Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

paisan

You should come out on saturday to Englishtown Raceway. It's the I-club Auto-x Tri-state Shootout. Gonna be tons of subies there!

-mike

dnickel

I have a 99 Forester and have successfully installed the fuel cap for 3 years - no CEL. Now I'm getting the CEL regularly (guaranteed if gas tank is below 1/2 tank) and the Dealer has just been resetting it and listed Fuel Cap as the reason. I have reset it my self many times (via the battery) but I'm tired of it and I'm going to bring it in to get fixed one way or another.
Two questions:
Has anyone else had this problem and what as fixed - so I can point my not so swift dealer in the right direction.
Would this be covered under warranty?

leo2633

That's about 15 minutes away from me, unfortunately I have to work Saturday.

Len

amgordo

Okay guys, thanks for letting me vent. In fairness to subaru I did obtain the extended warranty a while back so the transmission will not cost. The dealer has stated the pressure readings were very low. I have an automatic and when approaching different speeds the car had a hard time going into gear. The other problem was when shifting from reverse to drive you needed to wait at least 30 seconds for it to engage.
Since lights are also out where you shift the gears and I find highly unsually for this to happen with a newer car. My husband doesn't feel it's the light because of other problems he's noticed.
You must realize that I liked this car and couldn't say enough good things about it which is probably one conrtibuting factor to these other people also buying a subaru. I feel like a complete idiot!!
I have e-mailed Subaru and the person who e-mailed back obviously didn't read what I wrote.
Since our company has facilities in Japan I am also sending correspondence for them to send to the CEO in Tokyo. I may have been one in a million
to get the lemon, but because It had been so long since I bought a new car it's very disappointing.
The CEL on two of the cars had a cracked vapor cannister and the other had the fuel sensor reading malfunction if that makes any sense. This is another reason I'm angry and disappointed because they people aren't pleased either. I have told them to contact Subaru also.
It may not make a difference contacting people but in business word of mouth still goes along way in promoting products.
I feel Subaru has become more popular because of this I mean look at you guys always trying to help out.
I will also e-mail Patti, thanks.

paisan

They are a VERY common problem on 97 and 98 subarus. My dad's 97 and uncle's 98 have lost the lights behind the gear shifter and HVAC controls on their cars. They are cold-welded bulbs and have a tendency to break easily. It has nothing to do with the operation of the Tranny.

-mike

kens

rpbirch,

1)The Forester has a four cylinder engine, but it's a BIG four cylinder that produces as much as some small 6-cylinder engines. It's been plenty for me with four passengers and full cargo driving on mountain roads.

2)Factory moonroofs are typically made well and don't have many problems. If there were any, it would be covered under warranty. I think driving with the moonroof would increase wind noise but I'll let someone with the gigantic Premium S moonroof chime in on this one.

3) I love the sound of heated seats...is it worth the extra cost?

4)Yes, the tires are all-season. Like with any all-season tire, they are not meant for heavy winter driving. If you do drive a lot in snow, getting a set of winter tires is a very wise investment even with Subaru AWD.

5)The Forester has 7.5" of clearance plus a suspension that's beefier than your average passenger car. During my 5 years of ownership, I have never scraped the bottom even backing out of the most steep driveways.

Ken

kens

amgordo,

So, the dealer is covering the repairs under warranty, correct? I completely understand your frustration with such a major repair from a relatively new vehicle. Our vehicles are mass-produced and there are cases where things just don't go right.

Keep in mind that your case probably doesn't fall under the legal definition of a "lemon". A vehicle can only be deemed a "lemon" if it meets certain criteria:

http://autopedia.com/html/HotLinks_Lemon.html

Ken

ateixeira

Steven: I wonder if she's on maternity leave or something? That's odd. I'd ask for someone else to take over your case.

