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Subaru XT Turbo Forester
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Comments
1. Yep, it's really hot under the hood with that turbo. I toasted my fingers grabbing the hood prop the other day. In addition to weight I've heard that the Al hood is to dissipate heat. So far no problems on my WRX.
2. Bugs. I get plenty in the summer on the grille but so far none to speak of on the intercooler. Maybe it's really a bug zapper in disguise.
3. Mileage. City rating 20 but first few tanks were as low as 16 when I bought the car two years ago. By 3k miles city mileage was 19 mpg. Believe it or not it was not till 20k that I started getting best mileage. I get 20 all the time city and 26-27 highway with occasional tanks as high as 30 (3 over EPA number).
TWRX
Maybe I should introduce myself. My name's Jake and I'm a new member thinking hard about trading his 2000 Forester for a 2004 XT (or maybe XS). I'm trying to add pluses and minuses between the XT and XS. I'm a "turbo wimp" (read: ignorant!) who needs all the help he can get. I liked your bug zapper remark, re your WRX. Bug and snow zapper I hope. Snow is a question here, moot I hope.
Heat is not easy to dismiss, it seems to me. Heat accelerates wear and decreases (oops:-) mean time between failures (MTBF) of many automotive components. But is it a relevant fact for the XT? I don't know but if does create "accelerated depreciation" I'd like to find out before I buy.
Thanks,
Jake
I'm either going to get this or look at the Green Filter (http://www.greenfilterusa.com/) haven't made up my mind yet which one.
akasrp - No, it's not affected by those items and I don't think it will melt off. I was using Armoral cleaner towelettes and it was not hurting the paint. Although I may re-think it as it says for plastic and vinyl...HMMMMM................ And I wouldn't put the Armoral protector on it, because as ballistic says, this dash is designed this way to cut back on glare and reflection.
ballistic - I know what you are saying is true. Part of my complaint is the paint is not all that hard and why have white plastic under black paint - come on Subaru give me a break it doesn't take a rocket scientist on same color or at least close, but white and black???????????
bobshiftright - "I also found that minor interior damage is fairly common and my dealer recommended a vinyl repair guy who operates out of a minivan servicing dealer's used car departments. He retouched the paint defects with an airbrush, it still looks perfect after more than a year and it was a lot cheaper than replacing the dashboard!" -MY question is who pays the buyer of the NEW vehicle or the manufacturer of the NEW vehicle.
None the less I'm still going to get the dashboard cover - I'm finding them for $28.95 plus shipping.
Still MAD - yep.
The plood is a tougher, plastic veneer. It's more resistant, though, for sure, then either painted trim color (black or silver).
Real-world mpg seems to be very good, much better than EPA ratings. That's good. I bet people are just shifting early, or using taller gears more often due to the low-end torque. So you use 4th where you would have needed 3rd in the XS.
Subaru might have used the 4.4 to get the great numbers in the press, then could (as Bob predicts) dial it back next year.
My theory? I think Subaru is going to re-certify the Forester as a truck, as least after the next redesign. Then the whole CAFE issue is gone. They'd rather see it as an efficient truck, vs. an inefficient car (with CAFE fines).
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
-juice
PS Mine is a '98 Forester L, I still suffer from Xtreme Torque Envy.
No argument there. It's stooopid to mold the dashtop of white plastic and then apply a thin, vulnerable antiglare black paint.
..."None the less I'm still going to get the dashboard cover - I'm finding them for $28.95 plus shipping."
I've seen some that looked OK, and some that seemed tacky. Let us know what you get and how you like it. As long as I plan to drive my XT, wear and tear and weathering of the dash is something I'd like to minimize.
jb
I'm astonished at the difference between my MPG and what other XTs are delivering. I'm observing a 3,000 rpm limit, plus moderate throttle, and driving at least 2/3 freeway - and still I'm getting less than 20mpg.
Given the sky-high cost of premium ($1.749/gallon), I'm not happy about that.
jb
-juice
Ken
Good post about the bugs in the IC...I would never even think about that...Chassol's post about the dinks in the paint and the white underneath also worries me. Are you doing touch up paint on that, chassol? I'm the queen of dinks, so I'm anxious to hear how you're handling that...
