Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

ateixeira · May 2002

Well, the powertrain is already covered for 5/60, so you're only extending the bumper to bumper warranty for 2 extra years. That's not much. Personally, I'm getting the full 7/100 for my wife's new car.

Vary speeds during the break-in, so don't use cruise control on that trip.

Stick with us and we'll help out whenever we can. Congrats.

-juice

rsholland · May 2002

are mixed bag. I understand, if you don't take them off and clean frequently, they can accumulate dirt and actually damage your finish with scratches. Frankly, I don't think they're worth it, and IMO they're ugly besides.

Bob

rsholland · May 2002

Which Subaru plan did you guys get, The "Classic" or "Gold Plus," and why did you choose one over the other? Also, did you elect to have a deductible?

Bob

paisan · May 2002

Also the paint under them fades at a different rate than the rest of the car.

-mike

cat_and_bear · May 2002

MSRP for the '03? That's outrageous! Do a diligent searching. It is very easy to find a '03 priced within the *normal* range now. You even do not have to wait. Oh, and forget about the dealers which only have one or two '03s in stock.

-bear

darkwater71 · May 2002

Thanks for the quick responses. I ended up with the Gold warranty, with no deductable, largely because it was suggested to me. Thinking about it, I imagine the 'no deductable' thingee contributes quite a bit to the price, and, I'm pretty comfortable with paying one if I have to invoke the warranty. Almost immediately, I was thinking that the 7/100 option better matched my most likely use of my car, even if I trade it in "early" (3/4 years from now). Looking at the coverage of the 'bumper-to-bumper' 3/36 warranty and the Gold 5/60, it does seem like a lot to pay, juice. I hope that the price I can get on a 7/100 if I renegotiate won't end up being the same $ per year of 'effective' coverage?

-dw

ateixeira · May 2002

Wait 'til dealers get their 2nd allocation and have a selection in stock. Maybe even after they clear the 2002s, they'll discount the 2003s more.

I'd take a 7/100 with a small deductible. You want to cover those major bills, not the little ones you could fix on your own cheaply.

During years 5-7, our 626 had 5 major repair bills of $500, $820, etc. I would have been more than glad to pay a $50 or $100 deductible.

-juice

goldencouple1 · May 2002

If you don't mind saying, where in the Land of Enchantment are you? I'm in Las Cruces.

A Forester is a blast to drive in the mountains. We've taken our '02 up into the Gila and the Sacrementos so far, and we'll be going farther north this summer -- the Jemez or the Sangre de Cristos (Pecos area) we haven't decided. A winding ascent seems to be the Forester's natural habitat. I was in love with the way the car handled before we took it into the mountains, but I was surprised with how effortlessly it climbed and took the turns.

hypov · May 2002

"Bras... are mixed bag. I understand, if you don't take them off and clean frequently, they can accumulate dirt and actually damage your finish with scratches. Frankly, I don't think they're worth it, and IMO they're ugly besides."

Bob- not until mike stepped in, my mind was in the gutter =D

-Dave

rsholland · May 2002

Oops...

Bob

conroe · May 2002

I appreciate the responses!

I had read these boards before going for the test drive, so I knew what cat and bear and others that have bought their '03's already said about what they have paid. (Thanks for the info.)

My salesman was very nice and didn't put any pressure on, the problem is they're just about clueless on pricing at the moment as they only have a few in (a dozen more are on the way within the next few weeks) and don't even have the brochures yet. There has also been a lot of interest in the '03's arising from the Houston Auto Show last month, so they hope there will be strong demand and want to wait to see how it shakes out over the next few weeks. Can't blame them for trying!

We didn't negotiate, just discussed the basics of what they were currently going to be asking for (MSRP), though he said they would be willing to discuss other offers if I wanted to make one.

ateixeira · May 2002

Until they know the pricing, they are going to play it safe and keep close to MSRP. The margins are tighter so I don't blame them.

