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If you want Subaru, Tribeca seats 7, but snugly.
RAV4 is competitor to Forester and does seat 7.
"The new 6F35 is a completely new six-speed automatic that will have a wider total ratio spread than the four speed it is replacing. The top gear ratio will be approximately the same as the four-speed, but the lower gears will be shorter helping off-the-line acceleration. The final drive ratio will be a little taller (numerically lower), which will help reduce the engine speed when cruising on the highway. Even with the larger first to sixth spread, the overall gap between each ratio will be smaller resulting in less engine speed drop during shifts and a quieter, smoother overall driving experience. The 6F35 uses a total of three planetary gear sets and five clutches to generate the six forward and one reverse gear.
Ford is claiming that the new transmission contributes to a 4-6% improvement in fuel efficiency depending on with which vehicle and engine it's paired."
Note:
4 - 6 % fuel efficiency improvement is all they claim for such a major component change. Worthwhile, but how much more will this new trans cost .vs. the older model (it's more complex so it will probably justify a price increase) ? And how responsive will this new trans be (some 5spdAT and 6spdAT's are very sluggish - Motor Trend complained the CR-V's 5 speedAT acted like it only had 4 speeds!).
The point:
More gears are not the only answer to improving Mileage or performance.
A) Do you have an 09 Forester with out of control HVAC?
-mike
However, it's very easy to revert to manual operation by setting the controls to other than "Auto" positions.
One oddity I did find is the Evaporator line for the AC, apparently uninsulated, runs right across the back of the engine bay, just out from under the intercooler fins, but not far from the turbo and main exhaust pipe. I don't know if turbo heat is a problem for that or not, nor if that evaporator line can be safely insulated with the usual foam you use for hot water lines.
The Forester popped up in my research. I went down and test drove an '08. The vehicle overall was "okay" - but lacking in many areas such as style, comfort, interior space, no tinted windows, etc. So I decided not to buy, and keep looking (at CRV, Grand Vitara, RAV4, Outlander, etc).
Then, I went to the Auto Show and saw the new '09 Forester. Bingo! It addressed all the shortcomings of the '08 Forester. I bought my '09 in Feb & now have about 2,500 miles on it. I have had NO problems/issues with it. I love this car!
So - my advice is - even tho the '08 has rebates and killer deals...buy the '09. It has many improvements and will have a much higher resale value down the road.
Interestingly, neither of the 2 Subaru dealerships I went to back in Dec/Jan even told me of the upcoming '09....I am SO glad I did not buy an '08! I guess salespeople are salespeople - they wanted to sell me the vehicle the had on their lot that day. I wish I could say Subaru salespeople are better/different than the rest of the auto brands...
How are you enjoying your Forester? Do you like the turbo? I have an 05 Outback 6 cylinder - will the turbo be a big adjustment for me?
Also, do you miss some of the "toys" of the RDX eg. dual climate control?
Do ypou have nav in your Forester?
Would you and your wife feel comfortable in your Forester in a day-long trip?
Thanks so much for your help!
-mike
09 Forester
08Rav4
08Nissan Rogue
I am not really happy with my 06 Honda CRV.I am a little worried as to a Subaru as there does not seem to be an abundance of dealers nation wide.I live in Illinois and there are several in the Chicago area and it gets sparse after that .I do have one in Iowa 45 min away but was wondering if on long trips and had a problem how easy service would be to get.Not that Subaru's give much trouble but just a concern.Gas mileage is a concern and I want to get the best out of the bunch that I am lookin at. Any one have any thoughts as to why I would want a Forester over the others listed?I intend to test drive one this weekend thanks.
I am back to the dealer tomorrow for discounted fog lights (result of mkt reseach survey) and to get the rattle fixed from the Ipod install~~coming from the right pass front side panel they removed during installation.
I have to say that the Ipod interface is the best option I EVER had in a car. I enjoy it so much that it is almost worth the annoying rattle that the dealer hopefully fixes`~just have to turn up the tunes for now! Only thing~~dealer gave no instruction on how to operate (didn't know themselves due to newness) so I have not got beyond shuffle.
As far as your '05 LGT, I don't know about that. I know it's a huge problem on Legacies and very well documented all over scoobymods and legacygt.com.
