Any input on Subaru Forester?

[HH4]

Picked up an 03 Legacy for the Mrs. a few months back. Love the car. Awesome in the snow. Now my son is just about to close the deal on an 04 Forester 2.5 XT. This thing can move. 0-60 (100kph) in 5.3 and a quarter mile in 13.8 at 96 mph (155kph). Not bad for a 4 cylinder SUV!

Any experience or thoughts on the Foresters in general and the turbo XT in particular?

[ROTORRAY]

You might want to check out Consumer's Reports. Subaru is basically bullet proof, according to my readings, and I see a lot of them in my area of central California. In the past there were some head gasket problems but this was several years ago and they have, apparently, been rectified. I personally like the turbo models. Took one on a test drive and it was a solidly built car with more than enough power. My bro lived in Minneapolis for several years and they were all over there, according to him, also in the Lake Tahoe area of Calif. Personally, I can't see where you could go wrong. Take it for a good test drive WITHOUT the sales-person, if you can. Not just around the block or on and off the highway but give it a REAL test. Keep us posted on what you end up doing.

[Smokin Ace]

My father in law swearers by the outback wagons. He has had 2 since I know know my wife. (7 yrs) He look at the Forester a few months ago but then decided he 107K miles meant he still have 60-70 to go and would stay with the wagon. Always heard great things from those who drive them. Just my .02.

[hofffam]

Almost bought a used 05 Forester (not turbo). I liked it - but the interior is rather plain. Like most Subarus - very dull looks. It kills me that Consumer Reports keeps calling it a SUV. It's an AWD station wagon.

The ground clearance allows Subaru to classify it as a SUV - which has allowed it to be omitted from the CAFE fuel economy standard.

[wrenrj1]

Two thoughts cross my mind:

1. If you have a boat, they make you sell it.

2. Do you really want your son (I'm assuming a teen, so correct me if I'm wrong) to have a car with that much power to it? Also consider insurance prior to purchase...

I swear I'm not a grumpy old man, but....

[geotech]

Having had one, I can say that they are fine vehicles. It was too small for my needs. The fuel economy was so so, 23-25 with fairly gentle mixed driving. I drove a turbo and didn't quite get the point (it is still a station wagon). It was quick but I wasn't interested in the mileage hit. Had good clearance and did well in the snow. You could do a lot worse.

[HH4]

We took a long test drive without the salesman and were very impressed with the car. Also checked the service history at the dealer. It was leased with the "free ride" deal which covered all maintenance. It has had all required service performed as per the manual, including ATF and diff fluid changes.

I don't think I'm a grumpy old man either But I'd like to see him drive a Volvo station wagon! He's 20 tears old and living on his own (joined the Navy right out of high school) so I knew that wasn't an option. The turbo performance makes the car enough to want to drive. The low stance for an SUV, 4 wheel ABS discs , and the excellent full time AWD make it very easy to control for a preformance oriented vehicle. Plus it's rated as one of the safest vehicles in it's class. Insurance rates are based on a 4 door wagon clasification. Again, about the best rates in it's class.

We get quite a lot of snow and even more freezing rain and ice. The Legacy with new all season tires was as good ( actually better, but I can't forget which forum I'm on ) as my RL with snow tires in those conditions. I don't expect amazing fuel mileage but he started his car search looking for a Frontier or X Terra so 22-25 sounds pretty good

Ninety percent sure we'll buy the Forester today. I think He's getting a safe, reliable, wagon with excellent AWD. He thinks He's getting a fully loaded, turbo charged SUV just waiting for mods.

Thanks for your input and please keep the comments coming.

[ridgelinef4i]

Having had multiple Subarus I think your son is making a fine choice. All the Subaru engines are very sturdy. The turbos do add performance but at the cost of fuel and a more stringent maintenance schedule. Since he is young its a good fit plus it has a lot of room to fit all the crap a young person has.

JUST CHECK THIS OUT:
TSB 02-97-05 Rough idle on 04 Turbo motors (2.5L) - ScoobyMods

Is it a manual or automatic? If its a manual just tell him to take it easy on the clutch/gears. My only gripe with the subaru awd platform is the transmission. The manuals can feel sloppy after a while (needs adjustment), and the automatics feel a little notchy. But in the end they never failed even under varying levels of stress.

Of all the Subies the Forester is the cleaest mix of car/suv. There are alot of Subaru forums out there NASIOC.COM, and scoobymods.com subaruforester.com just check them out.

[Tcape]

As already mentioned, Consumer Reports loves the Forester. They've given it very high ratings for years. And if I remember correctly, CR rated it the #1 small SUV for several years. Excellent choice for a small wagon. And the all-wheel drive will be great for winter driving. Hope everything works out great for you.

[MoosePond]

My last ride before the RL was a Forester XS Premium (with that great moonroof that extends halfway into the back seat) and we simply loved it! Very dependable, decent mileage and great in the snow, rain, mud, etc., just a bit small for hauling anything - which is why we began looking at pickups.

Don't think that your son can go wrong with a Subaru and, btw, Consumer Reports and others call it an SUV because that's how Subaru refers to - it but I'd have to agree - it's really an AWD station wagon as the cargo area isn't even large enough to qualify it as a crossover.