Subaru Forester

ateixeira

terry92270

Not buying a fine automobile because of a space saving spare tire, so rarely, if ever, used during the time you will own it, is tantamount to not buying a fine piece of jewelry because you don't like the color of the box! :P

It is almost as though some of you need to latch on to something to be unhappy about. Is it possible you all have such rotten luck, live in such desolate/remote places, as to get many flats over the cars lifetime :confuse:

I own three cars at present. In over two years, never a tire problem. I asked around my office, and out of over 50 people, only three had need of roadside assistance :sick: for punctures in the past several years.

Come on, smarten me up. What am I missing here? I can't even buy the excuse you don't like to be limited to 50 MPH when proceeding on after a flat, as reason to not buy a certain model or brand....

stever

Full size spares are nice to have on road trips. Especially in the boonies when you are loaded down with camping gear.

Steve, Host

rsholland

Depends on where you are coming from Terry. All previous Foresters had a full-size spare, which was great. I was hoping that Subaru would see the wisdom here and equip all their US-spec models with full-size spares (as they are equipped in most other markets, BTW).

Well, they didn't do that. Instead they removed a good idea (the full-size spare) and replaced it with a bad idea (the donut).

So is it a deal-breaker? Well, at the moment I'm so pissed at this stupid decision by SOA, it could be if I were in the market now. Maybe after I calm down over this, I can think about it more logically. It certainly knocks the Forester down a notch IMO, however.

BTW, this past year I've had 3 flat tires on various vehicles...

Bob

chassol

All the B9 I saw at Auto shows BEFORE release were full size tires (spare) - YES I crawled under one to look.

Nothing in Subaru literature says anything about spare size, but at cars101 it does state "Spare Tire - temporary, mounted under rear of car. Tools in cargo area and there a small storage bin as well ".

If this is true, and I don't question it, - Bean counters won again :sick: . Wonder how long it will be before they get temp tires as standard equipment on all 4 wheels .

Have you ever driven an AWD (Subaru), after mounting a temp, in the dead of night raining cats and dogs and not have cell phone with you to call Roadside Assistance (I have) ? Try it sometime and let me know your thoughts of how the vehicle drives in the heavy rain with that wonderful temp tire on. From that one experience I'd be willing to bet folks might sing another tune. Better yet take this one step further and try it in below freezing weather with a couple of inches of snow on the ground in near white out conditions.

And why does Subaru warn you to have all tires on all wheels within so many 32s diameter at all times? I know I'm pushing on this one, but if you haven't had the "fun" at least once, believe me you have no idea what you are missing.

Does all Subaru competition AWD, including upscale, use donut tires too? Just asking, I'd like to know.

I have driven Subarus over 275,000 miles (since 1998 - and another 100,000 in the early mid 80s) how many miles have you driven them?

The point I'm trying to make is - I've been there, hope no one here ever has to, but if they do under the conditions I'm describing I'd bet they would think once is enough and wouldn't like to repeat the "fun" experience over again.

terry92270

Okay, I guess I can see how someone who had owned previous years would be let-down with the donut.

I guess because I owned a motor home, and full-timed it, I am more conditioned than the average guy about not trying to haul around stuff for every eventuality---can't be done...

And, I am so taken with how the Forester performs and handles, and almost every car I have owned the past 15 years or longer has had a donut. Never occurred to me people would be so passionate about that item.

njswamplands

so when this happens when your driving thru the nite on a long trip so that SOA can save a few $$$$$ grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

rsholland

I admit that I may be overreacting a bit to this, but I see this a bad direction in which SOA has decided to follow.

As to the Show Tribecas, they too had temp spare tires. I was at the Detroit show unveiling, and spoke to Dave Sullivan, the SOA Tribeca Brand Manager about this. He said the Tribeca has a temp tire because, if a full-size spare had been used, the angle of departure would have been greatly compromised. We're talking about a very wide 255 size tire here, and I see his point. I just don't agree with their choice; but I understand and agree with his defense of the temp tire.

