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The engine was a pzev 170 HP with either 5 speed manual or 4 speed auto.
...just as it is for 2009 in the USA.
No mention of CVT or 5 speed auto.
You can read about it at auto123.com. Perhaps later this week there will be more information.
Thank you!
The temperature was about 10 degrees lower than last loan (in the low thirties .vs. low 40's).
This time, over every bump, the same X-premium squeaked and rattled inside as if it was falling apart. The loudest noise was coming from the central console just above the boot for the parking brake. Once that console got thoroughly warmed up, the squeaking calmed down.
There were lots of other interior squeaks and rattles (center armrest, dash, some in doors, some in headliner); surprisingly bad compared to my XT.
Other than temperature, I have no idea what else could have caused things to loosen up that much in three weeks.
1. starting just behind the large crease in the rear fender, so the plastic stops just at the point of the crease, remaining flat from there to the wheel well,
2. starting so that an inch of the front of shield is formed to follow the contours of the fender crease, then become flat backwards to the wheelwell.
Approach 2 protects more of the fender, but is much harder to apply (I've no idea how the body shop formed the plastic to fit the crease).
How do other's shields fit on their Foresters? :confuse:
What owners are talking about regarding the dash and the other plastic parts in the car will not be apparent just driving the car around. I didn't think there was anything to complain about until I started really using the car. Putting things in it etc. After a couple of camping trips (and I tend to be pretty neat and careful, especially with the new car), There are all sorts of scratches and places where the plastic gray material has been removed by something hitting it. This is both in the rear cargo compartment and on the passenger side dash area. Even the glove box with the silvery gray color is scratched down to the next color (ie very thin coating on there),
In comparison, my old subie, which was 27+ years old and lived a full life, had no marks on the vinyl dash/rear cargo compartment. The same gear was put in both cars with dramatically different results. And after 27 years, I just don't worry about that stuff as much as I do with a new car that I want to keep looking nice for quite a while.
Somehow, this new plastic or vinyl, or whatever the material is, is a lot softer, so it scratches and peels up when just about anything touches it.
There are apparently no lights for other door switches, nor the glovebox.
There's a new front footwell accessory kit that adds blue or red LED lighting to front foot-wells only. They're kinda bright but can be dimmed by panel control. Part cost's $40, but installation runs $140 or more (installation instructions were poor).
Bill
Also, seems it is not just new exhaust, etc. burning in.
If you really have a heavy gas smell, take it to the dealer. I had this problem with my previous Toyota. They will want to eliminate any possiblity of a gas leak.
My 09 is PZEV and I do notice exhaust while outside removing snow while it warms up when it is very cold, but I would not call it extreme or unusual -- the PZEV is set to warm up very fast, and cold starts do get a very rich gas mixture.
Bill
Maybe I can raise my mpg!
I doubt you will see better MPG. It only takes a few droplets of gasoline to cause a strong smell.
NUMBER: SB-10-01-09 (2008 Impreza and 2009 Forester)
I do not have the complete text.
" ... The amount of oil elements in the rubber parts of the HVAC doors decreases in time. Therefore, in due time, this problem will disappear. During regular HVAC system use the time needed for the oil elements to completely vaporize is about fifteen months ..."
Regards
I was very impressed with the performance.
My brother has an 07 CR-V which did well in the same situations, but my Forester was clearly better.
Only caution, if you are used to front wheel drive, over acceleration in turns can cause rear to spin out -- just like in the old days of rear wheel drive.
I know all this has been covered with prior posts, but I had to wait for snow before I could report.
Bill
Exactly what I found out with my '09 Forester XT.
Even with winter tires it's easy to get the rear end to spin out on icy roads.
Subaru had told me the Heater Gasket was going to be replaced. It wasn't. According to the dealer, they were told to have the regional rep go for a drive in it. He supposedly did not smell the oil smell, so there was nothing done, except they cleaned the windshield again. PPHHHTTTT!!! I'll be cleaning it again within a week after it gets cold again. (Luckily it is about 60F today and will be for the rest of the week. WooHoo!
So, it looks like I'm going to have to call Subaru again. They told me one thing (the gasket would be replaced) and then I guess the dealer was told something else. Not happy about this.
The paint job was done by a local paint shop. They did a terrific job matching the color (Sage Green Metallic). The dealer had ordered the replacement film, but when it came in, the shop decided it was too small compared to the area that had already been pitted. So, the great news is, they put on a much bigger piece!!! Yeah, it is at least twice as large as the piece that is coming in on the new cars today and I'm thinking should cover the area where the paint was being pitted. It goes all the way down to the "runner" and all the way back to the wheel well. It also goes about 3" into that molding crease that Kurtamaxxxx mentioned. They did a nice job there as well, It looks like it is on really smooth!
So, I'm impressed with the job the local paint shop did in fixing this issue. YEAH!!!
I had a few other things done at the same time that were warranty items, including having some floor carpeting replaced as there had been a hole in it. I don't know who did the carpeting work, but it looks like the glue wasn't laid down everywhere, so the carpet is "lumpy" or comes away from (or sticks out from) the floor, the hump, etc.
I don't know if this is anything to worry about or not??? Does anyone have any experience with this? Should I have them re-glue the carpet??? I have no experience in this area and certainly would appreciate feedback.
Oh, Axtiera, thanks again for your recommendation to switch dealers. I am so much happier with this dealer!!! The service guy I deal with is really nice and listens. As I was leaving from picking up my car yesterday, the general manager of the dealership came out to talk to me and thank me for my business! That was a surprise! And a nice touch.
I do not have the complete text.
