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Comments
If you're not interested in the turbo, I'd say get an '03 while there are still some around, and save a few bucks.
Bob
They definitely are now fabric, so if they were plastic in '03, that would be another change.
Speaking of visors, what's the best, least-damaging way to get those hideous yellow adhesive warning stickers off?
jb
Steve, Host
Bob: visors in our 03 XS are fabric (matches the headliner), so I don't think that's a new feature. Maybe onthe X model?
Craig
-juice
Yup, forgot about those. I'm not sure I like that idea, though. In a panic stop situation, the driver might apply the brakes really hard. It would be horrible if the pedal collapsed. I'd like to know how much force is necessary for the pedal to break away, and by how much that differs from the maximum effort a strong driver might apply in an emergency.
jb
Greg
A local tire alignment/suspension speciality shop mechanic told me that the proper way to rotate tire is based on it's wear pattern. If you're getting even wear with front-to-back, then stick with it. If you are getting a little more wear on one side than the other, then cross-rotation is probably better (again, assuming you're not on directional tires).
Ken
Sure would appreciate hearing your 'off-pavement' experiences...
thanks again,
-srp
Angles of approach and departure are not that steep, I'd be concerned about scraping bottom. Primitive can take care of that with skid plates:
http://www.writerguy.com/primitive/skid.htm
But I'd still be concerned about clearance, because you could bottom out. Existing lift kits have not yet been successfully fitted to 2003+ Foresters.
Cross shopping a Tundra? Wow. That's a first.
4Runner, Pathfinder, and Liberty would be better suited, but none are car-like and efficient like the Forester is. Those are the trade-offs you have to consider.
-juice
Bob
Not that I'd want one (definitely not!) but shouldn't the Xterra also be high on the list for the usage srp described? Maybe also the Suzuki Grand Vitara. All of these have low-range transfer cases, making rock-crawling more feasible.
jb
my experience in rocky terrain w/Forester is this: as long as there are no large boulders and big dips in the roads (crossover angle), you'll be fine on "high-clearance required" roads. 1st gear is pretty low (in MT) but AT will be even better for crawling. nice thing is that you'll be able to clear 7" rocks without worrying about the diffy (the bottom of the Forester is relatively flat). the bad part is, as juice mentioned, entry and exit angles. there were a couple of times i scratched the hitch receiver, but i also attribute that to the load, which makes the back sag quite a bit.
to remedy that and for better clearance, i am crossing my fingers for receiving sturdier springs in the next couple of months from Australia. this will greatly improve my Forester's Utility part of the SUV!
i have the Primitive skid plate and it is as sturdy as can be. my next project is protecting the gas tanks. to reduce body flex on and off road, i just installed a front strut tower bar. will have to report after some time...
one more thing: the center differential is very nice and IMHO actually makes the Forester better than many std 4x4 trucks (which have both front and rear open diffs and constant 50:50). oh, did i mention that on my last outing mpg was 30.6 ?
;-)
cheers, kajko
For reference, I have driven a 4x4 Ford pickup on the same trail, and I'd say the Forester was far easier to navigate. Being small and nimble has payoffs sometimes.
Craig
Best of all, I won't have to drive a (cough) truck day-to-day!
thx x2!
-srp
Thanks
Mike
Hop from a Forester to one of those, and you'll feel like a time machine sent you back 2 decades. At least. Not so with the Pathfinder or Liberty.
Frank: you can find an in-dash 6CD changer out of a WRX on E-bay, they go for about $150 nowadays, and they plug right in easily.
-juice
Mike
Better yet, get the aftermarket tweeter kit and sink a subwoofer under the passenger seat (or place it in the rear). You'll be able to squeeze out more pronounced high and low range sounds from the factory receiver.
Two places I've had success with online shopping for car stereo parts are J&R Music World and Crutchfield. You get these nifty kits and great instructions from Crutchfield.
--dcdouglas
Thanks in advance to everyone who responds - I find this message board highly informative and well worth the daily read.
- jim
I replaced them with a set of Continental ContiExtremeContacts and have been very pleased so far after 6K miles. They're about as quiet as the Geos were, but have much better grip both wet and dry. The Contis MUST be rotated front to rear on the same side because of their directional tread pattern, so I'm hoping for long life despite this factor.
Len
Len
I never drove a Liberty, but the Pathfinder was on my short list for quite awhile - one of the few V-6 compact SUVs available with a 5-speed manual. Quite good looking, and about the right overall size. Too heavy, though, and the gas mileage was poor.
jb
jp
My understanding is that the collapsible pedals are triggered not by the driver's foot pressure but rather when the car's sensors detect a frontal impact -- similar to how air bags work.
Could someone explain to me exactly why a 4-channel ABS is superior to a 3-channel system (other than "more is better" <g>) ? I've puzzled over this for a while now, and with the acquisition of a 3-channel ABS equipped minivan, I'd like to know.
Is it strictly a matter of how the system senses wheel locking/traction loss, or does it also involve how the system acts to modulate the brakes ?
Differences in ABS systems aside, what generally happens when an ABS system engages ? Is the brake pressure modulated on all 4 wheels (all on or all off) or are only the wheels that have lost traction modulated (selective on/off) ? If only the locking wheel is modulated, how is the braking effort on the remaining wheels determined ?
