Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

ateixeira

Frank: you must have psychic powers.

In fact, the intake is at the front of the tank. Autocrossers have to use a half tank or so to avoid fuel starvation.

-juice

jacraw

Heard from service dept. today on my new 2001 Forester S (premium pkg.), can't seem to isolate ride quality problem. They looked at wheel balance, tire rotation, axle, then they said they would replace driveshaft. I've contacted S.O.A., I'm supposed to hear from someone with decision-making authority on Thursday 3/15...patience is wearing thin!!!..I think my new license plate will read "A Lemon"

williamd3

What size wheels and tires can you put on a 99 Forester L. The car I am thinking about buying has 205 75 15s. Is this the only option?

dalegb

I mail ordered a Subaru accessory hood deflector for my 2001 Forester. (I installed it, but I'm not 100% sure that it is the correct part. There are large gaps in places between the deflector's soft plastic pads and the hood. I had to bend the attachment brakets to even get it to touch the hood anywhere. (It wanted to stand closer to vertical than it should.) The deflector has pads underneath that are apparently supposed to be in contact with the hood. The deflector is even under stress to get it to clip to the corners of the hood. However, the deflecor does line up well with the front of the hood, and the brackets do line up with the correct attachment points. The part was labeled 2000 Forester. I know that Subaru changed the front end somewhat for 2001. If the hood design is the same between 2000 and 2001, then this is probably the correct part, but possibly poorly designed. I know the headlights/grille changed for 2001, but I'm not sure about the hood. Anybody know for sure if the part number changed for 2001?

I've e-mailed the place where I ordered the part, but they have been non-responsive. Thanks!

p0926

William,

The Forester S has 16" wheels with 215/60 tires so you can obviously go with that size.

The following site is good for calculating different wheel and tire combinations:

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Juice plus sized his 98 L so I'm sure he can give you more information.

Frank P.

qbrozen

Obviously, you want to be careful when changing your wheels and tires. If you're going for the large or dropped look, you're going to need to adjust your speedo. And that is just opening up another can of worms.

If you want to change them for better handling, but keep the overall diameter roughly the same, then you're choices are limited.

That is a nice little tool, Frank. Wish I had known about that when I was trying to figure mine out.

Anyway, I went with 215 65s to replace the stock 205 70s. It gives me a slightly wider footprint while the change in height is negligible. It was the best I could do without changing the stock rims (a cost I did not want to incur right now).

ateixeira

William: 205/75R15 is a little taller than stock, but some friends from Australia have fit tires that size on the stock rims without rubbing. They've also fit 215/70R15.

However, 215/75R15 will not fit. That gives you an idea of how close the tolerances are.

Keep in mind each tire has slight variations, so I'm not guaranteeing they will fit, I'm just sharing some knowledge.

If you want to go bigger, you'll need wheels with a different offset, which is what I did. I went with a 16" alloy rim with 225/60R16 tires, but the offset puts the wheel 15mm further away from the rear spring base, otherwise it would rub.

Dale: the hood did change. I thought someone said the same deflector fit, but maybe not. Take it to the dealer and have him look to see if it's installed properly. If so, you may have to return it.

-juice

schragem

My parents are wondering (ok, my dad is wondering) about whether a WRX wagon has enough space for their stuff (bikes, dog, equipment, kayack, etc.). Does anyone know the cargo space numbers and how they are relative to the Forester (we just bought an S+ manual and love it); I haven't yet seen anything written up, so please let me know if you have. Finally, they're not interested in the Outback or Legacy....Thanks,
Matt

ray70

Dale -

I had the dealer install the hood deflector on my 01 Forester shortly after the 01's came out. He had to special order the deflector because the ones he had for 00 didn't fit.

Ray

barresa62

The Forester has more cargo room, especially w/the rear seats up than the WRX sportwagon. Additionally the available room in the Forester is much more useable as the slanted rear window of the Impreza/WRX really cuts into space. As I remember (did a comparo between my 00'OB wagon & WRX wagon), the WRX wagon has a shade over 61 cu ft w/rear seat backs folded. I think it has a similiar amount as the 01' and older Impreza wagon w/seatbacks up, about 25.5 cu ft. I don't remember what the Forester #'s are exactly. Hope this helps.

Stephen

ateixeira

Matt: the floor space on the WRX wagon is pretty close to the Forester's, but the catch is the hatch is far lower, so you can't fix boxy, tall items that could easily fit in the Forester.

They are in dealers now - tell them to try one.

