Maybe I'm just cautious, but unless I didn't like the original tires for some reason, I'd probably replace them with the same tire. If you know somebody who has had good luck with a different tire, that's a different situation. Otherwise, everything else is pretty much an unknown. You may luck out with a better tire, or you may not.
Jack, 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.
I will try the stationary test you suggested. 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?
For those of you who have contacted me regarding this issue: 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!
Wow!!! 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:
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.
I have had the 02 L for two weeks and 600 mi. when I filled up for the first time I measured 25.5mpg for the first tank and don't need a fill up till thurs or Friday. breaking it in is getting old but it is mainly just varying speeds and no full throttle take off. the car gets better by the day, and now it wasn't even rained in a while, bummer.
can anyone reccomend a good dog cage/separator for the back and back seat area?
Went in at noon on 7/31 drove one for sirst time. Tried to leave show room they made me take it for afternoon. Wife loved it the rest is history. The spread between dealers on the trade was unreal. Always, always, always, get prices from more than 1 dealer.
We go back for it after work tonight. Thanks for board help
Congrats, then. Make sure do to a very close PDI yourself (pre-delivery inspection). Make sure it drives nicely, too, and I mean the one you are buying, not the demo. Enjoy!
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...
Karen-- They gave me a pretty big discount on the gauge pack so I'm having them put it on. I told them I'd rather take delivery after it's installed to be sure it would be covered by the b2b warranty. They've mis-ordered it twice now so who knows when they'll accomplish getting the car ready for delivery, lol.
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 but with mixed city/highway. And yah, middle age *shakes head* --I don't quite need to put on my reading glasses yet to see the odometer but I sure know what you are talking about! *groans*
Daniel: I'd ask the dealer to look at the driveline. The whine must be coming from one of the differentials if the noise only appears at speed (i.e. it's not engine related). It could be as simple as low fluid in either the tranny or the rear pumpkin (differential).
Hey, I don't blame you for waiting for the installed gauge pack. What do they say -- good things are worth waiting for?
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.
We ordered a 2002 Forester S at the end of June, for the same price as the 2001, and we are supposed to receive it by mid-August (later than expected). Now, we are second-guessing our decision to buy this over the Toyota RAV-4. We have heard in general it's a great car, but a few people have told us horror stories, including complaints about pickup and weird noises. Please tell me we haven't made a big mistake!
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.
I obviously don't know your needs or expectations, but I can say with all honesty that my Forester S 2001 has been outstanding so far. This is my ninth new car over a period of 32 years and it is the most trouble free, has the best "initial quality". In 13 1/2 months and 20,000 kms I have had one problem - a noisy hatch latch, promptly repaired under warranty. Rufus handles very well, has survived some awful forestry roads
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.
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.
* 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!
Sorry to hear that your Forester is taking a little longer, but it's kind of a trade off since you're getting a vehicle that's being configured with your choice of options. Foresters are manufactured in Japan, get shipped over to a US port where they are then finally fitted with the options you ordered. A 6-8 week lead time isn't unheard of.
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.
Nadine- In terms of reliability, by most accounts, the Forester is above avg and on par with Hondas and Toyotas. You can hear horror stories about any vehicle if you talk to enough people.
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)
To put it simply, Forester rules, RAV sucks (apologies to all RAV owners out there)... just check out these pix from the Death Valley trip in my 2001 S+ Forester:
I just purchased a 2002 Forester S Premium(by the way $500 over invoice, and with no hassle). I would like to know if anyone is running synthetic motor oil, or autotranny fluid? I plan on a 4000 mile motor interval, and a 25,000 tranny interval. Any thoughts?
My CEL just came on for the first time on my 01 with a little over 36000 miles (!). It has been about 120 miles since the last fill-up, and the gas cap seemed tight when I checked it. Does this mean my O2 sensor is fried or something? Disconnecting the battery for a few minutes did not make the light go away on the dashboard.... Any ideas before I head for the dealer (65 miles away)?
