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Comments
My soobie is the metallic red color.
Have you ever tried GS27 ? Its the car scratch 'remover' that is always on those infomercials.
Don't mean to sound like the infomercial myself, but it has worked like a charm at disguising the marks(no color included)What it does is uses reflective crystals to mirror the color on the side of the scratch-it really does fool the eye,waterproof too.
~L
Don't mean to brag, but here's how my Forester looks like after following the above routine for 3 years and 54K miles.
Ken
thanks for the info on the bike attachments. At least now I have a little more to go on when I decide. thanks.
My major bugbear is the quality of my Japanese sourced Outback' paint. It does scratch easily and is now sporting a spectacular collection of scrapes after leaving it in an airport parking lot for a week where suitcases have been scraped along it. A real pain in the proverbial.
When I dropped into my panel beaters, he had a black Forester (he is a Subaru specialist) which someone had taken off road. Not fire trails but seriously off road and the paint work showed every scrape. Some of them I could not even figure out how they got there. How do you get scrapes on the roof whilst driving with wheels on the ground? The guy who owned the place just about cried, wondering how anybocy could spoil such a nice paint job.
Cheers
Graham
Seriously. I've gone along on a few Jeep Jamborees, and the vehicles get thoroughly trashed.
-juice
Thanks to Patti for the offers of help. It's really nice to know that a manufacturer (and dealer) stands behind its cars so well and wants to make things right. :-)
-Dan
Isn't it nice to be driving your vehicle again? Glad to hear the repair went well. I'd be interested in hearing what the problem was.
Ken
I want a Forester but with only one unreasonable dealership around and 7 Toyota dealerships in the city, the Rav4 is looking better and better.
I also wanted to say thanks to all those posting information about the Forester on the board, it was a large part in my decision to try to buy a Forester.
Some other notes from the dealership: They've already sold 10 WRXs with out any arriving (at full price with the markup, ouch) and the 2002 Forester won't arrive here in Canada (or at least in the Prairies) until July.
Jim McKnight
Ross
Ross
Let' see options on my S (Blue ridge pearl):
premium sound
feature groups 3 & 4
exterior appearance (spoiler and fender flares)
brush guard and rear diff. protector
paid 22890 prior to TT&L (not bad).
So far it's a kick to drive, but I do not like the daytime running lights. I always seem to forget to turn on the regular headlights when it gets dark. Oh well I suppose I can live with that.
cheerios,
russtardo
Ross
I am most likely old enough to be any of your mothers but am basically looking for an economical smaller car. I do like comfort on trips. My family thinks this is not what I really want.I am driving a Mercedes and the other family car is an old 55 series BMW I would like your opinions Thanks Susanna
I find my Forester quite comfortable. I took my Forester on a few very long trips (7-10h), and once I actually spent 16 h driving it. I like lateral support in the Forester seat very much, but wish for a bit more thigh support. Other comfort features are very good for a car in this price range: A/C works like a charm, noise is subdued, huge moonroof in the S+ model is terrific (if you like moonroofs), sound system is OK. The rear seat room is pretty small. My children are OK back there, but adults will probably wish for more legroom.
I recommend you try to rent a Forester from a dealer and take it for a long trip. Nothing beats personal experience. I personally like driving dynamics the most, and also handling is superb.
Ross
I find my Forester to be very comfortable on long trips. The combination of the well-damped independent suspension, high roofline, great outbound visibility and supportive seats make it a pleasure to drive for many hours. The Forester feels like a bigger vehicle. I've taken many long trips (4~6 hours)on it. The rear seats, however, will not be as comfortable. I sometimes recline the rear seats a notch or two for my rear passengers on long trips.
Everything is relative. The Forester is very comfortable compared to other vehicles in it's class. It won't be as quiet and plush compared to a luxury sedan.
Ken
According to the dealer, the flywheel needs to be torqued to a certain specification. If that is off by even a little bit, it can cause this shudder. What I don't know is exactly what is "off" on the flywheel to cause this. The alignment with the clutch plate? Contact pressure with the clutch plate? Don't know. Maybe juice, Colin, or one of the other more technically inclined would chime in.
