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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
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Steve
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I've got my list of maintenance questions all lined up!
Ken
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Don't get me wrong, I can drive it - and I can drive big trucks, dump trucks, Bobcats and all sorts of other stuff, too.
BUT! After 6 months of fooling with different ways of pulling away from a stop, I can now cause it to hesitate almost any time I want.
How-to directions:
Barely nudge the pedal like you're rolling up a little and sticking your nose out into an intersection to take a peek. Then take your foot off for an instant and then give it 1/3 or 1/2 gas like you would if there was an opening in traffic and you have to move quickly.
The sucker stalls and hesitates like an old lawnmower with oil sludge in the crankcase and the chute clogged with matted grass. But then blipping the gas, backing off for an instant and then jamming the throttle open was always a good way to flood and engine, wasn't it?
Seems to me the computer is getting fooled into flooding the engine with gas because it won't run right for a few seconds - about long enough to reestablish the proper fuel flow.
Unless Subaru decides to fix the problem, the only solution is to be very, very careful.
John
-mike
-juice
-Bob
Hey, just got back from the Black Range (Gila National Forest)and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. Our Forester was a dream. The road up is like a snake up and down and curve leading into curve. Yuki was truly the queen of the mountains. Easy to handle and quick in the curves. My wife, dedicated Mustang driver, said the Subaru handled like a sports car. And when we went off pavement a little, fantastic -- ruts beware, lose dirt and gravel ye have lost thy power over us. It was beautiful, if windy and coolish -- low forties at night (with howling winds), low to high sixties for highs. Great to be up in the forest. We saw peccaries and an anxiety ridden coyote that was barking its heart out. We hiked up to the Continental Divide Trail and back again. Anyway, a great trip in a really great car. Perfect.
Ross
Ross, we saw some Canadians winding their way up into the mountains and they were kind enough to pull over and let us pass them. You Canadians and your easy social graces! (a Sun Also Rises reference -- Hemingway liked the Canadians, I guess -- and why should he not have?)
Anyway.
Peter
Does the noise persist even after the engine has warmed up? What did the dealer do at your 30K tune up?
Ken
Yeeha!
Ross
Personally, I like it. Auto tranny vehicles need some type of shift lock mechanism. There is another manufacturer who is dealing with some serious problems with not having it in van's. Subaru had the "push button" style before, but folks found it to be difficult with hands that weren't quite as nimble. We have a lot less complaints with this design.
I appreciate the feedback both ways, and I will share it. This is just an opportunity to share what I have seen.
Thanks!
Patti
Fun to Drive: Could someone offer a frame of reference. As fun as driving a new Jetta?
MPG rating: Edmunds review did not mention this. With the lighter hood, what is the projection.
I read that the the MY2003 exceeds 2010 Japan emmission standards. So would the Forester be considered a LEV or ULEV?
Ross
Patti
Representative can help you. Please tell them that "Patti at Edmunds sent you". That way, they will keep me in the loop.
Thanks!
Patti
Patti
Thanks for the great commentary. It's appreciated. When you see negative for awhile, you can get a little jaded. Your nice write up is helpful!
Patti
Can anyone tell me on what model(s) 2003 Forester the sunroof will be available?
Thanks,
Gene
I find myself obsessing over the clearance...I find myself eyeballing the clearance height of every SUV I see and comparing it to the Forester. If I get the Forester, I will get the rear differential protector, but will that be enough to protect the rest of the undercarriage?
Another question to all of you New Yorkers...any dealer recommendations? I think I've visited all the Subaru dealers in Queens & Nassau County and have found that the prices do differ.
Two final questions...does anyone know if the 4.9% financing will be extended past 4/30 (the dealers I've called and Subaru itself have been noncommittal) and should I wait for the 2003, or pick up a 2002 at dealer cost (possible lower with dealer incentives)?
Thanks again for all the advice.
tidester
Host
SUVs
Well, I tried .
(For those who don't remember the context, we were inviting Patti here).
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I drive a 98 Forester S and my wife drives a 2000 Jetta GLS VR6 so I think I can fairly answer your question.
The VR6 engine provides lots of silky smooth power even with an automatic. Throttle response is very good and the rush of power is pretty addictive. Also the engine note of the VR6 can't be beat. The Jetta is fun in the sense of strong straight line acceleration.
However, for hitting the twisties, I honestly prefer my Forester. Despite it's taller stance, it's much more responsive to cornering. The Jetta VR6 is very nose heavy and softly sprung. so it understeers heavily in turns and is easily upset by road irregularities. My Forester turns in much quicker(I do have an upgraded rear sway bar)and is better balanced overall. Also, I get much better road feedback on my Forester.
Try test driving one at a dealer. You'll be suprised at how well the Forester handles. It beats out all the other mini-SUVs and quite a few passenger cars.
Ken
I am new to this area, and this is my first post on here. I am looking at the small SUVs and the Forester. I am considering the 2003. In terms of available options, will tinted glass be available, or is it only an aftermarket option? Also, it is my understanding that the sunroof doesn't have a tilt feature. Is that correct? How about the 2003?
Thanks
Patti
Thanks and it would be nice to have you as part of the Subaru family.
Patti
Paul
-mike
-mike
What amazes me, however, is the popularity of that forum. I would think it would get "old" fast, but I guess not. It seems some people just love to argue, and get nowhere...
