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Subaru XT Turbo Forester
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Comments
njswamplands "Subaru Forester: Prices Paid & Buying Experience" Jul 28, 2003 9:40pm
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
Jon
Congrats.
-juice
John
Oops, I just did! ;-)
-juice (still suffering from XT envy, enacting a little revenge)
I can identify with that! My XT arrived at my dealer on the transporter on Friday afternoon June 20 - too late to prep it for delivery. I had to go through an entire weekend without it - and even then I had to wait until 5 p.m. Monday after work before I could finally go get it.
When you take delivery, try not to salivate, first of all. It messes up the fabric. ;-)
Seriously, though, look around from every angle. Walk around the outside twice, looking for dings, scratches, flaws, paint runs, or orange peel.
Take a tire pressure gauge because they forget to air down 90% of the time.
Pop the hood and check the fluids, all marked in yellow so it's easy. Take a rag with you.
Inside, sit in every seat position. Fold the seats, make sure everything works properly. Open all windows and the moonroof (if you're lucky enough to have one). Make sure they all open and close smoothly and seal properly.
Try every accessory to see if they work, the A/C, the radio, a CD (again, bring one). Check the Monroney (window sticker) and verify that all options on there are on your car.
Only then, go for a test drive. Drive your actual car, make sure everything works smoothly. I do not recommend driving it hard, though, the brake pads are not seated properly and the engine is very green, so take it easy, just make sure it runs smoothly.
If not - bring it to my house, I'll swap with you. My '98 is in great shape. I even have a moonroof and a 6CD. Wait...come back! It even has 16" rims! ;-)
-juice
Cheers
Pat
It's like a kid in a candy store...
-juice
Cheer
Pat
Ed
I know its not Halloween yet, but you might want to put on your troll masks...
Drive that new car! Would you marry a woman you had not spent any time with?
Mark
Mark: mail-order bride? LOL
-juice
>>>>
Drive that new car! Would you marry a woman you had not spent any time with?
>>>>
Why not, if everybody else says she is great. That many people can't be wrong. ))
jb, my kids still fight over who gets to ride in "the way-back", dog smells and dog barrier notwithstanding!
Mark
200 is not. That would be the one that went around the block a few too many times. ;-)
-juice
I didn't want any leadfoots screwing upu my XT before I got it. So, I required my dealer to commit in writing that no one would drive mine any more or any farther than absolutely necessary to prepare it for delivery.
I inspected it as they rolled it off the transporter; it had 2.2 miles. When I arrived the following Monday to take possession, it had 2.6.
I took a MT 2004 XT out for a test drives a few weeks ago. I thought it was a great car and was lots of fun to drive. I did have the following reservations:
1) Since this is a new engine it might need a few minor tweaks. Perhaps waiting for the 2005 (or the 2004.5 if there is such an animal) might be a wise thing to do.
2) I didn't like the fact that a moonroof was not available with a 5spd. Another reason why waiting might be worth while.
3) Orderall gas mileage seemed a bit low. I live in the Washington DC area so AWD is not really necessary. I like the way the subies drive/handle thought...
I was hoping to get some typical mpg from recent ownerss. Please share your resulting mpg data if available.
Thanks :-)
Jack (the new one): I'm in DC too, keep in mind how much snow we got last year! AWD is one of those "nice to have" things all the time, too. It's more fun, less understeer, more neutral handling, more available traction all the time.
Heated mirrors in the rain keep them totally clear, did you know that? Heated seats are nice 9 months out of the year. Wiper de-icers front and rear mean no more scraping windows. Outside temp guage, weather band, the XT just plain rocks in cold weather.
Trivia: did you know that DC has more days where the temp goes below freezing than it does over 90 degrees?!
Go for the XT, I'll be envious if you do. Real-world mpg has been mostly better than the EPA estimates, this on green cars that are not fully broken in yet. Subies tend to improve with time.
-juice
I am skeptical! But then the effects of 150%relative humidity may be influencing my recollections! :-)
tidester, host
Please let us know your tranny type and driving type (city/highway).
Ken
My 5-speed XT is 5.5 weeks old and has not quite 1,100 miles. I believe in long, gentle break-ins, so even now I'm still driving more circumspectly than most XT buyers did when their cars were brand new. Also, my daily driving is about 2/3 freeway and 1/3 suburban, with hardly any city driving.
