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Comments
Still, a hood's gotta weight a bunch less than a hatch, with the heavy glass rear window, plus all that trim, even speakers in some cases.
If you think about it, though, with a prop rod you have to lift the hood 100% manually.
So it is even fair to expect the struts to lift the hood by itself? We don't have that now.
All it really has to be able to do it hold the hood UP once it's been lifted. That's all the prop rod does.
I'm sure they'll tune it to lift the hood as well, which will help with the Ooohs and Aaahs.
Imagine if they overcompensate and it's hard to close!
I guess they have to balance how much it helps you lift the hood (or all by itself) with how much effort it will take to close it, then account for temperature variations.
Still, though, back to the prop rods - the hood would slam shut if you just let it go or it slipped out of your hands.
I received an e-mail survey from Subaru a couple months back that seemed to indicate they were reconsidering using lighterweight materials in the future to help meet the new MPG standards.
There was also an interview w/Fuji CEO recently that indicated they could look to their airplane division for ways to keep the weight down, which made me wonder if they'd consider composite materials on their small vehicles (electrics/new subcompact?), since FHI's a partner on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which uses composites.
But I'm getting off-topic here.
My guess is that the difference between the 2nd gen legacy hood and the 4th gen is that the 4th has more padding under the hood for NVH.
I am looking at getting struts for the 05 LGT wagon, just not sure I want to drill yet into the mounting bracket on the hood side.
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
The coolant level in my forester is lower than the max level in the coolant tank.
Does anyone know which is the best coolant to add?
I saw a prestone make...ready to add coolant for about 16 USD...
And where to add the coolant? In the coolant tank or straight in the radiator...
Thanks..
So if you want a prop rod on a $30,000 car....
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20910788&postcount=718
Bob
That's *TOO* good.
No VIP pricing for a while, I supposed.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
OK, time to vent a personal prejudice: I HATE designer labels! I avoid 'em on clothes, even though I do buy LLB items, and other designers', though I remove them if I can. But on a car? C'mon!* I really wish Subaru would just call its LLB model something else, like XS, Ltd. or something that doesn't cater to the mighty yen.
_____
* Was it Chrysler that offered an Oscar de la Renta model at one time, or am I flum-fixated on "rich Corinthian leather?"
Thanks :shades:
Bob
Bob
On my SUVs I always match my front tint to the rear and my tinter has no problem matching it.
With that said I have 20% all around on all my cars and do not have a problem seeing at night, however, there are a few people who drive my cars that hate it cause they can't see.
Unfortunately it's not something that's an option from any manufacturer on I'd say 90%+ of SUVs these days, just something to learn to deal with I guess.
-mike
Modifications and Motorsports Host
My solution was to open the driver's windows and stick my head out.
Honestly, it's a down hill, dark, and turns slightly. You've got to be a pro even without tint.
I have noticed in my new minivan that it makes backing up when it's dark tougher, but I still accept that trade off for the privacy you get.
X Premium: 45%
X: 26%
LL Bean: 20%
XT Ltd: 6%
XT: 3%
So there we can see that only 9% of all Forester allocations for the US will be turbocharged. I can see why Subaru wouldn't want to divide that further into MT/Auto. Perhaps they could've just produced one turbo model (XT Ltd) and divided that into 75% auto / 25% MT. I think many enthusiasts would be willing to have leather/moonroof "forced" on them in exchange for a manual tranny option.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2009.html#std%20features
They can't win.
I suppose that any tint will block outward night visibility to a degree. However, you get used to it and in IMO the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.
-Frank
I wish I had a video camera. I could record some really fun methods of driveway maneuvering. My '07 Outback (MT) was especially enjoyable to use.
Freight is $665 for all models, up $20.
X manual is $19,995 (2008 was $1200 more)
X premium manual is $22,495 (08 was $200 more, but AWP $400 extra)
AWP $400 option, available only after June
LL Bean auto is $25,995 (2008 was $700 more).
XT starts at $26,195, down $800.
The Premium package adds a moonroof, 17" rims, rear seat center tray, roof rails, steering wheel audio controls, and reclining rear seats.
The AWP is no longer part of the premium package. It's $400 on the X Prem, and includes heated seats, mirrors, and wiper de-icers.
The LL Bean is loaded just like last year's model, heated leather and all, ACC, 6CD, power seat, fogs, and still includes the AWP.
I am VERY PSYCHED because I want an LL Bean and the price went down despite feaures going up! They made that model a very good value. :shades:
Of course, there are rebates on the 2008s...wonder how long until prices get to "normal" levels.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2009.html#prices
My wife test drove and enjoyed the Outback XT but prefers the styling of the Forester. She might consider a slightly less expensive Forester XT with all the goodies if we could pick it up (and still get a decent deal on it) by the end of May.
How has resale, etc, been on the Forester? We are considering leasing vs. buying our next vehicle for a number of reasons and I have been steering clear of vehicles with mediocre resale (such as the Nissan Murano).
My LL Bean invoices for $24,995. VIP pricing is 2% below that. I'm all over it. :shades:
Especially since I have a bunch of Subaru Bucks. Enough to offset MD sales tax.
Overall, looks like they lowered prices, primarily on the X model. In the past, the X model had bigger rebates than the others, so I think they sort of corrected that.
Resale has been strong. I bought mine for $19.2k and then sold it 9 years later for $5500.
As a comparison, I remember back in 1998 I also considered a Jeep Cherokee. Those were around $3 grand used by the time I sold it.
In fact my Forester was worth about what a similar Grand Cherokee was, even though I would have paid several thousand more when new.
My 2008 Forester, 2006 Scion xB and 2003 Buick LeSabre all have those warning stickers on their visors. But they are air bag warnings. Have you read the stickers on your 2004 Forester?
Oops!
So do SUVs have two sets of warning stickers on their visors?
-Frank
2008 and earlier were frameless. I actually liked them, but if you slam the door with the window halfway down it produced a rattle that made people think they felt cheap.
I say "felt" cheap because crash tests showed the structure was very sturdy despite a lack of window frames.
Why 2 mufflers? Well, the dual exhaust outlets just look better. They are symmetrical from a design standpoint, too. They do not add power, however, as evidenced by the Impreza. Sedans have dual exhaust, hatches do not, yet there is no difference in power output.
EPA numbers are not out yet for the 2009s. I doubt they will change from the 2008 figures given the powertrains are virtually the same, though, and weight is up less than 100 lbs. For an auto XT, figure a pretty decent 21/26 mpg or so
The good news is fuel tank capacity is up. It was 15.9 gallons before, but now it's up to 16.9 gallons. So you will enjoy more range in each tankful.
I'm happy about that because even with a 25.1 mpg average on my old Forester, I still only went about 340 miles per tank before the low fuel light would light up.
An extra gallon doesn't sound like much but you can drive an extra day or so between each tankful. Also, competitors typically have less capacity, so range will be about as good as it gets for this class.
-mike
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0