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2009 Subaru Forester

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sounds useful. Had never heard of dry lube before. Thanks for the explanation.
  • w8ifiw8ifi Member Posts: 78
    Sometimes you'd have to crank the engine extra long and the battery would get so low the specific gravity would drop so all there was left was frozen water, buckled battery plates and ice ooozing out!! Or someone might offer to give you a push to get started and the tires wouldn't turn over and you'd do a tandem slide until you found a spot of dry pavement so friction would make the wheels move.
    One real cold night I went into my dad's garage and found a can of mobil one and a can of ten thirty. the 10-30 wouldn't pour and the mobil one poured slowly like molasses.
    fun days......
    Jim
  • mwasnidgemwasnidge Member Posts: 28
    The cold and snowy Wisconsin winter has finally hit! I had actually been looking forward to the snow so I could test out the fabled AWD system the way it was meant to be used, and I have to say, it blew me away! This is the first AWD vehicle I have driven in Winter and the difference is night and day.
    However, I have noticed that even on a 10 minute drive to work through 4 inches the accumulation of packed snow and ice in all four wheel wells is just unbelievable! To be expected I suppose and normally wouldn't bother me, but I got the rugged package and if I try and kick the ice off, the flimsy splash guards and wheel arch moldings feel like they're going to come away with the ice even with the lightest tap.
    It was to the point where I could hear and feel the packed ice rubbing on all four wheels, and when braking the noise was awful. Unfortunately I haven't got a heated garage, so it's going to be spending the majority of the Winter outside.

    Anyone else finding the same with the splash guards? Any tips or suggestions?
  • barneyapplebarneyapple Member Posts: 10
    havent been in the snow yet but one of my mud guards fell off from hitting a bump- they are flimsy and only held on by one screw and 3 plastic rivits. the body of the forester seems thinner than most cars, if you barely lean against it, it will bend. runs well but cheaply made. the interior scratches really easy too. just hoping the engine/4wd is not going to fall apart like the body
  • w8ifiw8ifi Member Posts: 78
    Up here in the U.P. it happened on all my cars. Road vibration, heat from the tires, and road salt will usually keep enough of a groove so the tires won't lock up. Sometimes after a long straight stretch you will find it's a little difficult to turn from the ice on the sides. Nothing to be alarmed about, just be prepared for it. Sometimes a chunk breaks loose when you are moving and can sure make funny noises until it breaks free. I've never had any serious trouble on any car from the build up.
    Jim
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,786
    That is my experience as well. If you do not have a heated garage to let it clear, I tend to either bum 4-5 hours of garage space from a friend to let it melt out, or head to an indoor car wash and have them spray down the undercarriage with high-pressure hot water. a couple minutes through one of those has the ice gone and the car all shiny again, to boot! But, then a few more minutes on the road..... :P

    Happily, sticky snow is the exception here rather than the rule. It is mostly too cold for the snow to stick in appreciable quantities.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    I am definitely finding the same snow build up and more. I am in CO and we have just had 2 snowstorms. The slush/snow build up is not only on the wheel wells, it is all along the side of the car by the doors, etc. The splash guards appear to be pretty worthless IMHO.

    I expect the splash guards will be worthless(or gone) after one season as they made them so that there is a "hole" that the snow is pushed up into on the tire side. I expect after a few freeze thaw cycles with the build up in there, they will break and start to fall apart. Bad design!!! I don't understand the hole. Any comments?

    In the past, I have kicked a bunch of the build up off, but with this car it takes some work. Not like the old rubber flaps. ;)

    To say the least, I am very disappointed with this issue. Still like the car though...

    Also, my last Subaru was a 2WD. This Forester with AWD is fishtailing on all corners, even when going slow from a start-up. And not in what I would typically consider icy conditions. My 2WD didn't do that. Is this normal for AWD? Or should I have something checked? :confuse:
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,786
    The fishtailing is likely a grip issue, which means the tires are not performing well. What are the specs on your Forester (year, model, etc)?
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Also, comparing a FWD to an AWD's a little tricky. In very slippery conditions a FWD will usually understeer as its front dances over the road, dragging the rear behind it. AWD has potential to "fishtail" either end of vehicle, depending which end of vehicle looses traction first.

