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2009 Subaru Forester

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    In Arizona, of all places? :confuse:

    Now that's just bizarre.

    I know they offer Outback rentals in Colorado. That makes more sense. :shades:
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Not that bizarre. Plenty of people fly in to Phoenix then drive up to see the Grand Canyon and drivers frequently run into snow in the winter (there was a huge multi-vehicle pile-up just last week caused by near whiteout conditions on the Interstate just outside Flagstaff). Also, there's a number of dirt roads that lead to scenic vistas where an AWD/high ground clearance vehicle comes in handy.

    -Frank
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Lithia's 3 day trial period has passed and the XT Limited's mine for foreseeable future.
    Car got its undercoating today (yeah, CU claims that is worthless and it probably is, but it wasn't ridiculously expensive and I figured it might cut down some pebble and rock racket in the fender wells, et all.). May get some clear bras and other enhancements down the road but wallet is busted for now :sick:

    The '09 accessor brochure includes puddle lights.

    Meanwhile the car behaved itself in Portland's latest round of storms. Only gripe is its creaking dash (it creaks when a wheel kicks _downward_ , as into a pothole or crevice ).

    Heater seems to work ok though the car fogged up a bit with the AC in Auto mode (however, all I had to do was twist fan dial to high and air started moving). The Auto mode can either be full auto, or partial, depending on what portion of the system you set to automatic.
  • mfletou1mfletou1 Member Posts: 508
    Niche vehicle would be a car that's not meant to be a high volume car that appeals to a certain demographic. Usually it inspires a great deal of loyalty, but its more of a love/hate thing.

    I think the last gen Forester fit that description to a t. The new one was designed to break out of it a little bit with the more traditional cute ute look, but I'm not sure it ultimately will.

    That's right, atex...I knew I knew you from another forum...it was minivans and we debated Ody vs. Sienna. Of course, I ended up buying the Odyssey because steering feel was a big deal to me and I actually found the Ody more comfy for my 6'2 frame.

    There was a bit more road noise on the Ody, but its not bad. My parents though the CR-V was worse but haven't driven an 09 Forester yet to compare.
  • tkaytkay Member Posts: 99
    After consulting with Webster,now I know.... Thats one word I have never used!!!
  • au1994au1994 Member Posts: 3,356
    Hate to hear about the creaking dash, thats a huge pet peeve of mine in a vehicle. I would almost accept a mechanical failure before an elusive rattle! We have an 07 Passat wagon and virtually every interior panel creaks and squeeks unless the road is smooth as a baby's bottom. I just haven't had time to get it back to the dealer to take a look.

    The Passat is on lease and the only reason we took that over a Forester last year was the smokin money factor on the VW. It made the more expensive Passat cheaper than the Subie. The new Forester is already on the short list to replace the Passat when the lease is up in 2 years.

    2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe Granite Crystal over Saddle
    2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
    2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha

  • kahanatinakahanatina Member Posts: 8
    A semi cut me off 5 wks ago on the hwy~~~totalling my car (03 Outlander) and forcing me into a new vehicle. This was the 2nd time a semi has run me off the road!! Beware to all!!!!

    I tested the Santa Fe twice, the CRV twice, the Mitsub Outlander and thank ja, found the 09 Forester a day after they had arrived at the Chgo dealer.

    The Santa Fe was nice but a little too big for me~~also drove like a truck. I liked the CRV but didn't think it was all that. I really liked the Outlander (also biased since the car saved me from serious injury) but was hesitant due to high parts prices and rumors of Mitsub pulling out of ops in the US.

    Hands down, the Forester won the prize!! When I saw the size of the roof, I was pretty sold. When I drove it, I was really sold. Their great reputation was also a deciding factor.

    Tried to purchase from the Chgo dealer but they did not have a Premium X in a color I liked. So, I found one in Schaumburg~~~purchased last Monday for $50 over invoice plus the Ipod interface added and installed, which is a min $400 value. They tried to talk me out of the Ipod interface but I was firm. My goal was invoice so I was really happy.

    Until, the electronic parking gate hit it 4 days later. Yes, it did. I screamed an obsenity at the top of my lungs into the universe. Surprisingly, along with the 6 inch scrape on the pass door, the gate also dented my new blue beauty. The fix it cost was a cool $643 but the car is back after 3 days and looking spiffy as ever!!

    I didn't push for a free maint pkg as I live too far from the dealer who had the car.

