Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

ateixeira

Lou: they must have good Portuguese bread. :-)

I just cut a hole in the lower engine cover, for access to the oil filter. If I knew how to weld I'd custom build a skid plate in its place with an access panel.

My favorite college professor was an Italian-American from Jersey, and he used to call it "the armpit of America". His words, not mine. Just to give you an idea how good he was at teaching, the class broke out in applause after his last lecture!

-juice

j0elboy

Hey, I'm from south Jersey and moved to West Virginia to go to college--and work inthe state reform school. I also thought that the state motto for WV was: "West Virginia--4 Million Citizens, 4 Last Names."

South Jerzy should be the 51st state, we're not NY, and below the Mason-Dixon line!

J0elboy.

burnsmr4

Folks,

The Car & Driver 5BEST Trucks issue is available online, and I noticed, in the list of nominees for the SMALL SUV category, that the redesigned '03 Forester wasn't a contender. The Honda CR-V was on the list from last year and won against a Mitsu and something else. Was the Forester excluded because it wasn't a brand new vehicle? C&D didn't explain that very well:

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/5best/2003/2003_5best- - _trucks_opener.xml

Enjoy!

burnsmr4

ateixeira

Maybe they knew the turbo was coming, and waited for that to steal the crown?

Or maybe they don't even put the Forester in the same class, instead considering it a small wagon.

-juice

kens

That doesn't make sense. The Forester has been in their previous mini-SUV comparisons so no excuse there.

Perhaps a letter to the editor is at hand?

Ken

suba

SA's "Added Security" brochure states that it pays for parts and labor on major mechanical repairs after the original new car warranty expires.
My '01 Forester S has 28,000 miles and I"m wondering if this deal is worthwhile. I've had no problems with its operation except that I got rear ended and that cost the insurance company $1,000. Also I note a $100 deductible with SA's plan. And also, if I pay over ten months, the rental car allowance is a "certain...allowance". This deal costs $546 for 42months/60,000 miles.
I'd appreciate any comments.
Thanks.

taft4

Today's mail brought the April edition of Consumers Reports (annual auto issue) and I was interested to see how my 2003 Forester came out. On their Safety Assessment list it came out 5th behind the VUE, CR-V, Santa Fe, and RAV 4. The Forester was rated well but I thought it would end up higher then 5th.

In overall ratings it ended up second behind the RAV 4. On reliability it scored second behind the CR-V. In the short writeup about it, it got a good review which started out ...."The Forester is one of the better small car-based SUVs."

All the Subarus, except the Baja, got a recommended rating and in the article "Top Picks for 2003 - The Best Models in 10 Catagories" the Subaru Impreza WRX was named the car most fun to drive.

One thing confused me in the report and it was under the Safety Assessment listing. In that the model name of each car tested was shown and under the Forester the model tested was shown as version S. I don't know what S means, for it was not shown as XS. For safety could they have been testing another model year, in which case that rating would not have been correct.

Lastly, they listed the cars which were the best bet in the under $25,000 catagory and included were the Forester X, Subaru Impreza RD, Subaru Impreza TS, and Subaru Legacy L. Spec. Ed.

All in all Subaru came out very well.

subearu

they had test results from an '02 Forester S model.

FWIW, IIHS has results of an '03 Forester X here: http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0214.htm

-Brian

xccoachlou

I can't wait till that issue hits news stands.

A quick review of the NHTSA web site shows the Santa Fe only receiving stars on a side impact test. In the IIHS test, it did well, but not as good as the Forester. In fact, the Forester and CR-V are rated best picks and the only reason the CR-V edged out the Forester is because of better results for the right foot. Again in IIHS testing, the Forester did much better than the Rav 4, while the 2002 Forester did about the same in NHTSA testing.

Once again, I'll wager they did not mention the addition cost of repairs due to accidents involving the exposed spare tire.

To paraphrase Gimli, "And they call it a consumer organization!"

