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Comments
As it is, you should see the number the dog's done on the black plastic of the OBW's bumper. It makes the add-on really look like a great idea.
Larry
The acrylic hood protector is well worth the money, in my opinion. I can only wish that it also did the job of deflecting more (or even some) bugs up and over my windshield. My previous T&C had a windshield easily twice as large, but even without a bug deflector it seemed to gather less than half as many bugs.
I also invested in the full set of cargo nets (sides and front and rear of cargo area) and find them very useful. I can't say the same about the cargo bin we got; it takes up too much space when not needed and so spends most of its time in my storage shed along with the rails of the roof carrier.
The rubber cargo mat is indeed rather chintzy for the price, all right. But I can't find an aftermarket one that is custom made to fit the cargo area.
The same goes for the all weather floor mats. These are the WORST rubber floor mats I have ever seen! Even the Wal-Mart rubber mats I bought for my previous Chrysler T&C Ltd. were head and shoulders in quality above these miserable pieces of crap. They are too small (especially the rears), too stiff, the grooves are too shallow, and they won't stay in place! I would love to find a rear floor mat that is one piece and covers the driveline tunnel as well. Even when only one or two people are riding in the rear, their feet find their way onto the tunnel and it is a constant chore trying to keep the carpeting clean. That light gold carpeting that comes with some colors is just way too light for the purpose!
I chose not to pay the exorbitant price for the auto-dimming mirror, even though I had one in my previous two cars, and I haven't missed it one bit, even with my 66 year old eyes that are more sensitive to glare than in my younger years.
Thanks.
-James
JP
-Dennis
So I take off the crossbars, and what mileage do I get in the next tankful? 16.9 mpg - the worst yet. No more or less leadfooted than the previous tankfuls. :-( Other factors at work, no doubt.
I had taken the XT in twice to have the dealer do something about the rattles in the dash. Both times they made adjustments within the steering column, and both times those adjustments worked... for about 24 hours. Recently I read a post in one of the major boards (not here IIRC) about someone having a similar problem with their WRX STi. It turned out that the clear plexiglass lenses over the gauges were rubbing against the plastic of the gauge housing, causing the noise.
I tested this theory on the XT by driving in a safe area on some less-than-perfect pavement, then pressing gently against the clear plexiglass gauge lenses. The rattles stopped. Lift hand; rattles started again. Problem solved? Maybe.
Now what I should I do for a permanent fix? Sticking little shims made out of cardboard (e.g., matchsticks) might do the trick but it would certainly look ghetto - not to mention the response I might get from a dealer service rep if they went into the dash to make any other kind of repairs.
Thoughts?
Ed
Did you check the glovebox?
DaveM
:-)
elissa
I removed my cross bars a while back thinking I'd get better mileage too. Nope. Not a bit of difference. Now I just have trouble carting my bikes around since I haven't bothered to put the bars and rack back up. I just need 5 minutes... :-)
As for your rattles, you could try transparent calking? Rubber cement? Instead of bubblegum (who said that?! :-) how about putty from a hardware store?
Elissa
Thanks.
Did the dealer say anything about your lousy gas mileage?
-Dennis
Example: There were several scratches on the liftgate that the salesman said were "residue" from the adhesive on the coverings used in shipment. During prep they took the car back and purported to polish off the "residue" but no, scratches still there. I gave the dealer bad marks for that on the SoA survey, and I don't want them to attmpt to repaint or touch up the car. I have managed to buff them most of the way out myself - IMO I might not be as good as a pro paint shop at this but I am far better than the hacks at any dealer - I don't trust them to do a better job than I can. Some touch-up paint and Langka and I should be fine.
Gas mileage? No comment except the salesman asked me "do you still like the hot rod?" I told him yes it's fine, but send me a Torx wrench in the mail; I don;t have the time to drive out of my way to the dealer to pick it up and you should've ensured it was in the toolkit.
Any complaints I have re mileage will surely be attributed to my lead foot and the fact that I have a 4EAT. Others have gotten worse but most - even with 4EAT - are doing MUCH better. I still have only 2700 miles on the car so I imagine it may be a year before I see any significant gains in fuel economy. For now I have to take the "be careful what you wish for" tack.
I just wish it had a bigger fuel tank. I'd like to be able to drive > 250 miles on a tankful; otherwise this car has zero chance of being used on long trips.
Ed
also share your gripes re: dealer service - posted a minor rant about that a couple of days ago. They really need to work on the dealer service shops "handling" of cars in for service. They're not at all careful.
Larry
I hope your mileage improves, but if it does not you may want to look into this issue a little deeper.
-Frank
To the guy getting 16.9 mpg - are the tires at the right pressure?
About 50:50 highway:city, but often just sitting still on both. Average speed approx. 70-75 mph. Usually solo with an empty child seat in the back.
Tires are above the pressure on the placard: 34/34 psi f/r.
Yep, could be much better.
Ed
This is in the southeast US, no crappy gas like some areas are apparently stuck with to meet smog regs - it definitely seems to matter.
It'll be interesting to see if I notice a difference when I replace the tires with slightly taller 225/60/16 Falken ZE-512's in a couple of days...
Does this make a big difference in MPG? What mode to most people use?
Thanks,
Don Luce
On the brochure, it shows only solid colors are available. Does anyone know which one is correct?
Thanks,
Don Luce
If your talking about the Aussie or Euro Forester with the actual power button, I have no idea. :-)
-Dennis
Bob
But that's about what I got (distance) with my previous (Explorer) so I'm used to it. Getting my fillups at Costco helps, though. I'm not cruising on the highway much, so I could probably do better.
No, I don't think taking off the crossbars is going to make much difference. I put on a roof rack with a basket and various bike mounts. I didn't see any change in gas mileage with/without it.
