Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
John
My 2 cents.
Owen
No Dealer names given...but...
Dealer that did right by me is just across the NY/NJ border in Rockland Cty. Dealer and Dist Rep that continued to say it was 'normal' were close by me here in Northern NJ.
P.S. Timing Belt Tensioner was replaced back at 17K.
-juice
Also, since the Edmunds site has little information on specifics, are there sites out there that can detail any performance modifications (if any)?
Zman
I second zman's question - anyone know when 05 Foresters are out?
Contact us
Thanks!
Steve, Host
By the way, I'm impressed that Edmunds has more info than subaru.com (05 Forester colors, specs, prices.)
Now, back to the pressing question of, when are the 05's coming out?
A headlight was smashed by a roadkilling turkey last winter (a jake for those in the know). Replaced it w an "aftermarket" headlight which leaks, blowing up the lamps because of the water and moisture inside hitting the hot light. Can't find the leak.
Methods: siphoning out the water--about an inch - w a small hose taped to a vacuum cleaner, then blowing hot air into the light.
Still have condensate inside.
Any ideas out there ? The OEM Forester headlamp is still solid from 2001. The Subaru replacement is about 2X the cost of the aftermarket one....maybe penny wise here ?
Thx.
Oh, and I would not use premium in a Subaru unless it was called for (as in the turbo models) or *you* want to use it. There's no blanket reason why all Subarus would need premium.
Craig
Yep, that's my take on it :-)
-Frank P
-Frank P
(quote)
In reponse to your question about the photography of the 2005 Subaru Forester
actually being that of the Subaru Outback, I'm afraid I'm going to have to
disagree with you. The 4th, 5th and 6th shot in the photo gallery are all from
one large, hi-resolution image borrowed from a Subaru Press CD at the 2004 New
York Auto Show. This particular photo is that of the 2005 Subaru Forester 2.5XS
L.L. Bean Edition, which enhances its interior decor with parts and
design-themes from the new Outback and Legacy models.
(snip)
Sincerely,
Matt Landish
Senior Photojournalist
Edmunds.com, Inc.
(end quote)
Steve, Host
Stick to regular fuel on the non-turbo H4 Subies, that's all you need. It's not a high compression ratio engine, nothing really exotic. 1996 models with the 2.5l did require premium fuel, but not since 1997.
-juice
-Frank P
Greg
I don't place much credence in that statement given the rep's inability to elaborate. Further, that doesn't explain the red '05 Bob Holland and I saw at the Philly Flower Show earlier this year - unless that car was a pre-production prototype.
Ed
Randy
-juice
-Frank
The "penny wise" (and yeah, "pound foolish" is assumed) aftermarket one leaked and filled w a couple of inches of water. Yes, it was kind of fun watching lamps blow from the water hitting the hot lamp. The real, live OEM Subaru headlight [non-permissible content removed]'y is ready on the rear seat.
Anyone with experience removing this and replacing the same ? This hack would enjoy some graphics if available. Any offical manual instructions ? Please, very specific directions. There're many bolts, screws, tabs. A grill. A parking/signal light. Whew ! Those plastic tabs look easy to break.
Thanks. Downeast thanks you.
-Frank
He's always been a pretty reliable source, and he's one of the few salesmen I've met who really knows and has a passion for the vehicles!
Well, maybe I can coax one more summer in Maine out of my Volvo--we live at the end of a pretty long and bumpy dirt road. It will give me just that much more time to try to convince my wife that we should get the XT rather than the XS (at least I talked her out of the Honda Element).
Finally, what is ETC (new on the '05 2.5i) and what exactly does it do?
Zman
Ed
By the way, do you have a brother named Karl? There's someone posting in the Future Models whose user ID is Zman3. It'd be quite the coincidence if you're not related ;-)
-Frank
To get to the headlight remove the grille first, as Frank said. I think it's bolted down in 3 places IIRC. Removing the grille reveals a bolt at the bottom, I think.
Sorry, it's been about 3 years since I did it and I took no pics (and I usually do).
-juice
Karl and I have chatted from time to time, but no, we're not related. Nevertheless, we both have asked the same question online: where are Zmen 1 & 2?
What are folks getting for mpg on the XS-MT?
Zman
-juice
The XT gets about 15% less mpg across the board (best, worst & avg).
-Frank
John
Grill does come off w some fussing. Those tabs or snaps are worth the design engineer going to a warm hell.
Then the parking light [non-permissible content removed]'y slips (sic) off. Then the headlight [non-permissible content removed]'y with the tabs and bolts.
BTW: that same engineer designs those tabs in a dark room: no two are the same.
Appreciate the assist guys. But count on more than the "book" time for a first run.
ETC is supposed to improve fuel economy. I think I read somewhere it accomplishes that by preventing a wider throttle opening than is warranted by the RPM and other factors. Subaru claims that it has a MORE natural response than direct-link (I haven't tried it yet.)
Kyle
GM probably strong armed FHI into that moonroof (and all-weather package) deal for Saab.
-juice
It is refreshing to note the range 26 - 31 MPG for an (altho uniquely small) SUV..........
Now (using all the techniques (roof rack purge, tire pressure up, cruise, highway, reasonable speed) anyone crack 32.
The adjusted for the masses EPA highway figure (were the truth to be known) is really only .78X
...ez
-Frank
ez: FWIW I got my 30.4 mpg best-ever with the roof rack cross bars in place.
What's also interesting is that I have bigger than stock tires, so when I say I average 25 mpg, I'm actually traveling about 1.3% farther than my odometer reading.
Of course that's presuming the odo is accurate in the first place...
I actually recall someone once reported mileage in the 33s, but only once.
-juice
Len