I think if you could get $600 over it would still be a good deal right about now. We're talking margins of just 3%.

-juice

cat_and_bear · May 2002

Well, just an advice to those who are interested in getting the '03. You really do not have to worry about the price for now. I am sure within two months, prices everywhere will come in line. It will be a better idea to focus on the testdriving first. Do it as many times as you can. Bring it to the highway, if possible. Come back here and share your view with everyone so we will all be better equiped when we are about to make the real deal.

-bear

padraicsdad · May 2002

Hello everyone,

Been lurking all week; this is our first post.

Last July we bought a Forest Green 2002 L. We love it so far but it's been a hanger queen because we work at the same company and ride together in our 98 Contour. Only 6,000 on the Forester odo so far, 2,500 of that on a recent trip to Caribou.....Maine that is.

After taking our 98 Contour to the dealer last week for the 25th, 26th and 27th time because of two more blankety-blank Ford recalls (Holman Ford never gets ANYTHING right in less than 4 trips) I finally lost it. So on Monday we briefly looked at the Impreza TS Sport, then decided we prefer the squarish spaciousness of the Forester and that the 2002 model at today's sub-invoice pricing suits us nicely, thank you very much. We left the Contour there and brought home another 2002 Forester L.......in Forest Green.

My question? Well, we've learned that the way to deal with the hoots of our friends and coworkers is simply to tell them we ran into a Buy One Get One Free deal and couldn't pass it up. But now we're left with the problem of how to tell the old-new 2002 green Forester from the new-new 2002 green Forester. Yup, they're identical, even down to the much-coveted Custom Tailpipe Cover. Just like Aer Lingus does with their 747s, we've decided to name them so they are now officially St. Patrick and St. Michael (after our two Maine Coons). But unless I have those names painted on the nose under the cockpit window, we still can't tell one from the other. Any suggestions?

Great board. Keep it up.

Jeff

hypov · May 2002

Jeff-
You could give each a distinctive alloy wheel, or
differentiating one from the other with one of those STi badge on the grille; or remove all the badging on the newer Forester.

-Dave

paisan · May 2002

Go to http://www.stickercity.com/pages/custom/customsmallstickers.html and buy some real small window stickers with the names inscribed on them. That webpage is actually pretty cool. I ordered some stickers for auto-x there and they came quickly and hassle free.

-mike

rsholland · May 2002

it looks like you'll fit in here just fine with the Subaru Crew. Most of us here are also nuts!

Yikes! Two identical Subies! Might I suggest vanity tags with the names St Patrick and St. Michael?

Bob

hypov · May 2002

mike-
That's a good one/way.
Thanks for the link too. :-)

-Dave

stever · May 2002

Funny story - thanks for unlurking.

I think you should put a green sea kayak on one of the Foresters semi-permanently; that'd make it easy to distinguish and be a good excuse to run to Camden (I have friends in Lincolnville who took me out). Enjoy your rides!

Steve
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mrnyker · May 2002

Thanks for all the insight provided here. After reading all the virtues of the Forester over here and checking out the slick looks of the new 2003, we ordered a new 2003/XS Prem w/Leather in Java Black. Paid $300/- over dealer invoice and installed dealer prices for all options. Colonial Subaru in Kingston, NY is the second largest volume dealer in NY State The sales rep name is Dave Smith, extremely pleasant to deal with...no sales pressure, very trustworthy.

Below are the options I have orderd. I would like to know if I have forgotten any must have options:

Splash Guards, Arm Extension, Cargo Bin & Tray, Upgraded speakers/tweeter kit, rear bumper cover, tailpipe cover, cargo net rear, auto dimming mirror. I am thinking of upgrading the sway bar.

Thanks again for all your comments,
Carlton

storyteller · May 2002

Jeff: I suppose you've ruled out a big pair of fuzzy dice dangling from the rear view mirror of one Forester.

