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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
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Comments
I guess that the XT is spinning at higher RPMs on the highway at cruising speeds because of the gearing. Can any XT owners comment on this? Is it noticeable? what RPM at say, 60mph?
Craig
I think 1st is shorter but 5th is taller, so highway rpm isn't much different from the XS.
The short final drive got SoA what they wanted - great press. You didn't see anyone who tested it asking for more power. How rare is that?
-juice
On the other side, if you really are serious and interested in that subject, just search a little - there will be lots of info on one of those forums.
Happy New Year everybody - how about a N.Y. resolution - no more use of the words 'XT', 'gearing', 'final drive ratio' in the same post
K
Anyhow, I'm awaiting my XS MT to get its after-market leather seats, and I'd like to let Subaru know that I'm not all that thrilled with their marketing decisions re: the MT in the US (aside from the obligatory letter, which I've already drafted). Maybe there are other folks out there who have banded together to send that message to the powers that be--I'd like to join them if they are out there.
Oh, and Happy New Year.
While I've found one automatic that I like (VW's six-speed with the 1.8 liter turbo engine), I doubt that I'd actually buy a vehicle with an auto. Maybe I'm a dinosaur (have been called worse) but I think any vehicle will be more fun with the MT.
Congatulations on the new Forester, Walker. I was spared the agony of your XT-or-not decision since I bought in '02. Would have been a tough decision for me, too.
But speaking of manual trannys, I realized the other day that my parents haven't owned an automatic in over 30 years. They're both pushing 80 now but still drive cars with manual trannys.
-Frank P.
I'm also married to a manny tranny freak (lucky me). Between us, we've owned 14 cars, 13 of which were manuals, including 5 vws, 2 volvos, and 2 subarus (the one that was not--a Pontiac--was a gift). I even owned a '75 AMC Pacer with a three on the floor.
I've been out of the car market for five years, and I was quite surprised to find out how hard they are to come by (just finding one to take a test drive in proved to be a real chore, and I never found a Subaru dealer that had both the XT and the X/XS in manuals at the same time).
I'm feeling old, and it's not just that another year is upon us!
I've enjoyed reading the posts on this board, and have learned alot - hope someone might have some suggestions / perhaps a similar experience. Thanks.
Seriously, great source of information...H-2004/ez
-Frank P.
P.S. Jack's a nice enough fellow but I'm concerned that his eggs got a little scrambled from crewing on a nuke sub :-)
..were you to be aware of the requirements for submarine duty (diesel, let alone nuclear) you just might be impressed.
Incidentally, I served in the Army prior to college. Ever hear of the ASA?
All the best...ez
I hope this helps in diagnosing your problem. Happy New Year.
Len
Hear of the ASA? Yes you could say that, I was in it. I assume from the question that you were too. What Field Station?
-Frank P.
One of my buddies just stopped on the highway and wouldn't restart. Flatbedded to dealer.....No Trouble Found. 2nd time it happened, the Oxygen sensor was the fix. My experiences and $.02
Requirements? What requirements? They let me do five patrols; three on the first ballistic missile boat and two on the 3rd. If I could qualify, an average chimpanzee could do the same.
I decided to postpone buying studded snows until next year. Right after making that brilliant decision, southwest Portland naturally got snow beginning several days ago. About 4", then another 3 on top of that, with some below-freezing temps in between. The XT hardly seemed to notice. I have a steep hill starting at the foot of my driveway, and another at the only entrance to the neighborhood. Child's play in this car. I'll tell you, though, nobody will ever fail to notice when the ABS kicks in. The brake pedal pulses in and out at least an inch.
Ahhh... that explains why they now have much more stringent requirements ;-)
-Frank P.
P.S. Jack- I saw on TV where Portland was getting snow. Good to know that your XT handled it with aplomb.
Wife, who spent her entire first 18 years in extreme northwest Minnesota where they measure snowfall in feet, not inches, and it lasts months, not days, now comes completely unhinged when she rides with me in a few scant inches. The XT never faltered, but you'd never know that by her paranoid reaction.
I built our home in a very hilly area. In the past, any snow at all left us trapped, either in unable to get out, or out unable to get in. Amazing how liberating a Forester is. We had yearly dinner reservations last night at my favorite establishment, and I didn't want to cancel. We didn't. The steaks tasted twice as good.
What mad cow disease?
Let me do a sales pitch on the wonders of lean, Australian Beef. Shipping now to a butcher near you, and BSE free (we hope)! I guarantee that it tastes nicer than US Beef and leaner. One of our really great export producs.
Now, how to tie this back to a Forester theme... I know, "bad idea to run into an Australian cow, even with a Forester. They are bigger and stronger..."
