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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
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Comments
Mike
If you're doing this yourself, I have photos to e-mail to you. Let me know, ateixeira@ifc.org.
-juice
Hope this helps,
bv
Mike
So tell us the story behind your car's name...
Intrigued in Upstate New York,
- John
The hitch comes with a harness that plugs into the hitch-ready Forester. There is no extra part number to buy, no separate harness.
I sent you a bunch of photos and they make it clear if I didn't.
-juice
Pretty name. Is your Forester L Aspen White?
As mentioned earlier, my Forester has been named the "The Shinrin Raven". It's a black 98 Forester S. :-)
Ken
:-)
Ross
Mike: Didn't know that -- how funny! Yama Yagi does indeed translate to mountain goat.
Ken
Paul
Our daughter's friends named it that. It's white, boxy, and has a large hole in the roof, so the name fits, and it has stuck...
Bob
Ken
And I have a question for those of you who were deciding which one to buy... HOW DID YOU CHOOSE??!! Please let me know which one you bought, and why you chose that one.
And, please don't tell me to buy both!!
Thanks all!!
d
I had the same exact dilemma back in 1998. I was originally going to buy an OB Wagon, but then the Forester caught my attention. I ended up choosing the Forester over the OB primarily because of it's more nimble handling. The Forester shares more than the wheelbase with the Impreza. It shares parts of the chassis and suspension as well (the drivetrain is identical to the 2.5 RS). These characteristics combined with a lighter vehicle make it more tossable than the OB.
I do believe the Forester and OB have slightly different manual trannys, but I'm not exactly sure as to what. I think the clutch design is slightly different, if I recall correctly. Both share the same AWD mechanicals, however.
So, how do you choose between the two? Choose the Forester if:
- You don't need to carry many rear seat passengers often
- Like nimble handling
Choose the OB Wagon if:
- You frequently carry rear seat passengers
- Like a smoother, plusher ride
Keep in mind that back in '98 the OB was in it's previous generation model. The entire Legacy line got an all new chassis in '00. The newer model became a lot more refined, but gained significant weight in the process. The difference between the Forester and OB now is probably even greater today.
Lastly, you may want to wait a few months until the all-new 2003 Forester makes it to dealer floors. The new model is also based off the brand-new Impreza platform. Expect slightly improved handling and a significant improvement in look and feel.
Ken
I made this choice in 1999 and echo what Ken says. When we test drove, the Forester brought grins to my face. I hadn't expected that. I mostly drive alone, so enjoyment far outweighs rear seat room. (Our grown daughter grumbles about the back seat when she has to ride there, but really likes to drive the Forester.) We live in the northeast, so want the best all-weather mobility; lower weight is a key factor here. The Forester has very good "presence" on the road for a smaller car; I don't get ignored or pushed around by bigger vehicles.
I also chose the Forester for several other smaller, practical reasons:
- Real outside door handles. I can pull open the door after a night of freezing rain without risking damage to the handle.
- Roof rack/rail design. The loops at the ends of the roof rails make tying or bungee-cording things on much easier. I occasionally carry long building materials or a stepladder on top. The Forester roof rack is much more substantial than most others.
- Great headlights. For stock units, they're excellent.
- Fold-flat rear seats. I can sleep in the cargo area in a pinch because the rear seat cushion does not fold up and form a bulkhead at the front of the cargo area. This design is also more useful for storing small items in the rear footwells when the seats are down, an advantage.
At 93,000 miles I'm still very happy with my "S". No major problems. Some of the earliest Foresters had rear wheel bearing problems. Mine was built in November '98 and has been fine. One suggestion: Unless you're certain that your Subaru dealer cares about alignments and does a first-class job, budget in the $60 or so for a top-tier independent tire/suspension/alignment shop that does. Get it checked early on to avoid uneven tire wear & noise. Some Subarus have been coming out misaligned, something hard to establish with many of the dealers during the warranty period. Mine was, and I got it fixed after the OEM tires got noisy. I went to my local shop out-of-pocket after the dealer didn't respond. A few bucks to iron out a quirk, well worth the peace of mind and extended tire life. A number of us have posted this experience on these boards. That said, if I were in the market for a car this year, I'd go right out and buy another Forester. The friendly support on the Edmunds Subaru boards is also an unadvertised pleasure & benefit.
If you can wait a couple of months, the 2003 should bring even more refinement and a bit more back seat room and front seat travel. If not, there should be good deals on the 2002s. Good luck.
John
Good point about the 1st year issues. The 2003 is based on a completely new chassis so there can be the possiblity of some quirks as with any brand new model. However, the engine, drivetrain and most of the suspension are all carried over from the last generation so I wouldn't expect any major problems.
Ken
So while you'd have to pay me to take a first year Detroit product, I wouldn't hesitate to plunk down my hard earned cash on a new Subaru product (or Toyota or Honda for that matter).
Regarding bargains on the 2002s... as Ken stated, you can already get a good deal on a 2002 and I predict that by late fall, the 2003s will be selling well below MSRP.
So... if you need to buy today, the 2002s are still good a deal. If you can possibly wait 6 months, the 2003s should be an even better deal. And if you're in no rush and want more HP, wait another year 1/2 until the 2004 turbos debut. In any case you'll end up with a winner. :-)
-Frank P.
Name: XST 2.0
Bhp: 247 @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 226 lb. ft. @ 4000
Price: (starting at) $25000
Michael
Frankly, I still think we may get a 2.5 turbo.
Bob
-Frank P.
Edit. Dang Bob, you beat me! Don't you ever log off?