Since all ABS systems have 4 sensors to detect locking, it seems to me that if all wheels are always modulated whenever the ABS engages, then a "single-channel" system would suffice. "Detect locking anywhere, modulate the brake pressure everywhere", so to speak. In that case, why bother with 3 or 4 channels ? I'm therefore inclined to believe that only those wheels that are locking get modulated. If so, that would answer my question regarding the benefits of a 4-channel system.
Am I making sense yet?
Thanks in advance,
-brianV
Brian: Subaru uses 4 sensors, so you have one at each wheel. It can then modulate braking at each wheel independently.
A 3 channel system has just one sensor for both rear wheels. So you could have one rear tire lock up all day long and the ABS would do exactly nothing, it wouldn't even be aware of the skidding.
$67 for oil change, tire rotation, brake check/adjustment, fluid and bulb checks, lubrication
That's not a lot of money, but you could easily do all that yourself. Change the oil, rotate the tires, spray some brake cleaner on the brakes while the wheels are off. Also lube the sway bar bushings, those are also in plain sight when the wheels are off (which they are, you're rotating them anyway).
Fluid checks are easy, they're all marked clearly in yellow. Top those off if you need to (doubtful).
Bulb checks? Sure, why not. But I think you'd already know if those were bad. But at 7500 miles?
-juice
I'm seeing more and more of the "4 sensor, 3-channel" ABS variety. That's what our new MPV has.
I assume that they can detect locking on any wheel, and if either rear wheel locks, they modulate both rears. The fronts are handled independently.
So if you're modulating the rears or in a 4-channel system, any one wheel, what are the other wheels doing, since the driver effectively looses the feedback through the pedal ?
-brianV
-Dave
The ONLY thing I'd buy OEM is the tweeter kit, and that only because it fits so nicely and easily into the spot set for it; it's a simple plug in with no tools required. The OEM speaker upgrade is overpriced and not the greatest around. Much better deals are better online or at any of the local or franchised stereo stores. Look for closeouts and speaker/amp combos to get the best value. Subwoofer isn't needed from my perspective, but to each his own according to his taste. Pace, Comrade Karl!
Don't rely totally on Crutchfield's compatibility chart; they show my Polk EX365s (F) and GX4s (R) as not fitting, but all four fit in the door grilles perfectly. What you will want is an amp to deliver more power so you can get those speakers to deliver more of that improved sound. I went with a Power Acoustik PA4-600 4 channel amp, which provides 600 w peak power, 300 RMS. Split among all six speakers - and don't worry about tweeter overkill; the OEM ones deliver an added boost of highs without taking away from the 2-ways in the doors - that roughly 75w RMS per channel, which is right where the Polk specs say the power should be.
I decided to keep the CDplayer/cassette/radio because it's hard to find that combination these days without spending a lot of money. I'm hoping once the new amp is installed later this week it'll bring out the best in both the new speakers and a basically good, albeit underpowered, in-dash unit. I'll report further later this week.
29.5 mpg. I'll take it, with a smile.
-juice
"Subaru shows the least degradation of quality from its IQS score, slipping just 34%. That suggests early glitches in Subarus are resolved quickly."
When: July 3, 2003
Where: PA Turnpike from PA to OH
Speed: 65-75 MPH
AC: 80% on
Miles: 414 miles(with one tank of gas)
Gas used: 12.42 gallons
Mileage: 33.3 MPG
When I came back -
When: July 6, 2003
Where: PA Turnpike from OH to PA
Speed: 65-75 MPH sometimes almost 0 MPH -
there was a big traffic jam for
around 2 hours
AC: 60% on
Miles: 378 miles(with one tank of gas)
Gas used: 11.906 gallons
Mileage: 31.75 MPG
Driver: Happy
anybody knows for how long current financing on Forester 03 will be in place in Canada? When are Foresters 04 (not XT, but the rest of the bunch) due to appear in show rooms?
Kid
Highest i achieved so far (~14000 miles) was
32.6mpg with a bit of tail wind, going about 70-75mph at high altitude 7000-5200ft (Flagstaff to Albuquerque on I-40). And this was with a Yakima rocketbox on the roof!
cheers
That USA Today article compares JD Power IQ scores with longer-term dependability scores. Subaru and GMC moved up in the ranks in the long-term.
You'll recall I said just that when the IQ scores came out and Subaru had not done so well. Who cares about the first 90 days? I care more about the period after the warranty.
My high was 30.4 mpg on a trip. Low was 17.3 mpg but I was towing the entire time. Other than that, my low was 20.7 mpg when driving on the sand every day in the Outer Banks.
OK: who else broke 30? I know Frank has.
-juice
I did.
29 years ago.
jb
Steve, Host
As for breaking 30 years of age, yeah, I remember that, I think.
Ed
29 years ago.
Ya beat me by a year gramps!
Bob
John
-Frank P.
Let me be the first to tell you: It's no joke. Only good thing that can be said about getting old is, it's a little better than the alternative.
jb
Average? I don't want to rain too hard, but based on what I'm seeing so far, even in highway driving my XT will never come close to averaging 25.
jb