Chuck: good idea about the tie wraps. I've had luck with mine, even after removing and reinstalling the whole canister during the hitch install.

kohall: you can install a Class II hitch to get a 2" receiver, but keep in mind the tow rating for the Forester is basically Class I, with a 200 lb tongue weight limit. If you put 350 lbs on it, you may end up with a dangerous situation where there isn't enough weight on the front tires to steer properly. I'm sure that's why a dealer won't even do a Class II.

Nice to hear you were treated well.

We bought our 2nd Subaru last week, and my experience was excellent. Just as an example, they got the car from another dealer, and it had pin stripes on it and a markup. When I bought it, not only was I not charged for this profit padder, but also they didn't even TRY to charge me for it, so there was no aggravation.

Also, they nailed the PDI. Even down to the tires, a uniform 32psi in all. So know that some dealers know how to get it right.

Phyllis: payload varies by model. The L actually can carry more than the S since it's lighter. The 5 speed also can carry more than the automatic. So it's between 900 or so for an automatic S Premium to 1050 or so for a base 5 speed.

I have carried lots of weight. Where do I start? Drove my brother and his wife (4 adults total) back from NY to DC on their honeymoon. 4 large suitcases plus 2 dogs. Had stuff on the roof, even.

My record is 22 bags of playground wood chips, I had them piled to the roof, even in the passenger seat. These are the 3 cubic feet bags, not the more common 2 cubic feet ones.

On the roof, I've carried 2 sections of 6'x8' fencing. On a different occasion, a 21" deep double dresser, still in the box. Inside, I've had a Yamaha organ, and an oversized clothes dryer, still in the box (on its side).

Daren: maybe try a new gas cap? They can be faulty. Also ask the dealer to inspect the hoses in the vacuum recovery systems - one may be loose.

amgordo: extended warranty? Sweet, that means they should roll out the red carpet. Accept no less. I'd even push for a loaner while they do the work.

Subaru automatics are pretty robust, I've only heard of a couple of cases like yours even in years of following all the threads here.

Read the Odyssey Problems thread and you'll see it's much more common in that case, and some people report repair bills in the $2-6 grand range. Honda even requires an engine oil cooler if you tow (not so with Subarus). More importantly, they still love their vans and buy new ones, just with extended warranties in most cases.

Try not to let one problem ruin the whole experience for you. Please hang around because I'd love to know how it turns out.

-juice

ateixeira

I bake. You folks ever bake?

You know how you follow instructions to the tee, word for word, even level off the teaspoonfulls of ingredients to get it right?

Still, there is always one muffin that doesn't quite come out right. It's deflated or misshapen, know what I mean? If you bake, you do.

Nobody's perfect. I usually eat that muffin myself, and even though it was flawed, it still tastes good! Try to enjoy it. :-)

-juice

pal_086

rpbirch -- most people on this board will probably be able to give you a more technical account of Forester handling with heavy loads. However, we recently hauled quite a lot of furniture from an Ikea store in Burlington, ON (Canada) to Rochester, NY (appx a 2 hour trip).
Over two days we hauled a sofa and love seat set, an entertainment center, dining table and other knick knacks.
I had no problems in merging into or keeping up with other vehicles on the highway. There was
also enough peppiness while climbing up four pretty high bridges (on the Canadian side they are called 'skyways').
The great thing was also how all these items fitted into the Forester with the back seat down. Most of these furniture pieces were packed in relatively flat boxes (say about 4" height) -- the longest was 72" -- to fit that my wife had to push her passenger seat to the extreme forward position. We were really impressed with the Forester's capacity as well as handling of heavy loads.

We have a Forester '02 S Premium and lived through one winter (albeit a mild one) and quite a lot of rain this spring without any leakage from the moonroof -- most people on this board will tell you that the moonroof's do not leak. Even if the moonroof is not opened, its just great to have the inside cover open and all that light within the car. I am not sure how the moonroof has affected our gas mileage (haven't got much chance to open it yet) -- but there will be some outside noises -- though interior conversation has not been a problem when I am driving in the city -- haven't opened it on the highway yet. There is a flip up wind delfector thingy with the moonroof which I think reduces some of the outside noise.