    But xwesx has good point wrt tires. Most of Subaru's new tire choices don't seem to work well on ice. Old tires without sipes or flexible tread compound will perform badly on snow as well as ice.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,786
    That's true. I wasn't thinking about it in terms of expectation/experience. I notice that - now having my first true FWD. I lose traction a lot in this car, but unless I am turning, it has no noticeable impact on my directionality since the whole car follows the front. I have to pull the e-brake for a moment if I want the rear to swing around.

    Sadly, even though the car has studded tires, they are cheap ones and the studs do little to make up for the hard (in cold) tread compound. I may end up replacing them for next winter. 14" tires are dirt cheap compared to 16" or 17", and good tires make for a more enjoyable driving experience.... even in a crappy car like mine! :D
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    I was considering trading in my old Forester and moving up to a new one. Test drove an 09 XT LTD with NAV today. This is how it compares to my 04 XT:

    - Interior is slightly more roomy. Biggest improvement is in the rear seat leg room.
    - Ride is softer, not as sporty as the 04. A bit more body roll than I like.
    - Seats are just slightly more comfortable than the 04, maybe because I don't have leather on mine.
    - Acceleration - much slower than the 04. Of course, there is the fact that mine is a stick shift, but the car felt heavier and the engine/transmission not very responsive.
    - Steering and braking are on par with the 04.
    - Interior SCREAMS CHEAP!!! - I have not seen such a lousy dash layout in a long time. No temp gauge, stupid blue arcs on the instruments, nothing in the center console. By comparison, my 04 dash looks and feels luxurious.
    - Automatic climate control - much worse than even the 04 garbage - this thing has absolutely no idea what it is doing - the cabin was like a pressure cooker after a few minutes, even on the lowest setting. Also, you don't know what speed the fan is on unless you set it yourself. The 04 has indicators telling you what speed the fan is on.
    - Visibility - almost as good as the 04, with the exception of side mirrors - they are plain strange, both shape, size, and location (far away from the door glass).
    - NAV system is so-so, washes out in bright light, no text-to-speech.
    - Sound system - not as good as the 04, sounds flat and tinny, but I didn't fool around with adjusting it, so could be the settings.
    - MPG during the test drive, about 6 miles long, 16.2 MPG according to the meter. Pretty scary, considering I reset the meter as the car was idling and already partially warmed up. My 04 has averaged around 21 during 53,000 miles.

    In summary, I think I will be keeping my 04 for a while longer.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    I totally agree on the side mirrors. I had thought it was just me. My old subie mirrors were a lot smaller, but visibility was much better...totally different design.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    I have the 09 forester Premium X, with the 17" tires - the Geolanders came on them.

    Good point about the tires. I remember reading that someone here switched out the tires that came with the car right off the bat. Should I consider contacting Subaru if these tires are the issue? We will have lots more snow to come and I don't wnat to get in an accident just because of the tires.

    IF it is the tires, does anyone recommend a good replacement?

    I tried stopping in a parking lot and it takes a lot longer with these tires than my old FWD did with any of the tires I had on it over the years. A bit more weight, but I only got up to 20mph to do the test stop. It is also my first time with the ABS brake system, I'm used to pumping the brakes, which I'm told we aren't suppose to do with this car...although it did stop sooner in the parking lot by pumping vs stomping on the brakes.

    So, Kurt, based on your comments, this sounds as though the back end is definitely loosing traction. When I was on ice, I would have expected it, but it has also occurred when it was just slushy...not a good sign???

    Tires are not an area of interest for me, except to know that they work.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    A major cold snap, snow storms and other stuff are on way to Portland OR this weekend. I'll know by next week if the Nokian WRG2's work well on ice and snow.
    This is my first winter in an AWD so I will have some learning to do.

    But sgloon's experience with the Geolanders reinforces my belief they had to be replaced to minimize Forester's becoming a hocky puck.

