2011 Subaru Forester
The new 2011 Subaru Forester offers a host of new and upgraded features compared to the outgoing model. Foremost among these features is a new New engine- 2.5L 4 cylinder boxer engine, now 2498 cc engine (was 2457cc), new chain-drive DOHC double overhead cam (replacing belt drive SOHC), new coolant system for block and head, slighly longer piston stroke, lighter components. Fuel economy 21/27 for both manual and automatic non-turbo 2.5L models.
This new and refined 2.5L is going to be used in the future in other cars, with new technologies as Subaru moves to further improve economy, power, emissions.
New Models Top of the line X Touring and XT Touring models.
Gone XT Limited model dropped, replaced by the XT Touring model.
New modifications include:
New front grill
New larger rear seat headrests, see photos
New upgraded stereos on all models except X
New Driver's window one push up/down except on X
New Telescoping plus tilt steering wheel on all except X
New Back-up cameras available on Premium and Limited, standard on Touring
New Bluetooth. All models except base X have hands-free Bluetooth with steering wheel controls.
New All models require synthetic oil. 2.5L uses 0W-20. Turbo XT models require synthetic 5W-30 oil.
Colors and Materials
Gone Newport Blue
New Marine Blue Pearl
New Sky Blue Metallic
New cloth on X, X Premium - Black and Platinum cloth
New cloth on XT Premium - Black and Platinum Moray cloth
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2011.html
The oil change interval for the XT Turbo under "normal use" has been increased to 7,500 miles with the new Subaru Synthetic oil.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2011.html
The new Forester appears to be a significant improvement over the 2010 model and should find an enthusiastic reception among Subaru devotees.
This new and refined 2.5L is going to be used in the future in other cars, with new technologies as Subaru moves to further improve economy, power, emissions.
New Models Top of the line X Touring and XT Touring models.
Gone XT Limited model dropped, replaced by the XT Touring model.
New modifications include:
New front grill
New larger rear seat headrests, see photos
New upgraded stereos on all models except X
New Driver's window one push up/down except on X
New Telescoping plus tilt steering wheel on all except X
New Back-up cameras available on Premium and Limited, standard on Touring
New Bluetooth. All models except base X have hands-free Bluetooth with steering wheel controls.
New All models require synthetic oil. 2.5L uses 0W-20. Turbo XT models require synthetic 5W-30 oil.
Colors and Materials
Gone Newport Blue
New Marine Blue Pearl
New Sky Blue Metallic
New cloth on X, X Premium - Black and Platinum cloth
New cloth on XT Premium - Black and Platinum Moray cloth
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2011.html
The oil change interval for the XT Turbo under "normal use" has been increased to 7,500 miles with the new Subaru Synthetic oil.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2011.html
The new Forester appears to be a significant improvement over the 2010 model and should find an enthusiastic reception among Subaru devotees.
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I wonder if this recommendation will apply to prior year XT Turbos?
For 2011:
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/maintenance2.html
For 2010 and earlier:
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/subaru_maintenance1.html
I will change the oil in my Forester XT every 3000+ miles whatever the recommendation. Service writers at my local dealer have mentioned the foul condition of the oil drained from all the turbos. I buy my oil changes in bulk (5 at a time) from the dealer. Oil is cheap; engines and turbos are not.
But without a service bulletin confirming, one should not presume warranty coverage.
If I wanted a MT. I would order a MT why would I want both ?
http://www.subaru.com/engineering/electronics-audio/premium-sound.html
The NAV system is also improved.
http://www.subaru.com/engineering/electronics-audio/navigation.html
http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/forester/index.html
This baby is mucho improved and well may be my next car!
And to top it all off, the big bonus is the steering wheel does not shake!
2011 Subaru Forester <Click
Gone now are the days of primitive audio and it's about time! The car will be a sheer pleasure to listen to (and drive)!
Look at the Germans. They are up to eight or even more and are still not satisfied!
From what I can tell it's not listed as one of the options. Unless the 7 speaker system in the Touring is Harman Kardon (not specified).
Hopefully I'm missing it somewhere.
http://www.subaru.com/content/static/vehicles/forester/compare.html
Dealer said that this is normal I think it's embarrassing.
These engines do not have the balances required on in-line and V engine configurations, though, so until they get get to idle speed (i.e., the first second or so as they are started), they will rumble.
The new Forester audio speakers are apparently Panasonic.
My apologies.
It does have some clatter when started up cold. Sounds perfectly normal, but not as quiet as 1.5L inline four in our other Japanese car.
even if it goes away after it warms up.
It sounds like an old car with bad lifters.
But another thing that I noticed was that the beautiful cast-aluminum intake manifold "spider" is gone, replaced with smooth black plastic intake runners. Hmmm.
Happy to say that the engine is quite a bit quieter after a cold start. And quickly settles down to a very smooth Idle. On the road, at 2600-3000 RPM, I sense that the engine is a bit noisier. Perhaps the loss of head-to-head reinforcement that the old intake manifold provided is the cause. Not sure. But I had driven a 2010 Forester form Portland to Eugene last month, and it was definitely not making the same noise. This was, so you know, an brand new engine with 4 miles on it, I put on another 6.
The standard Radio is much better sounding, and I did check that it worked with my iPod and played music directly off a USB Drive! If anyone finds out if the radio can be made to release browsing of the iPod back to the iPod GUI, please post!
Just food for thought. Can't wait to read what others think about the new engine.
Mine is not a clatter like bad lifters. It is just not a sewing machine at a cold start, like my other car which is a Japanese inline four.