Mine came on when it was new after I left the engine running while refueling. It reset itself after the next fillup when I shut the car off while refueling. It hasn't come on again since.
The CEL can be set off by many things. As long as it's not flashing, it's probably not a major issue. Don't panic and have a dealer take a look at it at your earliest convenience.
Is it possible that I can hear my Subaru (2002, L, AT) downshift?
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.
Rick- The same thing happened to me last year. It took me a couple of weeks before I got around to taking it in. After pulling the engine codes, they replaced the Air/fuel sensor. As Ken said, as long as the light isn't flashing, it's not likely to be anything major. The most frequent cause is a problem with one of the sensors involved with the emission system.
Car and Driver gives us an opportunity to write up a review on our beloved Forester.
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.
I bought a 2002 Forester L about a month ago and have about 2000 miles on the car. So far I have been very satisfied with the ride, quality and acceleration. My only problems are the same that I have been reading about in the message boards, bad location of cup holders ,tight back seats,poor quality sun visors, and the golve compartment door appears very heavy .One other problem that i have found is the wipers are not very good quality and they seem to be rubbing against the glass rather than sliding smoothly, this happens more when it is raining hard.Any suggestions about fixing or replacing with better quality wipers would be appreciated.
Do you have Rain-X or some similar product on your windshield? Rain-X can build up over time and cause wipers to skip.
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.
I bought a 2002 Forester L about a month ago and have about 2000 miles on the car. So far I have been very satisfied with the ride, quality and acceleration. My only problems are the same that I have been reading about in the message boards, bad location of cup holders ,tight back seats,poor quality sun visors, and the golve compartment door appears very heavy .One other problem that i have found is the wipers are not very good quality and they seem to be rubbing against the glass rather than sliding smoothly, this happens more when it is raining hard.Any suggestions about fixing or replacing with better quality wipers would be appreciated.
I see what lakepop means by the Car and Driver survey not giving the expected ratings. It looks like the survey was more a means of gaining site visitor involvement (and more page hits and advertising opportunites) than a serious attempt at rating the vehicles. Each category has 4 rating choices worded in a humorous/frivolous manner. Sometimes the wording of the choices suggests a far larger gap in the rating than the rating assigned, and sometimes far less.
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....
If your car has been spray waxed, the windshield and wipers may be coated with wax. Road grime can also be a problem. Get some 91% isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) from a drug store (about a US dollar or so) and thoroughly clean the blades with a clean cloth. I believe that isopropanol is also the solvent used in Rain-X (it smells like it), so it may take Rain-X off if used on the windshield itself.
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.
I tried disconnecting the battery for a longer time, maybe 20 minutes, and that got rid of the CEL display on the dash. Will it stay gone? If it does not return, I will pronounce this cured until my next regular dealer visit, which will not be for a long time. Rick
My poke at Car & Driver (or Crap & Drivel as some of my car buff friends call it). I still pick it up on the newsstands once in a while but it's getting harder given the constant din of right-wing rant from its columnists and editorial board. I guess they fear that any environmental regulation will lead to the government prying their steering wheels from their cold dead fingers.
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.
Ah, unfortunately, I know all too well that "Check Engine" light. I have a Subaru 2000 Forester. When I noticed the light I immediately called the dealer. He asked me if I had recently put in gas. I told him gas was put in the car about 5 days previously. This happened last Saturday afternoon. I brought the car into the dealership on a Monday morning. Waited around for them to check the car. I couldn't believe what the problem was! He said it was due to the gas cap not being screwed tightly enough. It seems that there is a sensor in that area. And if the cap is not tighted properly the light goes on. This time it was a warranty claim, but next time he said he would charge me $75. It seems like it happens a lot. The sales people need to inform the public. What a waste of a Monday morning. I guess I should be grateful it was nothing more serious.
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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
Host
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
Host
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