    BTW, the Subaru service writer that has been helpful wrt my Forester got excited when he learned I had Nokians, racing out to see them when my Forester went in for a recent tweak. He's researched them extensively (as did I) and is thinking about adding them to his Subaru.
  • pathtomaxpathtomax Member Posts: 215
    I am currently sitting in the internet cafe' of my dealership as I wait for my 01 Outback to have its oil changed along with a state inspection. I just sat in an '09 Forester in the showroom. Tell me, are ALL the cupholders in the new Forester line square? For those out there that have one, are there add-ons to make a normal cup fit in them?
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    For driving in Colo my tire recommendation would be simple: get snow tires. Any decent winter tire will slap an all season silly when it comes to cold performance, even without snow on the ground. I've seen the data somewhere showing grip loss of all seasons on dry pavement, and it happens above freezing. If you must have one tire, the Nokians are widely considered the best bet. If you have very variable weather and much of your driving will be on dry pavement and not too cold, avoid the spongy models which optimize ice grip like the early Blizzaks and go with a longer wearing model. Many brands even offer both types.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    After using them for a few months, the cup holders are fine...I would just like them a bit bigger to handle my water bottles.

    When holding anything from a small cup to a large cup, nothing has ever spilled, tipped over, etc. I've had bottles in them as well, and some full cans.

    So despite the "funny" shape, they work fine. The square shape is actually a bit better in some cases with small containers as you can get your hands around the container better, with the extra space there, to be able to pick it up.

    My 2 cents.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Thanks for the recommendation, Volkov.

    We have extremely variable weather where I am. I was riding my bike in 70F weather on Tuesday and Thursday we got 8 inches of snow.
    And most of the year will be on dry pavement...(especially since they started using the Mag Chloride). I've never bought snow tires here for just that reason, can't justify the expenditure. And we typically don't get as cold as places like Wisconsin...although we may have a few days below zero. The coldest I've ever seen it here in 20 years is -20. And typically, we have at least one day up to 70 every month of the year.

    Do you think Subaru would replace the tires?

    Kurt, I'll look to hear your report after your storm. After it hits you, it'll be coming here, per our weatherman.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,786
    No, I highly doubt that Subaru will do anything to help with your tires.

    If you want all-seasons that are great in snow/slush at a decent price and won't wear down excessively on dry pavement, you should consider Goodyear Assurance TripleTread. I had them on my 1996 Outback and they were fantastic. With an 80,000 mile treadwear warranty, they also last a good, long time. I would normally keep 80K treadwear tires on my car for three years, and have somewhere between 65,000 and 75,000 on them at replacement. I only had the Tripletreads on the car for about 13 months when I lost it, but they were not noticeably worn at that point, with about 22,000 miles on them.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    I have to agree with xwersx - Subaru won't do anything wrt tires. In fact, the Forester's Tire warranty is through Yokohama, not Subaru.
    If your Geolanders are relatively new, the Nokian dealer may give you something for them in trade (as he did for mine - not much, but it helped).

    The Nokian WR model's definitely more spongy feeling than the newer WRG2. WR's a 2002 design lacking special tread stabilizers or an asymmetrical tread. Still, they may be cheaper.

    You can try AUTOSOCKS. I found the size recommended for the Forester XT works just fine on the Nokians (I only have one pair - intended for front wheels), and those are in reserve just in case the Nokians run up against ice they cannot handle.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Thanks to both of you for comments.

    Kurt, are the AUTOSOCKS like chains?
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    AutoSocks are tough fabric bands with mesh sides that fit over the wheels like wheel covers (installing them takes around a minute or two at most per wheel). The fabric has a very high friction coefficient on snow and ice, generating traction. They're not quite as good as chains in really deep snow, but otherwise work well for winter driving enhancement. They come from Norway but are sold by TIRE RACK and other auto part retailers.

    Size match to tire is critical, though. Too small and you cannot slip them on. Too big and they'll wander over the wheels and possibly jam up the wheel well. They can be driven for short distances on dry roads, but it's not recommended.

    For the Forester XT, size 745 seems to work well for the 225 x 55 x 17 Nokians I have on it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I remember build-up on my old rims, and what helped was cleaning and even waxing the rims themselves. When I rotate the tires I do that, because it's easier. That keep the wheels balanced (ice is heavy and can throw them way off balance).