    The ride is great~~really smooth. I have noticed something is rattling when I go over speed bumps~~might just be the cargo cover.

    The city mpg stated seems questionable. I just filled up for the first time to track it but I don't think it is getting 20 mpg in the city. Followup later~~~

    Overall, I wasn't planning on a new car but I am very happy and excited about my new Newport Blue Forester.

    Good luck to all!!!
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    If anyone has any idea how much suspension travel recent Foresters have (I'm assuming the '09 will be similar) I'd appreciate hearing about it...

    ....and I am still surprised by how flat the '09 stays when turning corners. Only other car I've driven like that was Audi A3 3.2, and that had little suspension travel by comparison (it didn't handle small potholes well - the Forester could care less ;) )
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    For us, the CR-V has Honda's typical excellent space utilization and steering. On the down side, it seems to also have what's becoming Honda's trademark, we found it VERY loud. Although I can't find the right word, the CR-V felt like I was driving an old car with a lot of miles on it.

    I couldn't disagree more with this statement about the noise. Having taken a recent model CRV on a very long road trip it was a very pleasant car in all aspects with very good gas mileage. While the 4 cylinder engine, IMO, is just barely adequate the noise level and drive of the car was on par for what the car is, meaning the car is quiet, not LS 460 quiet. My '05' XT is much louder than the CRV, but a ton more fun to drive.
  • tkaytkay Member Posts: 99
    Kahantina you and your vehicles are survivors. Now it's time fore some payback (good luck). I thought the Turkey Vulture flying into my windshield two days after I picked up my new Forester was unlucky, I feel fortunate after hearing about your mishaps.Glad to hear your OK..
  • deerlake7deerlake7 Member Posts: 176
    As part of replacing my '05 Accord and now looking to replace our Pilot, I've driven more vehicles than I have in years. The only two I drove where both the salesmen and I needed to raise our voices somewhat (obviously we were not shouting) when cruising down the interstate were the CR-V and the Accord. On the other hand, our friends have an '06 Forester and to me that one's at least as loud as the CR-V. We found the '09 Forester to be much improved. My wife, in general, could care less about vehicles, including noise, handling, or anything else other than will get it to her school. When she said the CR-V was too loud, that speaks volumes to me. On the other hand, everyone has different hot buttons, so it's great we have so many choices.

    On another note, I take back my impression that Subaru is customer focused. Our local dealer got a bunch of '09's in yesterday and most have them had $400+ optional "wheel opening trim." I hate when manufacturers put useless options on their vehicles at ridiculous prices to pad their pockets.
  • kahanatinakahanatina Member Posts: 8
    My friend commented that he felt like his whole body was shaking~~vibrating~~during our test drive in the 2008 CRV.
    He was in the pass front seat and as a Honda fan, he thought the car was surprisingly too loud.

    Also, on the CRV, having the gear shift raised into the center console would take some getting used to although it would have prevented the nice bloodclot I got on my thigh when my leg bent the gearshift during my recent crash. :)

    The only thing I would add to the 09 Forester would be side-imbedded turn signals. My Outlander had them and I thought it was a nice safety feature; esp helpful on the hwy.

    Thanks for the well-wishes Tkay!
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Wrt the wheel opening trim guards, given chain useage is sometimes needed (even when not recomended) in Oregon's winter weather, I'd rather have those guards on the vehicle (mine does) than have the chains chew up the fenders.
    The trim's a lot tougher than the paint.

    But yeah, it'd be better if those items were actually _options_ rather than "factory pre-installed" options.

    The '08 CRV I drove, the top of line model, was pretty noisy on Oregon's roads, and probably a bit noiser than the Forester was.
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    overrated
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    I wait until now to order a 2009 Subaru after a comparison by Edmunds in two vehicles, i.e. 2009 Forester and 2008 Outlander.

    I was not impressed by what I saw in the comparison item by item and prices. The number of options in the Forester is too many and it shows how Subaru America wants to rip off loyal customers, because I think Subaru owners are Subaru patriotic

    Majority of brand new cars drive nicely not only Subarus. Going from 4-cylinders to 6-cylinders inflate the price above $30,000. Subaru has shown a disrespect and has buried hopes of Subaru fanatics with a 4-auto transmision that decreases performance by 15% in comparison with 6-auto.

    I will like to hear why I should buy a 2009 Forester instead of a 6-cylinder 2008 Outlander XLS .with the same petrol consume and better few options. 6-cylinders has longer life than a 4-cylinders.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Although I like the Forester so far, there are some things that should be pointed out for others.