Apparently, not a common occurance, since the dealer had no idea what it was. Either that, or maybe others have it, but I just need to join the OCD club. What do you think, Ross, do I qualify? :-)
-Dan
Ross
chips: I've got a good 30 or so on the hood of my '00 Forester S (21,400 mi.) Tried to apply the 3M Clearbra product along the leading edge of the hood yesterday without success. Did apply Clearbra stone guards to the headlights and foglamps once I learned how much it cost to replace them. Some towns sand roads in winter instead of salting, and I have a star crack in my windshield - not my driving habits but just luckless I guess. Every car I've ever owned has picked one up, whether I lived in city or country. None of my cars had paint that picked up chips and swirls like this Forester, though. My '79 Honda Accord's paint faded away before it chipped away, but that's another story.
Ed
Some first driving impressions of my 2002. I love the firm seats but do find the driver's "leg area" a bit confining. Others have said that the clutch and brake pedals are too close together...they are. More than once in my 460 miles, I've accidentally hit the brake pedal while depressing the clutch...not a pleasant experience. Could be my foot position, but don't think so. And yes the cup holders are a joke, but these are minor quibbles.
I just crave the shriek of the boxer. I'm addicted and it's beginning to get the better of me. The utter agony of the break-in! The red-line is just sitting there begging me to tickle its forbidden red zone...som' body he'p me puh-leeze!
seeking therapy,
el russtardo grande
Patti
The RAV4 had dismal results in the IIHS bumper tests. At just 5mph, and in both rear end tests, the hatch glass shattered, flying all over the place. I would have a kid back there and cringed at the sight.
Susanna: we go to the in-laws' place about 7 hours away twice a year, and it's a pretty good long hauler. I doubt it would match a Mercedes or Bimmer, but it's not exactly in the same price range, either. Plus, I can fit a lot more cargo (which is necessary with a toddler).
But ask the dealer if you can take an extended test drive, maybe even in a used one that is broken-in. We're all shaped differently, so make sure you can get comfortable, and try all the adjustments.
I'd be proud if "mom" drove a car just like mine!
-juice
Leo
My average is 25.1mpg, with a worst ever of 20.5mpg (during an excursion on the beaches of the Outer Banks, so it was mostly on sand). My best during that year was 27.6mpg, but I've come close to 30mpg before I started charting my mileage.
-juice
Bob
Rgds,
Jack
Ross
Some notes after the first week: I checked the tire pressures the second day, while still cold in the morning (before the sun started beating on them, which I found raises the pressure by several PSI) and found them all to be set at 44 PSI. I bled them down to 32 PSI all around and, needless to say, the ride is much improved. I was disappointed that the dealer didn't take care of this (as someone else previously mentioned, it was checked off on the pre-delivery inspection sheet), though I was impressed with the fact that all 5 (including the spare) were at exactly 44 PSI.
The stereo really sounds bad! I'm sure it's the speakers, and I will be changing them soon. I pulled the grills and noticed the rears are mounted in what looks like a plastic ring, which is bigger than the actual speaker. I'm wondering if I can fit a 6 1/2 in there by removing the ring. I had that type of setup on my '92 Sentra, which had 5 1/4" speakers mounted in 6 1/2" rings in the front doors. I removed the rings and 6 1/2's went right into the doors. I'm also going to add tweeters and a subwoofer, though I'm not sure if it will be the factory versions (which have the correct brackets and will fit right in) or aftermarket.
Next thing is the window tinting. I'm thinking 5% black (metallic) film. The better half has a Honda Odyssey with factory tint, which I've been told is approximately 21%. I'm curious if the 5% will be too dark, and hard to see out of at night. Anyone have any experience with this?
I'll keep everyone posted on the MPG situation.
Len
32mpg is amazing. Are you sure? Holy Cow!
5% is limo-black. 20% is still pretty dark if you ask me. 35% is what I have, still pretty transparent but effective at reducing heat and glare.
-juice
Believe me, I triple checked all the numbers. I always set the trip odometer to zero when I fill up, so that was accurate. I rechecked the gallons and cross-checked by price, and the numbers were correct. I couldn't believe it either. Maybe it was a fluke, and maybe I had lots of tail wind or something, but the numbers are definitely correct. The only thing I can think of is that the attendant (I live in NJ, where we're not supposed to pump our own) filled it to the absolute max the last time, then didn't do it again this time. I'll let you know how this tank turns out.
Thanks for the tint info. I have to do some more investigating before I have it done, but I would rather go a little darker than lighter.
