Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

raybear · December 2003

What about Tire Rack? All you need is someone to install.

ballistic · December 2003

XT went hauling off the line, muscle car style, with the front end in the air and the back end hunkered down. I laughed out loud,

Considering that Subaru lauded the additional anti-dive anti-squat characteristics of the 2nd-gen Forester suspension, it is surprising how much the nose rises when you punch an XT in the lower gears. Not knocking it, though. It truly is a "look" I haven't observed since the '60s musclecars. I suppose the relatively compliant, long-travel Forester struts have much to do with it. I genuinely am in love with the balance between ride and handling they provide.

ateixeira · December 2003

LOL, JB. We need people like you to look for continuous improvements. ;-)

I might be qualified to compare a base Forester to a base Legacy, given I own both. I'll comment on each of your bullet points.

Forester X
+ Hatchback - kills a sedan with no folding seat
+ Better re-sale - probably
+ Full size spare - yes, we added one to our Legacy
- Susceptible to crosswinds? - not a problem for me

Legacy Sedan L/SE
+ Lower to ground, better handling? - IMO no
+ Sunroof - double, too. Aftermarket on both of ours.
+ Leather steering, stick - easy fix, aftermarket wheel cover, OE shift knob screws on.
+ Styling - will look old when new model arrives
- No full size tire - fixable, about $120
- Potenza on snow? - so-so
- Poor resale, next model few months away - maybe

I think you can address lots of the gripes with either aftermarket and in some cases OE stuff (shift knob and steel full size wheel).

But...bottom line is a wagon always wins in versatility. That roof rack is handy. Fold those seats for boxes. Short wheelbase is actually sportier and more fun, by far, just my opinion (ours is an L with 15" rims).

35th comes very well equipped out of the box, but still, there is nothing you can do to a sedan to make it as practical as a Forester.

-juice

leo2633 · December 2003

bit:

I saw that cupholder of yours back in '01 when you first posted it, and immediately ordered one from Griot's. I tried mounting it in my Forester in the same places you did in your Legacy, but it interfered with leg room and seat travel. I still have it. Maybe someday I'll use it somewhere. Griot's mentioned that it's the same as the one used by Mercedes. I can confirm that. A friend has a new E320 wagon, and it has those exact cupholders in the rear.

Len

eb12 · December 2003

I have a 03 Legacy LSE, My wife has a 04 Forester XS.
I enjoy the Legacy for my hiway commute to work, plus it does come loaded with standard equipment but the Forester wins hands down for versatility (agreeing with juice).
I am looking forward to using the moonroof next spring, plus having peace of mind for AWD this winter.
Drive both and see which one you like and suits you better.
I can say you can't go wrong with either one.

chaynes1 · December 2003

Punched the throttle this morning a bit harder than usual to avoid a beheading by an 18-wheeler, and a very loud growling noise came out of the Suby similar to that of a "cut out" exhaust from my high school days. Really startling, as if the muffler suddenly had a hole in it. No further sounds in normal use, and the Forester is very quiet again. Got to thinking why, after 28,000 quiet pampered miles, this happens. I've revved it to redline in the past to the sounds of the usual mechanical whirr, but have never heard this coarse noise. The only thing I've changed recently was the air filter, replacing the original one with an aftermarket type (thinner, perhaps). So far, the Suby has been bulletproof. Was I hearing induction noise during the burst of acceleration? Suby techies, what gives?

c_hunter · December 2003

Are you sure that the filter box was put back together right, and all the intake connections are tight? You could possibly hear "vroom vroom" noises from intake leaks.

It could also have been from the exhaust. There are usually a couple of flex joints, and these can sometimes open up during extreme powertrain movement. I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens frequently.

