Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

ateixeira · April 2003

I did a lot of driving on loose sand at the Outer Banks. Plenty.

I do have 225mm wider-than-stock tires, but the 10mm is less than half an inch different. They floated well, and the lightness of the vehicle kept it from sinking at all.

I did try to keep my momentum to not push my luck, but even stopping in soft sand, I could get started again easily. I did climb a slight slope, but no dunes or anything like that.

So for flat surfaces, I'm sure you'll be fine.

-juice

kullenberg · April 2003

juice:
I've been meaning to ask about the slightly wider tires; one of the tire options I'm looking at for the XT next spring is Nokian WR's in the 225/60/16 size. Yours that size and they fit ok? They are a winter rated m/s tire that I can leave on all year.
Cheers
Pat

ateixeira · April 2003

The catch is my rims are differnet than stock, my offset puts the wheels 15mm farther out from the body. That gave me more clearance.

Yours would be close. I have seen a set of Michelin A/T tires size 225/60R16 fit on a stock rim, but it was might close. The owner said it didn't rub. The tires were more rounded at the edges, like some truck tires, while my touring tires are more squared off.

Ask the tire seller if they think it'll fit.

-juice

p0926 · April 2003

Don't forget to air down the tires before you venture into the real soft stuff (applies to all 4WD vehicles).

-Frank P.

ateixeira · April 2003

Oh yeah, should have mentioned that. 18psi worked well for mine. Take a bicycle air pump with you, or make sure there's a gas station within a mile or two of the exit.

-juice

tpat3 · April 2003

I'm sure we would keep the stock tires but sounds like they'd be fine.

Did I read correctly that the premium package on the '04 ST is auto transmission only? I wanted the giant sun roof with stick. Anyone know about after market sun roofs on the Forester?

Thanks again.

ateixeira · April 2003

A lot of us would like that combo.

I did get a pop-up ASC moonroof, and we put a powered one in my wife's Legacy. We looked for ASC certified shops in MD, and found Adler & Mandel Auto Upholstery.

Pop ups are $300, power is $900. You pay extra for a deflector or if they have to move roof rails ($70 on mine). 5 years later no regrets, the seal is still perfect.

-juice

once_for_all · April 2003

congrats and welcome...I can't add to "what to check" my '03 XS has been perfect no problems whatsoever. But, try the climate control and the heat selection, this is a less than perfect system in an otherwise great car.

BTW, my dealer offered me $500 for my '89 Trooper 5speed with 117k, in great shape. The new Bridgestones alone cost $500. The used car market is quite depressed for sellers right now. I have been trying to sell it for a couple months and I know several others who have been stuck with their used cars, hoping to sell them at better than dealer trade in. You never know...

John

nygreg · April 2003

Mine takes 10 "pumps" for 1 PSI. Good excersize. I also carry an air pump that plugs into the cars power source (~$40).

Greg

paisan · April 2003

Where you located? I might be able to find a good home for that trooper.

-mike

rmd122 · April 2003

rjweiss: I just bought my 98 Forester S w/auto and leather on Ebay for $7902 with 88K. $6500 doesn't sound too bad for a dealer trade in. Just my opinion.

sfdriver · April 2003

Thanks for the responses. I called the parts manager and he confirmed that the 03 Foresters should have the fuel cap tether & will have one ready for me.

jimbob17 · April 2003

Ron and Liv
Check to see if it has an inspection sticker.
My wife and I picked ours up Saturday in the morning and went to a local Diner (I like Diners). I'm looking out the window at it and thinking something is missing. It was the inspection sticker. They had to keep it till Monday when the inspection mechanic came in. They gave me a nice loaner but what a disappointment. Heaven gives me these things to test my character.
I told the salesman that I was probably the quickest person to bring back a car and he said no. Someone bought a WRX and got to the second stop light when he noticed the inspection sticker was missing.

ateixeira · May 2003

Congrats Rich. Let us know when you cross the 100k barrier. :-)

Cool about that tether, glad they're doing it for free.

-juice

revka · May 2003

from the SUV board to the Wagons board. This means you can now access this discussion from either of these message boards. Hope this is helpful.

Happy motoring!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

maverick1017 · May 2003

Okay, I spent a good hour cutting the cable housing behind the adjuster. Turns out the cable itself is wrapped in steel reinforcement coil, with rubber housing on top of that. It was like performing surgery! Tested the system this morning on the way in to work, everything works!

