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Comments
If anyone installed the factory subwoofer after getting the car I would love to know if it made a huge difference.
If I were to get the sub it would be the factory model over any after market version (even though after market would sound best) because Its the only unit I can install under the drivers seat. I don't want anything taking up space in the back.
I picked up a trailer hitch and installed it at my sister's house while visiting. My B-in-law helped me with the instructions and lent me a hand when needed. It took us 3 hours for the install but we went slow. The self install saved me $200 to $300 labor costs but IMO one should have a basic mechanical aptitude for it to go smoothly. The large plastic bumper piece is the trickiest part to remove and re-install. It's not overly difficult but it's frustrating in a few spots. Yes, you have to remove the entire rear bumper & mufflers and the cheap little plastic button attachment pieces are annoying to work with. Having the knowledge now I feel pretty confident I could do it again in half the time.
We drove up Schnebly road in Sedona and did some light hiking out on to the beautiful red rock formations. This road requires high clearance and is very popular with local jeep tour companies. The drivers enjoy telling tall tales over a loud speaker while happily bouncing over the road beating up tourists packed in the back with extra seating under a sun canopy. We rolled down the windows and opened up the panorama moon roof to let the Arizona sun in at 90 degrees F. The 09 handled the road easliy but we went slow with the stock Yokohama Geolander tires. They are not the best tire for sharp rocks and rough roads but they do OK. No complaints with them.
We drove city traffic, Interstate, rural twisty roads, mountains, heavy rain and desert (reaching 118F in Laughlin, Nevada). From SE Alaska through BC Canada down to southern Arizona and back. We did one week on the road with my daughter aboard who lives in Vegas. We had our dog along for half the trip and he stayed at my sister's place the other halfof the time. Mileage ranged from 21mpg to a short stretch down a mountain pass at an unbelievable 73.2 mpg. (LOL) I usually set the cruise at 8 to 9 over the speed limit whenever possible. Cops tend to not write tickets at those speeds. Speed limits are 75mph in some western states - I loved that and we cruised at 83-84mph. We used AC much of the time and it never once affected mpg. IMO AC makes has little to no influence with gas mileage. I checked the on board mpg calculator with real numbers and a hand held calculator and they always matched.The average Gas mileage for the entire trip was a credible 27.5 mpg.
Complaints? Not many. I wish the drivers seat was more comfortable for a big guy like me on the road all day but it was OK. The plastic gas cover flip open lever cap thing popped off. Seems the pin that holds it on broke or fell out. I can't find it. The lever still works fine. I'll fix it now that I'm home. It's not a biggy.
I love the slightly stiffer suspension of the Forester over other small SUV's. I watched them bounce and lean too much in corners while the little Subbie handled such things much better. The Subbie is fun to drive and that's important when on the road several days in a row.
Seems the Ford Escape, Toyota Rav4/Highlander, Honda Suv's and Hyundai Suv's rule the the road these days. There are less and less big SUV's and PU trucks out there. I loved my old Expedition and F150 but I'm adapting well to downsizing. With the hitch installed I can use a trailer to haul big bulky stuff. Other than a car hauler with 8 Foresters packed on its back we rarely noticed any 09 Foresters the entire trip through Canada down to Arizona and back. It's still new and I noticed when passing Subaru dealers they had lots of 09's in stock. I think there will be a lot more on the road by the end of the year.
Bob
Gas prices have really put a financial crunch on long trips like these. Gas is averaging $5.60 a gallon in Western Canada. I've never paid any attention to gas prices until the last couple of years - Now I'm obsessed with it.With just the wife and I the new Forester is excellent. I'm very pleased with it and I can carry four adults when needed. I have a hundreds of pics from this trip but since it's a forester forum I'm sticking to car photos. Here's another one in BC taken Friday.
We used to to take 2 major vacations a year but we only can afford one per year these days. I love the open road and destinations that inspire me. )
I had called SOA that morning to ask about the car. They had no idea where it was at all. The dealership was surprised too when it came off the truck. They were not notified.
I have only driven it home, about 15 miles. The average mileage was 22.5 coming downhill from the foothills to the flatlands. There was only 7 miles on the odometer when we picked it up.
I sprayed Scotch Guard on the fabric door trim, headliner and around the handles above the doors. It is light colored and a textured fabric so it will get dirty easily. Does anyone have another product they could recommend that would be better? I was envisioning some kind of clingy vinyl or fabric to put around those handles to protect the headliner fabric.