    1. There are no limited slip diffs on the '09 Foresters, and no way to lock them. This means that it's very possible for that car to fail what the Outback did so well - park one side on asphalt, one side on gravel, and floor it.
    My guess is the Forester will try to dig holes in the gravel before the VDC kicks in to control that. How the steering will feel under that situation, I have no idea (and nooooo, I am not trying that on __my__ Forester !!!).
    You can see hints of this on the Subaru test track videos of '09's with two of their wheels in the air. When accelerated, these cars spin their free wheels for a bit before deciding to actually move.
    I gambled the VDC can handle this situation. However, the user manual suggests you turn VDC __off__ in those situations, which then leaves the car wide open to a one side stuck-in-the-mud.
    (as side note, the driver actually opens and closes one of the doors without any trouble, suggesting that '09 body is darn solid).

    2. The trim's a step down from Honda, Audi and some other cars at or near the XT Limited's price. The Forester's headliner's almost a joke, but I'm short and hopefully won't bang into it much.
    (side note 2: RAV4 Limited's about the same interior quality, with possibly a better headliner being the only major improvement).
  • h2k2f2h2k2f2 Member Posts: 44
    Where did you get the 15% performance difference?
  • fanaticalfanatical Member Posts: 3
    Just picked up my Newport Blue Forester today and I am extremely happy with the purchase. Harte Subaru in Hartford CT...great sales dept., no pressure and extremely fair. The solid feel of the Forester sold me, along with the LL Bean package amenities which I have never had the pleasure of...leather, heated mirrors, awesome stereo etc. This was the pefect fit. IT is far above the ride of the 2008.
    I'll post after my first fill up to let ya know about the mileage etc. I love the seating, it is soooooooooo comfy and that sunroof is awesome! Just need some warmer weather! ;)
  • rubdrrubdr Member Posts: 4
    I am looking at purchasing my first Subaru. It is a 2009 Forrester-LL Bean. Will be trading in a 2006 Ford Freestyle. Any information or advise? Thank you!
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    17.9 mph (at around 200 miles on odometer).
    Mostly city driving with a little freeway thrown in. :surprise:

    Worst mileage I have ever gotten from any car I've owned.

    Then again, to be fair, it's not completed break in, it's still 40 - 55 deg in Portland, the fuel is 10% alcohol, and the AC climate control is on most of the time.
    We'll see how it goes.
    I wasn't expecting fabulous mileage anyway - the price of an AWD car, unfortunately.
  • bufwxguybufwxguy Member Posts: 10
    Just curious about why you are going from the Freestyle to the Forester. I've been thinking about going from an 02 Outback to a 06 or 07 Freestyle. Bad experience with the Freestyle?
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    Seems like you have experience with loud Accords and CRVs. My impressions and experiences are exactlly the opposite. While no car in this class is the benchmark tomb quiet LS 460, in the Accord or the CRV one can listen to classical music at a low volume while driving down the road. Can't do that in the Forester.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    The '09 Forester is not as quiet wrt road-sourced noise as the Outback or some other vehicles, but seems better than my former Malibu Maxx, especially on the coarsely surfaced Oregon roads I drive.

    If anything the Forester seemed a bit quieter than either the CRV or the RAV4 I drove in comparisons.
  • deerlake7deerlake7 Member Posts: 176
    Actually, my '05 Accord was very quiet on smooth highways, it was only on rough roads did a lot of noise flow through into the cabin. Unfortunately, here in the north country we have a lot of rough payment.
  • fanaticalfanatical Member Posts: 3
    My impressions and expereinces are opposite of yours. The 2005 Accord I traded was far more noisy-(road noise and wind off the front pillars) The accord is a good car but the Forester cabin is much more roomy, quiet and yes, Classical?
    I am doing "that" in the Forester. ;)
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Edmunds claims there is a new twin scroll turbo on the '09 Forester, then goes on to say it's the same twin-scroll turbo used by Legacy and Outback.

    Huh?
    Did Subaru change the turbos for those two '08 models without telling anyone? My understanding was the turbos used for Legacy and Outback have been around for some time. And the 3 turbo Outbacks I drove were no way as responsive as the Forester turbos. The Outbacks had more of the classic "Turbo Rush" which kicked in around 500 - 1000 RPM higher than in the Forester. Yes, I realize the Outbacks weigh more, but I was monitoring what the engine was doing as well as how the vehicle responded.
    This is not to criticise "Turbo Rush". Some folks really like that :D
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    To open the rear hatch, there is no convenient "hatch unlock" button as there was in the Malibu Maxx. In the Maxx, you pushed the button in the drivers' door to pop the hatch.