The Heated seats are simply GREAT -- so are the heated side view mirrors (that comes long with the package) -- they work pretty quickly (seat heats up in 4-5 mins and mirros within minutes).

Other people might be more helpful with your Qs 4 and 5.

kohall -- I am not suprised at the customer service you got -- we also purchased our Forester from them and they definitely raise the bar on car dealer services. Only problem is that they sell so fast that you have to wait about a month to get the car. Anyway, I was curious about the 'invoice' price you paid -- I thought their policy is invoice + $200. That is what I paid for my 02 -- are they selling 03s at invoice ?
Anyway, will be going in for an oil change and will be checking out the new Foresters soon.

- P.

marinkid

Does anyone know if subaru addressed the lack of rear legroom on the 03 forester. also, does the rear hatch glass open separately from the hatch itself. subaru has been frustratingly secretive about specs on the new forester. thanks, bruce

ateixeira

Rear leg room is 0.3" greater, but subjectively the difference felt greater when I sat in one.

The glass does not open seperately, but the whole thing is on struts that make it easy to lift.

-juice

marinkid

Does anyone know if subaru addressed the lack of rear legroom on the 03 forester. also, does the rear hatch glass open separately from the hatch itself. subaru has been frustratingly secretive about specs on the new forester. thanks, bruce

ateixeira

Read back a bit - Bob published the relevant numbers.

More importantly, visit a dealer because they may already be there. No numbers will tell you how comfy you'll be in the actual vehicle.

-juice

dt63944

I own a '99 S and never before have I experienced a car that is so sensitive to tire pressure irregularities! I keep all 4 tires to 28 lbs (yes, I know that's not what the label calls for, but it's easy to remember and the car rides fine) and about a week ago, I started getting a "shimmy" in the steering wheel and I thought the car was going out of alignment. It was getting worse and worse, and although it looked like the right front tire was down a little bit on pressure, I waited a few more days, then checked it. It was 15 lbs! I reinflated it to 28 lbs. and the shimmy was totally gone. I'll probably just keep reinflating the slow leak because there isn't much tread left on the tire, but if any of you experience a similar problem and think it's an alignment or wheel balance problem, make sure the tire pressures are correct!

ateixeira

Wow, I'd start shopping for tires now, or maybe plug it.

-juice

marinkid

thanks for the reply juice, am somewhat dissapointed subaru didn't add more rear legroom ala the new crv. don't care for the visibility out of the new crv. are there any "real" 03 forester prices posted on the internet? I live in the bay area and can't seem to find any west coast internet presence such as van bortel and fitzmall on the east coast. I called a couple of local dealers who don't sound too interested in selling the new forester until they unload the 02 inventory. Hopefully, this weekend will test drive the new forester. bruce

bsvoller

rpbirch -

We own an '01 S Premium with the 5-speed and love it. We also work the heck out of it, because it's our "big" car.

Since buying a new house last year, I've been busy with a lot of major home improvement projects, e.g. I'm finishing our 800 sq. ft. basement, building a camper pad for our pop-top (parking), putting in a shed, a brick patio and sprinkler system in the yard, etc. In addition, we tow that pop-top camper (sleeps 8) through the Rockies, and live at altitude (you lose 3% of rated engine power per 1000' above sea level).

You'll never know it's a 4 cylinder, and will be amazed at what you can haul around with it. For really big loads, I rent a utility trailer (20 sheets of drywall, say, or a bunch of 10' landscape timbers...). I've hauled 700 lbs of rock at a time for our landscaping in the cabin. You get the idea. The roof rack is rated to 150 lbs, and is made by Yakima.

