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Comments
Likes: great visibility, handles well, upgraded stereo sounds great when you play it at higher volumes, I like the looks of the car more and more, good reliability so far. I think the engine has plenty of power.
Dislikes: gas mileage disappointing, upright windshield has a chip in it.
Bob
I go a couple of time per year with my brother-in-law to check it out. I've seen maybe one or two Loyales and I think one first generation Legacy, but that's it, and that's after going to 3 different "parts recyclers" several times.
Try e-mailing parts@libertysubaru.com. If you get parts at wholesale they're very reasonable, a new OE bumper cover is something like $150, $125 for a taillight, etc.
Can't wait to see the new Forester turbo. All I'm asking for is 200hp, but 220 or even 250 could make it a real screamer. Car & Driver just tested the new Infiniti FX45, and it has the best 0-60 of any current model (quicker than the ML AMG and X5 V8), at 6.3 seconds, and the Forester could beat that if it gets 250hp.
A Cayenne turbo might be quicker but that's about it, and "Porsche SUV" is an oxymoron anyway.
-juice
http://www.fsautoparts.com/
What type of driving do you do..and what are some examples of mpg..TIA
-juice
I certainly hope it makes at least 200HP, preferably with the 2.5 engine. Now if Subaru offered it with a Cross Sport like package, I'd be stoked!
Ken
<chanting continues>
220! 230! 240! 250!...
220! 230! 240! 250!...
Powermonger! ;-)
tidester, host
It wouldn't keep me away, but I bet sales overall would be better if it even had slightly bigger tires on 17" rims, with more clearance overall.
-juice
Bob
Niels
- Lou
I doubt that Subaru would bring the dual range tranny to the US, mainly due to price considerations. Also, the dual range tranny is available only with the manual transmission. 90% of Foresters sold in the US are with automatic transmissions.
However, we asked for the Hill Holder clutch and we got it, so who knows?
Ken
I would get the manual transmission because I think it is more fun, and you have better control. Also we will tow a small folding trailer (Chalet), so the 2400# capacity is best. The low range would come in handy for this and also for driving on steep dirt roads, when I go train chasing. I read that a non turbo is better for offroad.
Any comments.
Niels
i figure Subaru is going in the USA for the more rally, auto-X looks/crowd since there are plenty of serious Jeep 4X4 clubs, unlike Australia.
Speaking of Australia, i just spoke with Scorpion Automotive (in Qld) and they are still developing the springs for 2003MY. it turns out the suspension changed quite a bit, including different springs in the rear. I will have to wait a couple of months to get the taller springs and be content dressing it up with other "goodies". I put in the Sylvania SilverStar bulbs in the headlights (after a couple of weeks of reading messages and finding them for $15ea). I am not sure if they are much brighter, but i do enjoy the MUCH whiter light and think it's well worth the $30 for a pair. Another recent modification was replacing the "engine splash guard" with an aluminum plate.
For pics, see http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291027207. Sony disabled direct link... ;-(
cheers
oh, as far as chanting, i'll join kate <220><220><220><230>....does it mean better MPG?
And then when we get to the Forester, in the same part of his review, he writes, "Price/Equipment: Compared to other vehicles with veritable off-road capabilities, the Forester is very expensive for what it really is, i.e., a nicely equipped all-wheel drive station wagon." and "The Forester average 20 mpg of regular unleaded with either transmission, expect to have to fill up every 280 miles or so."
Doesn't the Forester have a 15.9 gallon fuel tank? 15.9 times 20 is 318 miles... ummm...
I agree that a manual tranny is more fun -- that's why my Forester is a 5-speed. :-)
Turbos are not necessarily "bad" for off roading. Off roading applications typically call for low end torque. A properly tuned turbo engine can deliver good low end torque. If Subaru does offer the 2.5L turbo in the Forester, it will most likely be a low-boost version that spools up quickly.
Ken
Thanks for the info.
Gene
and the CR-V fuel capacity = 15.3gal.
Interesting math.
-Dave
Bob
the bulbs are H4 = 9003 and they are pretty much the same as the OEM including Hi/Lo, no harness or modifications required. Strangely enough, Sylvania says that they are 65/72W but the bulb has the same 55/65W markings on the lip as the old one. ??!!
in any case, mine is 2003, so might be a bit different: i removed the silencer box to have more room to work behind the RH headlight, on the LH, the battery makes it tight, but still doable. the hardest thing was to take the plug off of the bulb (1st thing to do). make sure you feel and squeeze the socket on both sides, don't just tug on it. There are arrows indicating that, but you really just need to feel the plastic through the rubber. Once you remove the plug, take off the rubber "skirt" and there is a metal retainer that holds the bulb in place. You need to squeeze it and tilt it back to free the bulb. The bulb goes in only one direction, with the tabs aligned in a triangle pointing up (similar to a mercedes sign). Most important thing is to not touch any of the bulbs as the dirt and oil from your hands can eventually crack the glass as it heats up.
I didn't change the foglight bulbs, because i would rather find the Hella YellowStar bulbs. Anyone know if they are available as H3 ??
In fact, even entry-level Forester X is very well equipped for its class and trim, and very reasonably -- if not plain cheaply -- priced.
