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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
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Comments
Steve, Host
The Forester is a reasonable size and feels more like a car than it does a truck. Advantage Forester.
I love my Forester and the 30 mpg. I am looking for a heavier duty clutch for my 04 X (manual)as I tow a small pop up camper. Anyone know of any. I cannot find one...
I'll be very tempted to get it :shades:
-Dave
18" rims would be nice, but even then not chrome, yuck.
The new Pathfinder got a lot bigger, it compares more closely to the Tribeca, though it's very much a truck.
-juice
My brother owns one and the only advantage he's got over my FXT is interior space and a softer ride. I'd take mine for 99.9% of uses, though. That is, if I'm driving; as a mere passenger, his is much more appealing.
Doug
"New Blue Fast Car" is a 2006 Forester XT MT5, in Regal Blue, which we picked up Saturday morning. I'll post a long and detailed message in the "Buying experience" board, because it was a very long and drawn-out (if not wasted) Friday. We might have made it difficult on ourselves by falling in love with the Regal Blue after seeing it on an automatic on the lot, but after test driving both the X and XT with beige interiors, we decided that we weren't crazy on it (read 2.75 year old.)
I was very impressed with the X, which was definitely peppier than our 2003, but there was no comparison with the XT. The dealer actually had to jump the car on the lot, and it was a little cold and jittery to begin with, which lead to "stupid quick" comments. But once it had warmed up, and my wife & I had figured out the bite point and the throttle, it is such a joy to drive. The X is a great value and a great car, but having driven the XT, there'd always be that "what if?" or urge to upgrade (especially if we up-grade (thud) to 5000 feet). If you're only going to have one car…
The recent C&D review of the new RAV4 had a synopsis something to the effect of "the car to get if you could only have one car," but we respectfully disagree.
Bottom line was $26051, or about $500 below TMV with two popular equipment groups (bumper cover/ cargo tray/ splash guards and dimming mirror/ shock sensor). We could probably live without the splash guards and shock sensor, but I guess that's the drawbacks of bundled options.
It's been fun around DC and the beltway so far, but we're hoping that traffic to NJ will be light enough early Saturday morning for us to enjoy the car at highway speeds.
Legally.
Thanks one and all for sympathy and advice over the last 3 weeks,
Bob
PS: Just when I thought everything was over, I got a court summons yesterday -- the guy who hit me is appealing his ticket. The hearing (trial?) is in the first week of March.
I think cross-shopping a Pathfinder with a Forester is like comparing apples to oranges.
Bob
In reality I would compare a Murano to a 5 passenger Tribeca, and I think Nissan makes a car-based SUV (is it the Patrol?) sold in Canada and other countries that is closer to the Forester.
-juice
Bob
Steve, Host
Congrats on the '06 XT... If you're ever out near the Reston area and you spot a Steel Grey '06 XT with tinted windows and a sunroof deflector, that's probably "Thunderclese". Much like myself, you'll now never have to worry about the "what if?" factor you would have had in getting an "X".
Oh, btw, we just passed the 1000 mile mark, and got 24mpg this weekend, driving down to Norfolk and back (approx. 75mph most of the way). So, the mileage figures to be pretty spot on. Although, that could have been attributable to getting gas down in Fredericksburg, which I don't think uses the lower mpg inducing, winter mix fuel they sell in the DC area. We had been getting around 19mpg, albeit, that's with my wife driving on a cold engine everyday and only 2 miles each way to the park-and-ride.
Oh, and btw, our car has the exact same additional accessories as yours, except we had them tint the windows and add the sunroof deflector. After driving it a week before the deflector install, I'd say that next to the rear bumper cover and the paint saving mud guards, that deflector is going to be invaluable since it not only keeps wind from beating into the passenger's faces, but it also lets you keep the sunroof shade open and not have to worry about the brigh sunlight blasting you in the eyes during certain times of day when the sun's at just the "wrong" angle and height.
ROTFLMAO!