Steve

storyteller · May 2002

BTW, I think we might have set a record this week for people who un-lurked. Seems like four or five lurkers came out of the closet in one week on the Forester thread alone. Welcome all!

Steve

cat_and_bear · May 2002

Don't forget the security system upgrade.

-bear

firstsubaru2 · May 2002

I have been a frequent lurker on this board and I am now looking for some advice. I plan to purchase my first 2002 Forester next week. Being that this will be my first time at purchasing a car on my own-and being young and female I was hoping for any advice anyone could offer. I feel confident with the info I have gathered from Edmund's and other sources but was wondering if anyone had info on possible advertising fees or paperwork/documentation fees dealerships are charging? I would like to know as much as possible before going in. I live in Northern Ohio if anyone has any good recommendations. Thanks in advance. Rose

rsunico · May 2002

Thought I'd check out pricing for an aftermarket sunroof for my 01 Forester. 1,000-1,200 was the range (ASC, Webasto). Pop-up (yuck) under 400. Has anyone looked at pricing recently? Any advice on should I do it or now?

BTW Liberty Subaru in Oradell, NJ (at least last week) had a few 02 Foreter premiums left for I believe around 22k if people are interested.

storyteller · May 2002

Rose: Thanks for coming out into the light of day, and welcome! I'll give you one person's perspective on advertising and paperwork fees. Those are legitimate charges that many dealers pass along to customers, but many dealers (especially those forced to operate in a buyer's market) do not pass them along in a visible way. In a sense, those charges don't matter; you are paying these fees in one way or another.

What you don't want to do is haggle for a price on the car and then have the salesman come back with surprising extra charges. You don't want a "two-step" bargaining process, with these fees coming in after you thought you had the price nailed down.

So tell your dealer you want to talk in terms of "out the door" prices, perhaps minus taxes (although that would be your call). That way you know you are confronting ALL of the charges as you deliberate the car and which options you want. That way you can compare one dealer's offer to another comparing apples to apples. And a salesperson hearing that "out the door" phrase will know you are well informed and deserving of more respect than some prospective customers.

The power you have over the dealer is always the same, namely your willingness to "walk" away and seek a better deal somewhere else. Whether or not a dealer mentions these charges, they are there in a sense. Make the dealer talk in terms of the car with all charges. If the deal doesn't strike you as being sufficiently attractive, just say you think you've found a better deal somewhere else and then leave...slowly. If you choose, you might in a friendly way leave your number or e-mail address so the salesperson could contact you if he or she decides to drop down in price. In fact, I would recommend that you consider leaving the dealership at least once to reflect on the deal even if it does seem pretty good. That is a clear way of signalling to the dealer that you are not an impulse buyer who can be exploited.

You don't have to get specific about the deals you have been offered by other dealers (especially if you are bluffing!). Just smile and say that the offer on the table isn't good enough. And go.

Keep checking these boards to see what prices other people are getting. Don't expect much traffic on weekends. By mid-day on Monday you'll probably get some better advice than mine from those who mostly monitor these boards during the work week.

Good luck. Sorry for the long one.

Steve

padraicsdad · May 2002

Thanks to all who suggested ways to make it easy to tell St. Pat from St. Mike. Custom wheels is good, albeit expensive, and I really like the custom decal site so that idea has possibilities. As an old street rodder from the fifties (emphasis on the old), I know that NHRA rules say fuzzy dice may only be legally displayed on vehicles AFTER a 350 (427 better) has been shoehorned under the hood

My favorite though, is the suggestion to bolt a green kayak to the roof rack of one of them. Even after the fits of laughter from our friends subside, that should be a hoot. You see, Mary Ann and I turn 60 this summer; she a svelte, well-preserved 60, me at 6'2" and two hundred and seven......... let's just say that after my last checkup the doc told me to cut back eating a little because I've started to make my own weather.