First tankful: Only 19.9 mpg, and nobody could have driven my XT any more lightly.
Second tankful: About 22.2, and this tank included a pure-freeway 100 mile trip at no more than 60-65mph.
Third tankful: Back down to barely 20mpg.
Fourth tankful: About 22 again, and this tank included a 180 mile highway trip to/from the Oregon coast.
Overall average so far is only 21 mpg. Considering my mostly-freeway daily commute and the almost-economy-run way I've been driving during break-in, I regard the gas mileage to be rather poor. And, it requires the costliest premium-grade fuel.
Much of the blame for this high cost-per-mile goes to Subaru's ridiculous decision to put drag-strip 4.44 gearing in the XT. The regular Forester's 4.11 would have been better, and the WRX's 3.9 would have been best of all.
jb
Unfortunately, trading my '04 to get a 6-speed '05 will be out of the question.
Even mentions Subaru............
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-07-30-premiumgas_x.htm
Any SOA employee reading this who would like to comment, please do so.
Sure, on some cars you can run regular gas, but you will lose some power. Honda states very clearly on their vehicles that they "recommend" using premium gas.
Bob
I try to be vigilant on my travels about the best prices on "good" brands of gas . It is amazing how you can have 5 to 10 cent per gallon variations within a few blocks. I almost never fill up along the interstate or in the high income neighborhoods, where prices are highest. On my trip to Michigan and back last week, I never paid more than $1.49 for 89 octane, and even found $1.39 just north of Ft. Wayne, Indiana! I never knocked in the mountains, even climbing up to Flat Top, West Virginia, 3200 feet above sea level, and got 23.3 mpg for the total trip in an Explorer with four people, luggage and the Lab...approx 900 lbs.
I have found that the best places for affordable, clean gas also tend to have the freshest coffee and best fried chicken, so it all works out. When I get my turbo Subie, Ill know where to fill it up.
Mark
Couldn't they help the MPG issue a bit by spacing out 4th and 5th gears? It would keep the 0-60 performance the same and provide better highway numbers.
Let's not forget that the current ratios were to minimize turbo lag, not to create a dragstrip monster.
Ken
If Subaru offered variable valve timing, semi-closed-deck block, forged internals, sodium-cooled exhaust valves, and electronic throttle control on the XT before any of those are on the WRX, I'd think doing likewise with the 6-speed might be at least a possibility...
As for widening the step from 4th to 5th, that of course would be possible. In fact, the regular Forester's 5th is nearly 40% higher than 4th, whereas on the XT (and WRX) the increase is only about 32%. On the other end, the regular Forester's 2nd gear is a manageable 67.5% higher than 1st; on the XT, 2nd is a huge 77.4% taller than 1st. In my opinion, the standard Forester's transmission ratios (and 4.11 axle) are clearly superior in every respect to what Subaru inexplicably chose for the XT.
Bob
The 3.9 final drive, though, ought to be standard regardless.
Ken
I don't expect much technical accuracy from USAT. Read this:
The only modern engines that should really need premium are those with superchargers, which force-feed fuel into the cylinders
Duh? Turbos don't? Most 7 year olds know that. Who wrote that article? A 4 year old?
Tuning an engine is a science. Subaru surely tuned the XT conservatively. Not so with the STi, and boom - it had detonation issues early on even with premium fuel (since addressed). So if you chip your engine or adjust the boost at all, the engine needs higher octane.
-juice
You mean in dog years, right? I hope so, because if so, there's still hope for me!
This will probably be the BIG sticking point for me getting the XT over the XS during spousal negotiations. If I can say that y'all said regular or mid-grade will make no difference to the longevity of the engine or service required, I should be in like Flynn.
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/- - 37615.htm
There are some errors, for example, showing the XT "w/Prem. Pkg., leather, man." when the acceleration score of 6 is probably based on the automatic. The total score of 55 is best in its class for the 2004 models so far, which doesn't include the ones rated Best Buys. The 2003 CR-V scores were 61 to 62.
It makes the comment under acceleration that "Automatics tend to upshift prematurely and hesitate in downshifting." Has this been people's experience with the XT AT?
Steve, Host
DaveM
-Mostly 40-50 mph
-1/3 to 1/2 is mountain or canyon driving
-altitudes 5000-10000 ft.