Cheers
Graham
-Frank P.
Bob
Alas, I'm all out of downer cow steaks (and halibut) in my freezer :-(
A bunch of local Idaho french fries are stuck in limbo too; many frozen for export are cooked in beef tallow.
For anyone looking for Forester info in here, how about a review? (JS Online)
Steve, Host
Link is on the left.
Steve, Host
RPM's - 3,000 at 70 MPH, about 3,500 at 80 MPH.
I drove to NC from Atlanta on them -- they seemed to ride well. But they were a bit rough ride between 70mph and 80mph. I think they were a bit overinflated. The tire shops always do that. As opposed to the dealerships who follow the placards on the inside of the door which tend to give better, smoother rides. I'll find a middle ground this weekend after an oil change.
Speaking of maintenance, I am going to buy an extended warranty for my Subaru from the selling dealership either tomorrow or Saturday. I was surprised that dealer pricing was about 15% - 20% less than the MSRP on the Subaru Added Security brochures. The Gold Plus plan with a $100 deductible doesn't sound bad. It covers accessories like that expensive cargo curtain on the 2002 Forester S.
Anyone running on the Subaru Added Security extended warranty? Satisfied with the coverage? Pleased/disappointed with the dealer pricing?
That's about it. Happy New Year!
burnsmr4
If you're going to get one, you should be aiming to pay about half the MSRP (yes the mark-up is that great). Also, call Subaru of Gwinnett and ask what their prices are (they claim to sell for considerably less than MSRP) but remember that even that price is negotiable. Good luck.
-Frank P.
Speaking of which, is anyone else ticked off by the so-called small business tax write-off for luxury SUVS (technically any vehicle over 6,000 pounds). I know the law years ago was intended to help farmers afford big machinery, but a good friend of mine (a doctor) discovered it applied to him (and to lawyers, real estate agents, etc.) but only if they purchase huge, guzzling SUVs. He gets as much as 100K to write off over the years.
This seems idiotic.
The synthetic probably helped give you a 1 or 2 mpg bump. Switching to synthetic in the diffs will probably help as well.
-Dennis
-Frank P.
Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your day. I take it you guys on this forum site have been through this particular issue already, so I'll let it go.
Zman
Or is it good luck I had them? GMOL (great mystery of life).
Happy New Years to all and thanks for keeping this one great group.
Larry
Eliminate all deductions and exemptions. Give me a revenue-neutral flat tax applied to straight adjusted gross income, at about a 15% rate. Then stand back and watch this economy soar when phony, contrived tax considerations no longer interfere with sound economic decision-making.
Stepping off CPA soapbox.
I don't like extended warranties either, and I drive them almost as long as Ballistic does. (Agreeing with Jack, twice!, is a bit scary <g>).
I'm trying Toyo's on my minivan. Jury is still out, but you got to like the Subura-ish color scheme at their web site.
Steve, Host
-Frank P.
We came magically close in Packwood's 1986 Tax Reform Act. It contained some troublesome "transition rules" inserted mainly by Rostenkowski, but on balance it was the best piece of tax legislation in my long lifetime. Certainly a very large step in the right direction.
Then the social architects, who were horrified at their loss of ability to dictate behavior, spent the next 20 years dismantling it.
I'm not (yet) so cynical as to give up and say it could never happen again.
He claimed a 6 year/60000 mile Gold Plus warranty was $675 dealer cost. That adds 3 years/24000 miles to my existing 3 year/36000 mile warranty. Only 1 year to my drivetrain warranty -- no additional miles on it.
If I got around the $1K mark, I could get the 6 year/72000 mile warranty and extend both my regular and drive warranties.
Of course, in either case, I'll get, at most, 2 years of use from the warranty, since I'm already at 36K miles after 2 years. And I'll still be paying off the car during the uncovered 5th year.
Suggestions? Recommendations?
burnsmr4
Steve, Host
I just got Gold-Plus/100k/7yr/$0-ded (2K2 Forester) for over 40% of the MSRP. If you are interested, I can forward you the contact info...
Americans go nuts over xx%-off "sales". Furniture and clothing stores are famous (or famously notorious) for perpetually advertising stuff at HALF-OFF!!! Few if any buyers ever actually pay the claimed pre-discount price, so the reality is that the so-called deep-discount sales price is in fact the actual "going-rate" price. Only the uninformed let themselves be beguiled by these everyday practices.
Cyberpirate -- post any and all contact information you can here. I'd appreciate it. I'm going to go over numbers with my wife in the meantime and call the Gwinnett dealership.
burnsmr4
Please, don't! You may provide the name of the dealership but no contact information including names of salespeople, phone numbers and so forth.
tidester, host