Mike

ateixeira · May 2003

Cool, good work! I'd recommend inspecting it in about a week, just to make sure there's no issues with wear or heat, things like that.

-juice

hollenhorst2 · May 2003

Could anyone suggest one or more online sites where one can order OEM Subaru parts such as oil filters? Thanks.

subearu · May 2003

http://www.subaruparts.com has worked for me, as well as others in the Subaru Crew.

-Brian

ducktapeguy · May 2003

try www.allsubaru.com

Jamie is good to work with, and I think she's getting some whiteline stuff for us forester owners.

maverick1017 · May 2003

I would recommend going to an auto parts store and just buying purolator filters, Suby factory filters are made by Purolator anyways. Save some money, but do get the crush washers from the dealer though. I use PureOne filters, and have had absolutly no problems with them what so ever.

FWIW, Liberty Subaru in NJ has consistantly quoted lower than retail prices for all parts, lower than subaruparts.com and other websites. They always ship promptly and very nice customer service. Parts Manager's name is Russ, real pleasant guy to deal with.

Mike

maverick1017 · May 2003

Thanks for the reminder, I'll make sure to check it in a week or so. I also plan on rewrapping the extra exposed cable with some silicone hose and wrap that with waterproof silicone tape. What do you think?

Mike

ateixeira · May 2003

Sounds good. If you check it after a long drive, when it's been exposed to engine heat for an extended period, and it's fine, then it'll probably last forever.

-juice

deepdrop · May 2003

Can anyone recommend a bike rack? I think a roof rack would be better since it looks like the trailer hitch racks would prevent opening the rear. Thule and Yakima seem to be recommended. Any preferences or other brands to consider? Thanks for any ideas.
Dan

stever · May 2003

Has been updated:

What kind of vehicle is it?

Steve, Host

kens · May 2003

Dan,

I've been very happy with my Yakima systems. I personally favor the roof carrier over hitch mount for visibility and keeping the bikes farther away from probing hands.

I use the Steelhead rack that requires I use one Yakima crossbar. The Steelhead requires you take off the front tire, but it holds the bike the most securely. There are other models that grab the down tube or the crank that will let you mount with the front tire on.

I went with Yakima because they seemed to have more parts and options available as it's made in the US. I purchased my equipment at REI.

Ken

kens · May 2003

Interesting update on the Forester long term road test. How long did each test driver get with the Forester? Since the 4EAT is adaptive, I wonder if it never fully learned one driver's driving style resulting in the less than optimium shifts?

Ken

c_hunter · May 2003

I used to sell both Yakima and Thule racks, and prefer Yakima -- they seem to innovate new ideas all the time. Although, that can be a downside -- for a while, it seemed like I had to buy new rack systems with each new car, since the tower designs change so often. The Forester rack is a custom application, and won't ever fit on other cars anyhow, so obsolesence is not an issue here.

I've got a steelhead bike mount (~6 years old), ski clamps (~14 years old), and kayak stackers (~10 years old). These accessories work even when I change cars. In fact, when I bought my Outback, I was even able to use my existing crossbars. Just bought double-cross towers that mount the Yakima crossbars on the Subaru rails. Previously, I had Q-towers on my Prelude.

The racks are great for transporting lumber, doors, etc. In fact, I have probably hauled more lumber home on my wagon than my neighbors have done with their pickup trucks. Sometimes, racks are better for this kind of thing.

You will notice some wind noise, and possible humming from the round crossbars (can be elimineted by spiral-wrapping a rope or bungie cord around the crossbars. Also may see a gas mileage hit, though I doubt it would be a big impact on a brick like the Forester.

Craig

once_for_all · May 2003

the "original" factory filter on my '03 was actually a Fuji Heavy Industries. The one the Subaru dealer sold me was a Purolator. I liked the Fuji filter, it looked more robust than the Purolator.

John

stever · May 2003

What do you call that again, Juice? Vortex something? :-)

OT, in case you haven't noticed it yet: First Drive: 2004 Subaru WRX STi

Steve, Host

p0926 · May 2003

Steve- Spiral wrapping of an antenna or roof rack crossbar creates a phenomena called "periodic vortex shedding" which is basically a turbulent air wake that eliminates the whistling noise caused by airflow.

