A highway runner

[opus]

Long drive, lots of thinking led me to this:

What would it take to make a late model Legacy/Outback with a 2.2 or even something newer with a 2.5 a good, efficient, not abused, highway runner?  By that I mean something capable of handling 600 miles at 75-80, 10 miles of 7% grades now and again, big, open road.

[1 Lucky Texan]

not everyone needs all season tires. check into Touring tires.

I might consider a supplemental trans cooler.

suspension (including often overlooked strut MOUNTS) and steering gear/bushings need to be in very good condition.

window tint with a 'visor' strip can help

clear bra to reduce gravel pitting?

upgrade the radio head unit? some folks like to play their spotify songs or listen to podcasts, etc.

keep glass clean in and out?

 

I dunno, interesting question

Edited October 23, 2018 by 1 Lucky Texan

[opus]

All season tires are a must here.

Its just hypothetical pretty much.  I was thinking cooling would be the biggest to pay attention to.  Mainly thinking mechanical-wise.  Not sure where that would put the engine, rpm wise but I assume it shouldnt be an issue.

Reason being; took a trip this weekend, 2 vehicles, driving in the above stated conditions.  He was driving an OB, 5 spd, loaded with 4 people and a lot of gear.  I was in a Sequoia.  He kept up very well, all but the long grades he faded some....of course, but not bad.  I got 16 mpg, he got mid -20's.  He did quite well which made me wonder how long the OB could do this sort of thing.

[1 Lucky Texan]

the engines have good torque I think so, even loaded, they do OK. Even my 03, while slow off the blocks, has great highway passing power.

the maintnance schedules have a TIME side so, if the car doesn't get used much between 2-3 long trips, it still needs servicing.

you MUST take care of your tires and drivetrain. don't let yahoos monkey with the car - fairly easy for inexperienced folks to drain/fill the wrong fluids. The front diff throws foks off, the need to keep tires identical gets lost over thime/thru multiple owners. The thermostats are different from many aftermarket parts listed for the cars, NEVER let it overheat, ,  synthetic/upgraded lube in the front and rear diffs might be a good idea.

use the fuel recommended in the manual - my 03 has only had premium.

Subaru has dropped the ball on headgaskets for a decade or so from late mid-late 90s thru early 2000s, shop carefully, and wheel bearings seem to be a weak spot I guess. Dunno what generation you're looking for - the 5EAT seems to be a great transmission so, maybe a gen3 ?

there are many 300K miles Subarus, and, Subarus are often the only cars that go out in conditions where other cars stay parked so, they are tough in a general sense.

others will have good ideas I guess - the older a car is, the less the brand matters, it becomes IMPERATIVE to cherry-pick because of prior maintenance, certainly a one-owner cream puff with meticulous records is going to be much less risky for cross-country jaunts. shop carefully.

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by 1 Lucky Texan

[opus]

Sorry, I forgot to mention; I've been a Soob guy working on them for 20 yrs here.  Just thought I'd throw this out there for input.

I'm quite familiar with the head gasket issue, belts and wheel bearings.

[1 Lucky Texan]

you probably have as good or better ideas as I do then. certainly on the mechanical side.

 

but seriously, tint and other little things that make the interior more comfortable can really make the difference between a road trip being nice vs a chore. Even finding some decent sunglasses - I'm partial to the 'blue blocker/shooting glasses' type of color. Keeping the a/c in good order, etc.

 

maybe other folks searching in the future will find a good idea in this thread.

let us know what you buy and how you mod it.

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by 1 Lucky Texan

[heartless]

I have an 02 Forester with the EJ251, 4 speed auto.. on the freeway, running at about 70-72mph puts me around 3K rpms - obviously, a 5 speed auto would do better in the rpm area.

But even with the 4 spd, the car does fine.

You want to make sure the cooling system is up to snuff, and all suspension stuff is in good nick.

I run an all season, touring type tire - either Cooper CS5, or the Mastercraft equivalent (Mastercraft is made by Cooper - their "budget" line) Good traction year round, long lasting, and not terribly noisy.

Side note - the Forester has a bit over 241K on the clock and going strong. I would not hesitate to drive it across the country.