Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

pon1

I thought it was a neat way to get off the fence - let your son decide. Up here the price difference is a wash (cnd$1000 more for the Leg GT), but I still prefer the Forester.

JP

ateixeira

Here there is a *big* difference.

Really I'd hunt for a left over 2004 Forester XT, I saw them dip to $21,264 (yowsah!). They still have them available at that price, too.

GT wagons would cost a bunch more around DC, for starters because they are 2005s, but also because they cost more. $24,175 for their cheapest GT sedan, and the wagons are almost a grand more.

So we're talking about $4000 difference for the "upscale" interior I have little interest in.

-juice

tidester

my 2 year old son refuses to go to school in his mom's Legacy, he INSISTS on taking my Forester.

I'd nip that behavior squarely in the bud! :-)

tidester, host

ozman62

If you start caving now, what will it be like when he's a teen?
Owen

leo2633

Does he have to sit on a phone book to see over the steering wheel?

Len

p0926

I was thinking the same thing but since I don't have kids I figured it wasn't my place to criticize. But since open season has now been declared on Juice... ;-)

-Frank

ezshift5

....could verbalize just exactly what appealed in the Forester. I can identify: back in the bronze age, my Dad spanked me good for not wanting to ride in a non-streamliner streetcar. (the entire car applauded my Dad's actions - - - times have indeed changed............ez

bhanna261

You can go to the Subaru website and read the owner's manual in its entirety there.

bhanna261

The sending unit on my '01 S recently went bad. Even with a full tank, the needle on the gauge would randomly drop to "E" and the empty light would come on only to return to "F" within seconds. The dealer replaced the sending unit (under extended warranty) and all is fine now.

ateixeira

Ever heard of the Terrible Twos? That's him. )

We could fight it I guess but it would likely result in some type of bodily harm.

-juice

gotb

I just bought a 2005 Forester today:) I have a couple of questions. When I go over hard bumps, the gauge panel(clear plastic) makes squeaking noise. I didn't hear it while test driving but the roads around here I live are crappy... It makes the same noise when I press it with my hands. Is the gauge panel defective? Do you hear the same noise when you press the gauge panel? also, is there a way to turn off daylight running light?

ozman62

the terrible twos... The strategies for dealing with those tantrums are difficult to come up with, and implement. Success is usually dependant on the childs' and parents' temperament. Fortunately, it's a passing stage...
Owen

mckeown

I have a 2004, rough roads where I live....Yes, No dash noises. I would get it checked out.
As far as disabling DRL, on the passenger front strut tower under the hood is a resistor with a Warning Hot label. Just unplug it. This is the dropping resistor for the Forester DRL. Same since 2002 to current.

c_hunter

Sounds like an easy squeak to fix since you know exactly where it is coming from.

I am guessing it's a plastic-on-plastic rubbing that makes noise. These types of squeaks are easily remedied by putting some tape in between the offending parts.

Sounds like you should have the dealer take a look at it.

Craig

mjsnd80

Very disappointed. Very!

My 03 XS has the "aluminum engine" click-click-click at start-up; and it's getting worse. I've taken it in (under warranty) numerous times over the last year (same problem) and the dealer's answer is that Subaru mentions this cold-aluminum-parts CLATTER in a service bulletin... and says it's "normal."

Less than half of the Foresters do it... but I shouldn't worry about it. Aluminum parts deep inside the engine are banging together when they shouldn't -- but I shouldn't worry about it...

THAT IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER!!

I have 52M on the car now, and have the dread that at 70,000 or 80,000 miles, the engine could need major work or replacement... And Subaru's response would be something along the lines of: "...sucks to be you!!!"

I told this to the Service Manager today, and said I'll probably be trading it in sooner than later, and DEFINITELY NOT get another Subaru.

I am bummed, because I love the car - but see no alternative.

leo2633

juice,

If you think the terrible twos are trying, just wait until the terrible teens! Luckily, that's just a phase also.

Len

lfdal

I'm not too thrilled about the clanking the 03 OBW makes with 22k on it either, but I've sent the oil out for analysis twice now over the past 5 oil changes and the reports have both come back indicating less than normal wear.

For your peace of mind you might want to try the same thing. If the report comes out bad, you've got some ammunition to get things fixed.

HTH

Larry

humblea

Hi folks, should I buy it or not ? They are also offering me %4.5 for 60 months. I need some enlightment. I would welcome all your wisdom on these cars.

smittynyc

I would run, not walk, for the chance to buy an XS premium for $20,500. It's only about a grand more than what I paid for an X six months ago!

And you should double-check 4.5%. I think Subaru's been offering 0%/36 and 1.9%/60 on 04s since February.

