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Comments
No doubt it is still based on the Impreza. I truly hope they increased the rear legroom and got rid of the strut towers in back. In all other respects, I like the vehicle.
Craig
I still don't like the new styling and want rear leg room. The Forester is a great value. I guess all this waiting and reading all these boards left me wanting more than what is realistic.
If I could just talk my wife into a wagon there would be an Outback in the drive now.
edited:
I found it. It's ok. But it will likely not see production, and if it does, will be over priced. As juice noted, it's not tough enough for my liking. A boxy Forester would however spark my interested for 2 reasons. The short wheelbase would make it great for off-roading, and if it was boxy it would be have UTILITY. Heck if they put on 245-70-16 tires, and Front and Rear LSD on the Forester it would be nearly un-stoppable off-road. Throw in the H6 and some better bumpers and it would totally rock.
-mike
remember when they first introduced the re-designed 2000 Legacy. New exterior but same 2.5l, then the following year came the H6. My hunch is we will only see the 2.5l for 2003, and the H6 would make its way under the hood for 2004, if not a "T-bo".
-Dave
http://www.cars.com/carsapp/detnews/?tf=/index.tmpl&act=display&srv=parser&sf=/default_frameset.tmpl
And suddenly, my mind is pulled back to the 2003 Forester: To have all that my 2002 has, that comfort and handling, and assurance of safety, PLUS the new styling, and the new standard goodies and safety features...WOW!
My wife asked if we were going to have to trade in the 2002 for the 2003 -- I had to say no, we've got to keep the 2002 for the usual long time we keep cars. But she has this Mustang and it's getting a little older (though it has ridiculously low miles), and if I can just frame it right, put the proposition in the right terms, just maybe...hmmmm. Two Foresters...and she gets the older one...yeah!
-mike
Peter - IMO, trade the Mustang in on a WRX! :-)
-Dennis
So, in conclusion: I'll trade an inch or two of rear seat leg room for a better handling, more reliable car. I can work around that inch or two of leg room if there is someone I like in the rear seat. And if its someone I don't like, I'll like that rear seat even more.
-Dave
Front seats more supportive bolstering
Illuminated power window switches on all doors
Illuminated ignition switch ring.
Waing for pricing.
Speaking of skiing - what did I do while I waited for my wife to finish up with her ski stuff (I'd finished first and I'm faster putting stuff up)? I watched some European winter rally races -- Jeez! I was all excited about it, babbling about how they drove and how I'd like to do it -- except, I'd be driving about 12 MPH. Which I said to my wife, and she said she hadn't wanted to say anything, but she concurred. My wild days are behind me: I went sliding sideways down a road in a hot, small V-8 Cutless (circa 1974) at about 90 MPH, after I decided not to hit the stake-truck that had pulled in front of me when I was going 20 MPH faster; I had a Tercel five-speed that I drove like hell; and I've rolled a pickup. Now, I'm a model citizen w/ post-traumatic stress syndrome when I'm in a car. If we had a WRX my wife would have to drive, and I'd grind my teeth to nothing and my hands would become permanent claws from clutching the door-handles.
Ok, so what model do we start guessing on now?
Jim
Winter-worthiness won't appeal to us down south, but affordable performance will -- come on Subaru, you can do it.
That said, I do regret just a little that I didn't wait for the new Forester. Nice car.
--Bart
-mike
-mike
Ken
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2002/honda/accord/lxv64drsedan30l6cyl4a/prices.html
This price will certainly go up once the all-new 2003 comes out, which will be more powerful but lose the 4-corner double-wishbone. All in all I'm very happy. Still, the new Forester, such a nice car.
--Bart
The $23.8k Accord EX V6 is more comparably equipped but still lacks AWD and utility.
-Frank P.
The Accord is a delightful "driver's car", but there are many practical aspects of my 98 Forester that I dearly miss. (the cargo box, ground clearance, supportive seats, oversteering handling, for example.)
And now this nifty 2003 Forester comes out just to make it worse.