Best bit is that we can do all that and still get 28 mpg in the city. Unbelievable. (Still get 24 towing... )

The moonroof makes some noise at highway speeds when open, of course, but the cabin is very quiet with it closed. There is a noticeable difference with the moonroof closed but the sun shade open, by the way, i.e. the sun shade helps insulate the wind noise when it's closed.

My wife loves the heated seats. I'd have to drive naked in order for her to be comfortable without them. The all-weather package also includes heated mirrors, heated windshield wipers and other goodies that are well worth it. We've noticed that the wiper heaters really help keep the wipers from streaking.

Stock tires are more than adequate for all but the worst conditions in snow and ice, and are excellent in the dry and wet. No issues there.

Ground clearance is respectable, without going overboard and compromising safety and handling, but the front and rear departure angles are somewhat limited, more like a car than an SUV. We have a very steep driveway that abruptly pitches up from the street, and fully loaded, I do have to watch the trailer hitch dragging. YMMV.

Sorry for the long post, hope this helps.

-bv

ateixeira

Fitz' inventory of Foresters dropped from 54 to 40 in one day. Or maybe they updated the web site today, but looks like they are waiting to clear all the 2002s before they list 2003s.

The CR-V is definitely the "limo" of the small SUV bunch, that back seat is cavernous, if you need that kind of passenger space. Carpool with Shaq and his Laker teammates? There you go.

Kids and even shorter adults will be more than fine in the Forester's back seat, and the cargo area is more usefully shaped IMO. Depends on which matters more to you.

Forester has more payload, though, so you can carry more weight. CR-V offers 850 lbs IIRC, while Forester can haul 900-1050 depending on the model. I also don't think the CR-V's roof rack (not standard by the way) can haul 150 lbs. It may be 75 or 100 lbs, something like that.

Bob is our fact checker, Bob? I think he's out of town.

-juice

rsholland

Moved my daughter back home from college yesterday. Left Wilmington NC at 4:15, and didn't get home till 12:15 last night; some 450 miles.

New Forester brochure was in the mail when I got back. A couple of new tidbits:

The gold (from last year) is now also available on the XS Premium, as a monotone. There is a new blue and a new green too, on two-tone models (X & XS).

Also, I was just out with my daughter to get her cell phone fixed. On the way back we stopped in a Russell Subaru, in Catonsville MD, and they had 4 new '03 Foresters in stock; 3 X models, and an XS Premium. Boy they look nice. I also checked the owners manual, and it did say 2400 pounds for towing w/manuals. Unbraked towing is still the same at 1000 pounds.

Bob

stever

I can offer you up a nice slice of french bread - it only rose about 2 inches, but what the hey :-)

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

lilbluewgn02

Only Rally Bread and Rally Challah is allowed on the board!

stever

That sounds like pf_flyer's forté. He's a baking nut too. I'm going back to store bought - sometimes you do get a lemon with by Kens' mass-produced stuff, but not all that often (and please keep us posted, Amgordo).

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

dt63944

Here's a NY dealer that has the 03 Forester pricing:

http://www.vanbortelsubaru.com/for2a.html

hayduke01

Kohall, where do you live? I'm in Colorado Springs and we have a great trail system here. I can ride to work, mostly on trails, in the same time it would take to drive (of course it does help that it's downhill going in).

Venturing further off topic for a moment, for you runners out there, Labor Day will be the second American Discovery Trail Marathon. It's all on trails, starting in Palmer Lake, and finishing up in Monument Valley Park, just north of downtown Colroado Springs. There's a net elevation loss, though I wouldn't go so far as to say it's all downhill. Here's a link if anyone's interested: http://www.adtmarathon.com/

On the trailer hitches, how does the class relate to the receiver size? I was looking at the SoftRide web site for their hitch mounted racks, and will probably buy one eventually. I think that they offer both 1 1/4" and 2", but don't remember seeing reference to classes. Is the 2" a Class II?

rsholland

I think so, but am not certain.

Bob

ffsteve

Juice,

Yes, I bake. I'd rather have the deflated muffin and be happy rather than go hungry!