-juice

PS Suggestions for the next Forester? Please send an e-mail to our SoA rep, Patti Mickel, at pmickel@subaru.com. She'll get our feedback to product planning. Time to share your wish lists with her!

jmcknight2

Dale - I ordered a hood defector from Weather tech, and the sales person swore it would fit my
'01 Forester. It fit exactly like you described - poorly at best. It lined up on the ends, but
big gaps in-between. The sticky pads did the job, but I couldn't handle the wind noise.
I took it off eventually, but I'm out $ 60 !
Jim McKnight

schragem

Stephen and Juice:
Thanks for the info. I think they will likely go with the Forester from the sounds of it, but I'll definitely tell them to check out the WRX. My dad likes pretty fast cars--he's driving an Integra that he might modify, and he's owned 2 Saab turbos--but this will be my mom's car and she needs the space. However, he's pretty persuasive, and I have a feeling he might talk her into an WRX by saying things like the floor is the same as a Forester, etc. I hope he does coax her into a WRX since I'd get to drive it once in a while when I go back to Wisconsin (it'd be fun on the winding, hilly back roads of the Door County Peninsula)!! Heck, with a roof rack I'd think it'd be enough room, but who am I to say?? Should be interesting to see how it turns out...
Matt

subaru_72941

I have a 2001 Forester L and actually have put 215/75/R15s on it. There is minimal clearance on the spring mounts in back, but I have had no problems whatsoever. The brand of the tire might make some difference, though I thought all the sizes were standard. Mine are Cooper Discoverer A/Ts. These tires are very adept at self-cleaning of mud, and give you about an inch of additonal ground clearance. They do make your speedometer/odometer off by about 5%, but it's easy to make allowances.
I bought a bug/rock deflector from Quality Subaru in TN and was careful to specify a 2001 since I know the hoods are different. They had to special order it from Atlanta, but it fits perfectly.

ateixeira

Matt: there are plenty of roof carriers. The new Sears ones are sleek looking, all black. Tell your dad about those.

We have a winner! Rick, that's unbelievable! I guess each manufacturer's tire size varies ever-so-slightly. The Aussie boys haven't had any luck, perhaps their suspension is a tad bit different?

See, that's why I'm going to miss Darlene. She'd actually check for stuff like that. :-(

-juice

tb10

I'd be interested in hearing what kind of prices folks have paid on the S Premiums they have bought.

tlima

I ordered a deflector from Darlene (sigh...I miss her already) a while back for an '01 Forester. I did have to bend the mounts a bit, but it did fit well. Maybe you did get a <= '00 part.

-TonyL

kwelss

I paid $22,891 last month for a new Forester S Premium, with Feature Group III (auto-dim mirror, luggage compartment cover, and something else that I can't remember right now), and a hood deflector.

I got Sedona Red color.

Karin in Northern California

tb10

So Karin, you paid less than invoice. Is this common for folks?

ateixeira

Karin got a great price, especially if that was auto. I tend to see prices in the low $23k range.

-juice

ellie11

I am a very unhappy owner of a '98 Forester S. Mine was one of first ones in California, I bought it in August of 1997 knowing nothing more about it than the ads would say. It was very misleading to show this flimsy city car as capable of climbing over the rocks, going though streams, etc. I was sold on the ads because my road conditions don't even come close to the ones I saw on TV and in print. I have 6 miles of a dirt road to drive every day (round-trip). It is gravel and dirt, gets muddy during winter storms, with potholes, sometimes deep potholes filled with water. My car absolutely can not handle this. It's differentials are not sealed properly and let the water get inside. It happened first at 15K. I had one accident because of the failed shock, after which replaced both rear shocks. Then, about a year later, had to replace all four. The car is constantly out of alignment. It is in the shop right now as I am writing this message - potentially serious problem with transmission or 4-whell drive unit (they don't know yet). I also have to mention numerous annoying problems with it that have nothing to do with the road - overhead clock died a year ago, driver side rear door does not open from the inside, A/C light went off a while ago, latch on the 5th door makes noises. On top of everything else, service is horrible, parts situation is even worse, SO attitude is "It's all your fault". My 3.5 years of owning it is a nightmare. I got fed up with dealerships, and now take the car to my local shop. My service advisor told me "I cringe every time I see one of those, Toyota is a way to go". I truly and honestly don't understand why everybody sings praises to Forester. It is a souped-up Yugo.

qbrozen

you are in the minority. If everyone else had that to deal with, then they WOULDN'T be singing praises.