Merry Christmas all,
John
For all of us with XTs [and those with regrets...], I'd say we all *want* to drive that way :shades:
with the fxt i save at least 3.5 minutes on my commute :P
what if......
http://www.audiocubes.com/category/Car+Audio_2+Din+Receivers/product/Alpine_MDA-- W920JB_CD,MD,MP3,Tuner_receiver.html
Audiocubes appears to be an importer of Japanese Market electronics.
They describe the "new for 2005" Alpine MDA-W920J as a double-din receiver that "correspnds to the Subaru interior" and "also supports iPod media." It also appears to support minidiscs, a format that never really made it in the U.S.
BEWARE Item: Japanese FM runs from 76-90 Mhz and the Audiocubes converter models (either 12 or 20 mhz offset) can't shift the ENTIRE u.s. fm band at one whack. So, if you really like FM, pick your poison. You're going to lose either the top or the bottom of the U.S. FM frequency range.
Anyway, it is clear that the plain "X" is safer than the XT , and safety is high on the list of why people buy a Forester.
what if......
I had a 96 Legacy 2.2L 5-speed, and, while a great handling car, it could not get out of its own way. Many, many times, I had no choice but to keep redlining it just to barely keep up with the NYC 500 rat race. Very frustrating.
With the FXT, it's easy. Just press the "GO" pedal, and the car GOES! And I get to laugh at all the expensive "sport" cars that can't keep up with the little FXT.
I'm sure the turbo model is safe to drive...just joking with the "what if " crowd.
In fact, I'm starting to regret not buying the XT. If I had the XT, at night I could sneak out of my senior citizen's retirement center and go cruising for some street races.
-juice
Towing and carrying big loads, no doubt. Although when my brother asked for my help in hauling some garbage to a dumpster yesterday, he was quick to suggest we put the bin with the most spillage potential into my Forester because of the easy-clean cargo mat (the only mat available for his Pathfinder only covers the area BEHIND the third row seat).
As for offroading, while it's got some advantages over a Forester, it ain't no Jeep. At 8.9" of ground clearance it sits only 1 inch higher than my FXT (it looks even lower than that with its stocky build), the approach/departure angles are better, and it's got a 4WD Low setting. So technically, yes, it's better. But on a grand scale it's no more an offroader than my Forester is; the new Pathfinder was built for the highway, evident by its soft suspension among other things (heavy, higher center of gravity, lots of breakable plastic down low, etc). When it comes to offroad-capable SUVs, Nissan went the way of Ford on this one, knowing that most Pathfinder owners would be sticking to pavement.
If anyone's REALLY going offroad and shopping Nissan, I hope they're looking at one of the pick-ups or an XTerra.
I think cross-shopping a Pathfinder with a Forester is like comparing apples to oranges.
I completely agree. And personally I prefer oranges, but when I'm hungry for an apple the Pathfinder is pretty tasty!
Doug
I too own a Forester, so your preaching to the choir. However, if I also owned a Pathfinder—that would be the one I would go off road with. That would be the one I drive on the beach, and not the Forester.
Bob
The owner's manual says it is 12V-52AH (75D23L)
I'm not sure what this means, but consumer reports just did a report on automotive batteries and they are sorted by group size. I was hoping I could choose a replacement based on their recommendations.
1. Other than initial cost, is there any disadvantages to getting platnuim plugs rather than the coppers on a NA engine.
2. Flushihng the brake lines and replacing the brake fluid at 30K seems silly. I have driven many cars 80-150K without changing brake fluid, never reconginzed a problem. How necessary is that? If the brake fluid is replaced, what about using silicone fluid (DOT 5)vs the standard stuff DOT 4)?
nThanks and happy new year to ya'all!
30k on the brake fluid may be too often it all dependents on how much moisture absorption you get in your fluid. In muggy climates parked outside all the time, 30k is probably about right.
Silicone fluid has a major advantage in that it does not absorb water. However, that is also its major disadvantage too. The water will end up collecting at the low spots of the system and cause more corrosion than the standard fluid.