" ... The amount of oil elements in the rubber parts of the HVAC doors decreases in time. Therefore, in due time, this problem will disappear. During regular HVAC system use the time needed for the oil elements to completely vaporize is about fifteen months ..." ""
Montreal,
This is the issue. When I was talking with the service guy he said the longest it should take to get rid of it was 15 months. However, I don't want to be sick for two winters.
So, Would you tell me where I might find the full write up on that service bulletin that you mentioned? Or does anyone else have the full text?
Thanks!
So far, I've not seen what I saw during the now long gone cold snap in Portland OR (is 55 degrees today and no snow save on Mount Hood and in the Cascades).
I'll keep trying just to be sure... :confuse:
Yes, the dealer can make a huge difference in service satisfaction. Within 10 miles I have an indifferent dealer, and a helpful dealer. Guess which one gets my business?
Obviously the 09 has many siginificant improvements over my 03 XS - much better ride, less road noise, roomier, really liked the power leather seats (almost as good as our A4, cushions a little short, but OK for wifey & I who are both 5' 7"). Our 03 has better fore & aft visiblility (09 has higher glass & smaller mirrors), feels a bit gutsier (w 5 sp manual - it is probably just a feeling & not accurate), & corners flatter (with STi rear sway bar), but those are about the only things I prefer on 04. I was surprised that the while the road noise on 09 was much less the wind noise on 09 was not much less.
Although our 03 is just getting broken in (49K) we anticipate buying a new Forester in the next 6-18 months - may hold out longer to see if they will make below changes. We would love to see the passenger seat raised (or better yet adjustable height), round cup holders, slightly larger mirrors, and a 5 spd AT. I don't anticipate those will change with 2010 or 2011 models, but I can hope. So I will start using my Subaru Bucks card again, keep my eye out for rebates, and hope the folks at SOA will make some the changes that seem to be common gripes before 2012.
Does anyone know if the 09 XT has beefier sway bars than the X Limited model?
After that our next purchase will be selling our 04 A4 for a Honda Insight,
By the way, I heard today that Subaru was only car with increased sales for Jan 09, up %.. Under such circumstances it may be a while before SOA makes any changes and before those fabled rebates show up on the Forester!
I hope for your sake that you don't have the same problem!
However, this is for USA XT's - overseas models may have such adjustments.
I agree with your suggested improvements and would also like to see Subaru tame the dual exhaust system noise and relocate the glaring yellow passenger air bag light. However, your final paragraph says it all. With Forester sales more than doubled compared with last year, Subaru has little motivation to fix what sales figures indicate "ain't broke".
Question for the group:
How much of a discount should I expect for a 2009 Forrester Turbo with just a few options? MSRP should be $27,200 on a factory order.
With appreciation and kind regards,
Only 6% of Forester production is turbo, which includes both XT and XT-Limited.
Consumers Union made XT-Limited their top rated CUV, as did Motor Trend.
It's a hot item.
BTW, at the Portland OR Auto Show (going from Feb 5 - 8, I think), there were _0_ Forester XT's on the floor (X-limited, X-Premium, Base were there). My guess is there were none to be had from local dealers at this time.
Multiple dealers have offered me invoice which pretty much matches Edmunds pricing.
What I have seen in the forums is up to $1000.00 below invoice.
If anyone has any insight into better pricing please let me know.
With appreciation and kind regards,
You're welcome, glad to hear they've had such a good start with your service.
I haven't told her yet because I really love driving this car
That is CLASSIC! I love it! That's a story I will share with friends and family.
Our windshield is OK, and I'm glad because my wife has horrible luck with those (I think she's had 3 break on her in her driving career).
Subaru Bucks - remember you can use these to pay for service. 60k, 90k whatever, but in $100 increments because you do not get change.
Heck, the Fitzgerald Body shop even accepted mine. Insurance reimbursed me. Ka-ching.
Billwv: thanks for sharing the direct comparo experience, nothing beats driving them in the real world.
Here's the actual sales percentages posted by jeffmc from the cars101.com site:
Interesting info from Joe Spitz's site regarding allocations of each Forester trim:
X Premium: 45%
X: 26%
LL Bean: 20%
XT Ltd: 6%
XT: 3%
Turbos made up 9% of sales for Forester.
FYI, the Subaru folks at the Portland Auto Show were unable to offer percentages of Forester F/R power distribution.
Here's Subaru Canada's response to the other poster:
Thank you for contacting Subaru Canada, Inc.
The Forester does not have a Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) centre differential. For the 2009 model year, the Forester 2.5XT includes a Multi-plate Transfer (MPT) System that adjusts torque from 60/40 (F/R) to 50/50 (or anywhere in-between) depending on throttle input, road conditions and input from the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) System. VDC operates like most electronic stability control (ESC) systems in that it can adjust engine output, adjust individual brake pressure and even front rear torque distribution to retain/regain vehicle stability.
It is not possible for the system defeat the role of the centre differential and thus torque output will always be split between the front and rear differential. Meaning, the system cannot direct 100% of power to a single wheel - whether it be with VTD or MPT.
We trust this information is helpful.
Sincerely,
Rosanne Kernerman
Bilingual Consumer Support Representative
After Sales
1-800-894-4212
www.subaru.ca
Interesting -- these percentages are different from what I have been told -- 90/10 to 50/50.
Does this apply to all 09 Forester 4AT or just the Turbo??
Bill
Bill
Of course, all of this voids the warranty.
The seat leather is pretty substantial in the sides, but not in the middle.
Yes, the interior is cheap in many ways. But frankly, most of the cars I saw at the Portland auto show were no better in terms of scratch resistance, even the expensive German brands.
Part of what makes the change so dramatic is the understating of the power output of the XT. Despite SAE standards, many dyno runs have shown the XT putting down torque values of 220 at the wheels when that was supposed to be the flywheel value. Given expected drvietrain losses of about 30%, those published numbers from FHI are very conservative.
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