I can't wait to write my letter to the editor.

- Lou

c_hunter

http://www.subaru.co.jp/forester/index.html

Saw this on NASIOC

Craig

once_for_all

dunno if it is worth it. On my '03 Forester I bought the Subaru Gold 6 yr/80,000 mile for $870. My normal thought process is that for well made cars, an extended warranty isn't worth the bucks. I didn't get one for the '02 Mazda MPV, so why the subie???

It gets back to the AWD and how tricky and expensive that package is to repair. Credit Subaru, it isn't easy to make four wheels turn under power on a curve and have all the stuff work together. I will probably not use it (in which case, I would rather not have had to use it, like that extra water pump I bought for my tractor for only $40).

I liked what Juice said a few weeks ago, that you can sell the car at 5 years old and 70k miles and the buyer has a warranty---that ought to be worth a few hundred dollars to him/her.

John

qbrozen

I take it you mean its an ADDITIONAL 42mos/60K miles, right? In other words, you would be covered for a total of 102mos/120K miles (that is if the subaru standard warranty is the same as when i bought mine). If so, then that sounds like a good deal. Just make sure (to take into account once_for_all's comment) that its transferable.

jtm4

I don't think Subaru covers more than 100k total miles on any of their extended warranties. The extended warranty includes the 3/36k bumper to bumper and 5/60k powertrain warranty. In other words subtract the factory warranty, years and miles, from the extended warranty, years and miles, and that's the extra coverage you get. I have the 6/80,000 extended Gold warranty on my '98 Forester. Looks like I'll get the whole 6 years out of the warranty, since I probably won't hit 80,000 before the six years is up. Here's an example.

With a 6 year/100,000 mile extended warranty you get:
An extra 3 years or 64,000 bumper to bumper miles.
An extra 1 year or 40,000 powertrain miles.
I'm not that concerned with the rust/through warranty.

bsvoller

The Impreza reliability fell to "average", otherwise Subaru did quite well. I too was surprised to find the Forester in the middle of the safety ratings. They seem to think it doesn't handle that well.

I haven't studied this issue in detail, but as I flipped through the issue I noticed how poorly the American models ranked on reliability. And if you add in the rebadged American models sold as something else, it gets worse. For example, Mazda's do quite well - except for the Ford clones like the Tribute.

It seems that the European makes don't fare much better. They have a graphic towards the back where they relate reported problems by age of vehicle and manufacturing "continent" (American, European, Japanese). Initial quality is very close, but by the time a vehicle is 8 years old, both the Americans and the European cars have 60-70% more reported problems. Looking at the list of "bad bets", a surprising number of American and European luxury cars fall short.

I wonder if this reflects poorer initial quality 7-8 years ago among American and European models, or if they don't hold up as well, or both. I doubt that American owners are "fussier", and report more problems than Japanese owners (although you might make that case for owners of European cars, I suppose).

A close friend of mine describes his S4 as "twitchy", meaning that it has had a lot of niggling problems.

Of course, overall reliability is up on average, it's just that the American and European brands aren't closing the gap to the Japanese.

-brianV

raybear

You can get up to 7 years and 100,000 miles.

stever

Lance's season starts today :-)

Steve, Host

ateixeira

CR is using info from the last-generation Forester, then. I think enough has changed that they really need to do a follow-up report.

For instance, the steering ratio is a lot quicker now, 16:1 vs. 19:1, and the stock sway bars are thicker, the standard tire is completely different for both models and even a different size rim on the X models. All of these affect handling. Throw in new EDB, and even the braking has changed.

On the safety front, the IIHS score went from "Good" to "Best Pick", and the side air bags now protect the head, something only the Vue offers in this class, and even then on the Saturn it's just an option.

So, sadly, the CR report is totally outdated already.