    In '09 Forester, You either have to unlock all the doors (inside door switch), or unlock the hatch with the remote control, and __then__ you can open the hatch.

    If you want out of manual trans shifting mode on the Automatic, you must bat the shift lever to the right (out of the manual / sport slot). To get back into sport mode, you flick the lever back to the left. There are no paddles on the steering wheel (not a major issue as the lever is easy to move around).

    The heating system, true to virtually all Japanese systems I've seen, will send air out the side vents no matter what air flow mode you select. The airflow out the side vents reduces slightly when you are in defrost mode. Ironically, very little air comes out of the side window "defrost" vents.
    You have the option to manually close the side vents to send maximum amount of air to the defroster.
    There is a cabin air filter, located behind the glovebox door.

    Wrt Headlights, there is a niceity in that the headlights go off when you stop the engine and take the key out.
    An oddity is that for daylight driving, not only are the tiny marker lights above the headlights on, but the high beams (at reduced power) are also on. I've no idea what these marker lights are for (a leftover from Japanese light regulations of some kind ??) :confuse:

    Finally, Subaru got back to me and told me there is no "formally approved" filter for keeping leaves and other junk out of the intercooler. They did warn me not to block airflow, so it will be a challange to come up with something that doesn't reduce airflow but still catches some of the garbage that could come through the scoop.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Please post your comments about the article in the new discussion.

    Article Comments - 2009 Subaru Forester XT First Drive
  • rubdrrubdr Member Posts: 4
    You could say that. Poor mileage (18-20 hwy), brake recalls, rear main seal at 4K miles, creaks and noise high on hwy....and more. Have had Fords for the last 23 yrs. Seems like quality has dropped. Think you would be sorry considering the FS. The FS became the Taurus X with many of the same problems (from what I hear). Why are you thinking about changing?
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    17.9 mph (at around 200 miles on odometer).

    Are you sure the tank was completely full when you got it?

    -Frank
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I take one day off and this thread picks up the pace...figures.

    Puddle lights - these are neat. I didn't realize how useful they'd be until my Sienna, which has them. Very cool feature. I will look in to adding these on or LL Bean when we get one.

    kahanatina: congrats!

    fanatical: same you to, congrats.

    I have to get in gear and go buy one, seems like I didn't get the memo and have been hesitating.

    FWIW, I rented a 2007 Accord when we went to Florida last October, for a wedding.

    As throroughly competent as it was, road noise was my #1 complaint. The engine is quite, wind noise seemed normal, but we noticed tire noise. Perhaps it depends on tire choices, I dunno. The rental car was nearly new.

    Maybe some Hondas are better than others, or maybe its the tire choice. Who knows. That's just my observation.

    Also, I test drove the Ody and Sienna back to back. Again, I felt the Sienna was more isolated.

    If I had been looking for a driver's van I would have picked the Ody due to the Sienna's numb steering alone, but we wanted a trip vehicle and comfort was a top priority.

    Let's see what the instrumented tests say. The Forester has generally done well. Car & Driver measures sound levels at idle, at speed cruising, and at speed coasting. In the 2 comparisons I've seen for the Forester, it was the quietest in both.

    Let's see for the 2009. Competitors have improved. Has Subaru kept up? I guess we'll see when they publish sound levels in the full road tests.
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    On another note, I take back my impression that Subaru is customer focused. Our local dealer got a bunch of '09's in yesterday and most have them had $400+ optional "wheel opening trim." I hate when manufacturers put useless options on their vehicles at ridiculous prices to pad their pockets.

    While I personally don't consider Subaru to be particularly "customer focused", I don't see them doing anything different than most other manufacturers. As has been previously discussed, Subaru decontented the 09 Forester to make it more price competitive with its peers. This resulted in a big increase in the number of available options.

    Previous generation Foresters came with pretty much everything standard in a given trim level with very few options to choose from. Ironically, before we had people complaining about too much being standard and too few options and now some are disgruntled that there are too many.

    Another thing, your average Subaru dealer doesn't carry a lot of inventory so they and Subaru have to guess at what the most popular options are going to be and stock their inventory accordingly. Obviously this results in many compromises on what the vehicles are going to be equipped with.