I will put around 200 miles a week on it so time will tell how the mileage will be. It came with the moon roof air deflector. It gives it a unique look compared to other small SUVs that I have seen. I have only seen one other 2009 Forester during our wait.
I hope it comes earlier then expected.....like yours.
Scotch Guard is good stuff. It should work well. I had some rather potent bug juice on my leg while wearing shorts and it rubbed off on the driver's side arm rest and it dissolved some of the paint-plastic making it look bad. Oh well... what can I do? Stuff happens but it hurts the worst when the car is new eh?
I agree that the new Forester has a very cool and sporty look compared to other small SUV's. I also like the fact that the Forester will actually out handle the others on twisty roads and gravel/dirt roads.
keep on truckin' and posting those awesome pics
tim
I'm 6'4" and the 09 Forester is just big enough for me. I don't fit the '08 version very well. One more car pic near our home.
Thank you for your excellent suggestion. My interpretation of what you are saying would be to keep the A trip meter going from fillup to the next fillup without clearing it, keeping a record of mileage, then clearing it. The B trip meter could be used for my 20 mile commute, mostly freeway and some city driving. I suppose I could take the time to clear it after city driving so I could record the freeway driving separately.
http://techinfo.subaru.com/html/downloadFree.jsp?doc_id=219629
you can get some info. It appears that there is a gain and cut-off adjustment on the sub. This is new, the 3 I have previously used didn't have this. Mine in my 06 is fixed gain and cut-off, and I believe it rolls-off at 250Hz.
I also don't believe there is any crossover in the stereo, all frequencies get sent to the sub and it filters out at the roll-off. The standard door speakers will continue to reproduce whatever they can, but they clearly can't pass the lows that the sub can.
Personally, I find that the tweeters and the sub fill in the sound nicely.
I don't know the exact date my Newport Blue Pearl Limited was ordered because dealer tried to swap vehicles, etc. I put a downpayment down on April 25th. I just called the dealer and he said the vehicle would be coming in this week. After it arrives they will have to put on whatever options weren't added at the port. If they have to order these options, it will take a few more days. My car is at the port now in New Jersey. I never thought I would have to wait this long for a vehicle. I hope it is going to be a good car for me after all this. I hope your vehical comes in early.
I've been a long-time follower of these boards, but have been a lurker most recently. I've owned a 97 Outback Sport and 99 Forester L prior to my current beloved 03 Forester XS Premium. I've been researching the new Forester (at near-OCD levels, mind you) to determine if I can justify upgrading to an 09 while my 03 still has some good trade-in value or if I should just run it into the ground.
My biggest ergonomic gripes were addressed -- steering wheel audio controls, telescoping steering (albeit only in XT's), more legroom, and better interior lighting. But I'm really bummed about the lack of 5-speed auto in a $30k car, and wish they hadn't skimped on the lack of a glovebox light, sun visor extenders, or decent cup holders.
Other than the 5EAT, those gripes are minor, and I'm really thinking about getting a loaded XT Limited with Nav. However, I'm looking for owners with real-world feedback who might be able to provide me some additional insight on some things I'm having trouble finding out:
1) I'm not a huge fan of the previous gen Yokohama tires and I've read some posts saying the current ones aren't much better. Has anyone ever heard of being able to negotiate a credit when buying a new car to take off the new tires? How much credit is reasonable? I was thinking like $250. I'd like to put a set of Michelin MXV4 Primacy's from day 1 rather than waiting to get to 30k before I can have some decent handling, quiet tires.
2) I was leaning towards saving money with an aftermarket nav, but there seems to be some compelling features with the OEM nav than may overshadow its deficiencies (namely, lack of USB or iPod interface or internal hard drive for music, as well as lack of available rear-view camera). I'd be thrilled to get feedback from actual nav owners, as the last two times I was at my dealer, they didn't have any nav units on the lot...
a) I know the unit reads WMA/MP3 files from CD. Does it also read them from DVD's? In other words, if I could put 4.7 GB worth of music on DVD's, I could fit my whole library on two discs. Not a bad tradeoff to lack of iPod interface.
b) I understand that the nav system lets you configure various customized options with the car, like security system settings and key lock options. Does anyone have a definitive list of all the options that can be configured?
c) Similarly, I also believe the nav adds enhanced trip computer functions beyond just the avg. MPG displayed on the console. Anyone know what else it does?
d) I've read that the programming lock-out can be easily overridden by grounding one wire to make it think the e-brake is on. Has anyone done this? Do the trip computer functions and everything else still work when this is done?
e) Anyone installed the Bluetooth microphone for their cell phone? How is the sound quality? Is it loud enough? Can the calls be activated and ended using the steering wheel controls?