On that extended warranty, keep in mind the benefit of roadside assistance, free service loaner, and added resale down the road if you sell just before it expires. Plus the piece of mind. Oh, and free repairs, of course! :-)

-juice

maverick1017

I lost my car keys a while back, it included the master key. I think someone has found them and tried to get into my car last night. Good thing I had the alarm and it scared them away. The questions now is, can subaru change the lock setup and issue new keys?? or am I just grabbing at straws here?

Any advise GREATLY appreciated!!

Mike

raybear

Gonna cost ya!

ateixeira

You can and should change all the locks. Maybe talk to your insurance company about making a claim, it is costly.

-juice

wrxsoon1

Host Steve,
Do you mean Armstrong? Actually, the Tour of Murcia will be his first race, and that starts on Wednesday.

For those who haven't seen Subaru's spot on the new U.S. Postal jersey...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/?id=2003/mar03/hetvolk/13889321- .cruz

And to keep it on topic... A Forester would be great for the roads in Belgium with all those cobbles!

-Ian

cschaaf

My wifes 02 Forester has started to act up over the last week. We have appx. 14k miles on it.

When it shifts from 1st to 2nd (automatic) there is a 'punch'. It happens at about 13 - 15 mph. It only happens after a complete stop, then acceleration - in other words, if you drop to 5mph then speed back up, it doesn't punch. Also, it doesn't happen in the first 2 or 3 minutes driving the car.

I checked the transmission fluid (hot) and it was way over the Max Hot mark.

Took it to the shop. They said the level was fine and they had no idea what the problem was. They ran tests and sent them to Subaru America and will get back to me ASAP. They re-inspected the parking break recall since that is the only service I have had on the vehicle.

Any suggestions?
Thanks

paisan

Could be a bushing on the tranny mount? That would account for the having to stop for it to be prevelent.

-mike

burnsmr4

...you need to see the AutoWeek Geneva Auto Show pic of the Subaru B11S coupe concept:



For the full read, visit here:

http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_cod- - e=carnews&loc_code=&content_code=02224359

That is NOT your parents' WRX. Wow!

burnsmr4

qbrozen

See, I couldn't understand why anyone would even consider paying $500+ to extend the warranty six months and no miles. That's why I was mentioning it should be added on to the original. If not, and it is adding 6 months/zero miles, then its a total ripoff.

suba

My thanks to ONCE FOR ALL, QBROZEN, and JTM4 for their prompt responses to my question about theSubaru extended warranty plan.
Walter

c_hunter

Are you saying you recently had the transmission recall service done (parking rod)? How recently? I have heard several reports of dealers doign a sloppy job with this. Personally, I am going to wait a while before we bring our cars in for this, if at all.

Craig

rsholland

There's a whole flurry of posts with more pixs & info in the Subaru Crew "Future Models" forum on the just unveiled B11S.

Bob

burnsmr4

I'll take a look at that new forum. In the meantime...what happened to the ground clearance on that thing? And is it an Outback or regular edition? ;-P

burnsmr4

stever

Yep, the new Subaru spokesman (love that pun <g>) is only 123 days away from the "real" Tour.

Steve, Host

wrxsoon1

Ooohhhh do I ever know... My wife and I are trying to decide if we want to book our flight to France for the race or stay home for the summer and maybe do a road trip. We've already got our spots reserved for a guided tour in the Alps with 5 days of riding and 4 days of TDF stage viewing. If Pres. Bush declares war on Iraq that will make our decision much easier and we'll get the camping gear out! ;-)

Either way, I can't wait to see how Le Tour shapes up this year!

-Ian

cschaaf

I had the parking rod recall work done about a month ago. This problem started happening this week.

I'll keep you posted.

Chris

paisan

Just like the Original SVX, it has low clearance Better for handling.

-mike

nygreg

Wow, what a sweet car. Need to spend more time in the futures board. "son, I thought we agreed that you would buy a Subaru".

Forester topic......hmmmm.....can't think of one.

Greg

ateixeira

Chris: you're doing the right thing. Keep and eye on it and report any strange behavior to the dealer. If it happens again I'd ask for an ATF flush.