Craig

irnmdn · December 2003

Does Forester lean a lot on corners compared to Legacy L? I drove a outback sport few months back. It was fine in this regard.

speterson1 · December 2003

Does anyone know where I can find some tips & hopefully pics online on how to swap stereos on the Forester? I am currently bidding on a Subaru CD changer on eBay since our stock single-CD unit has gone bad as of late.

suydam · December 2003

When we were car-shopping, we compared the Forester with the Outback wagon. We found that the wagon had a tendency for the back end to slide out in sharp turns, but the Forester never did. Consumer Reports mentions "twitchy handling" for the Outback too. That's the main reason we chose the Forester. I have a few complaints about the Forester, but handling isn't one of them. -- Mary

lbhaley · December 2003

Remember, the Outback is based on the Legacy chassis, but the Forester is based on the Rally bred Imprezza.

bkaiser1 · December 2003

Burnsmr4, I had the MXV4's on my Outback and LOVED them. They replaced a set of Dunlop SP Sport A2's that were pretty crummy (cupped tread, always out of balance, worn out at 18k miles....) and I thought the MXV4's outperformed them in all conditions. Snow traction was much better, the ride was Lexus-smooth, and it handled high speed interstate driving quite well. I think they are worth every penny.

Compared to the XGT4 line, which is marketed as a sportier tire, I'd expect the MXV to be a little better riding with slightly lower handling limits. There are a few members here with the XGT4's who really like them, too.

Brian

bsvoller · December 2003

my '01 Forester S+, 3.5 years and 40,000 miles later.

Turned the big 40 over this morning on the way to work.

This is my first *new* car, ordered just the way I wanted from the factory. It's been everything we wanted, and has delivered as promised in every area. Towing, mileage, performance, reliability, comfort, etc, etc.

Had a problem with the bug shield (tore off in strong crosswinds twice, had it removed), and front cupholders (my wife managed to bust it once, who knows how, it's not that flimsy), and the clutch occasionally shudders (very infrequent - I'll drive it till it goes and then replace unless it changes). Just replaced the battery. New tires at 30k.

Otherwise, worry free. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

By the way, I'm running Dunlop Sport A2's with no problems so far.

Cheers,

-brianV

kens · December 2003

Brian,

Congrats on your Forester turning 40K! It's just about broken in now! :-)

I'm creeping up to 93K.

Ken

bsvoller · December 2003

Wow, 93k eh ? What year again ?

I'm not exactly wearing it out. I'm down to less than 10k per year now. The van has picked up most of our family miles.

-brianV

ballistic · December 2003

I now have a shortish commute (11 miles each way), so I'm down to about 8-9K per year. At that rate, my XT will almost surely last longer than I will... ) - ;

kens · December 2003

I've got a 98 Forester S. 30 mile commute each way.

Ken

ballistic · December 2003

In that case, you can be sure your Forester will die before you do.

eb12 · December 2003

The Legacy L handle the turns better (lower to ground) IMHO, The Forester does handle quite well, with no complaits, much better than the 01 Outback we used to have.
Eric

stever · December 2003

Link's on the left. Starts in ~3 hours. All welcome!

Steve, Host

joseph50 · December 2003

BrianV mentioned that he changed batteries after 3.5 years, 40K.
I am about there in time and mileage.
So, I should think about getting a new battery soon? I would hate to have a dead battery in dead of winter.
I would appreciate hearing from other '01 and earlier owners: Have you had to change your battery?
When?
Thanks!

kens · December 2003

I changed the battery in my 98 S at around 50K miles (about 3 years). I noticed the starter motor was getting sluggish so I wanted to be proactive and got a Sears Die Hard. The improvement on startup was amazing.

The stock battery barely meets the minimum CCAs recommended in the owner's manual. I'd highly recommend a proactive change especially if you live in cold climates.

Ken

joseph50 · December 2003

Thanks.
One can sure learn a lot here.
BrianV: What did you change to?
Ken: You picked the Sears Die Hard because you did a lot of research, and it turned out to be the most highly recommended? (Or was price the consideration, or not...)
Joseph

solowalker · December 2003

I want to change my battery in my '00 Forester S....

I want to do the change myself.....I have changed many batteries over the years in low tech cars, but this Subie has alot of electronics..

Is there any special procedure to employ when doing the change...?

Is there a way to keep from having to re-program the radio settings...?

thanx

crashton6 · December 2003

Last weekend I put a Optima red top group 35R (reversed terminal battery in my 2000. It fit without modifications of any kind. The specs are 720cca & a 72 month warranty. The oem Panasonic was 4 years old with 80,000 miles on it. It hadn't let me down yet, but I felt it was getting close. Lots of acid from charging on the battery top.