And again as to deal-breaker? If someone is on the fence—a term often used here—and is having trouble deciding between a '06 Forester and a CRV or a RAV4 (which do have full-size spares), this issue could well push them over the edge.

Yeah, I could go buy a real spare if it meant that much to me, as juice and others have done, but it grates me to no end in having to do so. It's like rubbing salt into the wound.

Bob

ateixeira

At least a full size spare FITS, and that is more important than whether or not it actually comes with one. 15 minutes on Tire Rack and you'd have a steelie with a tire mounted and balanced on the way to your door step.

By the way, anyone want to buy a spare donut from our Legacy? LOL

-juice

PS Just kidding hosts, I'm not actually selling a donut, who would want one?!

stever

I bookmarked a site a couple of years ago that showed how to convert your donut spare into a rock polisher.

Fortunately (for me), I had the good luck to lose the bookmark. :-)

There must be some other uses for the things - off-road soapbox derby racer tires?

Steve, Host

rsholland

LOL!

Bob

tidester

Not to worry, Steve, I saved the pic! Here it is in action.

ateixeira

My wife will kill me. The shed is full of junk like that.

Anyone need a 15"x6" steelie? Though I might use it myself if I ever get another Subie with a 15" OE rim and a donut.

-juice

rsholland

Turn them into furniture. Get a circular glass top, add legs, and—bingo small tables for your patio!

Bob

ateixeira

She'd kill me again. :P

Maybe I'll use it as a planter?

You know you're a redneck if...

-juice

crashton6

As someone who has just gone through a flat tire trauma. All I can say is boy I'm glad my Forester has a full sized spare. If I was buying a 2006 Forester I'd have the dealer throw in a full size one or no deal. Sad thing is many customers won't know they have a donut until they are on the side of the road with a flat. Bad move Subaru. :P

Chuck

ateixeira

Just add $100 to the cost of the deal. No biggie. We all know it'll fit.

-juice

p0926

Well my 04 Forester had its 2nd flat only a month ago and it was certainly convenient that I had a full size spare to throw on. However.... having a place to store the cargo cover is equally important to me. I have a black lab who frequently goes for rides in the Forester and I usually fold the back seat down so he'll have more room. When I do that I have no place to store the cargo cover in the vehicle because the full-size spare prevents me from using the specially designed under floor storage compartment :mad:

-Frank

stever

I think the ultimate solution will have to be some sort of runflat tire that offers good traction, longevity and ride comfort. Even donut spares weigh a good bit and waste space. Pneumatic tire technology is 150 years old. Where are the polyurethane car tires?

Steve, Host

ateixeira

Honda made those standard on the Ody, let's see how they fare in the long-term.

You do increase unsprung weight, and people tend to complain about a stiff ride.

If Subaru did employ those, you sure would have a giant storage area underneath the cargo floor - in any model.

-juice

rsholland

I would think with run-flats, that you would have to re-tune the suspension too. The other problem with run-flats is with availability, and their costs. If you should have a tire failure that require immediate replacing, you may not be able to find a tire in stock—and the tires are very expensive to boot.

Bob

lumbar

I noticed the 06 Forester (sunroof equipped) now has 7 cu. ft. less space than the 05 model. Not much, but when you're packed with gear, every little bit helps. This version now has less sheer cargo space than my late 90's OBS, although the shape of the space in the Forester may be more useful for boxier applications. I'd certainly rather see Subaru somewhat increasing the space when refreshing models rather than decreasing it.

ateixeira

The EPA's interior measurements are very misleading, though. They count the space all the way up to the ceiling, which blocks the whole view, and nooks that you can't make use of.

I doubt the useful space changed at all.