Nice analogy.

Steve

ateixeira

Dang, Bob, I bet you wanted to see better unbraked ratings for the towing, plus beefed up ratings for the automatics, given your trailer.

I noticed while car shopping for my wife that the Toyota Highlander offers a Towing Prep package for just $160 retail that adds "upgraded radiator, transmission oil cooler, 130-amp alternator and trailer prewiring, 3,000-lb. towing capacity, engine oil cooler and 120-watt fan coupling". Seems cheap for all that. The tow hitch is sold seperately.

The auto Forester already has an engine oil cooler and all models are pre-wired for trailering, so a package for the Forester could be even simpler. If you think about it, I'd order that package even if I did NOT tow, just to get a more robust powertrain.

Honda also offers a kit for their Odyssey and MDX, and I'm sure the Pilot. $430 buys the hitch plus a "Transmission Cooler and heavy duty Power Steering Cooler". So again, for a couple hundred bucks they beef up these vehicles for towing, and I can't imagine a similar kit wouldn't help the Forester get better ratings.

I guess BOTH of us who tow and own Foresters weren't enough to get a better reponse. ;-)

I know Class I is usually 1.25", and Class II is usually 2". But I think Class III is also 2". It may depend.

-juice

bsvoller

Class I receivers: 1.25"
Class II : 1.25"
Class III : 2.0"
Class IV : 2.0 - 2.5", depends on type

These figures are for Draw-Tite, other manufacturers may differ. To my knowledge, the class designation is strictly dependent on the load rating, not the receiver size, but obviously there are engineering concerns that have to be met.

qbrozen

gotcha. yup, i'm on Barkalow Ave. Which, if ya don't know, is a residential street that connects to 537, 9, and 79.

don't get me started on that Mini. That's been there a few weeks and I haven't had the courage to stop in yet. Did you notice that they wrote on the window "22 miles." Hey! Guess how far it is to the nearest Mini dealer (in Princeton)? I'll give ya one guess! So, I'm betting the farm that this person (dealership owner?) bought the Mini from the Princeton dealer, drove it here, and parked it with a nice markup on it. I really hope it continues to sit there. I'm kinda afraid to stop because, if it is marked up, I'll just get aggravated and end up getting into an argument .... ah, i just don't need it.

*whew* Ok. That's out.

What about Englishtown? Saturday? D'oh! Saturday is already booked. Is there a website that lists these events so I can keep up to date on them?? Thanks.

maxdaddy

I'm thinking about having a go at installing a keyless entry system in my '02 Forester. Before I order a kit though, I want to make sure I can get some wiring documention. I can't find anything on the net. Does anyone know if the Chilton guide covers wiring?

Thanks,
MaxDaddy.

ateixeira

Can you even find a Chilton's for it?

-juice

mikeh19

Hey gang,
When we bought out '02L end of Dec 2001 we immediately decided next winter we'd buy a set of winter tires. My wife was pretty hung up on that. But after the rest of the winter and feeling confident with the car and the stock tires I wondered if we really needed winter tires, given the AWD, our commute, driving style etc.

Talking to my more car knowledgeable friend I just recently came across an interesting idea about what to do about the tires. Shelving the current stock tires, keeping them strictly for winter on a new set of winter rims and purchasing a set of summer tires.

I figure since most of our summer driving will be spent on road trips (i'll be biking to work more in the summer) and highway driving in the States maybe summer/touring tires will give me a quieter/better ride and some better mileage. I'm thinking instead of riding on a 'middle of the road' type all season , I'll pick one set strictly for one season. Do I sound way off here?

What are some of the trade-offs cost-wise? Which are more expensive: a set of winters or summers? Which set will bring the most advantage in that season? Which will last longer? Also, what are some of the subtle difference between winter/all-season/summer?