Our Forester experience has been overwhelmingly positive. It's a surprisingly fun and nimble car to drive, it's very versatile, and it hasn't given us even a peep of trouble. I feel pretty confident that we couldn't have found a better car within our price range. The fact that you'd be getting leather, nice CD player, sunroof, etc. is just gravy in your case.

I have only two minor beefs with our Forester -- it gets pretty terrible gas mileage when run in lots of bad stop-and-go traffic (ca. 15 mpg; not horrible by SUV standards, but not something I was expecting based on the EPA city estimate), and from the particular position where I like to have the driver's seat, it is incredibly hard to check my driver's-side blind spot. From my perspective, the B pillar and headrest practically overlap, and I really have to hunt for the blind spot, which is a PITA in heavy traffic (please note that other than this, the visibility in the Forester is flat-out amazing).

I could improve the situation by moving back the driver's seat -- my preferred spot is only a little more than halfway back -- but it's already as far back as I can stand it, and I'm 6-3 with a 35" inseam!

I'm not sure what you're shopping the Forester against, or if the dealer quoting you this price is on the straight and narrow, but it sure seems like a nice deal to me, and it's a terrific car. Good luck!

humblea

Actually the vehicle I looked at doesn't have sunroof or leather seats. But it did say XS-premuim on the window decal. Huh? maybe it was a mistake or are there other "types" of premium ?
The friendly sales guy did say he is trying to get rid of 04's and concentrate on 05's hence "cutting" me a deal. I couldn't tell if that was part of his sales pitch or he was really cutting me a good deal.
I'm nalso ot too familiar with Subaru's(hence my visit here but I have heard good things about them. I'm also very impress with the postings here where everyone seemed very knowledgable and posting in a civilize manner. As for me I've owned 3 Hondas, 2 Toyotas and 1 Pontiac in my lifetime.
Anyway as far as the APR goes Subaru does have a 1.9% BUT that's if I don't take the rebate which is about 2K. I figure i'll go with the rebate since it's better off for me mathematically.
Funny thing was we started off planning the day going grocery shopping but for some strange reason ended up on a local Subaru dealer. We don't really need a new car right this moment but almost certainly will need a new one by this time next year. Should I wait or go for it ?
Thanks in advance for all you guys advice.

gotb

I noticed that Edmund's mileage spec for 2005 Foresters are incorrect. Edmund's spec says 21/26mpg for 2005 Forester X A/T. My 2005 Forester X A/T sticker has 22/28mpg. The manual model gets 30mpg. I think new transmission and electrical throttle control helped the mpg.

gotb

My Forester came with 40 psi from dealer and I set them to factory spec at 29 psi for front and 28 psi for rear. The tires look like they are low on air... and the side wall really flexes if I press it with a finger. The ride seems fine though... What did you set your tire pressure at?

c_hunter

I normally use a smidge more than what they recommend, just keep the rears a little lower than the front (aids stability). I think we were running 31/30 in my wife's Forester. The way temps vary around here in spring or fall, I am sure it dropped back down to 29/28 on really cold days and went a couple psi higher on warm days. I can't possibly keep up with the temp changes around here -- we had 65F days and 85F days last week. So anyways, pick an average temp day, make sure the car is in the shade, and set a couple psi higher than the sticker. See how it drives, and adjust from there.

Some people go to higher pressures with certain car/tire combos to improve handling or ride. I'm actually running 35/34 on my OB XT because it makes the tires quieter on the highway and improves turn-in.

Craig

c_hunter

Sounds like that is not an XS-premium then! Probably a regular XS. Then again, who knows. I would check over the equipment and make sure it matches what you're supposed to get with the XS (for instance, alloy wheels versus steelies on the X). I guess the emblem on the back should say XS too!

CRaig

stever

mileage spec for 2005 Foresters are incorrect

Please Contact us with errors and corrections.

Steve, Host

mckeown

Model yesr 2004 the XS does NOT have a sunroof and the bumpers are silver/grey color.
The 2004 SX PREM had bumpers colored the same as the body color, 6 cd-changer, sunroof etc...not as options, but standard in the XS Prem package.
For 2005 things changed, the standard XS now had the bumpers the same color as the body and the sunroof is an option. The 2005 LL-Bean now gets the siler/grey colored bumpers.
Be certain what you are looking at...Both year X models have unpainted dark grey almost black not shiney bumpers (much easier to care for IMHO)

humblea

I went to look at the car again and sure enough it is not a premuim. Just a regular XS.
With that said is $20.5 still a good price for it ?

mjsnd80

I wrote a couple of days ago about the annoying (and potentially engine-shredding???) click-click-clck clatter at start-up.