Chuck

crashton6 · December 2003

solowalker-

It's not really any different than changing any other car battery. Make sure to pull the negative terminal off first & put it back last. As far as the radio presets go you can write them down so you remember them or buy a 9v battery plug that goes into the cigar lighter socket to hold the memory. I bought mine from the Mac man, but I bet you could find one at the parts store.

Chuck

crashton6 · December 2003

You are in luck, it's not too hard at all. First open the center console. Inside at the front you will see 2 dome shaped covers. Pop them off with a screwdriver. Underneath you'll see 2 phillips head screws. Remove those, then pull up on the back of the plastic piece that goes around the shifter. It will pop off. Move the shifter toward the rear of the cat to give yourself some room. Now carefully pull on the bottom of the plastic piece in the center of the dash stack that the radio's in. It will pop out, it's held by clips. Then remove the 4 phillip screws that hold the radio in. If your new radio cd doesn't come with brackets you can reuse the ones of your oem radio. It's taken me longer to type this that to do the job.

The reason I know how to do this is that I put a WRX radio in my Forester. You're going to love that changer.

Chuck

p0926 · December 2003

Joseph- My 01 is 3 1/2 years old and the original battery is still going strong. FYI: a battery doesn't normally just "die" with no notice. You usually have some warning. I.e. it starts taking a little longer to crank on cold mornings.

-Frank P.

suydam · December 2003

My 1999 Forester has 67,000 miles and is still on the original battery. I do live in a snowy climate and have never had the slightest problem. When it dies, I'll replace it, but not before. I certainly think the battery should last longer than 40,000 miles. -- Mary

ballistic · December 2003

Is there a way to keep from having to re-program the radio settings...?

Easy. If you already own (or can borrow) a set of battery jumper cables, just connect them between your battery cables and another car. Then, when you detach your battery cables to switch batteries, juice from the other car will hold all of your settings until the new battery takes over.

bsvoller · December 2003

-joseph50: I bought a Nascar Select 35-84. 570 CCA, 84/24 warranty. Recommmended by CR in this size for what it's worth. Most group 35's fall short, so I went with the test. The Sear's Diehard Gold has a good reputation too.

-frank: My battery had acid on top, but still cranked OK. Time for a new one. Acid indicated a cell going down, since it was never overfilled (I did top it off, so it wasn't low).

-suydam: Batteries are not mileage items, unlike drivetrain components. Batteries age over time whether you drive far or not. Heat is particularly hard on them, and we've had 3 record breaking summers in a row, including a 340 year drought year. OEM batteries often start to fail after about 3 years. Since my commute is only 9 miles, that's still a lot of engine starts. In fact, come to think of it, we've not had a battery last over 4 years since we moved to Denver. <shrug> We've had 2 short to ground and just die on us in separate vehicles in 10 years here.

-brianV

suydam · December 2003

True, but the post was asking owners of older Foresters how long their batteries have lasted. Your high altitude in Colorado could maybe shorten battery life? Where I live batteries generally seem to last a long time.

subarusaleshou · December 2003

What is that? What does it mean?

Altitude and batteries: Is there a correlation? Native Houstonian so my primary interactions with altitude are the top tier ramps from one freeway to another.

bsvoller · December 2003

The drought of 2002 was the worst drought in Colorado in the last 340 years. In fact, they had to go to tree ring analysis to find out how long it had been, since records in these parts don't go back anywhere near that far (became a state in 1876). No, I'm not an authority on tree ring analysis, so I don't know how accurate it is.

I mentioned it only as an indicator of just how bad our summers have been. Not only has it been unusually hot, it's been consistently very hot and dry for long periods.

I don't know why or how altitude could affect battery life here, other than the heat we've had. Perhaps the batteries tend to dry out ? In my case, I top them off with distilled water, so that shouldn't be a factor.

Some batteries are designed for specific climates. Because of the proximity of the mountains, most folks here seem to use "northern" batteries, but our summers have demanded "southern" batteries lately. Perhaps that's part of the problem, I don't know. I tend to buy batteries with good cold cranking power and large reserves (i.e. "northern" style), mostly because I grew up in the mid-West, and that's what I'm used to.