Bob
It was, in a word "fun" to drive. It gave new meaning to the words "fun to drive".
tidester
Host
SUVs
Bob
It's longevity is rather amazing.
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
ABS light - it's not blinking, so just schedule the next abailable appt with your dealer. If it blinks, park it and call a tow truck.
Prices will stay flat? Good, I can forgive the few deletions (mud guards, cargo cover, bumper protector) as long as the price doesn't jump.
I believe only the XS Premium model will get a moonroof. You can go aftermarket, though. I got a manual one put in, and Hutch has a power moonroof also aftermarket.
Skid plates - yes, get the diffy protector. For $80 or so it's a bargain, and very tough. If you want more, we'll share some links with places that sell aluminum or steel skid plates that replace the lower plastic engine cover. They run a couple hundred or so. SubieGal has them, and Loosh has shared links here, so I'm 100% sure they exist.
I have aftermarket tint, and so does Ken, and probably a few others here. It's about $140-$250 or so, depending on the type of film. I have SolarGard dyed film, 35%, and paid $170 for 7 windows. I recommend it.
-juice
Yes, the noise persists after the engine is warmed up. For the tune-up, dealer basically changed the fluids and filters, and inspected the plugs, brakes, etc. I should clarify that there's a possibility that it has been happening for a while and that I just now noticed it, because I can only hear it when the windows are rolled down.
-Bob
I've had my eye on the Forester as my next purchase. Now that the 2003 model is about to come out, I need to decide whether to go for a deal on the 2002 or get the 2003.
I haven't seen any info regarding options on the 2003. Can anyone point me to some sources? Given the chances of getting a ding in the parking lot, I was hoping the fender protectors and the like were still available (if they really do any good; do they?). I don't want to wait until May 1 to find out, since the deals on the 2002 expire at the end of April.
Also, one of my peeves about the Forester is that, while the top-of-the-line model has all the features I want, I don't like the monotone paint job, and it doesn't come in all the colors (where are blue and green?). Why is the more expensive model the less sporty ugly duckling with fewer color choices? I don't suppose I can request a two-tone paint job like the L models have...?
I just got the car washed and filled it up with gas. I figured the MPG and I was very impressed. 27.63 miles per gallon for highway and mountains. There's a long highway stretch (I-25; probably 75 miles) to get to the turn for the Gila (NM 152)then it's hills and curves all the way through Hillsboro and Kingston and up into and over the Black Range. We went over the Black Range, then into the Mimbres Valley on NM 35 and all the way to Lake Roberts and the turn at NM 15 (road to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument), but decided to go back to the Black Range. The Mimbres Valley is more like highway driving -- 50 to 55 mph, except for a couple of slow-downs for little towns. Anyway: 312.8 miles there and back of highway and mountains, hills, and curves varying from 65 mph to 10 mph and all up and down in between resulting in 27.63 MPG.
Oh - we saw a small herd of peccaries and one coyote having an anxiety attack - no effect on MPG, but it was interesting.
Love your descriptions of your recent trip. Wish I was there!
Steve
With some competitors you'd have to spend $28 grand to get all that.
You may want to look at a Forester S, and then get a moonroof aftermarket. Those are two-tone. The only thing missing would be side air bags.
-juice
that. And we could hear it coming closer and closer and down-slope and across. Eventually, we saw it trotting through the trees looking around and yip-barking. It looked very healthy, head up, coat normal. Then, about two or three minutes later it stopped -- dead silence.
We really could not guess what was wrong. For a while we thought it was rabid or something -- wigged out, nuts. But it looked so healthy. Maybe it was a young adult and had lost its siblings or its momma while hunting or moving over the ridge above. Or maybe Mom had tried to kick it out to fend for itself and it wasn't ready.
And to keep this on topic, we were standing by our Forester most of the time in case we needed to avoid a wigged-out coyote. Those Foresters -- coyote-proof transportation!
http://www.writerguy.com/primitive/skid.htm
$315 for a full armor kit, front and rear, 3/16" aluminum. That won't rust and it's thick and plenty strong. You can get a thinner front one and save $25, but get the 3/16" to remain coyote-proof. :-)
The OE rear skid plate is $69, but that's steel. I have it, and it's held up well, but aluminum is lighter and won't rust.
We see invoice prices for options, so we can quantify the prices of things that used to be standard: splash guards, $98, rear bumper cover, $37, cargo tray, $46.
So basically, that means the price went up $181 at invoice, $282 retail.
-juice
Once was enough. Then I wanted to reproduce the problem so I wouldn't get myself killed trying to pull out into traffic. And I did reproduce it.
Anyway, for what it is, the Forester with the 16" wheels is a hoot to drive fast around corners, exit ramps, etc. Great car to toss around.
The head wrenchtwister at the dealer told me that he can put a metal skid plate under the engine for me so I can plow sand on the beach if I get in the ruts. I've been busy and just haven't been back to have it done.
Gas mileage. Mine seems to vary between 23.6 and 24.4, so I must be consistent. My driving is half inner city and half Interstate at 75 or so.
I like monotone paint. But I'm old and would really like METAL bumpers because I park on the street at home and at work. Painted bumpers? What a joke.
Oh yeah. That $22,795 sounds good. That's about a grand less than I paid with the option(what option it was already on the car take it or leave it) packages with the fancy mirror, tweeters, mini-hammock and other stuff. (The mini-hammock is what I call that useless cargo net.)
John
You could order a nudge bar from ECB.
-juice
nello