    The wheel wells are harder, though, because you can't wax plastic. I do recommend keeping them clean. Use a power washer for the wheel wells and undercarriage each time you wash the Forester. Any car, really.

    I wonder if a light coating of lithium grease in some problem spots would help, so the ice would not stick on? WD40 is oil based and might harm some plastics and rubber.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,786
    AutoSocks - I had never heard of those before. I think I will check them out!
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Putting any kind of lube (wax, grease, etc) in wheel wells raises the potential of that stuff getting mixed in with snow that then, when it falls off, ends up lubricating the tires with wax or grease, destroying their traction.

    Unfortunately I know of no spray-on Teflon coatings or something that will stay put in a wheelwell.

    Meanwhile, the first big winter storm is socking Portland OR tonight. We should have snow tomorrow - adventure beckons. :surprise:
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Do any of the expert Subaru folks here have an explanation for why there is such a wide variation of opinion regarding the '09 XT handling?

    I compared the '09 Forester XT with the '08 Outback XT and found the Forester leaned way less in turns. In my driving, it only leans if I turn really fast (like a hard turn at 50 or 60 mph). In normal driving, changing lanes, etc., it leans less than the Outback or the Mailbu Maxx I used to drive.

    Yet when I read reviews, some claim the XT heels over like an old barge or something in turns. Granted, with nearly 9" or so of ground clearance, I would expect some lean in really hard cornering - the XT is not a racer.

    Given that many car magazines /web sites actually test mules / pre-production samples, might it be the pre-production samples had different suspension calibration than the actual production run?
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    At one level it didn't make any sense to me either. Having driven both the 09 Forester and the Rav4 for example it seemed strange that the Rav4 wasn't slagged universally for its handling given the comments on the Forester. I wonder if it's being held to a higher standard being the "performance" model. There is no difference between the handling of the XT and the top tier X. If the WRX was simply an Impreza with a 265hp engine, it would be vilified for its handling and rightly so. Mabye they are comparing it to the old model which was more settled and certainly moreso than the competition. Seems unfair though.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Another web site, TheTruthAboutCars, felt because the XT has a turbo, it's supposed to be a track demon, then slammed it because it behaved more like the practical CUV it is. Their favorite CUV's the Acura RDX, which handles and rides like a go cart. To each their own, I guess :blush:
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    The older XT's handling was much more sporty. I'm referring to the 04-05 models. Then Subaru softened them up, and that carried to the 09. I personally prefer the more sporty handling, with very little leaning and wallowing - the car feels very tight and nimble.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Hi, Kurt,

    Just thought I would check to see how the snow is coming down in Oregon. It has just started snowing here and they expect the storm to stick around til Wednesday(with really cold temps :sick: )...it looks like a pretty big storm on the satellite.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    The snow is here and more is coming. I-5 is already closed by a truck wreck. Apparently the rain froze and snow fell on top of it....worst possible surface.

    That artic cold front's really wierd....it's doing a zig zag over Portland and the main bulk of it's not over us yet. It will be and will get very cold for some time.

    I'll be going out to play in an hour or so, but want to let those who had to leave the apartment complex leave first. It'll be no fun playing tag with those summer tire tuners in the apartment parking lot. :sick:
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    I've been driving the '09 XT awhile in 1 - 2" snow and some ice, mostly in deserted parking lots and roads to get the feel of this car in winter.

    What I learned wrt XT's winter weather driving:

    1. Accelerate hard in a corner and the XT will swing its tail out. Drive easy and it stays pretty neutral.
    2. Brake in a corner and XT just drifts (assuming wheels all have equally bad traction). If ABS turns on, it's remarkably quiet.
    3. One side of car on asphalt and other side of car on snow did not induce wheel-spin during acceleration. In fact the drive system seemed pretty much seamless unless I pushed it hard per above.
    5. The WRG2's work well on snow, less well on ice ( XT definitely slid a bit when there was ice underfoot). However wheel spin was brief - the car never failed to start or stop moving.
    6. Snow and Ice build up fast in the mud flaps and front/rear edge of wheel wells.
    Some other cars I saw were much worse.
    7. Snow melts on the hood.
    8. Wipers, defrosters and defoggers do a good job keeping mirrors and affected windows clear.
    9. If you have the rear bumper guard cover, you will have to be careful about keeping snow buildup off of it or you will not be able to open the rear hatch.