--Bart
Having said that, the new Forester looks more like a freshening than an "all new" design. I am majorly disappointed that they did nothing with the engine. IMHO, either the 3.0 H6 or a turbo option is necessary to successfully compete in today's competitive mini-SUV segment. But if nothing else, they could have easily bumped the HP up to 175 by using some type of valve timing (IIRC, the new Altima gets 175 out of its 2.5 4-cyl). Well, let's just hope Subaru really does include a turbo option with the MY-04s as rumored. Were I in the market today, I'd get the WRX wagon hands-down. If and when a turbo option appears for the Forester, the decision might get a little tougher.
-Frank P.
Juice has sucessfully coverted me into being a true Subaru groupie!!
-Frank P.
About rear leg room, I read in one of the press releases that there is more front seat travel than in the current Forester. If this is to increase possible front legroom and you define the rear legroom with the seat in its rearmost position... then you could increase the size of the cabin and still not get anymore "rear leg room", even though many people would not have the seat all the way back.
Frank
The H6 wasn't a huge success because it came with premiums, IMO. You couldn't just get the H6 option -- you had to purchase VDC or the LL Bean package to get it. And it made sense. It was a brand new high performance engine so you want to market it first to people who are willing to pay the premium to get it today -- extracting maximum consumer surplus; Econ 101. I'm sure we'll see it trickle down to other models shortly.
Ken
Re engine choices, I understand the marketing approach but the Forester could really benefit from a bigger engine now. Subaru is losing sales daily to the V6 equipped competition. By waiting another year, that's just that many more potential sales lost.
-Frank P.
Frank
Sorry Jim. I would love to join you, but they have definitely bumped up the power for the Impreza folks. When I got my car it was the most powerful Impreza available in the U.S. at 137 h.p.! :-)
Winter worthiness not needed?
Yes, but AWD is great in the rain and on rural roads. If I were looking at a compact/mid-size sedan I would get a Legacy instead of a "Camcord". AWD is more important than 6 cyl, IMO.
Autoweek.
Before the WRX came out, Autoweek had an article saying that it would get 215 h.p. ;-)
-Dennis
I'm still hoping, but I'm prepared not to be let down.
Ken
Jim
Bob
I'm not wild about the nets in the front doors replacing the pockets. I suppose they offer more flexibility but anything stored there will look more cluttery.
-Frank P.
OTOH the nets on the sides of the console are great, yet another Forester way to squeeze handy storage out of the interior.
But in general the interior is very nice. I'm glad they kept the little console-top storage compartment. And the shifter makes the impression of being shorter. Just makes you want to grab it, throw it in First and go!
--Bart
Hmmm... the name "Land Cruiser" is already taken; maybe a new "Champ?" Or, better yet—"Conestoga wagon."
http://www.detnews.com/2002/autosinsider/0202/07/autos-410391.htm
Bob
Does anyone know what they are talking about? I have been following Subaru for only a short while. Are there things in the works that I'm not aware of?
Thanks for your response,
Jim
WRX-STi
Turbo Forester
How's that for starters?
Bob
Jim
-mike
"Specifications on variants to be launched in Australia in the third quarter of 2002 have yet to be confirmed.
The model shown in Chicago is a U.S. specification model and has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder horizontally opposed boxer engine.
New Generation Forester will be previewed at Melbourne Motor Show from February 28, when more details of Australian release will be distributed. "
The engine types released for Australia would give at least some indication of whether the Turbo or H6 may eventually become an option in the US. And re-open our favorite speculative discussion
By the way, in most cites I see that the outer dimensions are "similar" - we really don't know for sure whether they have changed or by how much (well, except for Ken's numbers, that is).
Bart: ("The nets on the doors seem cheap and Trabant-ish")
- Only if the doors are made of plastic.
- D.
John
Shifting gears, the Edmund's pix and writeup are softening the blow. The Forester looks better in that WR Blue/gray two-tone than in the PR pix' red monotone. While the drivetrain still disappoints, the added content impresses: new struts, improved suspension anti-dive and squat, and especially the quicker steering rack and bigger brakes.
One thing that does bother me a bit is that the limited slip rear diff is now optional on the higher traim level. That and the four-wheel discs were big factors in steering me into an S. (I may have missed it but what is the standard brake setup, disc/drum or all-disc?)
Ed
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/020206/n06128178_1.html
Frank
Bob
Couldn't the marketers think of anything better?
-Colin
Bob
-Frank P.