Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

ateixeira

Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Italian are all latin languages. Portuguese is most similar to Spanish, and it's a very rich language so I tend to understand them more than they can understand me (at least that is true among my Ecuadorian in-laws).

I can also understand a lot of Italian, if spoken slowly.

But French, no way. You lost me there. No clue. Hard for me to believe it's even Latin-based.

-juice

kate5000

they're Germanic languages (as is English, btw), but overlap is so small, it's almost non-existent. Funny that Swede's neighbors Finns speak Finnish language which is yet from a totally completely different group called Ugro-Finnish linguistic group, which also includes very obscure Estonian and Hungarian tongues as well.

rsholland

When I was in high school, I took Spanish with a German foreign exchange teacher. I was therefore learning Spanish with a German accent! How's that for a cross-cultural combination?

Bob

1subydown1togo

I found Italian to be the easiest of the romance languages to learn...to me, it is the most phonetic in spelling and pronunciation...it took me only 2-3 months to be speaking on an everday basis...French, I agree with juice 100%, even though I was born there...Hebrew is the most difficult language I ever had to learn; when I lived in Israel, I had no choice for my work...though all my friends there were either American or English

ateixeira

My dad speaks English with a Brazilian accent, while I speak Portuguese with an American accent. They call me "gringo" back home, yet here I'm a non-resident alien.

-juice

rsholland

Ah, ha! Now that explains everything!

Bob

1subydown1togo

It also explains that dog of his...ever notice the resemblance between Hadji and the talking dog in "Men In Black" ?

ateixeira

Yes, and we're invading your world to teach you that manuals transmissions are the way things should be!

-juice

1subydown1togo

I don't need teaching...Susan does!

nygreg

nygreg

We Americans (North) are at a disadvantage when it comes to languages. Many Europeans are adept at several languages due to their proximity to different countries and regions. Here we are isolated to some degree and we don't get to enjoy the beauty of different languages and cultures. I have a French collegue who speaks 4 languages - what a wonderful gift. Oh, and he's great with wine selections. So bring on our Spanish (and any other language) friends so I can learn Subaru International!
Greg

kate5000

gringo alien juice with a cat-looking dog... no wonder they call Subaru a quirky brand!

fishingphil1

Anybody in Subaru cyberland know where to get aftermarket floor mats similiar to "Husky or Weather Tech?
Thanks

speterson1

Phil, go to the Msg# box at the top of this page and type in 1330. Posts 1330-1332 talk about the WeatherTech floor mats and have a link for them.

Steve

sport33

I have a 2001 Forester L. The rear corner of the bumper on the driver's side just got clipped at a parking lot. I was hoping to find the culprits address under my wiper with an apology... suuure.

The sheet metal is intact, and there seems to be no structural damage underneath. The black/grey bumper is dented, and the plastic has a 2" tear, it will need to be replaced.

1. I'm pretty handy, is it difficult to replace with basic tools?

2. Does the entire bumper need to be replaced? (It seems to be 1 piece, not sectional.)

3. The service dept. is closed until Tue., is it expensive? I have a $500 deductible for collision.

Thanks in advance for your help. Andy

canuck9

Thanks 'sweeneyjoe', 'gossmar' and 'originalbitman'. I tried the clay bar system, as recommended, and it worked. It took almost 4 hours but the orange dots are gone and the Forester looks amazing.
Thanks again for your help.

Nick

prworks

I live in southeastern Massachusetts and have thought about getting a used 1998 Forester with an automatic. Oaccsionally I may take it fircasting on ocean beaches. Some people (including a local cop) have cautioned me about its "low clearance," which I realize might be more perception than reality. I hear the Forester does well on firm to moderately soft sand, but has anyone out there had experience with the Forester on softer, less traveled sand? Did the 1998 model with the automatioc have the limited slip differential?

prworks

I meant to type "surfcasting."

stever

I see you found the SUV for Beach Sand discussion ok. btw, you have 30 minutes to make any changes or fixes after you post a message. Just click on the Edit button that follows your message after you post it.