The funny thing is, we looked at sea kayaks several years ago. Knowing that those wienie little LL Bean thingies wouldn't work for me, we drove down to Ocean City, NJ and met with Lars, Custom Kayak Builder. After we told Lars why we were there, to his credit it took him less than five minutes to get himself back under control and start planning our design. We didn't go through with it though. Has anyone ever even SEEN a steel-ribbed twenty-nine foot kayak with an eight foot beam?

Thanks again, everyone. We're enjoying our two green Subies and looking forward to entertaining reading here. Have a nice weekend.

Jeff

padraicsdad · May 2002

Hi Rose,

Steve covered your question very thoroughly and with excellent advice. I can think of only two things to add:

1. The best out-the-door price you can get from your local dealer may vary considerably from the personal accounts you read here, so don't get down on yourself if you can't match the best of them. That said, under today's circumstances any dealer should be willing to sell a 2002 Forester at invoice, maybe better. With 3% holdbacks and possibly other incentives in play, there's still plenty of profit for the dealer.

2. If you have one, make sure you have a realistic understanding of what your trade is worth. Knowing that buyers are focused on getting the best price on the new car, dealers find it much easier to inflate profits by talking down the value of your old ride. Note that I said realistic. In fairness, that means what it's worth at wholesale, not retail. But don't fall for the old "it's right here in my (blue/red/green) book" game, either. Those books are printed so they can show them to gullible buyers.

BTW, does anyone know why the word "gullible" isn't in the dictionary?

Good luck, Rose. Tell us how you make out.

Jeff

storyteller · May 2002

Well said, Jeff. Gullible IS in my dictionary. I think it is a variation of the verb "to gull," meaning to fool someone.

Steve

goldencouple1 · May 2002

This is an attorney thing: Call any dealership you're going to visit first and get someone knowledgeable on the line and ask what charges/fees/taxes you can expect to see and how much the fixed costs will be and what percentage they use to figure the sliding costs. Such fees vary between dealerships, especially the "paper fees": handling, copying, sending in for your new title. So get this info from every dealership you'll visit. Tell them to tell you absolutely every possible charge because if there is one charge or fee that pops up that you were not told about (or they increase fee by a penny)you will walk out. Also, call up the Motor Vehicle department and ask them what fees are mandatory for the City/County/State and how much they are. Finally, check and see if you get a rebate on sales tax on your trade-in (if you choose to trade in) -- some states give a rebate that is applied to the sales tax on your new car. Oh, and check on what the sales/use tax is on a new car -- some states, like mine, charge less sales tax on a new vehicle than on a new sweater (for example) -- quite a surprise to me when I moved here.

Just in general, take every surprise you can out of the process. I've done a lot of closings, sales of businesses, big real estate closings, and I learned to get all possible information up-front: no surprise is a good surprise -- most of the time.

And finally, this is an old attorney saying: the power is where the money is. Remember that you got the dollars, you got the power -- they need your money, you don't need their car. There is another dealership, even a Subaru dealership that is not that far away. And if you have the patience and the stomach for it you can grind them down just as well as they can grind you down. Visit the dealership half a dozen times if that's what it takes; play one dealer off another, getting them to bid against each other. Or if you want an easier time of it, pay a little more for the car. Remember its your money, so its your game. The power is where the money is.

logtrail · May 2002

Sunico,
I have an ASC sunroof on my 99 Forester. The cost was around $1100 and it is a very nice unit.
Two caveats however. The warrantee requires that I take it to the installer once a year for lubrication. Costs about $25 and about 2 hours of my time hanging around. I have never had problems with my sunroofs and think that the requirement is unnecessary. The second caveat is there is a lot of noise from the sunroof. I am about to get an aftermarket wind deflector.

rsholland · May 2002

the dealer in Silver Spring MD again today. They had loads of new '03 Foresters on the lot. One was an XS with that new green. It was gorgous! That new green is almost a black-green. It's very dark, and looks great next to the gray cladding. It's very rich looking, indeed. They also had several there with the new blue. I don't like it nearly as well as I do the new green.

