2009 Subaru Forester

hitoyou

I just joined this forum and I hope I'm in the right place. I have been waiting for my 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5 Limited since the end of April. I was told by the salesman that the one that came in was damaged and then I was told that he was going to see if the replacement was going to be another Newport Blue Pearl. Then I was told that he was going to trade one of his cars for a blue one. Finally, he ordered one. I am still waiting for it. There seems to be a shortage of boats and the demand for the Limited edition was underestimated. I asked the salesman for a VON number and was told that they didn't have one. Supposedly, the order has been filled and I can expect my car in the near future. I hope, when I finally get this vehicle, that it is worth the wait. This has not been a good experience for me. My old car is requiring repairs just to keep it running until the new vehicle comes in.

I read in a previous post that someone was looking or a cup insert for the Forester. I found one a Roxiesshop.com that I think will work.

hitoyou

Has anyone had Ziebart rustproofing, etc. done on their vehicle? I purchased the Gold Ziebart and was told that my car would never rust. Also,there is a teflon like finish that never needs waxing. The vehicle has to be done every year to guarantee protection against rust and to protect the finish.

pgb0517

Following up on previous posts on "square cupholders" ... I posted a while back that I was going to check out various options. I guess that, for me, the Drink Dockers win. They are pretty much the only solution I've found. They hold all but the largest cups, for which you can remove them easily. Or you can keep one of the square cupholders open to accommodate larger cups, and put a Docker in the other one for smaller cups. Here are some photos:
Drink Dockers photos

svskyus

I had my tinting done locally for about $60, took 40 minutes, very happy. Could have saved $10 if I used another shop and waited 3 weeks.

Note: They use water during the install, some of it may remain in sunroof structure following the install, and may drip on you and the front seats. Bring a towel!
Bruce

pharmd718

Hi Hito,

I placed an order for a 2009 limited forester a week ago. The dealer informed me that they are having a very hard time keeping limiteds on the lot. They expected 15% of sales to go toward the limited addition, but its more like %35.
5 days after placing the order I got the VON number. I was told it will take 8 weeks to arrive. This sucks for me as well because I have guests coming over and I just donated my old car. The only car I have now is a mini cooper S (my wifes).

kurtamaxxxguy

For Moonroof, $35.

phdhusky

Another view on moonroof tint...yes it would be nice to have the moonroof tinted but it is called a moonroof and it is nice to have it open at night and have a clear view of the sky without it all blacked out.

kurtamaxxxguy

The guys at Nokian told me they will __not__ have any WRG2 series tires for the Foresters this year (nothing in 225 x 55 x 17, that is. ).

So it's either the old WR, or the new Yokohama W.Drive, which does fit the '09 Forester, if one wants winter-rated all-season tires.

Anyone here have experience with the Yokohama W.Drive?

subijack

I am about to pull the trigger on a forester. I am torn between getting the limited or the XT. Both are around the same price. I live in NYC and drive upstate a few times a year to do some skiing/hiking.

Which would you get and why?

thanks in advance.

sgloon

Is the rear window washer suppose to spray, like the front does?

Or is it suppose to dribble or stream?

Mine kinda does something between dribbling/streaming. I'm wondering if this is a warranty issue? Or is it suppose to work like that?

Thx

kurtamaxxxguy

Mine does the same; dribble / stream.
Not sure if that's issue or not - will ask my servicing dealer next time I visit.

kurtamaxxxguy

Limited:
more comfortable seats, better gas mileage (by 2 - 3 mpg), regular gas.

XT:
More responsive engine (much better passing ability), bigger tires and wheels.

tinycadon

depends on how much you drive for your commute each day? I only have a 5mi roundtrip commute to work each day so I went with an XT to have a little more "fun" behind the wheel. I only put on 10k miles a year so the extra $ for premium gas doesn't effect me all that much. If I had a longer commute each day I would've went with the Limited or Premium and better gas mileage. All I can say is I don't regret going with the XT at all, and I try to keep the pedal light and get 17/18 in the city and 24/25 on the highway, but every once in awhile I'll throw it into the Sport Mode and hit the gas

birdboy

I have the LL Bean now called the limited 2.5 for several months. It is fine for driving in NYC , i also drive upstate to the catskills on the weekends. again, drives nicely on the Thruway has ample power. I have been getting 28-31 mpg at speeds of 65. I am happy to be using regular gas again instead of premium. I also have been learning to drive at slower speeds of 65-75 max. which is sometimes hard when everyone around you is driving at 80. I no longer pass at high speeds as the passing power at time could be limited with this 170 hp engine. Climbing the steep hills and mountains I use the sportmode for extra pick up.