    I'm trying the Prestone Snow block spray to see if it helps keep stuff off of those problem areas.

    After my drive, I learned that ODOT had for today mandated chains be used on ALL Portland OR roads !! :surprise: I did not have chains on the Forester (though my trusty Auto Socks were ready if needed) and I did not see chains on other vehicles save tow trucks and ambulances. At least those Nokian WRG2's are winter rated !

    By comparison, my former '04 Malibu Maxx FWD with GW tripletreads in winter:
    1. Ran wide if accelerated in turns
    2. Spun its front wheels a lot
    3. Went nowhere if both its front wheels spun on ice.
    That car would have probably gotten stuck today. Not the XT. :D
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Forgot to add: The VDC/TC was on all the time. The VC definitely did not stop the tail from sliding when I briefly accelerated hard in a turn on a vacent Icy parking lot (nooooo, I did not try this on a road !!!).

    Possibly, if I had kept up the acceleration (I only let XT accelerate 1-2 seconds) , VDC would have cut in. I saw no warning lights flash during this test.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,786
    Nice review.

    Out of curiosity, is snow melting on the hood not something you experience with other vehicles?
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    There's no insulation under the XT's hood so I am not surprised snow melted once it got warmed up.
    My Malibu Maxx did have insulation under its hood.

    Should also add the XT warms up pretty quickly compared to other cars I've owned.
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    I noticed that with the WRX when I first got it in 04. Turbos of course run hotter and the turbo increases temps as it compresses the air, but in addition, there is basically a run of a couple of feet of exhaust piping sitting in the engine bay pumping out heat that a NA engine doesn't have.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Good to know.
    Another reason why I change oil frequently and use a proven additive (not that STP stuff) to reduce friction and oxidation. Coking turbos are not for me :surprise: !!

    FYI my servicing dealer told me that at 7000 miles, switching to Synthetic would cause more oil to be burned. Not sure if that would foul the plugs or not, so for now it's high grade conventional and the additive.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Thanks for a comprehensive review, Kurt! :)
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    For those jumping in here:

    Continued adventures on Oregon Roads in winter with '09 XT.
    Nearly all the roads were a sheet of ice covered by windblown snow in places.
    Temperature was 32 - 24 degrees. Tires were Nokian WRG2.

    If the ice was wet, I would loose traction on one or more wheels momentarily, but the Forester XT never got stuck, including on a 10 - 15 degree hill with that wet ice.
    I got up to around 5 - 10 mph and was still able to stop reasonably well if I was gentle. Jack rabbit starts or stops would definitely break the wheels loose.
    This is the worst case I can think of.

    If ice was typical (shiny but no visible water) or covered with snow, the traction was much better. There the XT started and stopped without trouble provided I was gentle with throttle and brakes.

    The Prestone anti-ice spray seems to be helping keep slush from freezing in the wheelwells.

    Tomorrow come the big hills due a trip I have to make. :surprise:

    How are others fairing? The winter tire forum commented on the Michelin X-ice tires and found them wanting.
  • bpraxisbpraxis Member Posts: 292
    Happy Holiday's everyone and I hope that you are having fun with your Subaru.

    Do you all feel that for 2010 Subaru will increase the horsepower on the Forrester Turbo to match the WRX which moved to over 260 horsepower for 2009?

    Cheers
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Given Forester is big seller now, there __might__ be enough sales to justify bringing back the 5S MT XT version all the enthusiasts complained about Subaru dropping.

    If Subaru also added the power boost to that model, that would further goose sales.

    Then again, the Forester's not a track car. Subaru would have a fair bit of suspension revision to do, including lowering heigth.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    This time came the big hills around Portland OR. We have several subdivisions built on Bull Mountain that have numerous winding, hilly streets.
    Most of those streets were covered with snow-swept ice, occasionally sprinkled with a few cinders. Some hills approach 20 - 25 degrees.