Also noticed that the oval logo with stars has been redesignedand for the better. As many of you know, I'm not wild about the Subaru logos, so I'm happy to see some movement on this front. The changes are:

 The grille oval logo is about 25% larger than the one used previously. There seems to be a trend among car companies to use their logos larger on the grille, than in the past. I think VW started it. Their grille logo is positively huge. The new '02 Odyssey also uses a larger logo than last year's model, as do Infinities, Toyotas, Mazdas, etc. It seems that Japanese car makers feel that the only way to make their cars look different from others, is to flaunt their respective logos. And there's truth to that; look at the grilles of some Acuras and Mazdas. There almost identical. Only their distinctive logos separate the look from one another.

 The stars within the logo have been redrawn. They are now connected, where as before they were separate. I think this tends to unify the oval design a bit better.

 The center of the logo now has a very deep blue, that fades into black as it moves towards the edges. You almost have to look twice to see it, as it's very subtle.

All in all, I think the oval logo is better than it was before before. The changes are very subtle. You really need to see the old logo next to the new version to see what I'm talking about. It's also now used on the steering wheel too.

I bet all '03 Subies will get this new logo.

Bob

felch1 · May 2002

I purchased a 2002 Forester S Premium (Red)a year ago and have 21k miles on it and live in NY near West Point. I am going to be selling it and was wondering what I could ask. The car includes the following: It has had all schedule maintenance and is in mint condition.
Mud guards, fender flares, bumper molding, wheel locks, hood deflect or, brush guard, Differential protector, tail pipe cover, tow hitch, cold weather package,dimming rear view mirror and compass, sub woofer, tweeter kit, upgraded speakers, 6 cd changer and the gold extended warranty. If anyone can offer some insight I would appreciate it.
liff

amyash · May 2002

A few more questions, tho...

1. In post #5852, kohall mentioned bringing in the Forester for a 1,000 mile oil change. Is this necessary? I thought the first oil change is to be performed at 3,000 miles/3 months.

2. I opted not to get either the Subaru security system upgrade or the $400 "Pursuit" alarm (I'm told this is an Audiovox product) from the dealer. I think that I can do better then the Subie alarm and/or get a cheaper premium alarm from an after market installer (two, the alarms that were recommended to me today were Cliffords $350 - $600 and up, depending on the features and I'm not sure I want to/need to spend that much). Does anyone have particular recommendations for an alarm or installers in the NYC/LI region?

3. It appears that I can do better price-wise if I buy a bicycle rack/kayak rack from an online dealer. The subie's factory installed rack is Yakima. With the proper fittings, I can use either a Thule or Yakima rack...does anyone have any feelings either way? Is Yakima's "anklebiter" (holds bike at the crank arm) better than a rack that holds the bike by the downtube (Thule "Big Mouth" or Yakima "Lockjaw") or a rack that holds the bike by the fork (front wheel removed).

So far, the Forester is great...lots of fun to drive and I'm lovin' that moonroof...especially on beautiful, sunny days like today.

Oh, and my 2 cents re: dealers...after visiting virtually every dealer in the Nassau/Queens NY area, I decided to buy from Gregoris Subaru in Valley Stream. Ralph Ekstrand (salesman) and Dave Grottano (manager) were terrific. They answered all my questions without any high pressure sales tactics (they didn't even ask for my phone number), sold me a 2002 S Prem at dealer invoice without playing any games and are going to provide me with a loaner car when I bring my Forester back for some additional installations this week.

kens · May 2002

amyash,

1. People sometimes opt to get their first oil change done early because your engine goes through the most breaking-in during the first few thousand miles. It's more or less a peace of mind issue. I'm sure waiting until 3000 miles as the manual suggests is not a problem at all.

2. The Subaru OE alarm is pretty basic. It uses the built in keyless entry feature and couples it with a standard shock sensor. The advantage is that it's easy to install and is only a marginal cost above the keyless entry.