3) Lastly, when I recently received an 09 X as a loaner, I found the driver's and passenger's headrests to be pitched so far forward that it was impossible to get comfortable and actually started to give me a headache, no matter how high or low I set them. I don't recall the XT I test drove a few days earlier being that unfomfortable, but I haven't been back to my dealer to check if there are really any differences. Has anyone else noticed and been bothered by this ergonomic flaw (disguised as a safety feature)? Does anyone know if the XT Limited headrests are of a different design or maybe just more forgiving because of the softer leather? Since these are "active" head restraints, I would have expected them to be placed in a more comfortable position until they are triggered in an accident. If my wife is not comfortable in the passenger seat, it's a complete deal-breaker! Anyone ever heard of aftermarket headrests?
Sorry this is so long, but I've been lurking too long and all of my questions are pent up! :sick: Thanks in advance to anyone who replies with some definitive answers!
Elliot
One of the things they did not like about the subi was the fact that they did not offer a back up camera as an option. But the forester does not need a back up camera!!! Visibility is great!!! The other car companies have horrible rear view visibility and then try to sell you the rear view camera for lots of $$$.
Another nit pick was the fact that the subi was the only one that did not have a multi CD changer. But this is because they had the Nav system which is 1 CD only. If they did not get the Nav they would have had a 6 disk CD changer.
In short the subi best them both in 0-60;MPG;cargo capacity; ride quality; and most importantly.... PRICE :shades:
I just took my Forester camping this weekend and had it so loaded I couldn't see out the back at all. A rear view camera would have really been useful, both for backing up and while driving down the highway (since most will allow you to set them to a monitor mode even when in Drive).
I for one would be willing to pay for one in a new Forester and think Subaru should at least add it as an accessory option, like the Bluetooth microphone add-on. IIRC, the JDM Forester does offer a rear camera.
Elliot
Yes... the headrests are tilted too far forward and are close to worthless for taking a nap with the seat reclined. I tried that as a passenger on our recent trip when the wife was driving and it was sore spot with me. Luckily we brought along a couple of those Ox-Bow shaped memory foam pillows which helped a lot.
-Frank
Had your dealer actually ordered your vehicle when you gave them your deposit you'd already be driving it. Maybe they thought they could do a dealer trade and get you into one faster but that obviously didn't work out
After it arrives they will have to put on whatever options weren't added at the port. If they have to order these options, it will take a few more days
Which makes me wonder if they ever did place a factory order for you? Any options on a factory ordered vehicle will be installed at either the factory or the port... not by the dealer.
-Frank
From that post I'd say you're way beyond "near-OCD"... you've got a full-blown case of it :P
-Frank
Unfortunately what makes headrests work well for accidents makes them less desirable as things to rest your head on, unless the seat is reclined __way__ back.
apologies - i guess i should have followed my comments with a more serious take on the situation - i really was just trying to comment on the almost panaoramic-style visibility in the forester as compared to some other cars in a joking way. i agree that a backup camera would be cool as well, but honestly, is anyone really driving on the highway with just their backup cam as their rear visibility as someone else posted? that seems really dangerous to me.
tim
I have had three instances of the whole car vibrating, steering wheel & shifter, and you can feel it in you seat, the passenger can too. It it very dramatic and painful to drive it this way.
The first time, I was going about 35mph on smooth pavement. It stopped after coming to a full stop. (This is probably a coincidence.)
The second time, it was on cruise control going 55mph. It did not stop with braking or stopping. Took about 5 minutes to go away.
The 3rd time, was going about 40 or 45 when it started. Braking/stopping didn't affect it. Manipulated the speed, worse with increased speed. Hurt my hands to hold the wheel. Lasted for over 1/2 hour of driving on pavement, curvy roads. Then on to dirt roads and it continued for a while... sounds like possibly something with the wheels/tires???, but I don't know what... The shaking was so bad, the moonroof slider slid to the rear on its own while going up a smooth paved incline.
Brought it into the dealer. They said they checked the balance on the tires. they said wheel balance checked out OK. Didn't happen on their test drive. (No surprise there.) They said it was due to dirt & dust on the wheels. They said "less than 1/4 inch of dirt/dust can cause this".
They had washed the car, so it was clean. It happened again 1/2 hour after leaving the dealer, although it was not as strong as the 3rd time which was unbearable.