hitoyou

I will be getting my new 2.5 Limited Subaru Forester in a few weeks. Will it be necessary to drive it slowly for a limited amount of time in order to break it in? How fast can I drive it?

hitoyou

Is the allocation number the same as the VON? Can I check on the delivery date of my new Subaru Limited with the allocation number by calling 1-800-Subaru3?

flapper

If I'm not mistaken, the X Limited and the XT have the same size wheels and tires, it's just that the styling of the XT's wheels is different.

kurtamaxxxguy

Subaru recomends a break in period of 1000 miles. Among other things, during that time they suggest you don't overrev the engine, or cruise at the same speed for long periods of time. There weren't any "speed limits", as I recall.

kurtamaxxxguy

Yes you are right on the tires. Limited and XT apparently have the same size - only the wheel styling is different. Sorry for earlier goof.

pharmd718

Got my VON number a week after placing the order. Called 1-800-subaru3 to find out the status of the delivery and was informed that they can't track the car using a VON number and that they might be able to get the info using the VIN number (which I don't have).

I called the subaru dealership in hopes that one of the sales people would be able to get me the info (my salesperson is on vacation). I gave the VON number and the salesman said that he will call me with the info.

He called 4 hours later and said "your car is right on schedual and should arrive in 10-12 weeks" 10-12 WEEKS!!!! :mad: Originaly I was told 8 weeks. I have guests coming over and need a car!!

svskyus

The Limited seems to be very popular. When I got mine 3 weeks ago, there were only 2 available in the whole state of Oregon. Some dealers here won't go below MSRP on them, particularly in Bend, OR, which is a ski area. I ordered mine from another town and got it in 2 weeks. I think that the 2009 Forester is a hit, thus the supply problem. Plus I am getting 50% better mpg than with my old Explorer.
Bruce

redherring1

Or get an XT Limited and get the best of both.

No one else can really answer this for you--it depends on how much fun-to-drive you need. If being able to outrun and outhandle almost any other SUV (particularly at the price) means something to you, go for the XT. If you watch the gas gauge pretty closely and want the Forester mostly for the utility, go for the Limited. Personally, I think the seats in the Limited (either XT or X) are much better, so that alone would seal it for me.

hitoyou

It sounds like you are going to be waiting for your vehicle for a while. All the reviews say this vehicle is worth waiting for so I am just hanging in there, hoping my old car is still safe to drive. I finally received an allocation number (same as VON?) and was told (again) that the vehicle should be arriving soon. I think they keep stringing you along so that you won't cancel on them. As I previously said, I think this vehicle is worth waiting for and the dealerships must be just as anxious to fill these orders as we are to recieve these vehicles. At least you have one vehicle to use.

kurtamaxxxguy

CU's top rated '09 Forester in their small SUV section, and it's done well in safety tests, in Motor Trend's compario, and other comparios.

If I were to buy an XT - L today from my friendly dealer, the car would be getting less, if any, discount from MSRP. Most dealers in the Portland, OR area are marking these up like crazy.

hitoyou

Hi again, I just called 1-800-SUBARU-3 and talked to someone who is going to get me an ETA (estimated time of arrival) for my vehicle. I gave them my vehicle allocation number and they are going to call me back in a day or two.

subijack

Thank you all for the great input. I have made my decision based on the response.

Tinycadon - My commute is almost identical to yours, However in my commute I stop at a lot of red lights. Therefor, the only fun I could have is going from one red light to another. As you mentioned, the gas difference is of little matter but I would hate to "try to keep a pedal light" while driving.

birdboy - You made a very strong argument for the limited. One of my biggest concerns was climbing the steep hills and mountains. I am glad to hear that you don't have an issue with that. I just don't understand why you keep the car at 65-75. Is it to save gas?

redherring - I would love to have best of both worlds by getting the XT limited, but its outside my price range.

I have decided to go with the X limited. Can't wait to tackle the next winter storm :shades:

birdboy

Subijack..I am sure you will love the 2.5x limited. The gas cost has affected everyone in every aspect of our lives.I used to drive at higher speeds with my Passat turbo that used premium gas. I am now driving slower to get better fuel economy as my weekend trips upstate are 230 miles rt. NYS Thruway speed is 65 , however all fly at 80 in both lanes.. I also noticed that using cruise control helps improve mileage as well.I enjoy seeing the mpg @ 29-31. Today I put the seats down to take home a queen sise bed that was in pieces. much to my surprise it fit in nicely.I think that the cargo space is huge for a crossover this size.

subijack

If I order a 2.5x limited in NY will it have PZEV? or is it an option I would have to pay for?

flapper

Yes, it will be a PZEV in NY. It's an additional $200 out of your pocket, but supp. it delivers 5 more h.p. (175 vs.170), and comes with a 150,000 mile or 10 year warranty on the exhaust components.

jeffmc

pharmd718 - I would HIGHLY recommend talking w/the dealership's general sales manager or owner. Explain the situation, including what you were promised and what you NEED (something to drive guests in) and ask for a loaner car to get you through the gap 'til your Forester arrives. Be reasonable with them, not angry, and ask for what you want. If not willing to give you a loaner to cover the entire gap, perhaps they'd pay for a rental when your guests are in town. You might also pursue this with the 1-800-subaru3 customer service if that doesn't work out.

pharmd718

Thanks Jeff,

I will do just that. The salesman just arrived back from vacation and will give him a call today.

kurtamaxxxguy

I just did a search of the top 5 dealers in Portland OR and it seems our area, as of this writing, has 3 X Limiteds. XT Limiteds are in slightly higher numbers.

A big change from a few months ago when I remember seeing many more of those in the same dealer's Inventorys.

pharmd718

Seems like everyone is interested in getting the X limited (me included). I hope it will be worth the wait. Seems like those who got lucky enough to have the limited are very happy with the car.

djmacedonas

Man, I was faced with the same decision. I test drove an all black pearl XT and a Darg Grey metallic with platinum interior limited on the same day. I had both vehicles parked next to each other. They were the same price, and the XT was so much meaner looking, and drove so much faster than the limited, the decision was killing me. If not for my lovely wife, I'm fairly certain I would have gone with the XT. In the end, we chose the limited, and overall, I'm very happy with the decision. I haven't been getting the outstanding MPG others have been reporting, although I did get 28-29 on a recent trip to Atlantic City. Around town I'm fairly solid at 24. I think the "real workd" MPG is significantly more than the XT (more than 1-2 MPG) because the XT is so much fun to drive and race, but I now really look forward to my calm, zen-like, ethereal commutes in the limited. I simply changed the way I drive. When I had my Mazda MX6 I was always embarassed when I took off at a stoplight only to be stuck at the next one, with the person I just dusted sitting next to me. Now I'm the person who catches up to the other car at the light. . Highway driving is fun... the car is a great cruiser. Congrats on your decision, I think you'll experience some pangs of regret occassionally, but if you went with the XT, you'd feel those everytime you put in that premium fuel, or the pain in your lower back on long trips due to inadequate back support. If you could spring for an XT limited, that might be a choice, but IMO between the limited and plain XT, I would always choose the limited.

kurtamaxxxguy

The XT uses an awful lot of fuel for its size, especially for in town driving, even though I am not a "fast and furious" driver. Required premium makes it worse. I definitely drive a ___lot___ less with this car.

Then again, my former Malibu Maxx guzzled as much, and it had less horsepower and was only FWD. Only on the Highway did it outdo the XT, and then by quite a bit (30 mpg to only 24 mpg).

If I did not have to deal with the frequent interstate ORI (on road imbecils), especially when driving down to S. Calif on trips (hopefully __that__ won't be for a long time) , the X - Limited would have been my choice.

dubliners

I bought the base model 2009 Subaru Forester PZEV for $20,221. Paid an extra $130 for all-weather floor mats and cargo tray. Got 4.9% financing. The lowest price I could bargain down to in Northern NJ, where I live, was $21,500 (I tried two dealers). So I went 3 1/2 hours down to Maryland to get my car at Fizgerald's (fitzmall.com). What do you think?

kurtamaxxxguy

Sounds ok to me, though I've never bought a car on finance.
Hopefully the local dealer service departments (which these days are usually profit centers onto themselves) will give you decent support.

hitoyou

I am buying my Subaru Forester 2.5. Limited 300 miles away. I was told I could bring my vehicle to any Subaru dealer for service. However, I have heard stories about problems with this. The Subaru service department closest to me asks whether the vehicle was bought there and gives their customers priority. They give you an appointment for a week or more later. (They do this even if your check engine light is going on.) These service departments make money for servicing the vehicle. I would think they would want you business. Do you think this is something that should be reported to SOA?

subijack

This is a concern for me as well. My local subi dealer could not match a lower price that I got about 60 miles away and said that I can always bring the car to them for service. But I am sure that they will be a bit upset when I first drive in with a new car that I did not buy from them.
If you are certain that they are delaying service because of your purchase location, I would definitely report them to SOA.

sgloon

I bought my Forester from about 130 miles away as my local dealer couldn't meet or even come close to the price. I have had it in once for warranty service, and I had none of the problems that you suggest. The service department is different than the sales department. As mentioned above, they shouldn't care, as they are making money.