3. I purchased my bike rack from Yakima. You'll have a bigger selection by going directly to them. I believe the Subaru OE rack is a "Lockjaw" type that secures the bike on the down tube. I personally use a Steelhead for mine.

Basically, it comes down to preference between a fork-mount or upright-mount bike rack.

Fork-mount racks (ie. Steelhead) are the most secure. You can take the hardest mountain twisties on your Forester and the bikes will remain firmly on the rack. Fork-mount racks are compatible with a wide range of bikes. The drawback of a fork mount is that you need to remove the front tire. I usually just toss it in the back cargo area. Also, I believe all fork-mount bikes require that you get Yakima cross bars to secure the front end. I use a hybrid system with my factory and Yakima cross bars.

Upright-mount racks (ie. Lockjaw/Anklebiter) are great for their convenience -- don't need to remove that muddy front tire. The drawback is that the bikes tend to wobble a bit when driving hard. Yakima tests all their racks extensively so there's no worry about them falling off, but it's nice to know that your equipment is rock solid. The Lockjaw is more stable than the Anklebiter, but may not be compatible with some bikes with very wide downtubes. The Anklebiter is compatible with pretty much anything. Both models can be used with the factory racks using the Mighty Mount adapters.

I actually bought some Anklebiters first, but I wasn't happy with how bulky the equipment was. Since the entire bike's mass needs to be secured way at the bottom, the arm on the Anklebiter is a very heavy metal tube. I also ride aluminum frames so I didn't want the Lockjaw either.

Ken

rlastar · May 2002

I am curious as to what people are actually getting for gas milage for an automatic transmission.
Please reply with your gas milage.
Thanks

lakepop · May 2002

Just got back from a trip from western New York /Georgia/Alabama/ back to WNY. Averaged just over 27 mpg for the whole trip. Virtually all highway driving in the 65-80 mph range. I usually fill up in the 300-340 miles range as I don't like to get down to the bottom of the tank. I have never seen the fuel low light!

The only engine mods I have are a CAI and a Brospeed muffler.

armac13 · May 2002

My mileage has always been poor (usually around 20-21 US mpg) but most of my driving involves very short (3 mile) city trips and somewhat spirited use of the throttle. In more mixed driving over the last few weeks, the figure has been 23.

Ross

eric102 · May 2002

24.5 mpg during the winter, 26 mpg lately. Mixed driving. 02 Outback, 4 banger, auto.

Eric

jim_loves_cars · May 2002

Check out the "Real-World Trade-In Values" on the "Smart Shopper" board. There are a couple of knowledgable people (car dealers) on the board who will tell you what you can expect to get for the car as a trade in. They'll also give you a good idea of what you might expect to get for a private sale if you ask them to.

If I may ask, why are you selling it so soon?

joseph50 · May 2002

Short trips to work, 100-mile weekend round trippers (= "mixed"): 24+ mpg. A bit lower in winter.
Cross state over hilly Pa turnpike: 27 mpg.
Up and down the flat South Jersey parkway during the summer: about 30 mpg.
I just passed 15K miles in my 2001 Forester S.
The purely subjective impression is that the vehicle is just now breaking in and any further coddling in driving style is absolutely unnecessary. Time to have some fun!
Joe

hayduke01 · May 2002

I have slightly over 1400 miles on my '02 S. Cumulative MPG is 24.33. Worst was the first tank, 21.37; best was 27.88. That was all mixed highway and city driving, probably less than half highway. Current tank will be more than half highway, so hoping for 27 or better again.