The problem is, the car/wheels had been cleaned before it happened all 3 times. All 3 incidences happened on paved roads. However, I had been on a dirt road by the time I brought it to the dealer. The dirt thing sounds bogus to me. I can't believe that a little dirt and dust would cause the whole car to shake this badly. Besides, I had washed the car and the wheels, and hadn't been on a dirt road prior to all 3 incidents. I wouldn't want a car that would shake this badly with a little dirt on it. Should I have another dealer look at it? Any thoughts as to what it could be?
I had a suggestion of the ABS braking system being a possible earlier, however, I hadn't touched the brakes at all around when the vibrating started. One time was on cruise control, no braking there... If ABS can cause shaking, can the ABS system go off on its own? (This is my first car with ABS brakes, so have no experience with them.
Any help in determining a cause would be appreciated.
If this is your problem, you will also notice a decrease in power while accelerating. If you have full acceleration, this not your problem.
Since the problem is intermittent and did not go away with washing, I would rule out anything with the tire balance or dirt in the tires. Sounds more like an electro-mechanical problem where something isn't engaging properly or is engaging improperly. Could be malfunctioning ABS, rear differential, spark plugs, etc.
Is your check engine light going on? If not, suggests something more on the mechanical side that the ECU is not sensing.
It sounds like it's dangerous to drive or at least potentially harmful to the car. Since it's happening so much, I suggest giving it to the dealer and tell them to keep it until they can reproduce it and fix it!
Elliot
Frank - yeah, you're right, who am I kidding? Fact is, if I'm dropping $30k for something, it had better do exactly what I want it to! So I do my research up front so I'm not disappointed later on.
The reason for asking so many questions about the nav is because I was going to go aftermarket and get iPod control and rear camera for less money than the $2k factory system, but some of the functions integrated with the car seem compelling, and I've heard mixed things about steering wheel audio control compatibility with aftermarket systems. Now if I could just get my hands on the nav user manual, I could get all of my questions answered! :mad:
Thanks to all for the feedback on the tires and headrest.
Elliot
This isn't true. They have tons more accessories for JDM and other countries. From a marketing perspective, Subaru of America is limiting how upscale you can configure a Forester in order to keep it differentiated from the more upmarket 5 passenger Tribeca.
The rear camera for the same nav system is available as a dealer-installed option in the UK: Check this out from Subaru UK
Just another example of the US getting shortchanged.
Elliot
The iPod Interface for your 2009 Forester 2.5XT Ltd has just become available at our Parts Warehouses. The part number is H621SSC200. You can order and purchase this through an authorized Subaru dealership now.
Finally--my plan is to have this and the subwoofer installed at the same time.
The check engine light did not come on. Nor did any other lights.
There did not appear to be a loss in power.
I believe one unit was around $900 and the other about $1400.
Dealer said that the X limited is in very high demand. They expected to sell mostly premium models.
My wife's Ford Focus started shaking and running rough and two of four spark plug wires and plugs were so corroded they were cutting out. Her car is well out of warranty and I was at work so I had her take it to the dealer. Unfortunately they charged $250 for the fix - just to change the pre cut wires and install new plugs. They claim most of the labor cost was the diagnosis.
Your new Forester's problems are Subaru's problems as well. Demand they fix it and now. You paid for a car without major problems and they must deliver.
When it gets fixed let us know what the problem was.
"The 2009 Forester models are all available with an iPod Interface. This feature can either be a factory or dealer installed option.
Thank you for the opportunity to be of assistance. If you need any future assistance, please let us know.
Best wishes,
John J. Mergen
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer/Dealer Services Department"
-Karen in AZ-
The Subaru rep also pointed out that rest doesn't mean "rest," as in "rest your head," but "restraint." Still, you'd think they could make it more comfy. We are actually getting used to ours, sort of.
I have experienced something similar to this in 3 situations. My Foresters would/will shake when they get an accumulation of snow/ice on one of the front wheels. I carry a wooden paint stirrer to knock off the accumulation and fix this. I imagine mud would do the same thing but have a hard time believing plain old dirt would.
In the other 2 vehicles, not Foresters, the shaking was more severe. One had a bad ball joint, and the other had a bad tie rod, and the shaking was intermittent as you describe, depending on how the front suspension loaded and unloaded with the road. In either case this type of situation could be dangerous so I would insist on the dealer checking out the entire "front end" for something loose, and soon. They should do this both with the weight on the wheels and without, on a lift. If they refuse I would find someone who will, just in case it is something serious. Good luck.