Steve
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kens

A fellow over at i-club posted this link for the Australian Forester GT review on video:

http://www.drive.com.au/exec/index.asp

Very nice. Wonder if we'll ever get one. ;-)

Ken

bjman

I just bought a 2002 automatic S premium Forester and one thing I have found strange is that the shift lever does NOT stop at "D" if you just move it donwn--it stops at 3rd gear. In my old Toyota, you had to push the button to move it from Park, but then you could just keep pulling the lever down and it would stop at "D". In the Forester, it keeps going past "D" and stops at "3".

Does anyone else find this annoying. Is there a quick fix?

Thanks,
BJ

paisan

All the ATs I've driven recently are like that, "3" is the 1:1 gear ratio, "D" is the OD mode, so they allow you to go to 3 by just pulling all the way down. I use this when moving from D to 3 in winter driving, or hilly driving without having to press the button, you are less likely to drag it all the way into "2" which could harm the tranny if done at a high rate of speed. Also some lock in on "D" because they only have a D,2,1 settings with a switch to turn off the OD. With the electronic switch to turn off OD, the D setting would be 4th and 3rd gears in one physical postion on the stick.

-mike

bjman

What if you are used to just pulling down the lever to get into "D" from the start? In other words, won't you be damaging the transmission if you constantly take off in 3rd gear as opposed to first?

BJ

paisan

The car will act normally up to 3rd gear. You can run the car at normal highway speeds in 3rd gear if you wanted to, w/o damage to it. 4th is the Overdrive to give you better fuel economy.

-mike

hypov

BJ - @ 3rd position the tranny will do 1st -> 2nd -> 3rd (no OD).
@ 2nd position the tranny goes 1st ->2nd (no further)
and
@ 1st position... well it stays @ 1st.

kens

I thought 4EAT in "2" started and stayed in 2nd gear. I believe that was designed for driving around in snowy/icy roads.

Ken

paisan

Nope, you can't start in a higher gear than 1, except on the 4EAT on the SVX. There you can start in 2 or 3. On my XT6, the gear shifter only goes to "2", and I need to hit a push-button to go to "1" only operation.

The 4eat works like this:

"1" = 1st gear only
"2" = 1st and then 2nd
"3" = 1st then 2nd then 3rd
"D" = 1st then 2nd then 3rd then 4th
"R" = Reverse



-mike

bjman

Your explanation was VERY helpful. Thanks for everyone's input. This car is for my wife and she is absolutely CRAZY about it. This was the only car that engendered this kind of reaction from her.

She drove a RAV4, CRV, Tribute, and even a Mercedes ML....hated all of them. She completely loves the Forester ! Only problem is that she was so used to the Corolla that she kept taking off in 3rd gear....I told her she would be damaging the transmission if she did this--boy this shows you how much I know !!

So, thanks for your explanations....

BJ

speterson1

Howdy all,

For several months now I've noticed that when our Subie has been parked for awhile, and I start driving it, whenever I *first* hit the brakes there is a small audible "click" that sounds like it's coming from the central or rear part of the car (hard to tell exactly). That will be the only time I hear it while I'm driving, after that I can't hear any noises at all when the brakes are depressed. I thought it might be a clicking trunk latch since that has been discussed many times on this board by people, but ruled that out b/c it always happens when depressing the brake, and only that first time while driving. To use a very untechnical term, it seems like something is "settling in" with the braking system; could this be something ABS related? This honestly doesn't bother me that much, but I am curious and also would like to know if something is potentially wrong so I can report it to the dealer (our 7500 mile service is coming up soon). Anyone else experience this or know what it could be?

Steve

subearu

Putting our '00 Outback AT in the '2' position makes it run in 2nd from the start. Ken is correct.

Unless, of course, the Forester 4eat is 'different' than the Outback. But, I doubt that is true.

