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Comments
FWIW - no one is told to "not post" about their situations or sworn to keep quiet as was alluded to in another post. Some folks will post when they have a problem and choose not to post when it is resolved. It's a free world. It always makes me (personally) happy when someone does share their experiences when they are straightened out, so I'm not sure why someone would assume otherwise. Oh well.
If you are having a problem, please - make sure you contact us at 1-800-SUBARU3. If you aren't happy with the resolution, ask the Rep. to show me the case. An extra set of eyes/ideas can't hurt.
I'm staying home this weekend, so hopefully I'll get caught up on my correspondence here.
Patti
I followed up with SoA and she said Tom has a new tranny en route.
They haven't looked at Scott's yet, but given the pattern here of satisfactory resolutions...Subaru has stepped up, wouldn't you agree?
Has Honda addressed the engine fire issue yet? ;-)
<skip if you don't have a sense of humor>
Honda's action plan:
* deny any issue whatsoever - their engines are perfect
* blame unqualified techs that Honda hired and trained
* blame oil filter supplier Honda selected
* blame owners that bought Hondas
* consider fire extinguisher option for 2005
* it's all a conspiracy led by Lee Iacocca
-juice
I've been smitten by the XT since it came out, and we are considering moving into one from our existing vehicle, an '00 Odyssey EX. I guess the one big concern I've got is the available space - both passenger and cargo space. We've grown quite accustomed to the roominess of the Ody (kind of like flying business class vs. coach), and I'm afraid that my wife, who will be the primary driver of the vehicle, may feel "cramped." BTW, the Ody has been great for us, but I'd really like to have something with AWD capability since we head up to the mountains a lot in the winter.
We've got two kids (5 and 1), with the 5-yr old in a booster and the 1-yr old in a front facing child seat. Typical outdoor activities include snow skiing, camping, biking, hiking, beach-going, and road-tripping. No pets.
I'd like to hear thoughts on this question from the forum, especially if anyone has come from an Ody or other minivan. Would also like to know from anyone who bikes if an adult road bike will fit in the cargo area with the back seat laid flat, and if so, if you can do it without removing the front wheel. Or would I be required to use a roof rack just to transport one bike?
Most likely we'd be going with an '04 with MT, although given the deals, may spring for an '04 PP, which I've seen for as low as $22.9K.
I checked the specs section here on the Edmund's site and there don't seem to be any major differences between the '04 and the '05, other than being able to get the PP with MT in '05. Would I be missing out on anything else significant by grabbing a deal on a remaining '04? Free scheduled maintenance?
The other car we may consider is the '05 Outback XT, although the $10K price premium given the deals on '04 Foresters is pretty hard to swallow, even if the Outback is roomier.
TIA for any feedback.
There are benefits to giving up all that space - it's more fun and nimble.
Do what I did - get a hitch with a bike rack that mounts to it. I can carry bikes that never touch the car and don't upset the aerodynamics. You can even open the hatch with the bikes tilted out of the way.
The hitch also can haul a small trailer, for those times when you must have the space.
Just some ideas.
The '05 gets slightly better mileage and a more linear throttle-by-wire program. A few new colors also. But nothing major.
-juice
http://www.subarupartspeople.com/
http://www.subarupartsmall.com/default.php?cPath=24&osCsid=86- 4716d7495fc78659fb32ed8f3e0564
As an interesting reference for dealer prices, see:
http://www.subaru.net/models/2004/forester/accessories.html
Hope this helps.
John
For me service was fine, right parts and quick, but I have heard some people complain about their service.
-juice
my odyssey gets better mileage, rides nice and is a great junk or family hauler.
when the weather gets snowy we all cram into the FXT but those days are very limited. the awd is a dream in the snow but for the other 350 or so days i make the odyssey my choice....
Not a bad in-between.
-juice
Interesting that the Highlander was recommended as an alternative. We had access to a Highlander for the last two winters from my parents and used it for trips up to Tahoe. We found that the space, although smaller than the Ody, was certainly adequate. But, neither of us felt like we really wanted to own the car - hard to explain. It rode smooth, was quiet, had decent mileage, sufficient space, ample power, excellent Toyota reliability, but just felt sort of bland. Had the same feeling on those occasions when I've driven a Camry. Believe it or not, my Ody feels more like a driver's vehicle than did the Highlander. That's part of what's drawing me to the XT - nice blend of sportiness (both of us actually prefer driving a MT), utility, and quirkiness. We're going to have to try and find some time and a friendly dealer to go for an extended test drive of the XT to try and get a feel if the space will work for us.
the fxt ride is a nice compromise. at times i wish it was more like a wrx and at other times wanting the true highway cruiser. but once again i think subaru did a good job on setting the fxt handling/steering.
as far as my mpg, i live in the hills of nj and seem to have by far the worst gas mileage, 15 mpg with hardly any true highway crusing. the only time i did take it on a long cruise was during a nasty snow storm, pretty flat terrain and got around 23 mpg.
on my ody mpg, going around the same hills i usually get around 20 mpg and get around 25+ mpg on the highway. the ody handles the hills the best of any minivan i have driven and feels like it handles nice until i get into the fxt or my '88 supercharged toyota mr2.
i also find the line of toyotas not much fun to drive and believe you will not suffer the same boredom in the fxt
-juice
The FXT is somewhat sporty, nice handling, feels nimble. The ride is fine on smoother roads, gets kind of bouncy on broken pavement, but I run 2-3 PSI above the recommendations in my tires. The road noise is very bad at high speeds.