-Frank P.

lfdal · May 2003

After reading the Edmund's long term update I think Ken's point about the vehicle maybe not having enough time to adapt during any one drivers time with the car is correct. My worst highway mileage has been 24.5 and the best a little over 27 (I seldom see the spedometer below 70). That and I think mine shifts (and downshifts) just fine - the cruise control is always within +/- 1 or two mph regardless of road grade.

Larry

rwitte · May 2003

Does anyone know if the incentives for the 2003 XS has changed for May? Edmunds seems to take a few days to update their incentives info at the beginning of the month. The cars101.com site shows that the interest incentives have not changed, but they don't mention the dealer cash incentives. I know the X had dealer cash in April, and was wondering if maybe that had spread over to the XS. I'm going to the dealer Saturday morning and would like to have independent verification of this.

I have some things I want the dealer to add to the particular car I'm looking at. Is the rear diff protector a worthwhile thing to have. The worst this car would see is gravel roads and maybe tall grass. Also, does anyone have the side cargo nets? Have they proven useful, or a nuisance.

Thanks for any help you folks can provide.

Randy

03xngreen · May 2003

Dan,
We have a hitch-mounted rack by Thule on our Forester that allows you to easily swing the assembly down and away from the car so you can open the back. (Thats without the bikes on it.) Ive never tried securing a bike to the top of a car, so maybe I shouldnt comment, but it seems like kind of a hassle to me. My wife often goes riding on her own, and she couldnt lift the bike that high by herself. With the rack we have, you just lift the bike a foot or so off the ground, hook the straps, and youre done. You dont have to remove the wheel or anything. I haven't noticed any visibility problems.

dagpotter · May 2003

I was quoted 22900 for an Aspen White XS auto with the premium package, my wife doesn't like the grey cladding, so premium is preferred. It looks like a good deal based on TMV. BTW, the dealer quoted the 3.49% financing as being available so the incentives must continue. Any thoughts? Should I try and get another dealer lower?

Thanks,

Dag.

deepdrop · May 2003

Thanks for the replies. It seems the roof rack can stay on all the time and not be in the way so I'm leaning that way. The Yakima site is kind of confusing to me. It's not clear exactly what parts I need. Would I choose mighty mounts or forester towers? There's a huge price difference and I'm not sure what either one actually does. They don't even mention the steelhead. Also, why do I need crossbars if the Subaru rack already has crossbars? I guess I don't really understand exactly how this rack comes together. Can anyone clarify the parts and what they do? Thanks.

speterson1 · May 2003

If your wife absolutely can't deal with the gray cladding b/c of the looks, that's fine, go for the XS. However, that gray cladding is so incredibly easy to clean (on the dirtiest visible part of the car no less), plus you're getting a white car! Cleaning the XS's monotone white strip will require more work & elbow grease more frequently. Then again, if you're one of the many OCD'ers with a Subie, it will give you a reason to wash & wax your baby all the more often! The gray cladding may not look as nice but certainly is easier to take care of.

ateixeira · May 2003

Darn, Frank beat me to it. I love using the phrase "periodic vortex shedding". Well, there, I used it! ;-)

I have the rear diffy protector, it's pretty beefy and the rear diffy does look sort of open without. OTOH, it's more than 10" off the ground, so if you bottom out it'll be somewhere else, probably on the front cross member.

Dag: price seems good to me, go for it. Compare your prices to the ones on fitzmall.com, they are no-haggle and include freight, so you can compare easily.

Long term review: someone tell Scott to get his window angle adjusted. ;-)

And why would you put sunglasses in the center console when there are two compartments overhead designed specifically for those?

-juice

labgirl · May 2003

The main subaru website lists new incentives for May (must take delivery by June 02) - 0% financing is mentioned, but details are to be had from your local dealer. I'm in the market for a XS Premium with leather - list is 26,170 - can one be had for around invoice (23,800)? I agree with another poster's wife - I like the mono-color much more than the grey cladding.

ateixeira · May 2003

I'd say less than invoice is possible. I took a quick peek at fitzmall.com and saw prices about $400-600 under invoice.

I see your profile mentoins the Highlander, too. It's not as big, but you could get a fully loaded Forester for about what a bone-stripped 2WD 4 cylinder Highlander would cost.