I know for Montreal winters my friend went through a pair of Blizzacks (he loved the tires, they performed amazing, but did not last long, were expensive), in the front in about 2 winters on his Civic, but he was a delivery man and was an aggressive driver. I am neither.

If people want to recommend specific tires (summer/winter) please go ahead, but I can always review past posts on that topic.
Mike

p.s. if this helps we have just under 10000kms / 5000mi on the stock, hopefully it's not already too worn to be effective for winter.

declansdad

Thanks for the tip on the '03 Foresters at Russell. That'll give me an excuse to get an oil change on Monday. I really want to get a good look at the interior; IMHO, it looks (shall I say luxurious) much better than the earlier models. Gotta call Russell to make an appointment! I just hope they don't sell them before Monday.

Michael

paisan

Check out these two websites for auto-x events @ E-town. I'll be at the ones listed on:

http://isuzu-suvs.com/auto-x

And the master list for NY/NJ/PA is at:

http://autox4u.com

-mike

kens

mikeh19,

I can see two possibilities here:

1) Stay with all-seasons and change them often so that you don't sacrifice winter performance
2) Get a good "3-season tire" and a set of dedicated winter tires

Why not summer tires? Summer tires give you better performance than all-seasons, but you probably won't notice a huge difference unless you're driving at the limit. While our Foresters do handle well, it would take quite a bit to outdrive most performance all-season tires. On the other hand, winter tires will make a huge difference in day-to-day driving. Better bang for the buck.

Now, back to the two options. The advantage of (1)is you don't need to keep around a set of extra tires. The drawback is that (1) is probably more costly in the long run. If storage space and changing tires at least once a year isn't a big issue, then I'd choose (2). I think the advantage and disadvantages there are pretty clear.

Which "3-season" tire to get -- actually, I'd swing over to Tire Rack (www.tirerack.com) and browse through their choices on Touring, Grand Touring, Performance and High-Performance tires.

Ken

kohall

To Heyduke: This is where Trail Town is. Not sure I could ride to work though (a whole 22 miles on the pavement) - I would be a bit late.

Driving around in my 2003 Forester last night and found that the "lighted" buttons on all doors were a real nice touch. I guess it is the little things (along with some major) that get better with a 2nd generation vehicle.

I am still up in the air about my trailer hitch used to hold a 4 bike carrier. I am worried about the weight. If it is true that the Subie can only carry 200 lbs tounge weight, then I will have to actually weigh all my bikes and the carrier. It will be close. Anyways thanks to all for the replies to my questions. I hope as I log more miles on the 2003 I can be as helpful.

rsholland

'03 Foresters are also at Mile One in Ownings Mills, on Reisterstown Road. I got a message from a salesman yesterday, saying they we in. So, I'm guessing that all the Baltimore/Washington dealers now have them in stock.

Bob

qbrozen

that first link isn't working for me.

lark6

All these new Forester sightings and yet no updates to SoA web page...?

Ed

rsholland

has one '03 listed. Here's the price comparison between it and a compariable '02 model. There's little discounting at the moment.

2002 Subaru Forester Auto Mall: Gaithersburg

Body: S Prem 4eat W/Leathr Color: Silver Stock #: S744971

Delivered Internet Price: $23,501
Factory Invoice: $24,101
Delivered Value Price: $23,840
MSRP: $26,729


2003 Subaru Forester Auto Mall: Gaithersburg

Body: 2.5 XS Premium W/LE Color: Silver Stock #: S701021

Delivered Internet Price: $26,151
Factory Invoice: $24,135
Delivered Value Price: $26,490
MSRP: $26,490

Bob

paisan

http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/nyias02/index.htm

-mike

ateixeira

kohall: nice to hear you keep finding little things you like, that really makes the ownership experience a good one.

Most bikes weigh 25-40 lbs, so you could probably still carry 4. I have carried 3 personally, and one had a chile carrier so it was not a light load.