My average MPG is in the 21-22 range, worst at 20, best at 25.
John
IRT the bike question... yes you can fit either a road or mountain bike in the back of the Forester without removing the front wheel. In fact, you can fit two if you do remove the front wheels.
The power driver seat was the only significant option they added for 05 (oh and the MT PP combo) so if you can get a good deal on an 04 then go for it. Free maint is only offered on the new Legacy models.
-Frank
P.S. I agree, Toyotas are just plain boring!
as some of you know i sail on the weekend and throwing the stuff into the ody versus trying to manage it with the fxt is a no brainer.
its a great comfort to just throw and go with the ody
-Frank
Thanks for all the responses - very helpful.
I live in the East Bay and didn't consider a Van. As I Zoom around freeway entrances and up our Bay Area hills I get a lot of smug satisfaction looking in my rear view mirror at the distant (VERY distant) Vans and SUV's who are left so far behind it looks like they've stopped. The XT Forester, with a few suspension mods (Plus Sized Wheels, better non-Geolander tires, the STi Rear AntiSwaybar) is amazingly nimble in the twisties. I tested the suspension mod setup going up and down the front/back side of Mt. Hamilton. It handled much like my Miata on the same roads.
As for "size" issues: I have two (13/15) kids and they have no issues with the rear seats. Your wife would have no issues because she is the driver and the front seats of the XT haven't presented any problems on space. I've got a roof mounted Yakima Rack and a Basket for the occasional long distance trip; for stowing extra stuff in transit. I wouldn't consider it wise to give up the astounding performance of FXT so I could have a 3rd row of seats that I'd use once a year, or have more room in the back so I didn't need to use the roof rack on rare occasions.
Buy the car for what you use it for: driving. The FXT is an amazing "driving machine". Just like your BMW.
Cheers,
Bob
These could apply to Foresters in general, not just the XT:
- I miss the little tray-like depression between the ash tray and the gearshift knob in my '00 Forester. It was a good place to put my cell phone while it was charging. Now I have to either stick it in the ash tray proper or use the other 12V outlet in the console and store the phone in that console. Not the worst thing that could happen, really; I don't smoke and I don't need any incentive to use the phone while driving - especially since more and more jurisdictions are requiring hands-free use or banning their use altogether.
- I can't reach the dashtop storage compartment without leaning forward. In my old Forester I could do it without a stretch. I miss that.
- I always adjust the far left and right dashboard A/C vents to blow up and to the rear of the car to help cool off the entire car and deflect some of that air from blowing directly on me. I can't adjust the leftmost vent to do that without blowing on my hand - a little annoying.
- I've had no problems with the auto climate control. Most would reply "HAL has been fixed!" but I haven't been in enough '04 cars to say whether HAL was ever a problem in the first place (no offense meant).
- I agree with those that say the radio controls and LCD diplay in the instrument cluster are difficult to read in bright sunlight. I see the radio has a "BRIGHT" option but that only works when the rest of the lights are on - bummer. I also find that the LCD clock in the dash is difficult to read when I'm wearing my polarized sunglasses. IIRC Patrick Bedard wrote about this problem in the last Car & Driver.
-Speaking of radio and HVAC controls, I'm very happy the cupholders are no longer directly placed over them inviting spills from even the most careful drinker. The new location is a little too far back in the console IMO; I almost have to reach behind myself to get my drink out of there. (Of course that's wouldn't be a problem if I was taller and had to sit farther back.) It's nice that the cupholders have a rubber bottom but not so nice that they aren't adjustable to fit different-sized containers. My problem isn't supersizing but the opposite; most of my drinks are too small to fit in there snugly, and I have to wrap them with napkins to keep from wobbling around. Thankfully no spills yet.
- All that said, the layout of the gauges and instruments is far, far better than in the first-gen Forester. Everything is in easy reach and quickly intuitive.
- I love the three-spoke steering wheel; the rim design almost forces me to use a proper 9-and-3 hand position, which I sometimes forget and let slide to a 10-and-2.
- Rear seat passengers who'd also been in my old Forester notice the increased leg room.