-juice

labgirl · May 2003

The Highland, I've decided, is really bigger than I need. I've been driving a Caravan, which is about the same footprint as the Highlander and most of the space is wasted. Anyone have any comments on the Forester sound system?

kajko · May 2003

IMHO Edmund's drivers have a fairly lead foot: long term mileage for Forester: 21.7mpg !? we've driven ours for >9400 miles, about 2/3 highway and our miles-adjusted mileage is 25.7 (range: 19.1 - 32.6), then again, it is a manual with same drivers... actually, driving our Forester is like driving an econo car, since this is what Edmunds gets long term for the Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus... ;-P

03xngreen: does your Thule rack change the exit angle much? i currently have a swing out rack but it hangs so low that it catches too easily. i'd like to stick to having a hitch mounted bike rack but would like to find something that would keep the bikes higher.

Anyone tried the Barrecrafters hitch mount? it's the only one i could find that would hold 2,3, or even 4 bikes on the 1.25" hitch receiver.

maverick1017 · May 2003

I was checking the coolant level and testing it when I noticed that I have black stuff on the inside of the overflow tank, no in the coolant itself, but it seem to be growing on the side walls, like a fungus or mold. Anybody else have this happen or know what it is and how do I get rid of it? It is pretty digusting looking.

Thanks
Mike

rsholland · May 2003

to my non-audiophile ear, it's fine. We have the upgraded tweeters, etc.

Bob

03xngreen · May 2003

Kajko,
The rack tube comes straight out from the hitch receiver. Subsequent ground clearance is one foot. I didnt recognize that could be a factor, because we dont take the car very far off-road.

dcm61 · May 2003

Is there "black stuff" floating in the liquid of the overflow tank or just on the sides?

I had oil floating in the overflow tank of my '96 Outback. I believe a head gasket was probably blown but I traded it in before looking into the problem in more detail.

It's a '98 Forester, right? How many miles?

DaveM

eps105 · May 2003

I purchased the Subaru OEM roof-mounted bike rack from my dealer a few years back and have been very pleased. It is manufactured by Yakima for Subaru and is reasonably priced if you can get your dealer to give you a little bit of a discount. (The design is a little different than buying it directly from Yakima, so that it works with the existing crossbars.)

The nice thing is that the rack attaches directly to the existing crossbars with 4 plastic adapters that cost about $12. No new crossbars needed.

I preferred a bike rack where I didn't have to remove the front wheels for convenience reasons. The bikes are held very securely, and I have driven 300 miles with them on top with no problems. It works with mountain bikes and comes with adapters to securely hold street bike tires too.

Best of all, since the Forester is not a monster SUV, if you are at least 5'6" tall or more, you can easily reach and place the bikes on top without needing a stepladder.

I love watching the yahoos in the park use a ladder to get their bikes off the top of their urban assault vehicles!

Elliot

eps105 · May 2003

I think I remember someone mentioning recently that they upgraded the speakers in their Forester and noted that even compared to the upgraded premium Subaru speakers, the sound was much improved.

I have a '03 Forester XS with the premium audio package (tweeters, upgraded speakers, and subwoofer), and I am extremely pleased with the sound quality. But while the small subwoofer does a great job with the lows, I still feel like there's a slight dropout of mid-bass, as if the sound is not as rich and full as it could be.

I would love to hear some feedback from other that have upgraded their premium speakers to find out if the sound can be even better (for a reasonable price).

1) Is there really a marked improvement over the premium speakers?

2) If so, is it worth replacing the rear speakers, too?

3) What speakers do you recommend?

(I guess I should post this on the Modifications board, but I'm specifically interested in hearing from Forester owners.)

Thanks!
Elliot

dagpotter · May 2003

The reason I went with white is the dealer only has gold, white and black on lot, and color is not a dealbreaker within reason, but I am not interested really in either of the other two colors. I am assuming that the cladding is the same plastic, just body colored. I know white is a pain to clean, but I enjoy cleaning my cars.

ateixeira · May 2003

labgirl: I had the base speakers and later put in the premium sounds speakers. The base ones are cheap dual-cones. The premium gives you two-ways up front, but still dual-cones in back. If you are an audiophile, you'll get a better value shopping Crutchfield.

The sound is better and certainly adequate to me, but the soundtrack from Sesame Street is still pretty painful! ;-)

I don't have the subwoofer or tweeters, but fitment is tougher on those and I've heard they're decent.

The 6CD unit is nice. It plays my CD-Rs, but not MP3s.

Mike: I'd pull out the tank, and make sure that the black stuff is indeed a mold. How strange. Any how, I'd soak it in a bleach/water solution, dry throughly, then replace it.

-juice

Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

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