Bob: very interesting. The MSRP is actually lower, maybe it has fewer options. But the invoice is the same. That means the dealer margin got squeezed a little.

I think $26 grand is a bit steep, but that'll drop quickly. Plus, that it loaded with every feature you could ever want (leather, auto, moonroof, 6CD, etc).

You can get an LL Bean for that price, though, and get the H6.

-juice

recumbentdan

I'm new here, and I'm ready to snap up a 2003 Subaru Forester. I read that in the first quarter of 2002 Forester sales were down 11%. Does anyone have any thoughts/opinions about how soon the new-model pricing will settle down and we can expect to see somrthing more normal, such as $400-$600 over invoice?

Also, does anybody know what an "armrest extension" is?

- recumbentdan

rsholland

for the new '03 Forester. You'll have to wait for the "newness" to taper off. I'm guessing in 3-4 months we'll see a bit more negotiating room; certainly within 6 months the prices should be pretty good.

Armrest extension is an item that makes the front center armrest a bit higher and more usable, and it also includes extra storage space. There are pictures of it in various Subaru brochures, under accessories.

Bob

conroe

I'm another newcomer, though I've been lurking and learning from you all for awhile. And yes, another one drawn in by the 2003 Forester.

FYI, they have arrived in the Houston, TX, area. I test drove an XS at West Houston Subaru yesterday and liked it very much.

Anybody have any knowledge about when the pricing is going to be released? I'm planning on ordering one, since there's nothing on the boat that has what I'm looking for and I'm not in a rush, but it's hard to negotiate a price when you have no idea of what the invoice prices are.

West Houston Subaru says they are at MSRP right now, but they had to figure out pricing from the invoices on the 4 that came in a couple of days ago. I've used the CarBargains.org service in the past and been very happy with it, but they need invoice prices from KBB before they can do their thing.

I don't mind paying a fair price, but like the rest of us, I also don't want to overpay.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

ateixeira

I agree, 3-6 months for prices to drop near invoice.

Keep checking Edmudns, KBB.com, and print copies of Consumer Guide (where you find any magazines) to get invoice pricing. Or add about $300 to the old invoice price top guesstimate.

-juice

jim_loves_cars

go to:

www.vanbortelsubaru.com

They sell subies at or close to invoice and seem to be the least expensive dealer around. The site gives you MSRP, Invoice and what the dealership charges for the car and all the options.

The 2003 Forester and all the invoice info is available on the site.

-jim

kens

Dealers out here in the SF Bay Area also tend to start with pricing at around $500-600 over invoice the first few months a new model is out. Afterwards, it typically drops to $300-200.

Ken

darkwater71

After seriously considering the Ford Escape, and not finding any auto WRX wagons in the state, I ended up buying a '02 S Premium last week. Didn't get a great deal on the price of the car, but a much better trade-in price on my auction car than what the Ford dealers were offering.

I had a couple of questions:

1) I picked up the extended warranty but am wondering if I got the right one. I got the 5 yr/60 k one, and am wondering if it's really worth the cost, compared to getting a longer one w/ a deductible. Part of the problem is that the mileage I drive per year is wildly varying. I had my previous car for 7 1/2 years and put 91k on it, but that includes a period of 16 months where I didn't drive it at all.

2) Does any one have experience with the dealer-installed front bra? Does it hinder access? Does the paint protection really matter for a silver car?

3) How about self-installation of Yakima roof-mounted bike racks? How much additional noise/reduction in MPG can I expect from a roof-mounted rack?

4) I have to take a temporary assignment and may have to make the near cross-country drive (NM to the FL panhandle) in my car before I reach the 1k mark. Also, the nearest Subie dealers will be 1+ hour away once I get there. Anything in particular I should be on the lookout for?

Sorry for the long post. I've enjoyed the months of lurking on this and other Subaru boards. And while I'm having buyer's remorse on not waiting for a WRX auto wagon, I'm thinking I'll grow to love the additional practicality of the Forester.