-juice

lumbar

Perhaps, but aren't they still consistent in the manner of measurement, so that relative comparisons would be useful? I guess that's why I'm wondering where the 7 cubes disappeared from--a useful spot (that's a few cans of propane or even a small porta-potty )) or a useless one. That's assuming that it wasn't the manner of measurement that changed.

eps105

The reason why it never bothered me that I couldn't fit my cargo cover under the trunk floor is that I discovered that it does (just barely) fit on the floor under the second row seats, from door sill to door sill. You have to play with it at a slight angle and make sure you don't scratch the trim around the speaker grills, but it definitely fits. So if you get into a pinch and need to fold your seats down, there's still a place to put the cargo cover even if you have a full size spare.

This is confirmed in an '03-05's; cannot confirm for the '06.

Elliot

ateixeira

Well in the 06 it fits above the donut.

-juice

chassol

Folks don't konw if this is truth or BS.

http://www.dlo.com

Best Regards to all - BTW OK I broke down and got the 06 Tribeca 7 passenger Ltd loaded to the hilt (including the elusive puddle lights yeah and DVD/Nav - Titanium Silver Metallic). Man I love it the more I drive it. Still got a donut tire, but its bigger. Please Lord NO MORE FLATS - PLEASE

clarktx

I've had my 2006 Forester about a 3 weeks. It is an automatic and whenever I accelerate there is a slight hesitation before it downshifts and goes, even from a stop. Is anyone else experiencing this?

lildude1

My new 2006 Subaru also has this slow throttle response. Mine dose it mostly when pulling off from the stop position. I understand that this is normal. It seems that one of the control units is in a learning phase.

There is a recent discussion over in the Subaru forum that explain it pretty good. Take a look over there

Walt,

leo2633

I'm one of those who has bad luck with flats. I've probably had 8 - 10 over the years. Most recently, I put 4 new tires on my '01 Forester and 6 days later, I came out to go to work and found a flat. I had picked up a sheet rock screw in my new ContiExtremeContact. I wound up replacing it with a new one because I didn't want to be driving around for a few years and 60K miles with a patch.

Regarding spare tires, my wife's '03 Outback has a donut. I tried to fit a full size spare, but it is too big for the well. I guess the smaller diameter tire from a regular Legacy might fit, but no way on the OB's 225-60-16. It irks me that Subaru warns you about keeping all 4 tires within 1/4" circumference of each other, but equips their new vehicles (now including the Forester) with a donut.

Len

rsholland

Leo, that spare tire well was designed for non-American models. In the rest of the world Outbacks have a smaller 215/60x16 tire—and that DOES fit inside the spare tire well. In fact, those cars come with fullsize spare tires as standard.

Bob

ateixeira

215/60R16 must the limit for 2000-2004 models.

We fit a 205/60R15 in our Legacy easily. That's full size for us.

-juice

leo2633

One of these days I'll have to try one of my Forester 215s in the well in the Outback. If it fits, maybe I'll get one to use as a spare for the OB. I already have a patched ContiExtremeContact with only 400 miles. I just have to pick up a steel wheel for it.

Len

bluesubie

Someone on the regular Subaru Forester forum emailed SoA and they said something about a slight interior redesign. Try a search in there or send them an email.

-Dennis

ateixeira

I have an extra 15" steelie lying around, but you need a 16". Too bad.

-juice

kcreature

Please help me. I'm almost in a total panic. I was 90% sold on buying a 2006 Forester with the premium package. I then got a 2006 non-premium to drive for the day (test drive) and couldn't believe how uncomfortable the driver's seat was. Granted, everything in this car was manually adjusted, and I did my best get comfy, but GOOD GRIEF!!!!! Why does the head rest jut your head forward at such an angle? I got a headache from driving for only 10 minutes. Has anyone else had such a time? Am I just getting scoliosis? Is there a difference with the premium package? I'm ready to go check out the Honda dealers... :confuse:

ateixeira

Try the specific model you are buying, in some cases the fabrics/padding are different. Leather feels a lot different than cloth, too.

Also check if the head rests tilt forward/back. The rears do on my '98 Forester, and they are in fact interchangeable with the fronts. I swapped them because I actually like them jutting forward for some strange reason. LOL

-juice

manamal

partially result from the active whiplash protection system. I know in my '05, the headrest (and upper back support) were not suffiencent, so I added 1 pillow right below the headrest and one right above. Now I am happy.....