Bill
Per cars101.com.
The Forester water temperature gauge does not display temperature. The needle rises to the middle and stays in one place there as long as the temperature is in the normal operating range of 150-205F. The needle is merely an indicator of cold, normal and too hot -- same as the indicator lights.
I know this because I have a Forester with temperature gauge, and a Scion with temperature lights, and digital ScanGauges in both cars to show actual temperature.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2011.html
They write:
engine coolant temp gauge (so no blue cold engine light like all the other models).
Let me see if I can imbed the image:
I had not heard of the ScanGauge before now, but looked it up and it looks quite nice! Did you have to change the temp sensors in either car in order to get that functionality, or just plug the tool into the port?
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/vintagefortytwo/Forester/Forester%20ScanG- auge/4SGcoverday.jpg
And in my 2006 Scion xB
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/vintagefortytwo/xB%20ScanGuage/ScanGuageI- I_1.jpg
They show much information from the ECU, much more than just coolant temperature. And they can read diagnostic codes, and perform mileage and range calculations.
The rest have a blue light.
I thought we were discussing needle vs. light temperature indicators on the 2011 models. Both are indicators, not gauges. They do not show temperature, only cold, normal and hot. And normal covers a 50-degree spread.
When I was discussing putting gauges in with the forester/impreza guru at Subaru, I told him for the STi I would like to see digital gauges similar to the ones I have in my CTSV, which is a small LCD panel embedded in the cluster where you can scroll through several gauges that show things in digital/analog format on a dot-matrix screen.
Oil Temp
Coolant Temp
Oil Pressure
Tire Pressure (4 corners on a car)
Trans Temp (even though it's a MT)
I told him to add in a boost gauge for the STi as well.
The great thing is that if any of them move outside the normal range, it automatically switches to that gauge and flashes a warning and beeps. It was great on track when I was over-driving my tires on the caddy, the pressure increased and I got an over-pressure warning.
Similarly with my caddy when I was pushing real hard my oil temp went to 275 and it flashed me warning me that it was too hot.
This is technology standard in my 2005 CTSV, so hopefully we'll see this in the future on at least the premium models.
-mike
What I like about the digital ScanGauge is the ability to see the actual temperature within the operating range.
For instance, I can see on my Scion that using the heater too soon drives the temperature down a few degrees, and even though the blue light goes out at 139 degrees, it takes a very long time or never for the tiny motor to reach full 184-degree operating temperature in winter stop-and-shop errand driving with passengers hogging the heat.
It is also interesting to hear the fan come on idling in summer traffic, look down and watch 210 degrees drop to 200 degrees, and wonder how many degrees it would take for the red light to come on.
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
http://www.scangauge.com/products/
It can show 12 readings, but only 4 at a time.
http://www.scangauge.com/features/digitalgauges.shtml
The ECU gets its data to monitor and run the engine from the car's own sensors, as you say.
It is interesting, if not useful, to watch the such things as coolant temperature (FWT), intake air temperature (IAT), timing advance, voltage, fuel rate, while they vary in reaction to driving conditions.
For instance, IAT. When cold started, the IAT and FWT are the same, say 25F degrees. As you drive off, the FWT temperature climbs toward normal, but can be reversed for a moment by turning the heater on full fan and full vent. The IAT will continue to be 25F even when the engine is warmed up up, as long as the car is moving relatively fast. Once the engine is stopped and frigid air is no longer being drawn in, the intake system absorbs heat from the hot engine, and the IAT after a restart will be warmer than ambient. Cruising on the Interstate, IAT will stabilize around 7F above ambient. Idling in traffic on a hot summer day with AC, the IAT can rise to 50F above ambient.
All this info may not be useful, but it is at least interesting to watch the information coming out of the ECU.
A lot of folks read gauges (be them OBDII or regular gauges) as absolute but really they are only useful to see when there is a problem if it's operating outside of your normal area.
I can push the temps down on my caddy by running the AC/Defroster by about 15 degrees F because that forces the fans to come on even if the ECU isn't calling for them to be on.
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
By turning manually turning on the fans with the AC/defroster switch, you cause them to reduce the coolant that 15 degrees, which the ECU then recognizes.
Is summer, when the AC causes the coolant temperature to reach 110 degrees, the sensor turns on my fans and reduces the coolant by 15 degrees, which the ECU then recognizes.
Whether the radiator fans are turned on by you or by a sensor, the ECU only sees the actual temperature and does not care what caused that temperature.
My point being if you see 200 degrees on your gauge, the ACTUAL temp may be 195 degrees or 210 degrees.
Gauges are only useful to see when something changes. For instance your car normally runs at say 200 degrees, well if all of a sudden it's running at 220 degrees you know there is an issue.
The temp may not actually be 220 but there is something going on.
A lot of folks believe the numbers they see on OBDII readers or gauges but they are really just supposed to be used for variance readings.
-mike
One of my concerns is with the transmission. The Automatic is a 4 speed which is pretty archaic (I'm sure it is bulletproof by now, but even GM has 6 speed autos now). Are there plans out there to bring the CVT to the Forester line? Can the CVT handle the torque of the turbo or are they developing a 6 speed automatic?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
The XT's engine is very torquey so it's still more than quick enough. My wife has a non-turbo model and even that is adequate.
8.9" of ground clearance and 25 degree approach and departure angles are class-best for the crossovers that aren't trucky.
We love ours.
One BIG problem, though - we fight for the keys when it snows. Today she won, so I had to park my Miata (summer tires) and drive the family minivan to work.