Bob
Larry
Thanks,
Jim
Larry
Jim
Crossbars- I like the look better with them off. Seems like most XTs have them removed.
Thanks,
Don Luce
But FWIW, they're cheap and do provide some protection. I have a set on the OBW and on my XT.
HTH
Larry
Thanks,
Don Luce
-Dennis
It's not that the G900's are a particularly bad tire, they just don't match the performance potential of the FXT - mine had 36,300 miles on them & could have easily gone another 5k or so. But they weren't happy at high speeds in the the rain (and I spend a lot of time on the interstates) anymore & they'd gotten really noisy when cornering at moderate speeds in the last few thousand miles, very annoying to have them squealing all the time!
Oh and don't forget, you put the right tire on the wrong car and suddenly it's the wrong tire. So the complaints you read might not all be from Forester owners. I think they tire and car are adequately mated for the application they are most frequently sold for together. You want touring tires, they are not. You want deep snow driving tires, they are not. But they will do ok in snow and on a highway.
e
Well said.
I've always been very particular and demanding of tires; I think it comes from years of high-perf motorcycles and racetrack & European driving demands.
I initially called the G900's "rim protectors", as in: "they just keep the rims off the road" - i.e. - low expectations.
Although I did quickly note the road noise and somewhat harsh ride, I have pushed them pretty hard a few times in dry and wet conditions, and have come to have at least a little respect for them now.
They are really not a bad tire (I've certainly had worse!), and I think they are an excellent compromise of all the varied requirements.
They have performed credibly in snow and mud on some gnarly logging roads (never got stuck!), and managed some quite steep and technical climbs in rain and mud as well.
I also agree that they seem to be quite well matched to the vehicle for most people.
I am still planning to get new Nokians again asap for this car, as my demands are more aimed at foul weather/snow/off-road uses (although I DO enjoy performance as well!).
I actually ENJOY driving in snow and terrible weather, and I'm willing to sacrifice some dry weather performance - I can't drive too hard before my entire crew (wife, baby & dog) start rocking and rolling all over the place!
I wholeheartedly recommend Nokians for anyone that has to drive in nasty weather for any significant portion of time.
FWIW - I was very impressed with some Michelin Pilot XGT's that I had on a Mitsubishi Diamante wagon I had a few years back, and I think they would be an outstanding choice for aggressive sporting driving in any weather EXCEPT snow (they were miserable in snow!).
I just think that they would be a particularly good match for an FXT.
(Paired with a set of Nokian Hakka 2's on 15" steel wheels for snow!)
I've cornered these things pretty aggressively, in dry and wet - Hard enough to push past the limit and into nicely controlled drifts.
They also recovered well - no "snap" when coming back in line.
Just my experience.
Could it be a driving style thing?
I drive smoothly, gradually building up cornering force to the limit.
Although not by any means "slow" - just allowing the vehicle and tires a few extra milliseconds to do their thing.
In fact, one of the qualities I have realized about the FXT, is that apparently due to the long-travel suspension, the vehicle likes a chance to settle into a corner - It takes a "set" as the suspension compresses, and then corners surprisingly hard. The tires are also fairly high-profile, and it take a moment for the tall sidewalls to settle down and start providing lateral force for hard cornering.
If you use more of a sportscar "cut-and-thrust" style, the suspension will seem soft and the tires will object by breaking loose quickly and suddenly. (I've tried
Maybe practice being smooth and using a classic arc driving style.
Have you swapped the rear anti-sway bar?
That would cause it to be a little "tail happy" when pushed hard - You just gotta know how it's going to act and be ready for it.
What tire pressures are you running?
I seem to get overall best cornering/handling with 36 psi F & R.
Maybe you've just never experienced truly bad tires!
I grew up driving old rusty Detroit iron, on (mostly bald) bias-plies; Trust me, the G900's are actually pretty decent!
It's a matter of perspective I guess.
I had the same rattle with my 2005 Forester X and I fixed it myself. Use a small screw driver or torque driver to remove two screws that are holding the gauge panel. You have to lower the steering wheel with the tilt lever. Remove the gauge panel. I put some weather strips on the top and wrap some paper towers around the clips on the bottom. Tighten the screws as hard as you can. No more noise!
Bob
John
I never said that the G900's are great sport tires, just that I think they have been a bit underrated. I initially underrated them myself.
While their limits are not especially high, I think they do surprisingly well, and are easily modulated when playing around at their own limit.
Let's face it - The FXT will never corner like a WRX or STi.
From that perspective, I feel that the G900's are quite adequate for this vehicle, for *most* people under *most* driving conditions.
However, it certainly appears that *most* FXT pilots are a bit more descriminating and demanding than *most* drivers, so perhaps a higher performance tire would have been appropriate for O.E. spec for the FXT in particular.
But, there are also cost concerns, so Subaru apparently decided that the G900 is "adequate", figuring that demanding/enthusiast drivers would swap them out anyway.
Tires are funny - People get quite particular, and there is no "one best tire" to satisfy everyone.
That's how high-end bicycles are done: No pedals equipped, 'cuz people are very particular about pedals and will swap O.E. out with their personal choice anyway, so it saves a little $$.
That's also why mfg's equip with "adequate" saddles - Bicycle saddles are VERY personal! ;-)
*Please excuse my rambling - I get a bit OCD about tires in particular.
I guess that I just see too much tire bad-mouthing in the sportbike world, and perhaps I feel a need as an "elder statesman" to try to keep things in perspective...
I'll get off my tire soapbox now!
Does the Moonroof Air Deflector make a big difference on wind noise with the moonroof closed?
Is it worth the extra cost?
Thanks,
Don Luce