These are XT-specific:
- There are bright metal inserts in the front door sills. Why not in the rear door sills as well?
- Front seats have good side bolsters but the thigh bolsters aren't as good as on the '00. The seams on the cloth inserts in the seat bottoms are annoying, especially when I'm wearing shorts. Are these present in all Forester models? Maybe aftermarket upholstery is in my future.
- The key word in driving this car is restraint. Steady on the throttle gets you up to speed quicker than you'd think and is easier on fuel consumption. Having the power to point-and-squirt was one of my main reasons for going for the XT, but IMO it's not all about 0-60 bragging rights (flame suit on) but being able to accelerate quickly while already at speed. Knowing you have the power to do that makes you a more confident (NOT reckless) driver. Reading that last sentence makes me sound like an ad man, but it's true. ;-p
- The XT could still benefit from better brakes. Absent some warranty-friendly stuff from Subaru I imagine upgraded pads would be next best.
- The car understeers more than I'd like; my preference is neutral, not tailhappy. I imagine a thicker rear sway bar would help, but again warranty-friendly.
- Finally, IMO the XT could use a quicker steering rack - maybe the one from the WRX STi?
That's all for now. Sorry for being so long-winded.
Ed
Bob
This might just be me, but I'd rather drive a vehicle that was fun and quick and required a repair or two in its life, rather than a perfectly reliable boring alternative.
Was that Forester (the one getting a new tranny) an XT? Auto? It may have been Tom's! LOL
Relax, enjoy your Forester! ;-)
Good report, Ed. I'll be reading your posts closely and I keep an XT on my short list once I need to replace my '98.
Wish I had some of Scott's "luck" so I'd have an excuse to trade mine in!
-juice
My HAL bugs seem to be worse during extreme temps (90+ and 40's and below). We'll have to compare soon.
Seats - IMHO, no Subaru seat was as good as the bug-eye Rex. I think the XT seats are too wide and too firm.
Do you have the 17's on yet?
-Dennis
juice: All those little nitpicks aside, I'm pretty happy with the car thus far. I never had a car that I felt fit me and my needs so well as the '00. This one needs a little breaking in but I think it'll be a close fit, too.
Ed
JP
Ken
I had the same complaint and for about a dollar I purchased those foamy beer/soda can holders that keep your hands from getting cold - you know the ones I mean? They fit PERFECTLY. I did a bit of custom trimming of the foam to accomodate a cup that is narrower on bottom and wider on top, and trimmed the insert to be flush with the console. It works GREAT!
elissa
this new shop was great. As you have read from my Posts over the past year, Miami is another area, some say it's a Country, not a City. Yes my selling Dealer closed within a Year of opening, and this was not a moment too soon. The new Dealer "Bird Road Subaru" seems great. I agree with what you said about getting a repair or two, and how that makes up for all the fun in the XT, however one must assume the Mechanic who fixes you car has seen a Subaru, and has had some training, not always the case here. And yes it was an A/T XT getting the new Tranny, but it was for some older lady. Talk with your wife, see if you can visit the Dealer for an 05, or an 04 at clearance prices, offer ends soon!
Ah, coozies! I have several of those around the house, usually gimmes from package stores, credit unions etc. I'll give that a try.
Thanks, Elissa!
Ed
LMAO! Hoo boy that's a good one!
-Frank
Cheers,
Bob
I had a squeaky drivers side window when it was moist out. And the passenger side made a scraping noise when being raised or lowered. I took it to my dealer and while we couldn't get the squeak to reproduce, they heard the scraping. I also complained of wind noise at the drivers side window when over 40mph. They readjusted both windows and put some more permanent padding around the weather-stripping that that the window closes against (I had discovered on my own that beer can coozies, when cut up in strips, served a good duty in there too). Their actions cured the wind noise and the open/close noise. I have a great dealer. I think they were indulging me a bit, but it's worth a try having the window adjusted.
Elissa
Subaru is sorta new to Florida so perhaps you're experiencing growing pains, miamixt. Market share is about 1/6th of what it is in the NE.
Hope it improves, call the 800-SUBARU3 number to give feedback so it does.
-juice
Optima's RedTop 35/75 is better (CCA 720 IIRC) but is a side terminals battery. BatteriesPlus told me that maybe it fits. Sears said "No way". My Subaru dealer says stay with a group 35 top terminal like the DieHard (he must have read my mind because the battery I want is Optima's 34/78 with 800 CCA, and almost same size as 35/75....)
Has anyone in this forum installed these batteries in a 2nd Gen Forester? Do they safely fit without modification?
Also looking for an all season tire that performs better on snow and rain that our Geolandar. Heard good things about ContiExtreme Contacts and I was hoping to get comment from any users. Realize all season tires are a compromise but I'm seeking the best compromise possible.
I'd appreciate any advice or comment.
Thanks,
Jake