Oh wait, I just enlarged the picture, and I can see primitive racing stamped on it. Looks really nice
I use Philips Vision Plus bulbs in my Forester and absolutely love them. They are not the cheezy HID-look alike bulbs that have a blue coating the make the light look whiter, nor are they overwattage bulbs that can risk damage to your wiring harness. They simply are the best halogen bulb out there. The light output is noticeably brighter and whiter than standard halogens. The beam cutoff is very sharp and does a great job of illuminating the road and signs. Also, the Vision Plus bulbs last a lot longer than typical Xenon-filled halogens Hella Premiums.
Unfortunately, you can't get these Stateside. I order mine from the below vendor -- they've been very quick and reliable.
http://www.autolamps-online.com/halogen/visionplus1.htm
Ken
Is it likely the lube store drained the diff fluid?? If so, how could I have driven 1000 miles before this happened??? Or is this a Forester problem Subaru is trying to cover up??
Have anyone else had this problem with their Subaru??
Like to know asap!!
Thank you for responding!!
PS Love the car in general!!
I'd look at the shop that did the change for the problem...
-mike
The 5 speed is quicker and more fun, plus more efficient to boot (never mind EPA figures, ask around).
But pick your tranny preference and don't look back.
kajko: LOVE the skid plate! Solid!
Did you get the replacement springs yet?
Lou: reviewers aren't consistent. I do sometimes wish for a bigger gas tank, but range in the CR-V is even less than in the Forester. My wife's Legacy has 1 gallon more than my Forester, and it comes in handy.
John: yes, fly-by-night oil change shops have been known to drain the wrong fluid when changing the oil. The trans fluid drain plug is readily visible, while the oil pan's plug is hidden behind the plastic cover.
That it went 1000 miles shows how tight tolerances are in a Japanese-designed drivetrain. It went that far without any lubrication? Wow.
-juice
Oilwell99, where to begin? Know any good lawyers first off? If the oil change place drained the tranny by mistake, I would hope they would have noticed the problem when they tried to cram new oil in an already filled engine. Then again, stranger things have happened.
After a 1000 miles it might be tough to tell that the oil wasn't changed when it should have been, one reason I always tell people who do take their cars in for oil changes to always check the level afterwards, and in doing so, the condition of the oil.
-B
If you do get an oil change at a dealer, mark the old oil filter with a grease pencil, then you can assure they put in a new one. Also check the oil level then, and every time you fill up the gas tank.
-juice
Gene
The only good part was that this became one of those rare cases where my "I told you so" gained some minor credibility with my wife. Of course, the Forester gets all it's oil changes done in my garage.
I remember when I first started reading Edmunds back in 2000, some poor soul wrote in that Montgomery Ward had drained his new Outback's transmission dry and then overfilled the engine with oil. Totally destroyed the transmission, and would make me have serious doubts about the long term dependability of the engine (overfilling is a sure way to blow seals, gaskets, etc...). As different as auto transmission fluid and oil look, feel, and smell, you'd think this kind of mistake would be caught. Tells you how cluless and careless most of these shops are.
Craig
Any thoughts?
Thanks! Overall, I love the car and otherwise it handles great. Just trying to convince myself to stay with the base model and not break my budget for that great sunroof!
Another time I was at a quick-lube place and told them DO NOT touch the air filter (I knew it was clean and that it was very hard to reassemble the housing anyway). So the first thing one of the guys does (I can see him through the hood opening but he doesn't know it) is unclip the air filter housing and wipe an oily rag across the filter as he removes it. He walks up to me and tells me I need a new air filter, and I read him the riot act and end up with a free oil change (at least they got that part right). Of course, I had to spend 15 minutes reassembling the air filter housing because he was so clueless. I could've complained to the State Attorney General but it wasn't worth my time. Complete idiots who can't be trusted to walk a dog.
Dealerships aren't much better but at least you know they're familiar with the cars and have the right parts.
>
>Has anyone seen this link?
>
>http://www.subaru-global.com/lineup/forester/interview/
Kens, my favorite line from these interviews was:
"While the Forester is a product for distribution in the marketplace, what is extravagant about the car is that no effort or cost was spared on areas that can't be seen."
That's what I like about Subaru, attention to detail in the areas that can't be seen.
Not that they didn't do the same for the areas that can be seen. The interview says the interior designers wanted to use a dimpled texture on the Forester's dash, but were concerned about the accumulation of dust in the dimples. So they experimented with various dimple designs and finally settled on one that had smoother dimple edges that collected less dust. That's detail.
-tom
Juice the reason for no tranny fluid cooler on the manuals is that there is no pump to circulate the fluid through the cooler. You'd need both a pump and the cooler in order to accomplish cooling of the tranny fluid in an MT. In the AT you have a pump pumping ATF so it just pumps it through the cooler before it goes into the ATF.
-mike
My wife has an 03 Forester XS, and the brakes are great. The way she drives, I would know by now if the brakes were prone to lockup! We took it up to CT for Christmas, which is a 10 hour drive through some nasty traffic. I had plenty of opportunities to test the brakes through DC and on the NJ Turnpike, when 75 MPH traffic would suddenly drop to 10 MPH, and everyone had to slam on the brakes. Pretty much non-eventful in the Forester (though I winced watching cars skidding and squirreling around behind me).
I should add that we had three people in the car, loaded to the gills, and still got 26 MPG! I was really impressed, and love the car.
Craig
Anyone have experience with dealers in RI- namely Bald Hill, Anchor and Liberty?
Many thanks,
db
-mike
mike: actually, I think it's an engine oil cooler that I'm talking about. Guess it has both, then. Aftermarket vendors even sell them and you can bolt them right onto a manual, as a matter of fact.
-juice