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MLHSN
What goes here?????



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MLHSN
What goes here?????
PostFri Jan 23, 2015 10:13 am 
Anyone own one? We are thinking about getting one. Thoughts on them? Likes/Dislikes from owners? Thanks!

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NacMacFeegle
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 10:43 am 
I drive an old 2000 model, and I love it! The new foresters are good too, but for me they are to much like all the other SUV's these days. Fuel economy is decent, they are good for mildly rough roads, but also make great everyday vehicles. I can't think of anything to dislike.

Read my hiking related stories and more at http://illuminationsfromtheattic.blogspot.com/
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half fast
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 11:46 am 
I have had two Foresters and loved them both. I am a huge subie fan. When I had my last Forester, I lived on a hill and was the only person that could actually drive up the hill in the snow! What I really liked about the Forester over my current Baja, is that the back hatch door opens up to give you a bit of weather protection to get geared up out of most of the rain etc. up.gif up.gif There was nothing that I diss-liked and I will get another one when my Baja needs to be replaced biggrin.gif

It's all about the fun, oh and maybe the chocolate - half fast
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camut
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 11:48 am 
I drive an '05 that I bought new. Great car. My dog likes it, too. The only thing I dislike about it is that the clock is difficult to see. My brother has a Forester that is several years newer than mine. He and his wife took a little road trip with it last summer from their home in Alaska down through the western states and back home to Alaska; traveled about 9,000 miles with no issues with the car.

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Cyclopath
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 1:00 pm 
I have a 2015 Forester, I got it in early July after my car was rear-ended and totaled. frown.gif I like it. Gets better than 30 mpg on the highways, it's great in the snow and on dirt roads, it's plenty comfortable, the giant sunroof is nice, especially in the winter when the world is so dark. I like the new features, like the auto-dimming mirrors and the cameras for cruise control. Also I can fit my 58 cm road bike in the back without having to remove the wheels, and I can fit XC skis inside the car, too.

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RichP
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 1:31 pm 
I drive an '04 and have nothing bad to say about it. The back seat could be more comfortable according to my passengers.

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Lilredexpress
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 1:52 pm 
I have been researching Subaru's recently. I am in the market for a new 4W or AWD. What I learned is even though Sub's overall have the best AWD system, they actually differ not only between models but between yrs of the same model. Case in point, I really want a new Cross Trek. Its all I need for a single person with on Golden Retriever. I can't justify a OUTBACK! But I read during my insane research that the 2015 Forester has the newest baddest most awesome AWD system yet.. It's not all about the AWD, the new Forester is going to incorporate some much data to enhance handling. Without going into to much detail instead of some systems that add braking in the corners to keep you on the road the 2015 Subaru uses the AWD. Its called X MODE. Here is a quote. The Forester retains all of its rugged trail prowess, including 8.7 inches of ground clearance and some approach and departure angles that even off-road purists wouldn’t be quick to dismiss. But perhaps inspired by systems such as Land Rover’s Terrain Response, Subaru has added something called X-Mode. When engaged at low speeds, it electronically manages torque from left to right, supplementing the AWD system’s front-to-back distribution, and it automatically deploys Hill Descent Control at low speeds. Plus 5 star crash test rating. I am just waiting for my annual bonus in FEB before I decide. But after reading about the Forester I may upgrade from the cross trek. good luck!!

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Foist
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 2:33 pm 
I went through this experience last year. I found the decision largely came down to the Forester versus the Mazda CX-5. These were the only reasonably priced, well-reviewed cross-overs that actually had some decent clearance. The CRV and the RAV-4 have barely more clearance than your typical sedan (5-6 inches). The Forester and CX-5 both have around 8.5 inches. That is a big difference. We ended up buying the CX-5, and I am thrilled with the decision. Here is the pros and cons as I saw them when I bought the car (posted on another thread):
Quote:
Pros of the Subaru: - Larger windows / visibility / brightness of the interior (although the Mazda is not the worst among new cars in this area, the Subaru has been especially good about keeping its windows big and columns small) - non-pavement performance -- the dealers let us test the cars on a rough gravel parking lot, and the Subaru seemed to feel a bit better, perhaps due to its "symmetrical" AWD. - safety, particularly results on the new "small overlap" test. Pros of the Mazda CX 5 Touring (2.5): - Performance on regular roads. I enjoyed driving the Mazda way, way more. The Subaru had a jumpy, oversensitive accelerator that might give some the illusion of power, but was just annoying, and when you needed power (e.g. on hills, which we tackled on the test drive) it clearly had less than the Mazda (184hp vs. 170hp). The Mazda's transmission was incredibly smooth and responsive simply compared to other regular automatic transmissions that I've driven. I also much preferred the handling and it felt tighter on curves. The Subaru's CVT transmission and acceleration was more constant going up the hill -- but so was the noise. -40-20-40 back seat, allowing us to put our XC skis in the car plus two people in the back seat. -MUCH better sound system. The sound system in the Forester is absolutely horrendous -- always has been (my parents have the 2005). - Factory roof rails available (they are unavailable, strangely, on all but the top model Forester) -We found the seats more comfortable. Despite the Forester's possibly superior performance on the gravel, we're driving on roads most of the time (heck, even when we're driving to hikes). Plus the Mazda's superior power will come in handy on snow and gravel as well, and it should do nearly as well generally. We plan to have this car for a long time, and we just wanted the one that we liked more. That was clearly the Mazda.
Obviously, I've since had more experience with the Mazda, and I still love driving it. Meanwhile, my parents bought the 2014 Forester, so I've had more opportunities to drive that, as well. And I hate it, more than I initially realized in the test drive. The accelerator is jumpy and uneven, which is especially annoying when combined with the cars mushy steering. The Bluetooth on the Mazda is kind of buggy, but the Bluetooth on the Forester is borderline unusable. You have to navigate a million mysterious voice commands to set up a phone, and once you do, some phones already set up on the car get mysteriously booted off (this is not by design, it's just what happens). The backup camera is way bigger, clearer and better on the Mazda. And the Mazda has done great in snow and on rough roads. We made it up the horrible Twin Lakes / Winchester Mtn road, and back, twice this summer. I'm not sure it is any worse than the Forester in snow or on gravel/dirt. At this point, I'd say the only thing I like more about the Forester is it has bigger windows and better visibility. That's really it. To mitigate the relative darkness of the CX-5, we opted for the light tan-colored interior, which really makes it seem roomier and brighter. Yes, stains appear more easily, but I don't care about that much; if anything, if the car is dirty, I'd rather be able to see it so I can clean it. Aside from that, I don't understand Seattlites' fascination with Subarus, I just don't. I don't think either car underwent any major re-designs for the 2015 model.