So, why do you still have it? i don't care what it costs, if I had something that I hated that much, it would be gone.

ateixeira

I'd recommend a rear diffential protector, as well as a front skid plate and maybe even a shield for the gas tank, for regular driving in those conditions. They are all available. Too bad you didn't come to these boards for advice sooner.

Also, taller springs, like Lovells from Australia or the ones iSR carrier (each gives a 2" lift). $400 and totally worth it for those conditions.

You and your mechanic's experience is very atypical. As proof, Subaru ranks 7th best among all manufacturers in reliability, ahead of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, Audi, Mazda, Volvo, Mitsubishi, and VW, not to all of the former big three's brands.

Consumer Reports also surveys owners on whether or not they'd buy the same vehicle if they could do it over, and actually the Forester beats the Toyota RAV4. Imagine how unhappy you'd be with a Toyota!

-juice

raybear

How did your previous car fare on those roads? No vehicle is bulletproof.

maluso

I just picked up my Forester today ('99 L) and love it. But I don't love the muddy sounding sound system. I've got the stock AM/FM/Cassette, the single CD player from Subaru (Clarion), stock speakers, tweeters from Subaru (I think).

Would just replacing the speakers make a difference in sound or is the head unit completely inadequate? Can anyone ID the head unit for me? I was hoping for a noticeable improvement for $200 but imagine I'm dreaming.

Also.. if the tweeter grills are in the door, can I safely assume there really are tweeters back there.. or could the sound be leaking up from the main door speakers and coming out the grills?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Diane

barresa62

I'm not as kind as the rest of the posters here. Face it, kiddo, you took a vehicle and subjected it to conditions it was not designed for. To use this against the vehicle and make comments like "it's just a souped up Yugo" shows your ignorance and lack of responsibility, not to mention lack of research before you even purchased the vehicle!

FYI, Subarus rank right up there w/Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans when driven in conditions they were designed for.

Now stop your whining and get yourself a car/truck that you bang the heck up on and in turn be happy.

Stephen

sandiego2

Living in san diego but will be moving to Wisconsin in few months. Trying to decide between Subaru forester S w/ premium package vs Subaru outback h6-3.0 vdc vs Toyota highlander 4wd I/ vdc. I dont have kids so I dont need a lot of room but for occasional bike and large grocery. Outback with vdc seems costly for a Subaru but forester does not have vdc option and only comes in 4cylinder. I am wondering if i need the vdc and H6(6cylinder) for safety in northern wisconsin. Even though gas mileage for toyota highlander is poorer (22) , it has 4wd, 6cylinder, more space, and higher off road for driving through snowpiles. Also looked at dependability in the chat room and each has some horror stories. Any recommendations for which car, what is a good price and which dealership in san diego is good?

rev0

are spare parts for the forester readily available at delaerships? will i have trouble in finding parts when such a part gets busted?

dchopp

Saw the Subaru Forester at the Cleveland Auto show. Its a nice little vehicle. My question is this. Where do they hide the key to wind this vehicle up?

ateixeira

Diane: new speakers make a big difference. Ours are cheap paper dual-cones. I've heard some nice Cerwin Vegas and they make a difference.

SD2: those are quite different vehicles, if you ask me, each fine with their own advantages. I'll talk about the Forester's, since it's what I own:

* best gas mileage of the bunch for sure
* on 87 octane to boot
* lightest, most nimble and manueverable
* still good utility for its size
* most proven in reliability (HL is new)
* by far the cheapest
* biggest moonroof (S Premium)

The others are fine cars and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Drive them all and pick the one that brings you the biggest smile.

rev0: parts are plentiful. If you find them expensive, come back here and we'll point out a few wholesalers you can use.

Donald: I don't understand the question. Pay any dealer about $19k for an L, $23k for an S Premium, and you'll have your very own set of keys.

-juice

kens

Diane,

Upgrading your speakers is the first step. The stock speakers are quite marginal in performance as you've found out. Here's what would give you the most bang for the buck in order:

1. Front speaker replacement - these are standard size so you have lots of choices here.
2. Install tweeters - if you don't have the premium sound system on your Forester, then the tweeter space is probably empty. They're pre-wired so you can simply buy a set from your local dealer, pop open the covers and install them yourself.
3. Rear speaker replacement - these fit only 5" so you're limited to one or two models. I used the Polk 501a.

Ken

llofgren

Interesting.....Consumers Report 2001 Auto Issue reports reliablity of the Forester at about 40% (higher is better) vs. the CR-V more than 80%.
Also....see the Highlander (SUV) posts by Ellie11 and Hutch7 from 3/15/01....the Forseter is described as "falling apart" with "terrible seats."