-juice
I think the XT is going to be one of Subaru better surprises for both Subaru and owners. It is as you found out a very nice package........
Ken
Are you serious? A few days ago when I wrote that the cheapest premium in Portland was $1.749, someone (forgot who) someplace else replied that he was getting it for less $1.39 or thereabouts. I responded saying that if it was under $1.40 here, I'd shaddup about it. What is it costing you, Ken, and where? I've always understood that Oregon gas prices were at or very close to the highest in the nation. I'd be interested to know where it is even costlier.
jb
Regular in NYC is like ~$1.80s.
-Dave
I think the XT would be substantially better with (a) either a closer-ratio 5-speed - especially closing up the HUGE 77% gap between 1st and 2nd, (b) the 6-speed from the STi with ratios revised to suit the XT's different mission, and/or (c) fitting the dual-range gearset from Foresters sold everywhere except North Amererica - AND in any of these cases, fitting the 3.9 final drive. With these major improvements, the XT's fierce acceleration would be diminished hardly at all (probably not even noticably) in actual driving - whereas freeway cruising and general all-around driveability would be enormously improved. And, not incidentally, consumption of fossil fuel would be reduced. If this doesn't matter today, it will matter tomorrow.
jb
Easiest thing in the world - it'll take you about 30 seconds - less time than it takes to read this.
When your XT is cold, look on the inside of the right front suspension strut tower (between the tower and the engine). You'll see a rectangular silver box (maybe 1.5" x 2.5" x 1") on a black bracket that's attached to the tower with two bolts (upper & lower). It'll have a label that says something like 'CAUTION - HOT'. This is the resistor that reduces the headlight voltage down to DTRL levels.
At the bottom of the silver box, you'll see a plastic receptacle with a mating plastic plug; the plug will have a cable leading away toward the front of the vehicle. On TOP of the plug, there's a small squarish plastic locking tab. Squeeze the tab down and detach the plug from the receptacle (pulling toward the front).
Your annoying, current-consuming, bulb-life-reducing DTRLs are now disabled.
jb
"Premium gas here in the Sacramento area is running from $2.10 to $2.20/gallon...and even more in some areas. I filled up on Sunday coming back from Lake Tahoe and paid $2.28/gal"
Yeeouch! I'm speechless. Who in heck was it that said he was buying premium for about $1.35 per gallon?!? Somebody should buy a tanker and start trucking that gas to California.
jb
OK, I'll quit whining now, I could be living in Europe where gas prices of $4-5 per gallon are not at all uncommon.
Glad I'm not in California or Canada either, it's expensive up there even with good US dollar to Canadian dollar exchange.
If the XT would run on 89 octane it's about 10 cents or so cheaper than high test in Georgia.
Wonder if half 89 octane and half 93 octane would work at fillup? Hm.................
John
Lucky dog! You see what others are paying?
Somebody on the NASIOC forum suggested a little 4-LED knock display that warns when the ECU's spark-advance range cannot cope with the knock. I don't know how much it costs, or how accurate it is, but I'm going to investigate. If it can permit dropping down to 89 or perhaps even 87 octane with reasonable safety, the gizmo might be a bargain.
jb
http://www.autoweek.com/search/search_display.mv?port_code=autowe- ek&cat_code=reviews&content_code=09093914&Search_Type- =STD&Search_ID=1368025&record=2
jb
Autoweek did sample the Baja turbo, and found the Forester was far more fun. They noticed the extra weight of the Baja.
-juice
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_- id=6854&page_number=1
jb
So you guys weren't really making this up all along? Who knew...
;-)
Steve, Host
(yes! I'm joking!)
Anyone want to try and measure their own 0-60 times? ;-)
-Brian
BMW Z4 = 5.3
Honda S2000 = 5.4
Nissan 350Z =5.5
Porsche Cayenne turbo = 5.0
Volvo S60R = 5.5
Jaguar XJR = 5.3
Maybach 57 (limo) = 4.9
Geez, it doesn't seem all that long ago when gearheads were singing praises of the BMW 2002 running a 10.5 second 0 – 60 time...