Len
Factory tint on Odyssey is probably not a film tint but a darkened glass. They usually are a bit lighter than a comparable tint film. I was told that disadvantage of the darkened glass is that it's not as effective as a metallic film, in terms of keeping sun and heat away. But I still like the idea of factory tint for new gen of Foresters.
I definitely recommend metallic tint. In shopping around, the metallics had the best warranties against fading, color change, etc. I went with a 35%, because I didn't care for the "mirror" look on the exterior with the darker ones, and because I already have horrible night vision and didn't need to make it any worse! Kate's comment about not being able to see the bozos who don't turn their headlights on is a valid one, to which I'd add this: it can also be hard, even with 35% on the rear window, to see the cars with their lights on if you have the auto-dimming mirror, too.
Ed
1) Door Panel: When I first heard this one, I thought it was coming from the driver's side seatbelt housing. However, after banging around on the doors with my fist, I discovered that it was actually coming from a small square access panel at the bottom of the rear, driver's side door. I just popped the panel off, wrapped a rubber band around the four clips to act as a gasket, and popped the panel back in. No more rattle.
2) Rattle From Center Console Area: To find this one, I just felt around the center console as I drove. I discovered that the "rattle" was actually the flexing of the dashboard/center console plastics....which were rubbing against eachother. See if you can follow me on this... There is a small gap around the black plastic piece that holds the radio and climate controls in place and the dashboard. The bottom, right -hand corner of this gap is not as wide as the rest of the gap....and the two plastic materials rub one another as the dasboard flexes. You can figure out where this is occuring by wedging your finger in to different areas of the gap while driving. If you find it, just wedge a small piece of dark, foam-like material (sponge, pipe insulation, etc. in to the gap where the rubbing occurs....no more rattle.
Hope this makes sense, hope it helps.
On the topic of paint: My '01 Forester L (Blue Ridge Pearl) seems to be holding up well in the paint category. Ofcourse, I have had the car a year now and have put less than 7,000 miles on it ( I have a company van for work). I do alot of fishing, kayaking, etc. so my Forester sees its share of dirt roads and gravel. I have only noticed two scratches thanks to an open gate and some inconsiderate person in a parking lot. Other than that the paint looks gorgeous.
Take care,
Skip
Leo
-Norm
Window tinting: Another thing to consider when window tinting is the color of your vehicle. Usually darker colors look better with darker tints and vice versa.
I have a 20% metallic tint on my black Forester and love it.
Check out a photo of my tint here.
Ken
Maybe we should say that 20% tints rock!
Ken
Thanks!
Phil
You have to go to Liberty Subaru up in Oradell in Bergen County. I just bought an '01 S for $110 over invoice. I had posted the same question (around message #1139, I think)recently, and, thanks to Kris, I found out about Liberty. Great dealership, and definitely worth the trip. www.libertysubaru.com
Ask for Danny Cohen.
Good luck,
Len
brand new 2002 Forester L model. I was
wondering if you all could give me a reality
check. This is the first new vehicle I have
bought, and I'm a little, well, surprised at the
price I managed for it.
It is a 2002 Forester L Automatic with air
filter, armrest extension, auto-dimming mirror,
and keyless entry. According to Edmunds the
invoice price for this is 20,084, which includes
the destination charge of 525. The MSRP is
22,132 (also including the destination
charge). I got it for 19,900.
Now, to put this a bit more in perspective, the
dealership promptly added 198.50 as a
dealer service fee plus 199.49 for "automate
protection" (a 3 year contract for regular
clearcoat applications every 6 months I
believe). And of course added on top of this
were license/title fees, the extremely high
AZ sales tax, plus $5 for the new car tire
disposal tax (huh), but that's it.
The point is, even taking into account the
dealer's "fees for extra services", I paid only
about $200 over invoice. So.... Did I miss
something? They said it was the end of the
month, and they also said I was the first
person to buy a 2002 (in their dealership I
presume) -- they had the car in stock maybe
3 days, seriously -- and they really wanted to
make a deal. Or was I misled in some way?
I'm just wondering if the fact that it doesn't
have a CD player, or premium sound, or
a security system, or whatever, meant this
was a slow-mover and they just wanted to get
rid of it. However, I'm quite happy with it, at
least so far (it only has about 70 miles on
it ). Oh, and they said they'd detail it for
free.
Call me happy but a little perplexed.