The car was in for service Friday because the CHECK ENGINE light was on. They charged me $70 to check the code and another $60 to replace 2 (TWO) plug wires. So that's $130 for two pieces of copper wire... what are they, a foot long???

Had dinner that night with a friend on his second HONDA ACCORD and I just may see that light!

I love my Forester, but don't trust the company when they want me to relax during the start-up clatter; plus I'm not crazy about dropping $130 for two plug wires.

.......You'd think for that much dough, they'd have gone ahead and replaced ALL FOUR!!!

edunnett

If you're not happy with Subaru as a customer service organization you will HATE Honda. I have found every dealership sales and service departments to be arrogant, incompotent, dishonest and lazy. I think the cars are fabulously reliable but I am on my third Subaru (and my third Honda I have to admit) partly for the service I get and the great warranty. Think before you act. Sounds like you should search for reputable dealers first since that seems to be an important part of your user experience.
Elissa

sharksoup

I've not been terribly pleased with Subaru service on the whole, but I guess it could be worse.

As for Honda, was looking over a service bill for my wife's Civic and noticed a charge for automatic transmission fluid. Don't know where the heck they put that, since she has a 5-speed! When contacted, the dealer sent a refund check.

p0926

Smittynyc- 35" inseam and you only have the seat halfway back!?!? I have my seat all the way back and have only a 34" inseam. As for your blindspot problem... just go to the local autoparts store and get one of those small convex mirrors that afix to the driver's sideview mirror and you'll be set (works like a charm for me).

-Frank

jtm4

Speaking of Forester options, when are they going to offer the sunroof on the X model? Some of us don't need/want any more than the X offers....well except for the sunroof. It can't be a tooling issue since the bodies role down the same assembly line. My '98 L is still all I need....well except for the sunroof. C'mon Subaru, be flexible on this one. I know they make more if someone buys the XS, LLB, etc., but they may wind up losing a few return customers, as well.

bluesubie

My wife's 99 OB does the same thing. Even in the summer, it sounds like a diesel engine before it is warmed up. I agree with Larry. Spend the $20 for a used oil analysis if you're concerned about damage.

This is what Blackstone Labs had to say about my wife's car:

Everything looks very good in the initial sample from this engine. All wear read well below average, which is a good indication of normal wearing parts and careful operation. The universal averages show normal wear after about 3,500 miles on the oil. Insolubules (oil oxidation due to heat, use and blowby) were low at 0.4%, showing good oil filtration. No fuel dilution or anti-freeze was found. Silicon was not excessive at 11 ppm, so we think your air filtration is still getting the job done. At 70,848 total miles, this engine appears to be doing well.

The new Castrol GTX Start Up has some ester basestocks in it. Esters have polarized molecules that cling to engine parts, so I'll see if that helps the noise. Maybe not since it will probably be a very thin layer of oil.

-Dennis

ateixeira

Subaru charges less than Honda for ATF when you bring your manual tranny car in for service.

Like zero. ;-)

That is hilarious, by the way.

Dealer labor prices have escalated lately, may be time to find a good indy mechanic in your area?

AutoZone will check an error code for you for free. They want you to buy parts there, is why. They had an OBD2 scanner for $100 or so on sale a while back. If you're handy.

I do my own service and nothing has ever broken so I can't say I even *have* a mechanic for my '98. Or maybe I am the mechanic!

Good suggestions, Dennis.

How much does an oil analysis cost? Pretty cheap, right? Maybe I'll do one just out of curiosity.

-juice

mpgman

They want you to step up in price to get certain options so they can make more money. Personally, I'd go for a loaded Forester if they had the unpainted side cladding instead of the paint that stops looking good the first time someone parks by sound. So go figure....:)

mjsnd80

Thank you for the tip about Autozone, and their ability to check engine codes!

I think I will avoid my Subaru dealer like the proverbial plague.

The more I think of it; the more steamed I get... $130 to switch two plug wires! Why did they leave the other two originals??? Are they expecting another CHECK ENGINE light soon?? ...And another outragious $130 from me to replace them as well??

Patriot Subaru in Saco, Maine will be waiting a LONG TIME before they ever see another dime from me!!

I'm paying off this Forester today, in preparation to sell it.

If anyone feels confident in a five-speed '03 XS with 53,000 highway miles; with much better tires than the original duds... I'm thinking of a FIRE SALE at about $15,000.

Any thoughts?

bluesubie

Yeah, juice, they're $20.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/free_test_kit.html

I'll be posting the results from my XT soon.

-Dennis

ateixeira

The plug wires are on opposite ends. I wonder why they thought only one side was damaged.

I'd have done all four, you're close enough to 60k and those are wear-and-tear items. On my Miata I have to change wires every 30k miles.