B11S is significant in that it signals the new design direction for Subaru. You'll recall Andreas Zapatinas, who is greek by the way, used to work for Alfa. The Alfa influence is rather obvious from the front. OK, the grille is upside down, but it's still obvious.

He also worked for BMW before Chris Bangle arrived and ruined all those beautiful designs. Point is, things are looking up, future Subarus should be stylish and sexy, instead of boxy and quirky.

-juice

corkfish

Anyone notice that the Turbo Forester is lower than the regular one for better handling?

ateixeira

Will it be? I thought the JDM Cross Sports was lowered, but I didn't think the US model would be.

-juice

rsholland

from apexjapan.com/nasioc.com, thinks the new US-spec turbo Forester may have suspension goodies from the Japanese-spec Cross Sport model. I'm not sure what he is basing that on, however.

Bob

once_for_all

extremely pleased with my first tank of gas in '03 Forester XS 5 speed, 26.2 mpg 70/30 highway/city. All this with regular California "where's the beef" gasoline. Thank God, I needed good mpg at the $1.98 I had to pay for it.

John

hypov

???? that's mph ????
if it's mpg,... wanna sell your XS to me?

-Dave

ateixeira

Sweet - they only get better after break-in.

I think yours was pulled off the assembly line and blue-printed or something. Hang onto it!

-juice

inharmsway

In our "quest" for more power for the Forester, I was wondering if we are giving up some of the simple and reliable swiss army knife function of the 5-speed-165hp model. With the turbo, variable valve timing, dohc and likely premium gas, it has to be more complex. Also I remember reading in a car magazine about a guy in a 36hp VW shifting through the gears at full throttle right past a police car - the cop did'nt even look up. It might be more fun (and safer), to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. For my use, I would vote for a dual range with the manual transmission in the old engine, but I would'nt mind it in the turbo either. Niels

ateixeira

Subaru's turbos are very reliable.

In fact, it's interesting that in the UK, where turbos have been sold for years, Subaru comes in near the top of JD Power Initial Quality studies. Here they are middle-of-the-road, even worse than average.

Perhaps the turbos are *more* reliable, even?

-juice

maverick1017

Juice & raybear:

Called the dealer and was informed that they would be able to change the lock cylinders. Subaru sells a lock cylinder kit that includes locks for all doors and ignition. Parts cost: $188 and change. Labor: about 5 hours at $80 an hour. About $650 bucks when its all said and done. This is gonna be one expensive lesson Time to break the piggy and search the sofa cushions!! haha (sad humor)

Mike

raybear

I wouldn't file an insurance claim for that.

Chalk it up as an unfortunate experience.

ateixeira

Yeah, after the deductible you'd get nothing, and then your rates go up for the next 3 years.

Are you handy? Think you could do-it-yourself? I bet it wouldn't be easy.

-juice

maverick1017

yeah, I am pretty handy. I have replaced lock cylinders before but that was on an old datsun without an alarm system. I have never even played with any ignition system, this is the part that I am worried about. Yeah, the insurance idea wasn't even an option, I got a $500 deductible, definitly isn't worth it. I have to check the manual and see how complicated the ignition systm is...all subies share the same ignition system right??

Wait, I just had a thought (a rare moment!): even if (and that is a big if)I did replace all the cylinders myself, none of my keys would work anymore, how am I gonna get the car to the dealer to get new keys?? I am starting to get a head ache...

ateixeira

Don't know. Anyone? I've never messed with the electricals beyond an ECU reset.

Check out the Alfa Romeo Kamal concept - this is what the next Forester could look like:

http://autoweek.com/specials/2003_geneva/

What do you guys think? I think it's gorgeous. It would knock the Murano off the "most stylish SUV" honors.

-juice

tkevinblanc

I guess it's also possible that the Brits just don't expect much reliability from a vehicle. It's in there genes. :0)

p0926