    One hill's lack of traction had sent a Jetta and a small MiniVan down their slopes. A number of FWD cars were spinning wheels as they tried to get going.

    The XT with Nokians, in all but one case, just went up and down the hills. As before, speeds had to be kept low, but the XT stopped and restarted on any hill, and stopped when going down the same hills. The worst case was when the ice was wet - the ABS definitely kicked in for those braking situations. Accelerating, I did not see any VDC/TC warning lights but felt some of the wheels alternating traction. There was little hesitation and no violent spinning of wheels.

    The only time XT lost it was doing a fairly sharp right hand turn at about 5-10 mph over a small hill which was covered with wet ice. At the hill apex XT slid for 1 - 2 seconds before it recovered. My guess is the momentary loss of weight on the tires allowed them to skid - once the vehicle got over the bump, traction came back.

    With the WRG2's and careful driving, the XT seems up to the challange of most Oregon winter roads.
    How are folks with Geolanders doing in similar situations?

    There are at least two more massive storms heading for us this week, so the fun is just beginning!
  • capitanocapitano Member Posts: 509
    We got our first major snow here in the Kansas City area this week. I noticed the rear end sliding out around some turns, particularly when the front end was on the plowed road and the rear was going through a small berm created by the plow. In these slides, the VDC light never came on.

    I did get the light to come on once this morning going over a railroad crossing. I felt some wheelspin and the light came on briefly.
  • MplsmanMplsman Member Posts: 11
    We've got snow, ice, and very low temps here in MN last few days. Brought my new X Premium home last night and VDC coming on regularly (granted I may have been a little enthusiastic with my new toy!). Notice a lot of drifting with any acceleration into a turn. Again, very slick conditions yesterday and today. While Forester still handled terrifically, I've heard the stock Geolanders aren't the best for these conditions.

    Also, noticed ABS kicks in a lot quicker and more frequently than on my old Toyota Sienna.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,786
    Yes, with ABS and the spin, the culprit is most likely your tires.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Interesting...

    The Forester is supposedly FWD biased even though it's an AWD car. Yet when accelerating on snow and ice, the '09 swings its tail out rather than understeer severely (as my former FWD cars would do on bad roads).

    Perhaps for '09, Subaru changed the balance of the AWD system to be more rear end biased?
  • capitanocapitano Member Posts: 509
    It might just be that the rear end is lighter (44% vs 56% up front). My old Pathfinder used to slide around in 2WD. 300lbs of sand in the back took care of it.
  • billwvbillwv Member Posts: 48
    Do you have the 4AT? My understanding is that the VDC will send more power to the rear on acceleration -- and more to the front (engine braking) on deceleration.

    Bill
  • PanosPanos Member Posts: 14
    From what i've been reading, for automatic foresters, the AWD system sends 90% of the power to the front and 10% to the rear in D in normal conditions. Switch it down to manual mode in gears 1 and 2 and you'll have 50/50 front and rear. For manual transmissions you get 50/50 in all gears. Once the AWD system detects slipping it will send more power to the wheels that have traction.

    I've bought a set of dedicated wheels and winter tires for my 09' Forester 2.5X Premium. I ordered them from tirerack.com. I got 16" alloy wheels with 215/65-16 General Altimax Artic tires. I wasn't even going to bother with the oem Geolanders during the winter months. My previous SUV with its all-seasons was a nightmare in the winter. If it wasn't in 4wd it wasn't moving! If you want maximum traction in winter weather, a dedicated winter tire is the only way to go.

    This was my first set of winter tires and so far they have been great, i've gone through heavy rain in 40°F weather to wet roads at freezing temps and the forester drove like the pavement was dry. I tried taking some quick turns and fast take offs on wet pavement, but i haven't been able to break them loose. I still haven't tried them out in the snow, but were going to get a good amount of snowfall here in New England on Friday, so i'll get to test them out! :)
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    The '09 XT only comes with an automatic (4 speed).
    Perhaps the '10 will re-introduce the 5 speed manual (it was dropped after '08).
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