Even the flagship Tribeca has the same junk system. I remember Car & Driver complaining how it couldn't keep a steady temperature during their long drives. And C&D folks rarely pay attention to stuff like that. Must have really annoyed them.
redrose1 - Navigation is an available option, and it comes with a further upgraded sound system w/single CD. I think the panoramic moonroof is a pretty nice goodie. :shades:
For those who were looking for the differences between Forester trims, the upgrades are clearly described on a trim-by-trim basis here:
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2009.html#std%20features
If the creaks go away, then you have the same issue I seemed to have - wires moving around and rubbing against the roof.
If the creaks are still there, then something else is going on inside the headliner.
After I had removed the upper console, I added some foam around the wiring where it disappeared into the roof, put a piece of foam between the mirror bracket and its fastener, and gently rub silicone on wiring (spray it on a cloth/rag and wipe the wires with it). It's a whole bunch less noisy now, but I won't know for sure until it warms up again (Portland OR just cannot get past winter this year).
Thanks! We went to Subaru near us yesterday and they wanted 25,200 for their 2.5x premium with a special packaging deal that was 635 (no discription) and a package for the rail crossbars for 890.
It was ridiculous and I walked out. They also offered 1500 below kbb for my fiances car and that was crazy because her car is fine.
It's actually more expensive than the Hond CR-V so why wouldn't I just go buy that?
Also, can anyone help me I am trying to find out if you see the gear shifts on the Honda or the Subaru. I know you see them on one of the cars.
Thanks.
Forester's mileage is about as good as it gets for an AWD crossover, unless you buy a hybrid. Heck, it even matched the Vue Greenline hybrid's mpg in that MT test.
RD-X vs. Forester? Go with your gut. Both are nice.
No ad fees in MD, thankfully.
Subaru has about 600 dealers in the US. They are a bit regional, i.e. more of them in the snow belt, but you shouldn't be too far from one of them.
Are they selling for invoice? Good news is the segment is hyper-competitive, so in some regions they are.
Better yet, avoid haggling totally and join the IMBA or ACA, to qualify for VIP pricing.
That's what we did. Hint Hint. :shades:
In nutshell, previous Forester shortcomings of no rear seat space and lack of curtain airbags were fixed, it rode and handled well, interior improved but hard plastics a turnoff, the 4-speed Auto was outdated (save for Turbo version, which rivalled V6 competitors), and got 22 mpg for the base and 20 mpg for the turbo models. Summation was it's now joined the top of its class. Their full report's due sometime in July.
I think the CostCo pricing works out to a few hundred bucks over invoice. Not quite as good as Subaru VIP pricing, but certainly better than walking into a dealer off the street. And none of that annoying sales negotiation process!
IMHO there won't be cash back on '09 Foresters anytime soon
Reviews have been good, and (at least in Portland OR) dealer lots are not overflowing with 'em.
The Turbo model, at least in normal lane changing or turns, hardly leans at all. It feels like it's perched on top of the road. Going over speed bumps too fast will literally toss its rear end high enough so rear suspension fully extends with a bang.
The Subaru was the only one that came in a manual transmission (my preference).
I didn't drive the Rogue, but it felt like you sat further forward in the RAV, more like a mini-van.
The subaru's do have the 3 year-36k road side service...although I think they all have some version of this.
1) Have only had the car for about a week, but so far so good--the best thing about the turbo is that it's not really that noticeable. I had a couple of turbo SAAB's a number of years ago, and the throttle sequence was...entertaining, particularly the 9000. The initial step-off was leisurely at best, but when the turbo came in it felt like the car went off a cliff. The Forester's is much more linear, and around town you can pretty much stay out of it if you're in gas saving mode..
2) It really wasn't my impression that the RDX had that many more toys than the XT Limited, at least that I noticed in my time with it.
I actually think dual climate control is pretty much a gimmick in a car--how much space are we really talking about? Unless you and your partner's comfort zones are miles apart, you're dealing with two temperatures that will be blended within the space of about two feet anyway--just compromise on one temp and leave it. I have dual zone in my TL and rarely use it.