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Foist
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 2:49 pm 
The Car and Driver comparison largely reached the same conclusions I did.

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MtnManic
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 7:58 pm 
I have a 2009 Forester, which replaced an Impreza Outback, which replaced a Legacy FWD sedan (which replaced a Mazda which was totaled by another driver who rear-ended me). I've driven friends CRVs (different years and do love them), btw. My Forester feels "safer" in bad conditions than the Impreza (which was good), gets reasonable freeway mileage (not so much on I405 commuting). It's quieter and with greater visibility than a Rav4 of the same vintage. I went through several "eliminations" before buying, with the CRV the next to test drive. I didn't test drive any more after the Forester. I can't speak to newer models of any of these, but the Forester met my needs with comfort and sufficient power to haul a carload of folks and packs up most any road around here.

Backpacking: limited to one pack at a time. Cameras: limited to as many as I can carry.
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tigermn
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 10:52 pm 
Forester is a nice rig. You can't really go wrong. If you want something a little more roomy inside and car like the Outback is a better choice. The Forester being built on the Impreza platform has a smaller turning radius which helps when you need to turn around/park etc. This might sound dumb but a major issue for me was that rear hatch (at least the automatic one) doesn't open quite high enough to walk under it from every angle.. I'm not that tall either. An inch or so under 6 feet. Part of it may be the curvature of the door. If you come in at an angle is where you hit. Testing this at the car show it was the only SUV type of vehicle I found that had this issue. Found that really strange. I even pointed this out at the dealer when shopping and they were surprised... Something to consider especially if you are over 6 feet tall and want to use the rear as sort of a shelter when getting prepared for the hike. I went with the Outback but mainly because I wanted the 6 cylinder engine and wanted something more car like yet with the ground clearance X-mode etc. You will pay more for similar equipped Outback vs Forester so that is a consideration.

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boot up
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boot up
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PostFri Jan 23, 2015 10:59 pm 
Love my 2014 Forester. Even more so with beefed up rear stabilizer bar and Nokian tires. 2014 was the major redesign year for Forester and made it the first year I would consider it. Subaru has AWD down to a science. Many reviews back that up. Unless you want to get an Audi, it has no competition for a competent AWD system. I have X-mode but haven't really needed it yet. It only works under 29 mph and has to be some pretty extreme conditions before you need it. If you drive icey snowy conditions a lot, you are more likely to use it. Gas mileage is darn good. Visibility definitely better than all the squished back-end vehicles, that is current popular style. I also own a 2012 Impreza, which was the first year for that redesign. The Crosstrek XV is basically an Impreza with a lift kit and beefier wheels. The 2.0 engine is OK with Impreza, but I think its really pushing it to put it in the heavier XV. On the other hand, if you like the "good ole days" of Subaru, with an underpowered engine, for cruising slowly in the fast lane, it could be your car. The XV may not be fast, but my Bro-in-law says his is a tractor and with snow tires it gets him and my sister to trailheads midwinter in Bend OR, when the road in is too icey for anyone else. And the XV still has the Subaru 8 inch clearance. The Impreza has 5.7inches clearance. Subaru redesigned the Outback for 2015 model year. That really gives the Forester a run for the money, with the 2.5 engine getting good mileage in both. And for the power freaks (you know who you are hockeygrin.gif ) you have the 3 sumthin' option. We have test driven Subarus when we buy cars every 10-13 years. Never thought I would own one. I was never impressed with them previously. I am very happy and quite surprised to own 2 now. Subie has finally gotten their Sh** together IMHO.

friluftsliv
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MLHSN
What goes here?????



Joined: 09 Sep 2007
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MLHSN
What goes here?????
PostSat Jan 24, 2015 9:35 am 
Well user reviews sound good. Let me post this question for those that have been through a few Subaru's: how many miles did you get out of it? Major repairs along the way? Any commonly required repairs for Subaru's that you know about?

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Foist
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PostSat Jan 24, 2015 9:41 am 
The forester is probably fine especially if the driving experience is not important to you. But you'd be nuts not to at least test drive the cx-5.

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MLHSN
What goes here?????



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MLHSN
What goes here?????
PostSat Jan 24, 2015 10:11 am 
Doesn't the CX-5 run about $4k more? My first preference was for a Toyota Tacoma, but the price tag on those is running about $6K more. If I fork out the extra 4, I might as well go all the way and get the Tacoma.

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