Hm,mmmm.....comments???

tomtom100

Any advise on were to get after market cruise control units for my 98 Forester. Recommend self installation?

stever

Here's a Fox News Story about the latest CR annual auto issue.

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

ellie11

1. Ray, to answer your question - how my previous car fared on these roads? Before we bought this property I drove a Toyota Corolla which had over 100K miles on it. I drove it for about half-a-year on these roads (probably another 10K) and sold it not because it broke down but because it was getting old and it's extended warranty expired. Then I got Forester... You can see all kinds of cars and trucks on our roads. Some of our neighbors drive Mercury Sables and Cadillacs, some - brand new Audis, some - old Audis with as many miles on one of them as 400K, some - full & medium-size size trucks. My boyfriend drives Subaru Legacy Outback '97 - no problems so far, and he drives much faster than I do. I am the only one in our community of about 200 people who is in a rental car all the time. By the way, I am in a rental Saturn these days - handles the potholes just fine.

2. Stephen, you are absolutely right - I got a vehicle that is unsuitable for this road. However, I did do my research before buying it. Unfortunately, back then, in 1997, websites like edmunds.com, cartrackers.com, and all available printed matter stated that Forester is just exactly what people like me need. Subaru called it RUGGED sport-utility,, they still do. Anyway, I already stopped my whining and I am getting a Pathfinder right after Forester is fixed... in umpteenth time.

3. Barn one -In our area, San Francisco Bay Area to be specific, Subaru service in general and parts situation in particular are disastrous. When I had my Forester fixed first time it was in the shop 17 days most of which was waiting for the parts.

drew_

FYI, the Nissan Pathfinder will be completely redesigned next year. The current platform has been around since 1995. Also, the Pathfinder's offset crash test results were not very encouraging (click on a vehicle name to get a detailed report), definitely not as good as your Forester's:
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_midsuv.htm

Good luck in your search for a new vehicle! Of course, feel free to check out Edmunds' Road tests for any vehicles that you are considering.


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

qbrozen

OK. But, you have to promise that when one of those potholes tears the front wheel off the Nissan, you have to come back and tell us.

thanks.

pnptm

After driving, researching, etc, I'm 98% sure I'm buying a Forester (with RAV4 a close second). Any opinions on spending the extra $2G for the S? seems like a lot of money for mainly "fluff", vs. practical stuff to improve comfort and/or driveability....appreciate any and all feedback to help make my decison (and any additional support to confirm my decision of Forester over RAV4)......thanks

qbrozen

I just tried installing a universal cruise control in our 98 that I got from JC Whitney. It is an AudioVox unit. Unfortunately, I can't tell you if its any good yet because I haven't gotten it working. I am working on finding a wiring diagram (any help anybody?) so that I can find the Vehicle Speed Sensor wire. Other than that, I'm pretty confident about the rest of the connections, yet, still not working.

ateixeira

This part of that Fox News Article says it all: "with Nissan, Honda and Subaru leading the way". They were referring to improvements in quality.

TomTom: I had my dealer install cruise for me. It was a couple hundred or so. Worth it, and it's OE parts so it looks totally professional.

Ellie: I think it's fair to call the Forester rugged. It is still the only small SUV to this day to ace the IIHS offset crash test. Three years later the competition cannot match that.

Plus, in bumper basher tests, also done by IIHS, it suffered the least damage.

Advertisers of course stretch this, but so does Jeep. They say all their trucks can go off road, but look at how much damage they suffer doing just that. I forget the name of that famous trail now...Drew, do you still have that link?

Paul: have you seen the S Premium? That moonroof alone may sell you on it, plus it's got side air bags and a nice monotone paint scheme. The regular S has a lot more equipment than the L, which is already well equipped by itself.

The new RAV4 looks nice, but there is still no real rear bumper, and the hatch open to the curbside, blocking access. Other than that it seems like a close 2nd to the Forester.

-juice

armac13

I chose the S for several reasons. I found the handling and braking to be noticeably better. While it has not been an issue so far for me, I wanted the LSD. I found the seats more comfortable. I really like the 6 CD changer and the heated seats (we don't get much cold, but my old back loves them). Most of the other differences were minor for me, but those were more than enough.

Ross

ateixeira

I should mention something about L vs. S. I have the L, but with many upgrades done to it. Without question the best was the Plus One set of wheels and tires. So I've driven my Subie with 15" steelies and with 16" alloys (and better tires).