-Brian

artdecho

Juice....since i'm somewhat "underwhelmed" by the new CR-V (i'm not writing it off....have to see & drive in the flesh first) i may hold off for the new forester as i hear it's coming in march 2002.
any teaser pix or info yet? my wish list would be more back seat room, raised driving position (my wife won't consider it at it's present height) and a price more in line with all that competition out there (rav's, triscape, liberty run from 23k base to 32k loaded, leather, the works, cr-v is 26+ to 29+ whereas foresters go from 27k (manual, no air) to 36k+ (forester s ltd.) most vehicles in the class can be well equipped for about 28K whereas forester compares at 31-32k, so it's somewhat overpriced.(these are $cdn, by the way)
michael

suvshopper4

See my answer to this (#2533) in the CR-V forum where you posted this item.

pearlbluesoul

March 2002? That's not that far away... Subaru seems to always release their models 6 months ahead of everyone else!

I would also appreciate any reliable info on the next model, esp. the price and exterior dimensions. I assume that it will be based on the latest Impreza which should mean improvements in just about every department.

If I buy a Forester now, will the fact that the redesigned model is coming out so soon make the first year's depreciation worse?

kens

...will probably be roomier based on the improvements seen in the new Impreza. However, I seriously doubt we'll see the Forester's ride height increase. Subaru never intended the Forester to be a serious off-road vehicle. It's current 7.5" of ground clearance is more than enough for a vehicle meant for mostly on-road duty. By increasing ride height, you sacrifice the low center of gravity and handling -- a trademark of Subaru vehicles.

Currently there are no data on the upcoming Forster. We can only guess and hope. ;-)

Ken

kate5000

if the low ride height is the only thing that stops you from buying a Forester, consider raising it by 2-4" (cost about $400). I've seen raised Foresters, and they look great, almost better than originals :-)

Then, of course, you'd sacrifice some of the handling, but it's always the case with the higher sitting vehicles.

ari

Hi all. I just wanted to say I just arrived home in Massachusetts today after spending a six-month journey driving through 23 U.S. states and 7 Canadian provinces with my 2001 Subaru Forester S. In total, I have clocked over 24,500 miles during those six months! I have only needed to bring the Subaru in three times: once for a 17,500 checkup at the Livermore Subaru dealership in Livermore, California...again for a 22,000 checkup at Shortline Automotive in Denver, Colorado...and a third time for a 27,500 checkup at Mark Miller Subaru in Salt Lake City. I had the tires rotated once at Wal-Mart in Pleasanton, CA and had all four tires replaced through Sears in Denver. I have driven the Subaru over every surface imaginable: asphalt, gravel, dirt, clay, sandy beach, grass, rocks, mud, snow, ice, and wood. It has traveled on six Canadian ferries. I only got stuck once: in a snow-packed trail on a sidetrail at the Grand Canyon and needed to be dragged out by rope from a trusty Suburban. But to anyone who is hesitant to purchase a Subaru and/or to those skeptical of cross-continent adventures, have no fears. It works great. I am bringing it in for a 36K checkup on Friday and hope to have no problems either.

stever

Sounds like great fun! Love those road trips :-)

Steve
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dsackman

Had a great trip with the Forester (2001 "S", Auto) over the last weekend. I went camping in the desert with a few friends. Packed the car to the brim with water, food, beer and toys. Folded the rear seats down, placed a mattress in the back and slept there. I slept very comfortably despite my 6ft length and 45 year old body. The route was from the SF Bay Area over Donner Pass (7,000ft above sea level) to Reno, NV and then another 100 miles north into the real desert.

The Forester performed remarkably well as expected! The only area I would improve is to add a small turbo to compensate for the altitude. There were long distances where I was driving with my foot to the floor boards in third gear.

Here are the stats from the GPS:
Total distance: 917 miles (914 miles on the car's odometer). I got lost on the way back. I did not believe the GPS.
Average driving speed: 62.9 mph
Overall average speed: 59.8 mph
Maximum speed: 93.2mph (I was overtaking)
Total drive time: 14:35:40
Total stop time: 44:23 (Burning Man was packed. Took me an hour to get in and an hour to get out.)

Total fuel: 39.893gal
Total fuel consumption: 22.98mpg

What fun we had. Just very dusty. Can the Forester now make claims to the name Dusty?

Daniel

kens

Daniel -- great write up! So how was Burning Man?

