By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
thanks in advance
The '98-01 Forester had a better power-to-weight ratio than the Legacy Outback, and had more useful space and more power than the then-currrent OBS. Had there been a more powerful Legacy wagon or an Impreza 2.5RS wagon at the time, I may have considered them - but there were not.
Ed
I agree with Ed's puzzlement on the 98 Forester comments. The reason why I purchased the Forester back then was that it was a lot more fun to drive than the OB (for me) and it offered more cargo space than the OB Sport.
Ken
Also, look at sales - Forester sales were incremental, i.e. they did not cannibalize sales of the Outback or Impreza. In fact, Outback sales even went UP after the Forester intro.
So that's where I disagree. It caters to a different audience. I test drove an Outback, but would not have bought one at the time instead of my Forester. As Ed mentioned, I felt it was too heavy (about 200 lbs more than the Forester).
But the review wasn't negative, really, he was just pointing out his personal preference for other Subies in the lineup.
-juice
First Drive: 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
The new Forester - and the old for that matter - has the Outlander trumped on power. The Mitsu does have the Sportronic option that I wish the Forester would incorporate from the FHI parts bin. The Forester also appears to better utilize interior space.
I am on record as preferring the old Forester's styling to the new, but both look better than the Mitsu. The Outlander bears that awkward wide grille divider which was recently added to the Galant, Diamante and Lancer and appears meant to be a corporate styling cue a la Pontiac and BMW. The taillamps are similar in shape to those of the Impreza wagons, while the clear lenses (nicknamed "Altezzas" after the JDM version of our Lexus IS300, but which have more derogatory nicknames on the street) are clearly designed to attract the youth market.
I have to admit I get stuck on the name. Mitsu no doubt must expect the car to be described as "Outland-ish." The names Outlander, Freelander and Highlander all remind me of that goofy Ben Stiller comedy, "Zoolander," from last year.
Ed
Basic complaint: It's woefully underpowered and sluggish.
He finds Forester better in almost every area:
Power, cargo space, fuel mileage and towing.
The salesman and myself hit it off pretty well as we have a lot in common, Viet Vets, same high school, same area living etc.
So, I thought that was why he offered me the basic car for $100.00 over invoice.
If I get a reasonable offer on my trade in I will get this nice car.
Also test drove a CR-V and did not like the seating and space. Also it felt tippish but it does have the best resale value of mini-utes.
Also, sat in the PT Cruizer and thought it looked somewhat cheap. Kept thinking of the poor frontal crash tests, which equals broken legs. The new 'Dream' Cruiser has this gold paint and I kept thinking of the word 'pimpmobile' for some reason.:>)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2002-08-08-outlander_x.htm
Stephen
I'd have to see one first, but it looks like a good first attempt at the US market. Mitsubishi is probably following a similar strategy as with the Lancer -- intro a base model and then later go with higher performance.
In the JDM, the Outlander is marketed as the "Airtrek" and guess what -- there's even a 2.0 Turbo version that has similar output to the turbo Forester.
http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/AIRTREK/lineup.html
The JDM model gets a more conservative grille.
Ken
It's kind of like free advertising for the Forester!
Ken
www.endwrench.com
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Nice find, and maybe it'll be around a while too.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
-mike
bit
-mike
They praise the reasonable price, good handling and standard features but don't like the lack of a V6 option and the low seating position.
The low point: "The interior, despite upgrades, is too utilitarian even for a Subaru." Ouch!
For an aftermarket Catback system for an NA Forester, which pipe diameter would yield the the greatest reduction in backpressure without loosing too much to affect lowend torque, 2.25inches or 2.5 inches??
Also which muffler manufacture/model would you guys recommend that would yield a mellow tune even at WOT??
Thanks in advance
Mike
bit
another link
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Now for which muffler...I tried a couple ...most were far to DRONEY for me to handle on my daily driver. I ended up with a Brospeed which is only marginally louder than stock and NOT DRONEY! The noise maker on my machine is my CAI which howls when I really get on the go fast pedal.....just right for me.
Hope this helps.........
I just returned from a trip to Vermont. I had heard( and now read in the Owner's manual) that my 02 Forester had a low fuel warning light. I tried to see it but when the gauge got down to the "e" it still wouldn't go on. I quickly got to the gas station shut off the engine then turned it back on and then the light came on. Then I refueled. The manual says I still had 2.3 gallons of fuel left when this light comes on, maybe about 40-50 miles I recon but shouldn't it have come on before I had to shut off the engine and then turn it back on?
Has anyone been brave enough to find out when this light actually turns on? Has it been when you were waiting to test the 24hr roadside assistance part of the Subaru experience?
Gene
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Thank you!
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
No 5 speed at all, either, plus it's not nearly as space efficient as the Outback (which has a multilink rear also).
All I can say is the price had better be low, low.
NY Times wants a V6? That right there tells you how much they know. BOXER 6, B6, H6, but not Vee! Duh. An auto journalist should know better.
For the 2.5l boxer the ideal exhaust diamater seems to be 2.25". That's what people have reported the best results with, FWIW.
