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Comments
We just bought our 11 forester a couple of weeks ago and I was wondering if anyone can let me know what this stuff is I found in the cargo area.
Under the floor cover and in the cargo tray there was a small plastic subaru snapped pouch in there. But it was empty and I'm wondering if there was supposed to be something in there?
There are also 2 hard plastic, interior colored, looks-like-they-belong-somewhere, corner type pieces, just thrown in and not attached to anything. They really look like they should be part of the interior but are just hanging out there, loose, and I can't figure out what they might be. Anyone know what these are??
I'm not sure about the plastic pieces... how big are they? I don't recall my car having any loose pieces like that in it, but then mine is a model-year older....
The pieces are 2 different sizes..one maybe a smallish fist size, the other kind of L shaped is a little bigger....don't have them in front of me now.
I had a slightly difficult time getting them out once I put them in, had to use a small screwdriver to pop them. I am guessing that if the tonneau is port installed they just remove them and keep them with the vehicle. The only benefit I can see of reusing them with the tonneau removed would be to protect the area where the tonneau needs to sit and lock into.
Probably something I will never use so I wouldn't sweat it if you don't have them.
I checked where the seat is fastened to the rail, and the bad news is they are not bolted on, there appears to be very strong rivets there instead. Bummer.
Maybe the tracks are bolted to the floor, but you'd have to remove carpeting and hope the angle is flat to put a spacer there, also. My 1998's seat track was not flat at the front, so not an option.
Cushion may be the way to go...
If anyone is more adventurous than me, please take photos.
That's my fear as well. I haven't looked at the Forester's mount points, though.
I know that my Escort's rail is fastened at about a 45-degree angle on the front mounts, so one would have to fashion some sort of bracket to move it up without moving it forward. I would be leery to do so, as I am not confident enough in my fabricating skills to get it right without compromising the strength of the assembly (in the event of a crash).
My 93 Miata had flat seat tracks and I managed to raise the seat about 3/8" or so.
I'd love to do the same on the 09 Forester, but I didn't see bolts, just heavy duty rivets. There may be bolts under the carpet, but I didn't venture that far.
The Forester has no automatic door locks when your car is in motion. I'm seen people online say they hate them and want to lock the doors themselves. That's fine, but when you FORGET, it would be nice for the car to do it for you when you go over 10 mph. (I read one person online claim that they drive with doors unlocked in case they end up in a fiery crash. Do me a favor... let me know when you're on the road so I can stay off...)
My other pet peeve is that the Bluetooth speed dial feature (using pre-programmed numbers for the 1-6 buttons on your radio) does not work if your car is in motion. You can press the same buttons to change radio stations while the car is in motion, but when you want to use them for speed dialing preset numbers, the system says it's a "safety concern" and refuses. The manual says you should pull over and stop. So to press a radio button to dial a number, I need to stop on the shoulder of a busy highway. Okay...that's "safe".
Well, overall, the vehicle drives fine and I'll have to get used to these "features". The buying experience was very pleasant. In the dealership, I got sort of a "Saturn-like" vibe with the fireplace and lounge, popcorn maker, and low pressure. Waiting for the snow to see how the AWD holds up.
As for the auto locks, I guess I just don't get why someone would want their doors locked while in motion... or even care for that matter. To me, that is just a nanny feature much like the above (which makes the presence of one and not the other even more perplexing). If one wants their doors locked, then lock them. If not, don't.
The AWD is fantastic. If you decide to leave your stock tires mounted, you may disagree initially, but try those same tires on a different car and you'll soon change your tune.
So how is the new clutch? Does it engage smoothly in all weather conditions etc.?
Is the transmission as "notchy" as the old ones? (I also own a 96 OBS and 2000 2.5RS which my kids drive, the trannys are all about the same, but the 96 has a good clutch.)
Finally, how are the new ones for rattles? Especially after driving on dirt roads.
Any opinions about the new cars would be appreciated as those things are hard to judge on a test drive.
Thanks,
Dan Jaecks
Rattles. Oh, dear. Let's just say that you should expect them to develop within the first couple thousand miles, but one visit to a competent dealership will do the trick. Every 2009+ I have been in has front door rattles (driver and passenger) but, once addressed, they have not come back. I will say that my 2010 is far less rattle-prone than the 2007 and 2008 Outbacks I briefly owned. The 2007, especially, nearly drove me insane - and that was after coming out of a 200,000+ mile 1996 Outback!
I think you'll enjoy it. Compared to the 2002, the steering is going to feel lighter and it will have more body roll, but with copious improvements in every other department.
Is this a common issue with this car?
Let it break in, the numbers should improve.
Note: I already have the information from wikipedia (hopefully it's accurate) so I am looking for actual measurements. Thank you!
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2012.html#dimensions
If you're on the adventurous side, I recommend you skip the ferry and drive it up. :shades: