Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Forester Turbo in 1 year
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
-Bob
Len
BTW how can they not offer the traditional Subaru blue exterior?
- D.
Keep something in mind - Canada is Canada. They even get different models than we do. The colors might be the same, but that's certainly not a guarantee. Canadian WRXs have heated seats, for instance; they got the cloth H6 6 months before we did, etc.
-juice
Was reading the news release for the XT though and it mentions a "Direct Control" automatic tranny. Was wondering, you think this might be like the SportShift feature on the Legacy or might it just be a plain old auto?
And btw for anyone in the area, the sales guy (Yuri) didn't know when they'd be in.
The '04 Baja turbo also has a Direct Control tranny—and Sport-Shift; not so with the Forester turbo.
Bob
Dunno about you, but I use my cross bars all the time. They hold a roof top carrier in place, I tie down 6'x8' fencing, 4'x8' plywood sheets, lots of other types of lumber, etc.
In fact mine are pretty worn! I gotta try to polish out a few surface scratches.
One more thing - you can slide them back so they don't block the view, and then slide them into place when you need them.
-juice
If they have this same engine in the STI pushing out 300hp, but will only be 210 in the XT, then exactly how are they hobbling it? Just the ECU? Any ideas?
- D.
So it must be intake, exhaust, and turbo boost levels. In other words, it shouldn't be hard to chip and modify an XT to make close to 300hp. Plan on a new clutch if you have a 5 speed, though. The Auto can handle 300hp reliably in the WRX.
-juice
- D
-juice
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=3796- 401
The XT has a pre-cat much like the WRX.
Ken
Or, you can browse the whole album from the Chicago Auto Show: http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4290640109
-Brian
-juice
BTW, the STi of course also has the 6-speed manual transmission - that is nice to have, too.
- D.
2-speed transfer case - much better for hauling boats out of the water, etc.
Self-leveling rear suspension, useful on small, lightweight cars when loaded with cargo.
Nifty dual front folding armrests built into the inner seatback bolsters.
Headlight spray-washers in the bumper.
...and so forth. I hate it when car companies treat us like second-class citizens compared to other markets.
The dual-range is interesting. Perhaps Subaru is a afraid people will seriously take them off-road because they have a low-range? Certainly would work well with Outback/Forester/Baja image. Heck, make it optional and charge a fair amount for it.
-B
The low range was partly due to the fact that the non-USDM Foresters used to get 2.0 N/A engines.
Ken
"Those questions regarding features that never make it to the US have been asked for a long time. Most of the reasons come down to cost. The US has one of the most price competitive auto markets in the world and Subaru isn't alone in "stripping down" USDM models."
I'm not suggesting that Subaru ought to add more standard equipment. I'm suggesting that a lot of people would gladly pay a reasonable price for optional dual-range transfer, or optional self-leveling suspension, and so forth. Make features like these (which are available in other markets) available here, too, as extra-cost options. Everybody wins - buyers get what they want, nobody has to pay for something they don't want, and Subaru gets more revenue. What am I missing?
-juice
I completely understand what you're saying, but you're overlooking the operational cost to Subaru of America to offer and support these extra options.
For every unique option any company offers for any product, there are administrative, production, inventory and support costs. For example, to add the self-leveling suspension, Subaru needs to set up: how to allow the dealer to order it, how the factory assembles it, documentation for both service and sales literature, train dealers on how to repair it and keep spare parts on hand.
I know how these are all real costs because I deal with this sort of stuff on a daily basis. I'm a product manager (semiconductor test equipement) and I'm always fighting manufacturing and support to allow more options in our products. They want to minimize options to keep overhead low. I want to offer a plethora of options to keep the customer happy. Ultimately it's decided by what the market can bear.
In the end, Subaru is also out to make a profit and the operational cost of increasing customer selectable options will be handed down to consumer (ie. prices go up).
But I hear you completely -- I'd love to have the self leveling suspension, HIDs, headlight washers etc. I'd even be willing to pay a higher base price to make these options available, but I think we might be the minority for now. However, Subaru has been delivering more over the last few years so lets keep our fingers crossed.
Ken
John
Dunno. While I don't think there's rampant cannablism going on, I agree there is some cross-shopping that happens with Subarus.
Forester<->OB Sport (and to some extent OB Wagon)
Forester XT<->WRX Wagon (and to some extent GT Wagon)
I think it has to do with the fact that Subaru is really a one-platform company.
Ken
I don't yet know whether or not these include destination charges.
-juice
Close enough though. Wonder what the XT premium's will run (mmmm, moonroof) ;-) .
-Brian
Again I'm sure there are people who will balk and say that's too much to pay for a Subaru, but those are people who just look at badges and not value for money.
Sounds like a winner - now I just need to be patient...
Ed
That makes it a legit bargain. What else offers that kind of bang for the buck, with enough space for a small family?
-juice
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2004.html
When you consider that a 2003 XS including the extra equipment that comes standard on the 2004 XT (Premium 7-spkr upgraded sound package, rear spoiler <YUCK!!>, and chrome tailpipe cover lists for $24,407, the 2004 XT MSRP is only $1,113 more than last year's similarly-equipped non-turbo XS. And the XT includes the nice monochrome cladding and bumpers, which could be bought on an XS only by also ordering the sunroof. All in all, I'd say that the XT is very fairly priced - big performance gain for eleven hundred bucks IMO.
I still wish the sunroof and leather were available without the damn automatic <sigh>. Brain-dead decision, SOA.
So, is there yet no official word from Subaru? I wonder why it's taking so long to get the specifics out. I'm still very curious on the drivetrain/suspension changes, if any.
Ken
Just a little over $1000 for a huge performance boost. I think the XT is a great deal.
Ken
-Brian
Hope that dealer has it right!
-juice
- D.
Looks very appealing to me.
-juice
-Brian
Do the same lugnuts(bolts) work with either type of wheel?
Lug nuts are actually differnet for alloys vs. steel. Typically alloys have lug nuts that are chrome plated or at least colored to match the rims, while many steelie lug nuts are just open ended nuts (not sure about the Forester since they're styled steel rims with no wheel cover).
My concern is whether the non-open lug nuts are long enough to tighten up against the steel rim.
Check out a X vs. an XS in a dealer parking lot, they might be the same in this case, since they don't use wheel covers.
-juice
-B
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2004.html#specs
-Bob
"I'm still skeptical about the performance of this thing. I can't believe it will break a 15 second quarter mile. If it gets into the mid 14's they won't be able to build them fast enough. Just think what the aftermarket would do."
Who said anything about breaking 15 in the 1/4? I certainly don't expect that! The only actual performance claim I've seen is the 6.1 0-60 from Subaru of Canada. In my opinion, a $25,000 Forester XT doesn't have to get anywhere close to a mid-14 quartermile to be an unbeatable SUV performance bargain. If it can get into the low 15's at anything over 90mph in the quarter, show me another AWD SUV under $50,000 that can keep up! And then show me its lifetime ownership cost, including purchase price, depreciation, insurance, repair bills, and fuel, compared to the XT...
- Jack, a skinflint who's about to pry open his checkbook for a new car for the first time in 14 years!
No matter the stock performance of the XT, I've got a feeling a little aftermarket work will bring a great deal of power for fairly little $$$.
I'm thinking high 14s in the quarter stock, without having to slip the clutch from 4K like the WRX. The 5-60 time will be better than the WRX.
-B
lumbar: it's the moonroof. EPA measures all that space. Useful space is the same.
-juice
"Had a factory 0-60 time of 6.4 seconds when it was first released."
I thought I saw 6.1 as the "official" Subaru spec. Several people have commented that Subaru of Canada's 6.1-sec XT claim is the same as was claimed for the WRX. Not so?
"I'm thinking high 14s in the quarter stock, without having to slip the clutch from 4K like the WRX. The 5-60 time will be better than the WRX."
That's exactly what I've been thinking. People get mid-5-second 0-60 with the WRX only by being really brutal on the launch. No sensible person drives his own car that way (or not for long!). The XT's extra cubic inches and low-down torque ought to at least match the WRX in normal driving and just might (as you predict) surpass it.