Most of my vehicles I get less than the EPA numbers, so I'm pleased with the results so far.

harperb1 · May 2002

Thanks for all the info you
guys have on this site.
I am fixing to buy a ,03 Forrester.
Having always had jeeps, the ground
clearence is concerning me.
On my jeep Cherokee I had 215
size tires. When I changed to 235
tires I gained maybe an 1" more clearence.
I do plan to take this Forrester to the limit
out west !
Thanks, old jeeper..

kohall · May 2002

Just back from the first roadtrip for my new 2003 Forester XS Premium. Here are the raw stats:

23.7 mpg - 1st tank of gas, driving around town.
25.6 mpg - mostly highway, but 35 mph winds.
24.7 mpg - around town, hilly area (State College, PA).
30.8 mpg - mostly highway, although through a steady driving rain (I suspect this is not the most ideal driving condition).

SO I am very happy with the mileage, and like others, it seems that is keeps getting better as the engine gets more miles (I am up to 903 now).

My theory with options is to pay a little bit more (maybe) from the dealer, then have only one place to go when/if they break. I am a busy person and do not relish hopping from auto shop to auto shop. In fact, I even buy tires from the dealer so that the rotation can be done while in for every other oil change. The good thing for me is that I can pick up a loaner car (Subie) while in the shop. So I can look forward to a different Subaru experience every once in a while. I think the bottom line is that the person/company who has the most to gain by pleasing the customer is the one who will benefit from a future repeat sale, thus, I feel that you have the most leverage with the Subie dealer. Also, if you are under warranty, you will most likely go regularly to the dealer so the "covered" items can be fixed for no charge.

I did not get the chromatic mirror/compass on my 2003. What do the users of these suggest? I test drove an 2002 with this and my first impression was that it blocked too much of the view. But maybe that was also due to the '03 having more visibility than the '02 (at least that is what I understand from some measure of this stat). The compass would have come in handy wizzing around the mountains in PA.

storyteller · May 2002

Ken: That's great mileage, considerably better than the averages usually posted here. Could the '03 be a gas sipper? More likely you have a soft foot as you break in the new vehicle. But you can feel good about those results.

Steve

gened1 · May 2002

I have a electronic chromatic mirror in my Pontiac GTP and it reduces any glare from someone behind me to a point where I don't even notice bright lights or low beams with fog lights.
In my wife's Honda accord it is a constant fight to move my head around or change the switch on the mirror to remove the glare. I also have this feature on my Forester. In my opinion if I didn't have it on the car I would surely put one on aftermarket.
Gene

cat_and_bear · May 2002

We have it on our 2003 Forester. Both the mirror and the compass are working great. I don't feel their blocking my view at all. BTW, though the compass is pretty small, it's easy to read.

I'm a first time poster here. Hi to all of bear's friends here. It's a very nice group and all of you are great people.

-cat (wife of bear)

rpbirch · May 2002

Hi:

I want to thank all of those who answered my questions about hauling heavy loads & the moonroof etc.

We're definitely getting a forester s model (Mom still doesn't want moonroof but I won on the heated seats). I was amazed to learn that it has the same horsepower as my v6 3.3L caravan engine so am no longer worried about the power issue.

The 2003 model is out for us for the same reason we didn't get the outback...that weird gear configuration...I know it's a safety feature but neither one of us like it.

We were quoted a price for (cash purchase with no trade in) forester L 0f $22,173 (that includes sales tax/destination etc) and $2,200 more for a forester s.....how does this sound to you out there?

I'm really not a "negotiator" at heart...should I try and get him down more on the s model bringing up their new influx of 2003 models & holdback?

Again I appreciate any help...

joseph50 · May 2002

The chromatic mirror is fine, but the compass is super for the "geographically dyslexic" such as myself. When I know my desination is north of my departure point, and the compass is showing "S" after a right turn, I know I should have turned left. I am often saved a lot of time and gas and frustration.

mikeh19 · May 2002

Has anyone gotten their windows tinted? I've read on the Window Tinting board that you can experience a drop in AM radio performance when a glass-integrated antenna is tinted with metallic tints. I've read the metallic tints last longer and don't fade compared to the dyed tints and are more expensive.
Has this happened to anyone?
How much are people paying? Is tinting on average more expensive on the Forester because of the size of the windows?Thanks.
Mike

Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

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