Oh, if you think the Subie is bad, try a SAAB or Volvo!

clarktx

Thanks for the help Walt. I'll take a look.

rogerroy

Hi, I just purchased a 2006 X with the premium package. I can't wait to drive it as soon as it gets registered! My only complaint was that the dealership reminded me of why I hate to buy a car...old school, multiple people coming at you from all directions. That being said, I just wound up buying the car and nothing else. I was looking for some opinions/suggestions on optional equipment you all have found useful and whether the extended warranty from Subaru is work looking into. Thanks!

ateixeira

We have one for our 2002 Legacy. Just remember it adds roadside assistance, we paid $71 per year for AAA so this replaced that and paid for part of the warranty. It'll also be a lot easier to sell the car later.

Just one opinion.

-juice

gunduz

any experiences with real gas mileage vs EPA on 2006 X

bayview6

Only have 61 miles on it so will wait a while before I post a review. My first AWD vehicle and my first Subaru. Was driving a full-size pick-up so it took a little practice to get in and out of the vehicle.

The spare is full-size but is only a temporary tire.

suetif

Yes, I have had the same problem, but did not realize it until after I purchased the Forester with the Premium package on July 26th, and drove it up the Northway to my home (over 30 miles from the dealership). A new set of headrests were ordered and finally received almost 1 month later, only to find that they were just as bad. Although another set has been ordered, I'm seriously considering trading the Forester for another (Honda?) vehicle, as I am very disappointed that I cannot get comfortable. I did much prior research on vehicles before deciding to trade my much-loved BMW 318TI for a more up-to-date, safer, vehicle, and am very sorry I did this. I do not look forward to losing money on another trade, but I also am very tired of having a headache everyday.

kdshapiro

Are you saying on the 06s the headrests jut forward on such an angle as to make it uncomfortable? It is not that way on the the '05s.

The only other vehicle I've seen it on is the RAV4. As uncomfortable as it is, it is probably a whiplash reducer. But still in all....

bayview6

I don't have any problem with the headrest. My head doesn't even touch it. Try tilting you seat back a bit. What is your dealer saying?

ateixeira

I would try a place like Sharper Image to see if they have any of those head pillows that you could strap-on.

-juice

kcreature

I bought a Honda CR-V. My old Forester needed about $5000 worth of "tune ups", and the engine light went on, so that was it. I took a picture of the headrests in the 2006 and sent them to people who thought it was a joke. The best thing was that when I returned the car, I asked the service guy to come look at it and see if I was not adjusting it well. He sat in it for about five minutes, adjusting this and that, then said in a really low voice that he wouldn't buy a car like that! He then took me over to the salesman and explained things to him. The salesman kind of rolled his eyes and said that he thought the seats were fine, but the service guy nudged me and said that he's only trying to make a sale. Like I said, I thought it was something about me, so I'm glad someone else has had the same issue (not glad for you, however!) The Honda is like sitting in an easy chair. And, Juice, thanks for the suggestion, but shouldn't a $30,000 car at least be comfortable from the get-go? :P

Good luck with your new headrests. Maybe you could get some from a 2005 because they are not the same angle. I test drove one of them for half a day and was fine. Unfortunately, there weren't any available when I was looking... Foresters are wonderful cars otherwise.

For those of you that are wondering, the best way to explain the angle of the headrest in the 2006 that I drove was this: The seat points at an angle of 11:00 and the headrest points at 2:00. My spine does not bend that way naturally.

ateixeira

Maybe it has something to do with the active headrest safety feature? I think they are designed to move forward if the vehicle is rear-ended.

Who knows.

Any how, enjoy your CR-V. I won't tell you what issues are common with that vehicle because then you might get paranoid and start looking for them.

-juice

dstew1

I must confess that I've test driven three different '06 Foresters (one X and two XTs) and never noticed any problem with the headrests being uncomfortable - maybe it fits some heights (or even postures) better than others? I'm 5'9".