3) No, I do not have nav. Not to sound curmudgeonly, but I think factory nav in a car is an unnecessary expense unless you're a traveling salesman or something. Particularly with the advent of affordable (i.e., $400 and under) portable systems that can go in any car (including a rental car on vacation, where it would be truly worthwhile), I think the prices charged for the factory units are downright laughable ($1800 in the Forester, a whopping $3500 in the RDX, although that includes a better audio system whether you want it or not).
4) I find the Forester very comfortable on the highway, and my wife and I are a hell of a lot more comfortable in it than we were in the RDX, for several reasons.
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association of Snowboard Instructors
American Canoe Association
American Cross Country Skiers
American Meteorological Society
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
Colorado Tennis Association
Crescent Ski Council (members of 22 ski clubs eligible)
Geological Society of America
International Mountain Bicycling Association
Leave No Trace
Mount Washington Observatory
National Ski Patrol
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Professional Ski Instructors of America
Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association
For more info on how the program works, see this post from another forum:
http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1084581&postcount=1
On another note, what can you all tell me about the differences between the crv and the forester? I like the forester but as I previously noted there is no way I'm paying above msrp. I was going to split the msrp and invoice at the most.
How long do you think it will be before incentives? Once the Honda 09 comes out I think forester is fighting against the current at that point. Right now they are the only suv that I know of for 09 already but once the others come out I think subaru will be forgotten at which point there should be incentives and then I would think about buying one.
We have alot in common - we have a TL as well! Our lease is up and we have to decide if we will wait for the new AWD TL or but the G35 now. Any thoughts?
I agree with you about the climate control, we do own a portable nav but I don't like the wire hanging there -
perhaps we can have it permanently installed.
We test drove the RDX briefly and thought it felt luxurious, but we wil drive it again and pay attention to other things the next time.
Thanx again!
perhaps we can have it permanently installed.
Even with that 150 lbs or so handicap, it wasn't the slowest, and should match up well with AWD competitors with 4 bangers.
Glad to hear CR got 22mpg with the new one, I think that matches the old one despite being bigger and a little heavier.
As for GPS, we passed. My next GPS will have the capability to get both traffic data and gas prices, things few OE systems can offer me.
My wife sat down and checked off all the items she wanted, and was willing to wait to get exactly that. She ordered the PZEV engine (175hp), blue over gray color scheme, cargo liner, cargo cover, all 3 cargo nets, a bumper cover, mud flaps, and a few other things I can't remember.
VIP price will all those accessories came out to $25.2k, but that dropped to $23.6k after our Subaru Bucks. Not bad for a fully loaded/accessorized one.
It will take 6-8 weeks or so, but if any rebates or incentives appear by that time, they will deduct it from our price as well. I'm fine with the $23.6k price either way.
The only problem now is - it's not my car. It's my wife's.
I doubt it--keep in mind that the CRV was just substantially redesigned last year so the '09 is likely to be little different. Honda generally redesigns in 5 year cycles, so there won't be an all new CRV until at least 2011.
See post 1096 for my view of the differences between Forester and CRV.
Have you seen the commercials for the new TSX? That's what the new TL is going to look like, right down to the nasty (in my opinion) grill. Word is 300 hp and possibly AWD, but not for sure on the latter. If you like the new Acura look, wait--if you're as happy with your TL as I am, you owe it to yourself to do so. G35 is an awfully nice ride also, however, so either way you win.
Most of the rattles have gone away as the dealer found the steering wheel struts were loose. The car is sounding much better now, thank ja and the fog lights look cool while being useful!
Re the Ipod interface, another bonus is the Ipod is charged while attached; otherwise, it does not get charged through the auxilary plug.
Until the next shipment, Schaumburg Subaru, IL are sold out on 09 Foresters except for one manual transmission~~glad I got mine before all the commercials hit the airwaves!
And how do we get them?
And how do we get them?
Subaru® Platinum MasterCard® from Chase
Subaru Reward Dollars = Subaru "Bucks"
Has anybody else seen these? Is this common on Subarus? If they are intended to be permanent, do they last the life of the car without pealing off or discoloring? What are they made of?
Had em on my 92 SVX.
Not sure if my 94 Legacy has em.
-mike