My how "times" have changed (pun intended!)
Bob
You should see the stir it's causing at a lot of the WRX centric forums (ClubWRX, Cobb Tuning, i-club, NASIOC).
It's funny reading the posts of disbelief and denial. I don't think many people understand that the Forester is based off an Impreza platform and isn't that much heavier than the WRX.
Ken
Same wheelbase. Isn't track also wider?
Suspensions are interchangeable, and stock springs are a dime a dozen, if you wanted to do that. You have more room for wheel/tire, LOTS more room.
All you give up is a less aero shape, really.
Add the EVO, at 5.0s, Bob. Funny to think the XT is quicker than that S60R, 350Z, Boxster or the S2000, and beats the Z4 in the 1/4 mile.
Now, anyone want to bet the HP is understated? I say it's 250hp, 210 at the wheels maybe. No less than 200 at the wheels. Any takers?
-juice
BMW Z4 = 5.3
Honda S2000 = 5.4
Nissan 350Z =5.5
Porsche Cayenne turbo = 5.0
Volvo S60R = 5.5
Jaguar XJR = 5.3
Maybach 57 (limo) = 4.9
Very heady company. What makes this intriguing is to add a column for the as-tested PRICE for each of these vehicles.
In fact, what would really be interesting would be to grab one of the road-test annuals and list ALL other vehicles that are capable of 0-60 in less than the XT's 5.3 and/or all those capable of running the quarter in under 13.8, together with their as-tested prices. How many would be cheaper than the XT? Probably only a couple.
How many of those have AWD? I believe the answer is, not even one.
That, I submit, is what puts the XT in a class all by itself. There isn't a faster AWD vehicle you can buy that doesn't sell for at least twice the XT's price. The only other vehicle that comes even close is the XT's slightly slower, slightly less expensive stablemate, the WRX.
jb
several different national brands
shell/mobil/citgo/texaco/sunoco
AND for that i still don't have to pump my own gas (really only a major benefit during zero degree winter days) - ken
Ken
210 horse with steriod fed muscle laden legs could certainly get the cart moving faster than 227 horse with whimpy legs.
-Dave
STi. Evo.
You're right, of course. Had my blinders on. Was thinking 'SUV' or 'wagon' (like XT or X-5 or Cayenne), not sedan. Mea culpa.
jb
HP = (0.00426 X MPH)^3 X Vehicle weight
HP = (0.00426 X 97)^3 X 3,289
HP = 232
Assuming the test driver was 160lbs, the vehicle weight increases to 3,449 which means the Forester is making somewhere in the neighborhood of 243hp.
Ken
The S4 has been magazine-tested; I don't recall the numbers, but it almost surely is quicker than the XT. Probably not by a lot, though, until beyond 100mph - and it costs twice as much.
jb
I really don't think there is anything cheaper than the XT that matches the 5.3 figure to 60. Remember, all three of C&Ds WRXs were slightly slower.
The Neon SRT-4 is a little slower, too. That and the WRX & EVO are closest in bang-for-the buck.
-juice
But a vehicle like the XT might be used at the drag strip, and in all fairness "you gotta pay to play".
Alas, don't let that get you down, Kimball007 from Nabisco swapped the clutch for an aftermarket one and knocked about half a second off his 1/4 mile time right there. He has a Forester with an aftermarket turbo, but the clutch alone made a big difference. They're $300-400 IIRC.
-juice
Really? I'd swear I saw a magazine road test in which the SRT-4 hit about 103 in the quarter-mile. Probably the same magazine that says the SRT-4 produces considerably more than its rated HP on a dyno.
Not that I considered buying one anyway. It offers a lot of performance for the buck, and the sedan body is roomier and maybe even better looking than a lot of small sedans, but it can't match a wagon, and I'd be skeptical about the quality and longevity. And that much power going through the front wheels only? No thanks.
Come to think of it, I wonder how many cars in the entire world will be able to stay even with an XT in a stoplight Grand Prix on wet pavement? Very few, I'd guess.
jb