The S comes with these, so I agree about the improved handling and braking. No doubt.

-juice

p0926

Paul- You're right about it being hard to justify the extra money for the S since the L comes quite well equipped and has the same engine and AWD set-up. The only real differences in performance are the larger wheels, 4 wheel disc brakes and the rear LSD. In the L's favor, the unpainted lower body panels have the advantage of being less likely to get dinged or scratched. Still, I went for the S. I guess I'm getting old (like Ross) and like the extra creature comforts. However, I do think the L is an excellent bargain and you can always upgrade the wheels later if you want to. I haven't driven the new RAV4 but it appears to still be somewhat underpowered compared to the Forester (which itself could benefit from either the H-6 or a turbo). I do think that the new RAV4 design looks better than the old one. If you haven't already, be sure to test drive both and go with the one you prefer.

Juice- That's the Rubicon Trail you were refering to.

Ellie- Maybe you got stuck with a lemon. The occasional bad apple can happen with any manufacturer. I do think that there's a lower probability of that happening with Subaru. However, once you've become soured on a certain make or model, changing brands is probably the best option. I hope your Pathfinder treats you better. Nissan also has a reputation of building reliable vehicles. I've owned several and other than a cracked cylinder head (which was probably my fault), I didn't have any problems.

-Frank P.

ateixeira

Rubicon, of course!

Anyway, saw some photos of some of the Grand Cherokees they took out there, and the amount of damage makes your experience seem tame.

-juice

kwelss

tb10 asked

>>So Karin, you paid less than invoice. Is this common for folks? <<

Actually, according to the pricing worksheet I ran on Edmunds last month, I paid about $300 over invoice. Still a really great deal, IMHO.

The salesman told me, afterwards, that the rash of layoffs in the high-tech industry around here has really impacted new car sales, and they were overstocked last month on Foresters that they ordered from the factory back in November (when the economic picture was a lot rosier).

And the best part was, I didn't have to do any negotiation. I requested a quote from my three local dealerships in the East Bay through the SOA web site, got a reply the next day from the dealership in Oakland, and accepted their offer.

Then I went in during my lunch hour at work, signed paperwork, handed over a down payment, and drove away in my new Forester. It was the most painless car purchase I've ever made.

Karin

istomtom

On edmunds.com what is the difference between the 4A and 5M designations on the Forester 2001 models?

Thanks!

-Tom

tincup47

4A= 4 speed automatic
5M= 5 Speed manual

kwelss

tb10 asked

>>So Karin, you paid less than invoice. Is this common for folks? <<

Actually, according to the pricing worksheet I ran on Edmunds last month, I paid about $300 over invoice. Still a really great deal, IMHO.

The salesman told me, afterwards, that the rash of layoffs in the high-tech industry around here has really impacted new car sales, and they were overstocked last month on Foresters that they ordered from the factory back in November (when the economic picture was a lot rosier).

And the best part was, I didn't have to do any negotiation. I requested a quote from my three local dealerships in the East Bay through the SOA web site, got a reply the next day from the dealership in Oakland, and accepted their offer.

Then I went in during my lunch hour at work, signed paperwork, handed over a down payment, and drove away in my new Forester. It was the most painless car purchase I've ever made.

Karin

maluso

Thanks for the help with speakers, so far! I've decided to get new speakers for my '99 Forester but need help with two things:

First, does anyone know of any component speakers that have 5" midranges.. that fit in the back of the Forester? Plenty of 6.5" for the front but I can't find any to fit the back.

Next, are there any directions online or easily accessible about how to pop off the covers (front and rear) so I can be sure of what's in there? I got the vehicle used and want to see what's up before I throw money at it.

Thanks again for any advice.. narrowing in on a solution,

Diane

bigfrank3

I don't know if they are the same, but I just replaced my front speakers in my '01 "L" this week. The covers came off by my pulling on the bottom edge with my fingers. Mine are held on by several (5 I think) spring clips. They popped off rather easily, and went back on the same way.

I bought 6.5" Kenwood speakers (KFC-1668S) from Crutchfield. They even gave me the adapter to plug into the factory harness, no cutting or splicing. It only took me ~ 20 minutes to do both front. I haven't looked at the rear, I just adjusted the fader to the front a bit.

I spend more time listening to the boxer growl than listening to the radio, but the very noticable lack of high frequencies was bothering me. I don't have the tweeter kit but for less than the cost of that kit I seem to have solved my complaint.

Good luck!
Frank