Roll forward to Sept. of last year and we now find ourselves needing to replace my wife's ride. After driving the OB a few times on snowy roads, my wife is sold on AWD. I suggest we take a look at some other optiosn just to satisfy curiousity and she won't have anything to do with it. The Forester was the perfect size for her. We rarely haul people in the back seat, so the space issue was not a concern.
I really enjoy driving her Forester because it is a ball to "throw around" and is a bit peppier than the OB. On the other hand, the OB is more of a "cruiser".
Sorry for the long post.
Ron
Thanks again all very much!!
d
You're more than welcome. Keep those questions coming. I think Subaru has caught on to our little group here. We have the privilege of having Patti Mickel from Subaru as a member of our group. I'm sure you'll see her posts sooner or later.
Going from a Lincoln LS to a Forester or even an OB doesn't seem too crazy to me. You're combining features of your LS and Explorer into one -- a nimbly handling AWD vehicle!
The nice thing about the Forester sharing platforms with the Impreza is that you have quite a few performance upgrades available to you. Some of us Forester owners here have upgraded the suspension parts for an even sportier ride.
Let us know how your test drives go. Subarus typically sell for a few percent over dealer invoice so make sure you shop around if possible.
Good luck!
Ken
Subarus are great vehicles, and here in Boulder, CO the dealership is the #1 Outback dealership in the US, and it's only a town of about 100,000 people. They price the cars at invoice + $100 which is really excellent (except on the VDC Outbacks and other 3.0L models). There's even a dealership nearby which sells for invoice plus nothing. But the Boulder dealership has been really good, low pressure, extremely (ridiculously, actually) knowledgeable salespeople. So, I"m going to bet on the rest of the service being really good, as people have told me it is, and spend the extra $100 and consider it a good investment.
Thanks again!!
d
Other options you might want to consider are:
Legacy L wagon -- value priced, same room as the OB
Legacy GT wagon -- sportier handling than the OB, same room
WRX Wagon -- might be a little small cargo-wise but amazing bang for the buck performance
Ken
The day I picked my car up I tried and tested every function. I even brought a music CD and a cassette tape to test out the radio package. I think I spent about 2 hours looking the car over. I didn't even assume the engine had any oil in it. I checked the "under hood" fluid levels, including the battery, myself. I even checked the spare tire to make sure it had air. Maybe I went a little overboard, but I was determined to go home with everything working right.
Paul
Patti
I have two questions: First, since getting this car in November, when I turn on the fan or the air conditioner, the vent in the center (closest to the driver's side) seems to blow considerably less air than the rest. I have tried turning the fan up all the way, but it doesn't seem to correct it on any level.
Is this a normal Subaru problem? Or does this warrant a service check?
My other question: The owner's manual states to change the oil at longer and longer intervals at first, can someone give me the true reason behind this? My husband can't answer it either and I would like to show him up.
Thanks!
Meredith
Bob
I just bought a new Forester a month ago, and I love it. For me, the choice between Forester and Outback was simply a matter of cost. The Forester itself was actually a bit more than I wanted to pay for a car, and the Outback was more expensive still. I was actually choosing between the Legacy Sedan and the Forester, as the cost is about the same. I preferred the Forester to the Legacy (obviously, since that is what I bought), because I felt it was a better car for what I need. My wife and I just felt more comfortable in the Forester. If price were no object, however, I probably would have chosen the Outback.
I really need a car that gets me to and from work. That's what I use it for 75% of the time. The other 25% is used for driving my kids around town, etc. If the ratios were reversed I'd may have chosen the Outback (or the Legacy wagon). However, our other car is a Caravan, and that gives plenty of room for either hauling lots of kids or lots of stuff if we need that.
There are only two very minor things that I dislike about the Forester. The first is the restricted room in the back seats (though it's fine for my kids now, at 10 and 8 years old, I can see that this may become more of an issue in a few years). The second are the cheap cupholders (and the front ones are poorly located). But really, we'll live with the former, and, as I hardly carry drinks, the latter is really not much of an issue.
The two center vents right above the climate controls both come from the same duct so it's kind of strange that one blows less than the other. Just mention it to the dealer and have them take a look. You should still be well within the 12 month period where they should be willing to check out any little item.
What exactly does the owner's manual say about oil change intervals? My 98 manual just has it listed at 7.5K mile intervals under normal driving conditions throughout the life of the vehicle.
Ken
Meredith: congrats on the new car. Hope yours does as well for you as mine has for me. Why does one vent get more air? More direct routing, perhaps? Make sure to clean the cowl area, where the air is sourced from (when you have the button on fresh).
Congrats to Doug, too. And it seems like Subaru is indeed psychic, because they put more room in the back seat and moved the cup holders to the center console, addressing both your gripes for 2003. :-)
Hint: tell the kids to put their feet under the front seats. There is plenty of toe space to wiggle around, and this lets you stretch out the legs.
-juice
-mike
-juice
I'll just direct the bigger people to sit behind my wife's seat (she's 5 feet tall)...
Bob
The maintenance manual stated the following intervals for oil changes:
3k, 7.5k, 15k, 22.5k, 30k, 37.5k, 45k...and so on.
Any ideas?
Meredith
Ed
Those aren't intervals, they are what odo readings you should change the oil at. Those are 7.5K intervals.
-mike
He changes oil religiously every 3K. (Still going.) Of course this doesn't "prove" anything, but for those who contest that this is not necessary, go talk to him.
BTW, I think the S models are lined, the L models aren't.
At 2 million miles, he spent so much to fix the A/C, electrical problems, reupholstery, etc, that the cost of the oil changes isn't even an issue! ;-)
-juice
PS Volvos are scoring very, very poorly in reliability lately.