-juice
If you are having a problem, please bring it into the dealer. For all new models the dealers do quality reporting. It will be a big help!
Thanks!
Patti
Thought it was off the mark.
I test drove the Forester after testing the Honda CR-V and they both felt the same seat height. That was her biggest complaint, plus it was no luxury car inside. I prefer more 'utilitarian' surfaces as they are easier to keep clean inside. All in all a very favorable review.
Thinking of buying one.
first off, i think it's very cool that this place exists and there are plenty of fanatics to keep it buzzing. so cal does not seem to be subaru friendly generally and it's great to feel at home albeit webly
my 2k3 X has the antenna in the left rear window. a fellow at the tint shop that the dealer recommended said that titanium interferes with radio reception. im considering putting in titanium everywhere except on that window and going with some shade of conventional on that one. titanium is guaranteed for life, keeps interior temp down and protects the interior as well...
any ideas, tips or tricks out there for getting around this? also, what can i do to get more juice out of the engine without compromising longevity?
thanks, really, my wife is jealous, thanks!
j
Congrats on your 2003 Forester. While So Cal has fewer Foresters than No Cal, the number has definetly increased over time. I remember when I first drove down to LA in 1998 with my Forester, I was the only one on the road. When I was there just this May, I would see an occasional Forester.
As for window tinting, the film shouldn't interfere with the radio reception since the film is applied to the inside of the glass. The antenna receives signals from outside, no? Perhaps someone else can comment -- my 98 Forester S uses a mast antenna.
Honestly, it's difficult to get extra performance in an naturally aspirated engine. You can get marginal gains by adding a cold air intake or a bigger exhaust, but the bang-for-the-buck is low compared to a turbo.
Ken
The comparison with other Subaru products was probably unnecessary. Anyone going to a dealership is going to see and read about the differences or lack thereof. But I can't fault Brent for stating the obvious. That's part of the job. After reading the individual comments from the other reviewers, I thought he did a respectable job of summing it up.
The Healy article blasting the Outlander was another story. The whole time I read it, I kept asking myself if he knew it wasn't a Ferrari. Apparently, he can't drive 55. Yet he doesn't give the reader much of a clue as to what would be acceptable.
I'm guessing his reader polls must be dropping and he is trying to be the Howard Stern of the auto industry.
I have an '01 Forester and my wife has an '02 Outback, and they both have the radio antenna in the left rear window. We had the windows tinted on both using 15% metallic film, and have had absolutely no problems with reception. Each vehicle also has a "hands-free" car kit for our Nokia cell phones, and the antenna is mounted on the right rear window on each. Because those anntennas stick on and conduct their signal through the glass, they had to cut away a small section to prevent interference. The cut-away section is covered by the antenna mounting surface, and isn't visible. These work excellently, BTW. Hope this helps.
Len
thanks again
j
bit
Just purchased the new style Borla© header for my '01 Forester. Just wondering if anyone has put a header on their forester and if you put some kind of heat wrap material around it to prevent warped valves, O2 malfunctions etc. I live in Southern California where the temperatures do not dip extremely low, but we do hit the slopes in the Winter ocasionally.
Thanks for any and all advice!!!!!!!!!
/Scott
I am also considering tinting, but concern about metallic tint might interfere radio reception. Could people with metallic tint share with us which brand you have? Maybe some brands interfere while some don’t. I also found a German brand (Huper Optik) that use ceramic coating instead of metallic. Anyone has experience on this brand? The tint shop (the only Huper Optik dealer in Los Angeles area) quoted $330 for 5 windows. Is it too much?
- Jason
http://www.cars.com/carsapp/national/?srv=parser&act=display&tf=/news/national/storytemplate3.tmpl
But it doesn't make much power high up in the rev band, so street demons aren't gonna like it. There actually is no point to revving that high, it's probably just as quick shifting at 4000 rpm vs. redline.
I take resale values with a grain of salt, but that may be because I hold on to my cars for long periods, usually 7 years or more.
The flaw with them is that they don't know exactly what you paid in the first place, so how can they calculate resale as a %? They probably use MSRP, but who pays MSRP?
Here's an example. I paid $19200 for my Forester, and they were selling for $14k or so about 3 years later. That's 73% actual residual value. The study puts it much lower, at about 50% or so, so they must be using MSRP. But even then the residual value would have been about 67%, so the numbers don't add up.
Maybe they're looking at wholesale trade-in? I dunno. My Forester is 4 years old, and in the DC area they don't sell for less than $11k, and $12.5k is more common. Even at $11k and after 4 years, my residual value is at 57%, better than any of the cars in that study (after 3 years!).
Plus, how do they account for people that paid markups for New Beetles, PT Cruisers, and Honda Odysseys? And Mini Coopers now? Residuals will seem artificially inflated unless they account for the markups paid.
Same goes for cars with rebates, unless they account for the rebates and discounts those cars' residuals will seem deflated.
-juice
bit
-Frank P.
Rgds,
Jack