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Comments
BTW, the 16" tires are Yokos, not Toyos. They do sound very similar, though.
Daniell: do you still have the same sound in neutral when you rev to that rpm? I mean, with the vehicle standing still?
That way you can tell if it's something in the engine or the drivetrain. I bet it's one of the differentials "whining".
-juice
Bob
On the other hand, the Duelers were better in snow.
So it could also depend on your needs and geographic location.
-juice
I'm a wuss when it comes to doing electrical work on a car, so I had it installed by the stereo shop. The unit has a power input jack on it, but I'm not exactly sure where they tapped into. It comes with the wiring harness to plug into the unit. The instructions show a 10 amp fused power line going to the car's "main power supply", a wire going to the headunit and a ground wire. (I looked under the dash, but can't tell where they tapped into the power.) It also has "speaker input" and "RCA inputs" for the sound, depending on what your headunit has (the stock unit uses speaker inputs, and aftermarket headunits have RCA inputs). The unit is mounted to the floor with speed nuts that are inserted into slits in the carpet. You don't have to drill any holes in the floor. I hope this helps.
Hutch,
Sorry to hear that the tire problem still isn't right. I got my Michelins from Tire Rack today. I'm going to have them mounted tomorrow, so I can send the Aquatreds back. The Aquatreds seemed so promising. I'm really disappointed about the manufacturing defect mine had. Good luck with yours.
Len
Well, on my way back home today it sounded like the noise was coming from the roof rack. Kind of hard to do the driving an listening in the same time
What's the significance of a "differential whine", on a scale going from normal to catastrophic?
Daniel
The sport grille option on US Foresters has nothing to do with the Canadian Sport model Forester...
The sport grille has a series of 16 vertical chrome bars with a larger chrome bar in the center.
The Canadian Sport model has a black mesh grille.
Thanks for your interest!
BTW...how can I add more gold to my gold-accented wheels? ... that would look so great with Sedona Red Pearl!
Anyone have info on this beauty?
It may only be available in Japan.
A Forester with ground effects!!!
The best of both worlds! I only have one pic but no info.
Actually, it's the Forester StiII -- basically take a Forester, put in the same engine as the WRX and give it a sports suspension as well as body styling.
The site's in Japanese, but you can click around and enjoy some photos:
http://www.subaru.co.jp/forester/sti/sti.htm
Rumor has it that we may get a turbo Forester in the not too distant future.
Ken
http://www.subaru.co.jp/forester/desktop/desktop.htm
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Yeah, I saw those but it just gives me turbo envy!
Ken
I'm planning to upgrade the speakers in my '02 Forester L. I fall into the "data is data" camp when it comes to CD sound reproduction, so I'm not planning to do anything to the OEM CD player unless this speaker upgrade leaves me disappointed.
The question is: have others who have upgraded gone for upgrades of all four in-door speakers as well as new tweeters? Or just ignore the tweeters? This might even suggest that a good upgrade of the in-door units should be accompanied by a disconnection of the OEM tweets. Or just go all the way with six new speakers?
I replaced the regular speakers with 2-ways, and left the tweeters installed. This has an OK, but rather bright sound. Also the other problem I encountered (I installed Infinity speakers and the tweeters mounted on top of the speakers push against the grille, and sometimes the grille comes loose after the door is shut) means that were I to do it again, I would buy the Infinity COMPONENT system, just install the main speaker, then I'd have the option to leave the Subaru tweeters (they're not bad) or use the leftover Infinity tweeters. This is a more expensive option; the component Infinitys were $150 for 6 1/2", while the 2-ways were $99.
Also, if you do it yourself, you'll have to use cement to mount the speakers, as the Infinitys have a different number of mounting screws than the stock speakers. I'm not sure how professional installers handle that.
-Steven-
-juice
can anyone reccomend a good dog cage/separator for the back and back seat area?
David
bit
We go back for it after work tonight. Thanks for board help
-juice
There is no noise in neutral. So the motor is fine. I also put it in D3, and at 3000 rpms, the noise is basically not there. So it has something to do with the actual speed of the vehicle, or it is something wrong in D4. It's definitely not the roof rack as I thought, that's a different noise.
Open for any suggestions...
OT: I'll respond to your post over on the A4 board when I get the chance ...still fuming over that one guy's post about "privacy" ...*laughs* --yeah, I guess I do take things too personally, huh? And 27.4 mpg??? ...that's great!! I just filled up last night and checked "actual" against the trip computer and it was within .5 mpg but I'm only getting 21.3 mpg
Thanks for checking over here!
--'rocco
-juice
OT: Yeah, that other guy had me pretty steamed too. The comments about privacy and asking permission to quote somebody made me think that he must be new to these kinds of posts -- you know, somebody who isn't familiar with the informal "rules." Maybe he'll think twice now before he takes anybody to task about something ridiculous.
Also, once we receive it, what do we have to do to break it in? We are planning a long trip out of state right after we get it, because originally, we thought we'd get it by the end of July.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292470983&idx=0
gets reasonable gas mileage, and is very comfortable. I have not the slightest regret about choosing the Forester, but as they say, your mileage may vary. :~)
PS I would be very concerned about the lack of a rear bumper on the RAV4.