-brianV

p0926 · December 2003

I agree with Brian that there's no correlation between mileage and battery life. That's why I only listed the age of my Forester. However, it's more involved than just that. Such factors as how often the engine is started and climatic extremes (both very hot and cold) will significantly affect how long a battery lasts. Living mainly in the southeastern US, the avg life span for my batteries has been approx 5 years. IIRC, the more northern (colder) the clime the shorter the battery life.

-Frank P.

daniell · December 2003

I still have the original battery in my 1998 Civic (bought April 1998). Still going strong.

Question for experts: towards the end of the life of a battery, it will hold charge less than a new battery. Hence, the alternator will need to work harder. Is this going to stress the electrical systems of the car, alternator in particular?

subkid · December 2003

Original (Panasonic) battery in my other car - 12 years old, all the time parked outside in harsh Canadian winters, never failed, still going strong (and probably will die tomorrow morning

K

lowellk · December 2003

Stuart: I ordered the "Rear of Seat Net" (direct quote from the installation instruction sheet) for my '03. The kit included:

1 x Envelope Net
2 x Threaded Studs
2 x Mushroom Anchors

Since the Forester was already fitted with the side cargo nets, I didn't need to install the anchors/studs.

I'd venture a guess that the side cargo net includes an anchor and a stud.

Cheers,

Lowell

burnsmr4 · December 2003

Brian,

Thanks for the info on the MXV4 Michelins. I'm going to see if COSTCO will let me install them while matching the 10% discount that my local installer provides as a local preferred employer employee. Of course, I'm not sure how much it costs to join COSTCO -- that may be a sticking point.

Later,
burnsmr4

ballistic · December 2003

Aside from letting their electrolyte get low, which is bad, one of the major life-shorteners for ordinary batteries is leaving something on so that they drain down flat. They'll still take a charge and soldier on for awhile, but draining them dead substantially shortens their service life.

Heavy marine deep-cycle batteries are built to withstand this to some extent, but not car batteries.

deadeye5 · December 2003

Installed a Subaru Warmer.I put it over the std. insulated (foam & plastic) shield that was on the battery but now thinking perhaps I should have removed the plastic/foam gizmo..Any of U do it ??? 2004 XT

Deadeye

ballistic · December 2003

std. insulated (foam & plastic) shield that was on the battery

There isn't anything like that on mine. Is this added by dealers in really cold climes?

ateixeira · December 2003

My battery lasted 4 years or so, I was bad and never added distilled water. The new one I check every oil change. Of course it died in Connecticut at the worst possible time, so at least check the water level!

Stereo swap on the Forester is easy. The Legacy is tougher, but the Forester is cake.

Body lean? It's not too bad, you do have a long travel suspension so sure it'll lean at the limit. A fatter sway bar helps ($80-$120). Most Impreza parts bolt right on.

-juice

deadeye5 · December 2003

Battery shield ?? Not sure if just cold climes or not I am in Fla and it was on mine...

Deadeye

ballistic · December 2003

Battery shield ?? Not sure if just cold climes or not I am in Fla and it was on mine...

No kidding. What does it look like? Does it cover the top of the battery, so you can't see the cables and terminals without removing it first? There's nothing like that on my XT.

deadeye5 · December 2003

Battery Shield....Guess it to be about 1/4" thick goes around all four sides..Anyhow, I installed the Warmer I purchased OVER the device I described. We shall see - will be in the far North the next 3 wks....

Enjoy the Holidays--Deadeye

ballistic · December 2003

<i?Battery Shield....Guess it to be about 1/4" thick goes around all four sides..

OK, thanks for clarifying. That's what I'd call a battery box. I thought you were talking about some sort of insulating panel over the top of the battery.

rsay777 · December 2003

Is it normal not to hear the pressure being released when filling up the X? it seems that the other vehicles I drive I hear the pressure releasing when opening the cap. Bob L.

c_hunter · December 2003

Here it is -- it's a warmer:

http://www.subaruparts.com/catalog/?section=312#14

c_hunter · December 2003

I don't think it matters either way -- it would depend on the weather, and new cars have a very complex evaporation control system (for environmental reasons) that could change the behavior.

Craig

Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

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