All dealerships are different however, so, if you do have problems, perhaps ask to speak to the owner of the dealership and question why you are having problems getting service (I suggest not going in with the answer, but have them tell you what the issue is.) If the owner doesn't give you the normal service, I too, would recommend going through SOA.

I suppose you could always take the sticker off that the sales dealer puts on. How do they know that you didn't just move there...?

nathans

I have never had problems with taking my cars to any dealership for service, regardless of where I bought it. No one has ever asked me where I bought it either. Does sound fishy to me.

bigfrank3

I know a few service managers and they would give a little finger to get any business that helps their bottom line. They are accountable for their end of the business and need to show improvement. Besides that, warranty and maintenance money is very good money for them. That is why many dealers try to sell extras like additives and such that are more than Subaru and others recommend.

I know my Subaru service manager might give a perk here or there for their repeat customers, and you would be more inclined to get a loaner if you were a regular, but he would never turn any business away or treat them as second-class customers.

Another example would be my local Toyota dealer. They have started an extensive ad campaign to attract Lexus service business, they don't sell Lexus.

If you actually experience being put off because you didn't buy there, and find it is more than a scare tactic to get the car sale, then I would certainly put an inquiry in to Subaru and ask if this is acceptable practice. I am sure of what they will say about that.

kurtamaxxxguy

IMHO a shop which doesn't have huge number of customers often gives customers little perks for repeat work. I had a few of those from the Portland OR Subaru dealer I've used.

it's a 180-degree difference in Los Angeles: nearly all dealers there have service departments jammed with screaming customers. In one case only did a dealer shop do a nicety for me, otherwise it was usual rushed, sloppy work for full price.

wobbler800

Hello kurtamaxxxguy,

Good news about the Nokian WR G2 225/55R17:

Nokian WR G2 225/55R17

To my knowledge, these tires should be avalible in North American in the next couple of weeks!

-Josh
800 576-1009 ext 775

pharmd718

I am in the same boat as you. I am paying cash for the car and because of such I have many options. I chose to get the new subaru forester because I have no idea how a used vehicle was used. Most of my life I bought used cars and always spent a small fortune each year fixing them. My last used car was a 1996 Q45 (which I bought in 1999) and I would spent an average of $2000 per year in repairs during the last 3 years.
recently i got married and got my wife a new mini cooper S. That was the first time I bought a new car. The wife loves her car (she is british as well) and I am really glad I bought a new car for her instead of a used one. This year my Q45 sang its swan song and I was looking for something that was cheap enough/have great utility/ and awd. After looking at a bunch of small suv's the forester was a no brainer.

hitoyou

Did you succeed in getting the loaner or rental for the time your company is visiting? I am still waiting for an an estimated time of arrival for my Subaru Forester 2.5 Limited.

kurtamaxxxguy

Let's hope so, wobbler800:
the rep for Nokian USA told me that size would not be here this year.
perhaps the factory gave him bad info, or whatever...

Hopefully our local dealers will have these as well by early fall.

kurtamaxxxguy

While cruising from Portland OR to Salem OR and back, I set the XT's trip Odometer so it would measure MPG for time on the freeway. I-5 between Portland and Salem is relatively flat, with only a few mild hills. Cruise control was used most of the time. Mileage on car is around 3350. Round trip was 120 miles.

Surprise:
The MPG calculator reported anywhere from 27 to 29 mpg for Interstate traveling at mostly 65 mph (there were a few short stints of 60 and 70 mph mixed in). This was with the A/C mostly off, windows closed, and outside temperature of about 76 degrees.

I got the same MPG for either Southward or Northward travel.

If that computer is accurate, that's far better MPG than expected and suggests with a little more break-in the XT, driven gently, could get very respectable mileag on the highway.

chrisf776

Anyone else have this problem? I have a 2.5X limited. The rear seat recline buttons are really loose and easily pop out when people enter or exit the car. Anyone have a good fix? Can the dealer do anything?

pharmd718

I did not ask yet. I will call the dealer some time this week. My company will arrive in early sept. so I have some time. Worst case scenerio I will have to rent a car. When did you place an order for your forester? I gave them a deposit over the phone on 7/9 and they emailed me a copy of the invoice on 7/11. The VON number was obtained on 7/13. The following week I was told it will take 10-12 weeks.