Ross
http://www.bitman.com/soob_breakin.html
Most likely it is identical to the break-in requirements for the Forseter. But given what SOA says I would think a road trip to be an ideal break-in experience. I read Drive It Forever : Secrets to Long Automobile Life by Bob Sikorsky (in something like its 10th printing) and he recommends long trips during the break-in period so that the engine, tranny and such are at optimum operating temp. Enjoy the ride.
BTW - stop second guessing. You made a great decision.
bit
Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
* it actually has a real rear bumper, amazing!
* front and rear bumpers suffer much less damage than RAV4 in 5pmh basher tests
* Forester was far safer in IIHS offset crash tests
* more horsepower
* more torque, big difference
* more towing capacity
* much, much more payload capacity (RAV4's is pitiful)
* free roadside assistance
* sturfy roof rack, cross bars, rub strips standard
* ABS standard
* same or more ground clearance
* much more comprehensive packing of options
* seats fold flat, no need to remove them
* hatch is convenient, RAV4's gate opens the wrong way (curb side, so never parallel park!)
* Subaru owners are much cooler!
:-)
Enjoy yours, no need for second thoughts. I get 25+mpg and have been on the beach and through orchards and farms. I love it!
-juice
My biased opinion is to wait for the Forester. Remember, you're getting the latest evolution of a vehicle that's received many accolades for saftey, functionality and performance. The Forester blew away the competition in 1997 when it was first introduced and it still does very well today. During this time, there have been numerous tweaks and improvements made to the vehicle. If my first-generation '98 Forester S runs great and is solid even after my 59K miles of abuse, the 2002 can only be better.
From a practical standpoint, you should wait it out and at least see your ordered Forester in person and take it out for a test drive before making the final decision. Remember, you have the first right of refusal.
Ken
I can't imagine anyone complaining about the Forester's "pickup". Afterall, it has one of the highest HP engines in its class and it's certainly faster than the RAV-4.
However, the RAV4 is certainly a good vehicle also and whether it's the better choice really comes down to personal preferences. Bottom line is that you shouldn't let a few "horror stories" make you second-guess your decision. Of course if we were talking about the Escape it would be a different story :(o)
-Frank P.
http://members.home.net/rehlost/deathvalleytrip2001.html
BTW, I personally liked old styling of RAV4 more ... a new one is way too humpy, too Echo-ish and even a bit Aztek-esque if you pardon my language.
;-)
-juice
Any thoughts?
Great car from a great dealer.
Len
Ken
At the same speeds, each time, while decelerating, I can hear a slight metallic sound that sounds kinda like machinery engaging or disengaging. For a while, I thought that the car perhaps had a piece of gravel in some of the exhaust shielding. Now, I recognize it as virtually identical to the sound (from under the car) of the gear select lever being moved. Since it happens reliably at certain speed points, and since everything works correctly, my only guess is that its the tranny backing down a gear, then another.
Is this crazy, or possible? Or possibly crazy?
Anyway, with 2.9 years of warranty (or several more, as this is probably powertrain), I guess I don't feel too anxious about it.
In general, I will add that I've been very happy with the car. I wouldn't try to argue anyone into it, but if someone already thinks that the general configuration of the Forester makes sense, then I would certainly encourage them to take the plunge. The engine performance, in particular, is NOTHING like the older Subes I used to own.
Roll on, Mariners!
Ken
-Frank P.
Go to www.caranddriver.com and follow the bouncing ball.
While I did the review I had some issue with the questions and how they led to a rating I was not pleased with. I think they try to rate everything against a mega buck machine.
In any matter they do provide a venue for rating our Forester.
If no, are your windshields and wipers squeaky clean? Try using an alcohol-based window cleaner and giving both a thorough cleaning. It's quite possible that you have some film build up on your windshield that you can't see, but is affecting the wiper action.
There are plenty of aftermarket blades out there. Just go to your local auto parts store and check them out. The only thing you need to be aware of is that OE blades will usually give the best fit to your wiper arms.
Ken
The bottom line:
If you select the top rating, the system assigns a 10,
the second level is assigned a 7.5 and each below is 2.5 lower.
If you answer the survey, please keep this in mind.
They should have just let users assign their own rating on a 10 point scale as they did for the overall rating.
The dealer is still stumped by this one. My 2001 5speed, when warming up in the morning, will occasionally chatter itself up real good in first gear. This only happens on first driving the car, in first gear, but it's pretty terrifying because the ENTIRE car chatters/vibrates like it's bucking in the clutch mechanism. Odd... and potentially dangerous. Anybody else have a 5 speed problem like this one?
In the winter, the clutch would go "dead" occasionally, feeling more like an anvil than the softer clutch it usually is. I wonder if it's related....
perrito
Often people throw away perfectly good blades, only to find that the replacements are just as bad in a few weeks. Cleaning them will often restore their wiping ability.
Ed
Road&Track is easier to stomach; Automobile is okay until they let P.J. O'Rourke get on a soapbox. Jamie Kitman is a good and humorous writer whose best stuff gets published in the UK's CAR. To be honest R&T is the only US auto mag I read regularly; I find myself picking up CAR and EVO (another UK mag) more frequently. The British seem to have a fondness for Subarus and I learn more about them there than I do from the US motoring press.
I should be careful what I say - I have this crazy dream about driving in Yates' One Lap of America someday. Rant off.
Ed