    The good news is that it’s pretty easy to factory order a Forester to your exact specifications. The downside is that you have to wait 8-12 weeks for delivery. Also, refusing to pay for unwanted options is a viable negotiating tactic.

    -Frank
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I wait until now to order a 2009 Subaru after a comparison by Edmunds in two vehicles, i.e. 2009 Forester and 2008 Outlander

    I see from your other posts that you are actually shopping for the best price on a left over 2007 Outlander. So low price was a priority for you, not rally fair to compare a brand new model that just came out. Of course pricing is higher. The 07 Outlander has very low demand.

    The fact that there are still new 2007s left over proves that. You are buying a car noone wanted!

    Subaru America wants to rip off loyal customers, because I think Subaru owners are Subaru patriotic

    This is funny given what I've observed from Outlander fans - the most "patriotic" that I've ever seen. You obviously had a sip of their Kool Aid.

    If you even bothered to read this thread, you'd see people like Kurt are first-time Subaru buyers. He came from a Chevrolet. Other traded in Hondas.

    Going from 4-cylinders to 6-cylinders inflate the price above $30,000

    Not true, look at an Outback H6. Plus, the Tribeca is not in the Outlander's league, the Endeavor is.

    4-auto transmision that decreases performance by 15% in comparison with 6-auto

    Source? Wait, don't tell me - Mitsubishi. Of course! And Subaru buyers are the "patriotic" ones?

    same petrol consume

    No, sir. Wrong. Outlander is rated 17/24. The Forester XT gets 19/24, and it makes more power and more torque. Why is the Outlander's V6 so inefficient in the city, given it makes less power and less torque? How do you explain that?

    To make things worse, the gas tank on the Outlander is only 15.8 gallons, so your range in the city is a rather pathetic 269 miles. Forester has a 16.9 gallon tank, and with better fuel efficiency is can go a reasonable 321 miles.

    So it seems like your V6 is only 15% better at ... displaying the low fuel light.

    6-cylinders has longer life than a 4-cylinders.

    Source? The most durable automobile engine in the world was a 4 cylinder diesel by Mercedes. Source: Guiness Book of World Records.

    And before you look, 2nd place also went to a 4 cylinder. ;)
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Most of my Subaru shopping was comparing '08 Outlander to '09 Forester.
    Most of those comments are already here but I can recap if anyone wishes that.
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Whoa somebody hit a nerve :)

    So it seems like your V6 is only 15% better at ... displaying the low fuel light.

    LOL! Juice I think you have a future as a comedian :shades:

    -Frank
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I hate when someone trolls in to a thread, drops a bomb like that, then disappears.

    I do apologize, though, for the 15% comment.

    That was very unfair. I'm sorry.

    Seriously, I apologize ... to Forester owners. Range is actually 19% better.

    Won't happen again. I swear. :D
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Road noise is a common complaint of Hondas. Check CR's Annual Auto Issue. They mention that on just about every Honda.

    Bob
  • tkaytkay Member Posts: 99
    Talk about me,talk about my wife,talk about my job,TALK ABOUT MY RIDE "THATS PERSONAL"
  • tkaytkay Member Posts: 99
    When I start the 09 Forester a blue light comes on for a couple of seconds that says SPORT, then goes out. This is in the area of the speedo,am I hallucinating? I thought those days were long gone!!
  • tkaytkay Member Posts: 99
    I must be hallucinating because it's a GREEN LIGHT (Sport) that comes on with ignition.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    If your '09 Forester is an Auto trans, you are seeing the SPORT trans light being tested.
    You will see that light come on if the Auto Trans selector/shifter is moved from Drive position to the center of the + / - slot. Moving Selector back to Drive turns SPORT mode off.
    Putting the auto trans in SPORT mode changes the shifting so that auto trans lets engine rev higher in each gear before shifting, and allows more rapid downshifting on hills.
    And yes, it really works ;)
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    While I still remember, here are observations I had while driving a number of '08 Outback XT's .vs. two '09 Forester XT's:

    Outback:
    Quieter interior (little road or wind noise) but some rattles now and then
    Softer suspension (less thumps from potholes, etc.)
    More lean in turns when cornering
    Less low end torque - not much until over 3K rpm.
    Classic "turbo surge" when accelerating.
    Some drive line lash and occasional clunks while driving.
    Limited slip rear diff helps side-side torque
    Rather crowded inside (intimate front, rear seats had no toe space)
    Lots of cargo space in back, but lower overall heigth.
    Little cabin storage space (small door slots, center cup holders.
    Euro class trim similar to that of Audi
    Auto trans reluctant to kick down, even in Sport Sharp mode
    Intelligent mode reduces passing ability - beware!
    Cannot comment on mileage

    Forester:
    Reasonably quiet interior but can be noisy on coarse roads
    Firm suspension - potholes kick back more but are not harsh.
    Very little lean in the corners, unusual for an SUV.
    Little drive line lash
    No limited slip diffs - side/side power handled by braking spinning wheels.
    Broader power bandwidth
    Turbo response comes in two stages.
    4 speed trans responds quickly to throttle input - SPORT mode helps,
    Mileage not so great (expect around 18 - 20 in the city)
    Much more usable interior space (rear footroom! Reclineable seats!
    Interior trim in line with other mid- level Japanese cars (less posh than outback)
    More cabin storage in doors and center console.
    Fewer observed rattles than in Outbacks (but some dash creaks are in mine).

    Summary:
    Outback is more luxo, and possibly a better trip car
    Forester is more eager, practical, and fun to drive.
  • tkaytkay Member Posts: 99
    K-Maxxxx u da man!!! Thanks TKay
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Do any Subie folks here know of good suppliers of lengthwise body strips that can be added to the Forester to protect the doors from various dings and shopping carts?

    I priced such at the local dealer, but $400 for 4 pieces seems mighty steep (their add on spoiler was $700 ( the XT Limited already has one of those )).
  • bufwxguybufwxguy Member Posts: 10
    Really only because of the third row that the Freestyle/Taurus X has since we have more need for that kind of passenger space but don't want a mini van. My Outback only holds 5 if there are 3 small ones in the back seat, but those 3 get bigger as the years go by! I thought the FS would have ok mileage with the 3L six and CVT, but 18-20 hwy is not good enough. Also, I thought Ford's quality had improved, but I see from your long experience as a Ford owner, that's maybe not true. Thanks.
  • kpevavkpevav Member Posts: 41
    I have a 2006 Freestyle and my wife a 2005 Forester. The Freestyle is quieter, especially on the highway, and offers a better ride. I get 19 mph in the city, with a moderately heavy foot.
    The downside of the Freestyle? Rear brake pad wear is the only one that bothers me. It has a hefty engine sound when under strong acceleration, but I don't mind that. There are rattles when driving over the purposely uneven brick streets in our neighborhood (that's another story!) but on decent roads, there are no rattles. It is an excellent highway vehicle, for me.
    I understand the 2009 Forester is redesigned and should be more accommodating than the 2005. The same could be said for the 2008 Taurus X over the Freestyle, as it is quieter (with the 6-speed automatic transmission, more sound insulation, larger engine, etc.). I have not seen any brake-related issues with the Taurus X, but they are not selling many of them, apparently.
  • rubdrrubdr Member Posts: 4
    Yes, I took "extensive" test drives of both a 2008 Taurus X and 2009 Forrester. The X is bigger both in size and engine, but even with the 6 spd trans yielded even less mileage (17/14) and is very slugish on acceleration. The Forrester in 2009 is larger than previous yrs and has 4 spd trans but mileage was impressive (28/23) and had a lot of "zip". I think the X had a little better ride, but figured this was due to the longer wheelbase. They still are reporting the brake issues, especially the rear for some reason. In comparison I believe the Forrester is better in price, mileage, agility and extras. I also hear that 2010 Forresters will have a 5 spd auto trans. Any other thoughts out there on the 2009 Forrester?
  • h2k2f2h2k2f2 Member Posts: 44
    Those mileage numbers seem a little odd, given that the EPA (using the new-for-2008 standards) a rating of 20/26 for the non-turbo Foresters. Are those metric numbers? As to the five-speed automatic for the Forester's second year, I don't know. It has happened in the past. The 1999 Acura TL had a four-speed, but Acura upgraded to a five-speed for the 2000 model.
  • rubdrrubdr Member Posts: 4
    No, not metric numbers. Computer reads on both vehicles. That is what made it unbelievable. Are the "avg" mileage on the Subies accurate?? My experience with the Ford computer reads yield pretty accurate reads. Still looking VERY seriously at the 2009 Forrester I test drove for this and many other reasons.
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