Hope this helps. I did my 30k on my XS myself last year, it took about half a day. Had I an AT instead of MT, I probably would have taken it in. The 30k cost me about $100 in parts. If you are mechanically inclined, I recommend saving your money for something more critical.
John
I don't recall the mileage, but I only have 58k miles now, so it wasn't with a lot of miles.
-juice
Subaru's maintenance schedule might be one reason some Subaru owners get 250 to 300k miles out of their vehicles.
The short version: We spun on ice, 360 degrees across oncoming traffic (thank god nothing was coming), off the road and down a parks access road (thank god the access road was there or it would have been a guardrail instead) and straighted out just in time to go headfirst into a snow bank. The car came to rest at about a 30 degree angle with the right wheels up on the snow bank and the left wheels on the dirt road.
Damage was amazingly minimal considering we were going 45 MPH. The front bumper and underassembly needs replaced, as do the plastic fender liners. Other than that, just scratches all around from sliding through the gravel of the access road.
Other than making sure I get a 4-wheel alignment, is there anything else I should mention to the dealer's collision center? We were on our way out of state and have probably driven 500 miles since the accident with no known problems, but not sure if there might be something else to get checked out, especially with the AWD drive train.
Any thoughts, thanks.
Black ice is tricky, you never see it coming. All you can do is keep an eye on the outside temp gauage, if it's under 35 be careful, especially on bridges and overpasses. In certain places there's not much you can do.
Have them check out the tires, the rims for any dents (most can be fixed), the alignment, and maybe the wheel bearings, which would be been stressed if you hit a curb.
It's probably fine if you didn't notice anything in 500 miles since.
-juice
I used to drive in club sponsored "driving schools" - basically excuses to drive around a racetrack very fast, and they all required that the brake fluid be changed within a few months of the track event for safety.
Brake fluid is relatively inexpensive, though labor costs can be high because it takes some doing to "bleed" the system of air before the vehicle is drivable. If I were really strapped for cash, the LAST thing I would skimp on is brake fluid. If you can't stop, it will be a lot more expensive to repair the damage -- that is if you are around to pay for it.
The only symptom was a slightly rough idle, and a little more NVH from the engine at speed.
I reset the code, changed the oil (it was due anyway), and filled up the gas tank with some decent Chevron gas, and it hasn't come back. It's smoothed out, also.
So, what do you folks think? Bad tank of gas?
I'm curious as to why only Cylinder #2 recorded a misfire, though. Which one is that, BTW, passenger side rear IIRC?
I'm thinking about changing the spark plug wires, since they are original (81k miles, 8 years). The ones on my Miata only last 30k miles, so I'm about to replace my 2nd set on that car. Anyone think that might have contributed?
Then, our Legacy threw a MIL. :mad:
But get this, P0442, "emission control system leak". Anyone want to guess who forgot to put on their gas cap?
Good news is a quick reset fixed that. Human error.
Thoughts on the misfire, though? You guys think it was the gas? Should I proactively change anything else?
-juice
Spark plug wires - yeah, I was leaning towards that. 81k is a long time for a wear and tear item, I'm overdue.
Coil I'm not familiar with at all. Maybe I'll Google that to see if anyone has worked on that. Or wait to see if the symptoms re-appear after doing the other, easy stuff.
Thanks for the tips.
-juice
When we had the Bosch Platinum plugs changed at 60k the dealer put in the 30k plugs, not the Bosch Platinum. I just left them in for 30k and then the Dealer put in the Bosch Platinums for free at 90k. We didn't have one CEL with the 30k plugs.
Jim
I think there's a web site, toptiergas.com, something like that, and interestingly some major name brands are missing from the list of fuels they recommend.
-juice
I've been quoted 25,400 on an '06 LL Bean. It includes splash guards, homelink, tray, net and tail piece. Price does not include tax and rebate. How does this quote stack up?
BTW, I drive an Audi A6 quattro and was blown away how well the subie handles. Great car for the money.
Thanks,(LOL)
Jeff