Ken

dsackman

I do not know what the burn was like, I was there! Hee, hee.

It was great fun. An awesome experience! I go every year. It is very difficult to describe it. It is a different experience for every person. It depends on what your mind set is. All I can say is, "GO, do it, participate. Let the man burn!"

Happy new year.

Daniel

paisan

I'm almost positive that it doesn't start in 2nd gear,but I'll verify next time I'm at my dealer.

-mike

subearu

I'm just saying ours definately does start out in '2' when you put the selector in '2' - I even tested it on the way home from work today.

My Z71 also had this feature.

The following is quoted from page 7-17 of the 2000 Legacy/Outback Owner's Manual:
3 (Third): This position is used for using engine braking when going down a hill or for climbing a grade. The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable gear from 1st to 3rd according to the vehicle speed and the acceleration you require. When more acceleration is required in this position, press the accelerator pedal fully to the floor and hold that position. The transmission will automatically downshift to 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear position.

2 (Second): This position is for using engine braking when going down a hill or for climbing a steep grade. In this position, the transmissions holds in the 2nd gear. Use this position when starting off from a standstill on slippery road surfaces such as mud or snow. It will ensure greater traction.

1 (First): This position is for driving up or down very steep grades, or driving through mud or sand, or on slippery surfaces. In this position, the transmission holds in the 1st gear.

-Brian

bigfrank3

The new autos do start out in 2nd gear if placed in 2. It says so in the owners manual, the service manuals, and my wife's Forester does.

Regards,
Frank

paisan

Thatkinda sux. If you auto-x a newer legacy AT,then you can't use the "2" setting. I believe the forester has the older type tranny like the '96-'99 OB/legacies. I have the same thing on the Trooper, except since it has so much torque, they start you in 3rd gear in "winter" mode of the tranny.

-mike

bjman

I have seen several posts lately where people have stated their fuel efficiency using very precise numbers for mpg...how are you guys calculating this in the Forester? My other car has a trip computer that calculates mpg automatically for me, but I don't see anything similar in the Forester (2002 S Premium model)...

BJ

paisan

Actually those computers that calculate MPG are usually VERY VERY VERY Off.

What you do is:
1) Fill tank to the top,wait for click.
2) Reset Trip odometer
3) Drive car for 1/2 tank or greater.
4) Fill tank to the top, wait for click.
5) Take the # of miles divided by the # of gallons consumed.

Repeat several times, and take an average.

-mike

armac13

Sorry, but my owners manual reads exactly like Brian's and my '01 auto Forester does start and stay in 2nd when "2" is selected.

Ross

p0926

Steve- Mine started doing the same thing recently and my wife's Honda has been doing it for a couple of years now. I took the Honda in and they could find nothing wrong. It's definitely brake related. I think it's either the emergency brake cable sticking or a sticky caliper. Regardless, the first use of the brakes seemed to unstick the offending part and it works fine after that. So what ever it is, it seems to be harmless but certainly mention it next time you go in for service. Please share the diagnosis if you find out the culprit.

Michael- The lower ride height (and accompanying lower CG) is what makes the Forester handle so well. Increasing it will have nothing but negative consequences IMO. Besides, playing to ride height game is a no win situation, as there will always be taller vehicles on the road (unless of course you opt for a Mack truck).

Ari- Ah yes, the road trip. I've made a couple of similar ones in the past and would do it again in a heartbeat if I could ever find the time. Do you have any pictures you can post?

Daniel- "Dusty" Yes! Sounds like the perfect name for your Forester.

-Frank P.

lark6

paisan: So if I auto-x a Forester AT, what setting would I use?

Ed

paisan

That's a good question. I'd say you'd need to use the "1" setting, and see if it will automatically upshift to 2nd gear when you hit the redline, or if it will stay in 1st. If it stays in 1st you'd basically have to work it like a MT. Put it in "1" then push it to "2" and back to "1". Most AT people in Auto-x put them in "2" since I've never seen a car that in the "2" position only did 2nd gear (all other ATs that allow you to start in a higher gear than 1, are push-button type systems)

-mike