All four. )

Hey, at least the engines are distributorless.

-juice

knuffer

help, i think i deprogrammed my remote or something. when i use the remote to lock/unlock the doors on my 03 Forester xs the lights no longer flash however the doors do lock. also when i get in and put the key in the ignition a light saying security flashes. i think this started after i accidentally pushed the remote buttons while having the key in the ignition. the last thing i want to do is to take my car to the Subaru dealer and pay $100 for them to push the buttons on the remote in some way to get it back to normal. i think i have all of the details here correct...i will repost if i've forgotten something. the reason i think it's the remote because we recently bought a 2nd remote for our Honda Odyssey on ebay (for $17!) and it came w/ instructions on how to program it..any advice would be great!

ateixeira

I think you hold both buttons down for a few seconds to re-program that, try it out.

-juice

veritasusa

I.m only 6'0", but I also like my seat about halfway back. I tried both the X and the XS versions before I bought my 2005 Forester and found the larger, heated mirrors now standard on the XS completely eliminated any problems with checking out the rear via the mirrors. Too-small mirrors had always been one of my main dissatisfactions with the 99 Chrysler T&C I traded in on the Forester.

ateixeira

Those bigger mirrors would be handy for towing, too. Plus they are heated so in the rain they clear up in a jiffy. Very neat feature.

-juice

gmginsfo

At 6' with a 31.50 inseam, I've got my driver's seat back as far as possible, but sure would like another few inches added to that. I've got the seat cranked up as high as it'll go, because I like sitting high, and don't want to compromise that for extra leg room. Of all the SUVs I've driven, the Escape gives me the best seat feel, but its other shortcomings tipped the balance towards the Forester.

edunnett

Check out my snippet from the owners manual in post #15405.

hypov

knuffer Sep 27, 2004 4:19pm

I'm betting that you've put your security into valet mode.

Go over the Owner's Manual for "How-To" come out of valet

-Dave

mrpepper

I have an 03 Forester w/45k on the oem tires which need to be replaced soon. My friend, who also has a Forester, replaced his tires recently with Michelin Harmonys and highly recommends them. However, I noticed that the Harmonys are "S" speed rated, whereas the original Geo's are "H" rated.

How important is the tire's speed rating for normal driving? According to tirerack, the Geo's can go up to 130mph and the Harmonys 112mph. Does this really matter if I've never driven over 75mph?

c_hunter

That is more of a temperature/load rating -- it doesn't necessarily correspond to speed the same way for every vehicle (you could probably research the exact temperatures and loads that they use to back out an equivalent "speed" in the lab). My understanding is that the rotate the tire/wheel under a certain load, maintaining speeds for about ten minutes, and then incrementing by 6mph or so. The highest speed that the tire can sustain for the given load in the ten minute timeframe (presumably without shredding) is the the "speed" rating. Of course, this only translates to that speed under the lab's load and temperature conditions, and does not necessarily translate to the same speed on your Forester in the dead of summer with a full load.

Best way to put it -- someone decided that H was the proper tire for the temperatures/loads/conditions that the Forester is likely to encounter at a range of speeds. It just so happens that those H tires are rated at 130mph according to lab testing procedures.

I imagine the Harmonys would be OK under typical conditions, but on a long trip in the heat of summer with a full load, I'd feel a lot better with the correct rated tires on my car.

So, bottom line, focus on the letter rating, not the equivalent lab speed rating!

Craig

ateixeira

I wouldn't step down.

At a minimum, check the load rating. For example, if the tire is a 215/60R16 87H, the 87 number is the amount of weight the tire is able to safely handle.

Make sure that number doesn't decrease, at least.

-juice

gotb

I knoticed that the maintenance interval for spark plugs is every 30k miles unlike 100k for most new cars nowadays. Can I change the plugs to platinum tip plugs and change them every 60-80k? Also, I've never changed spark plugs before. What's the torque spec for spark plugs when I put them in?

ateixeira

I'll be honest, if you've never changed spark plugs, the Forester is probably not a good place to start. It's the most difficult tune-up I've ever done.

Plan it along with other services, namely a new air filter, because it's easier if you remove the air box for access. Then you need various ratchet extensions, 2", 3", and 4". A low-clearance ratchet also helps a lot, it is *tight* in there.

On the other side, my '98 was easier once I removed the windshield washer fluid container.

Mind you, the whole job took half hour or so, but I'm pretty handy and was already familar with the engine bay.

To answer the question, the spark plugs have a crush washer and you can feel when they crush, that's basically how you know. You can look up specs, though I don't have them handy.

I can change the plugs on my Miata in less than half the time, then again the fuel filter on the Miata is a bear, so that evens things out.

-juice