anyone? still trying to figure out what alarm i want...



ohm nom nom nom. being hungover really has no advantages

 

when i was looking into alarm systems, i was interested in the zenesis system. has a lot of options and is priced very well. only problem is that i couldn't find a lick of info on the system. from what little info i could find, i found very mixed reviews. ultimately when i called around to local alarm shops, 90% of them said they specialize in viper/clifford because they are the most reliable brand out there and have been doing alarms for the longest. when i asked them if they could install the zenesis system, they told me it would probably cost more to install their alarm than it would cost for the actually system. after all that i figured it would be in my best interest just to go with a viper or clifford system. i ended up getting a viper 5901. it cost me ~$400 installed. no complaints so far. kinda wish the range on the lock was longer, though.

 

Thanks McLovin, where did you get the 5901 installed for that price? It was my next choice; I had a 5901 on a prior car. Only thing I don't like about it is the battery life and the size of the fob. Other than that, it was reliable, kinda.

BTW, I got a quote for the zenesis install itself (not the actual alarm itself), and it was going to be ~$200.

 

Hit up Josh at Import Image, He'll give you all the info and hook you up with a good price. Especially if you can get more than a couple bought off of him.

 

I went to Custom Audio in Mountain View... very satisfied with the work they did.

Even though I don't have any experience with the Zenesis system, myself personally, I was turned off by the lack of info on the company and their alarms. I also read a review (from a Subaru owner) saying how his particular system had failed him and his car ended up getting a bunch of stuff stolen from it (however the company declared that his system was "defective"). He did however state that their customer service was pretty good.

But like I was saying in my previous post, the Zenesis does have a lot of sexy options, but I (personally) would prefer having peace of mind over having a Viper system that has the reputation and lifetime warranty than going with the Zenesis, especially since the price will come out to be probably about the same.

As far as the battery life, I just charged it for the first time since I got the system (I got it in September so the life is approx. 3 months), so I don't find it to be too much of a nuisance. The fob will give you ample warning when it needs to be re-charged so you don't really need to worry about forgetting.

 

thanks guys!!

 

Any shop worth their salt will tell you the same. The actual cost of the unit itself is the smallest part of the overall price.

I ended up getting a Clifford 3.3x w/remote start + all sorts of whistles and bells for $700 installed instead of the Zenesis I was initially looking at. Basically, I went with what I know is a longstanding, well-established product line that has a ton of aftermarket support. Couple that with a very widespread dealer network and you may well see why I made the choice I did.

The shop I chose said they would feel comfortable installing a Zenesis unit, and even had a few nice things to say about them after visiting their booth at the Consumer Electronics Show. The shop has decades of experience installing stereos and alarms, but the dealer network + aftermarket support components were both missing with Zenesis so I went with Clifford.

 

I should have elaborated more on what I meant... When I contacted Import Image and Custom Audio, it is better to buy their certified systems. Import Image in particular told me that it could take 4 hours for install as their technicians are only trained to install Viper and Clifford systems... so for me it didn't make sense to pay nearly as much to have the Viper system installed (including the cost of the system) to just have the other system installed without including the cost of the alarm.

It's interesting to hear that you were given some positive reviews from Zenesis. What really strikes me as odd about that company is there is very little information about their products (particularly reviews) on the internet. They seem pretty legit if you check out their website and their alarm systems sound really cool... I realize they are a relatively new company, but I find that to be so weird...

 

Hey, check out Compustar www.compustar.com . They offer really state of the art alarm systems and the new Drone module is far superior to anything else on the market. AMS in San Jose can hook you up...

I have a remote start unit with turbo timer on my 5 speed (With safety system) and love it. One mile range and smart phone control.

AMS
3910 Stevens Creek Blvd
San Jose, CA 95129

(408) 248-1111
Ask for Curtis and tell him Scott refered you

Cheers
Scott

 

One thing to bear in mind is that 4 hours of install time for any other car can easily be nearly doubled in a Subaru.

Unless the installer is intimately familiar with the Subaru way of doing things, it can take for.effing.ever to complete. This is particularly true when considering the addition of things like remote start, window up/down, etc.

 

I was hoping that more people would chime in on the shop they used, and hopefully they have the same year car (08+). That way I know the shop I go to has had experience installing them in my car.

Since McLovin's car isn't far off, I may give Custom Audio a call when I have the money.

As for the Zenesis, Nasioc posts mention newer versions of the 502 had it's problems fixed. However, I am still reluctant on installing one.