oh! I get torque vectoring now WOW why don’t more cars have this?! kk back to cleaning. My house. Again. By the time you get the ladder, I’ve finished the task. IMG_7424.JPG Had 2 trades here today, another 3 tomorrow, and I can’t ask them to remove their shoes just can’t, so hi welcome to the sandpit I own, the havoc this is wreaking on my mind oh M G TTYT IMG_7423.JPG

 

 

I’m in Newfoundland this Week

Good plane seat eh, A.

Never been here, and now this is the furthest East I’ve ever been in Canada. Been looking forward to this, it seems like the best versions of Canadians are here, with their giant hearts.

Landed, and on the bus to the hotel I uploaded the news – This car runs on air. Really! Then 20 minutes later I was here, at dinner.

It’s a museum, “The Doors”.

Where I took the exhibits very seriously.

Nope that’s a lie.

I do like history though, because it helps me to predict the future. But not this seriously.

Downtown view. About 110,000 people here, the largest city in the province. I’m 1.5 hours behind EST.

And now I’m going to do something I never do: go downstairs, find the group, and have a drink.

TTYT

It’s Subaru’s all-new 2015 Outback.