Ask the Car People.SM


New Subaru Forester Owners - Give Us Your Report!

225 messages,  Last post on May 22, 2008 at 1:40 PM

You are in the Subaru Forester Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Forester, Car Buying, Wagon

Messages Page 1 of 23

#1 of 225 New Subaru Forester Owners - Give Us Your Report! by pf_flyer HOST

Oct 23, 2006 (8:52 am)

Congratulations on your new Forester! This is the place to let us know how much you love it!

#2 of 225 New owner as of yesterday - the long version by applejf

Aug 01, 2006 (10:28 am)

Well we looked and looked for a small car-based SUV, or small wagon, that could be had with a five speed manual. There are not very many of those out there. After eliminating a very few, there were three left that I was comfortable with, so I let my wife scratch the ones she didn't care for. She said no on the Volvo V70 (plushest, but $10k higher than the Sube) and the Mazda Sportwagon - she didn't care for the looks. Neither of these could be called an SUV of course. Both would have had to be ordered to get a five speed. So we settled on the Forester.
 
The Forester was a car I had admired from afar for a long time. Actually the first test drive was before we had narrowed to three, early on in the looking. I personally did FOUR more test drives - three on the X that we wound up buying, and one on an XT. I didn't need the turbo, in fact our '06 (new by the way) Forester X has five big hp more than our naturally aspirated 2000 S70 Volvo, which has been fine - also with five speed.
 
Why didn't SOMEBODY tell me I would LOVE this car??!?!?!!
 
I think I like every single thing about it - one exception see below - I love the size; I am six ft two and couldn't even reach the middle of the roof to wash it on one of those truck based SUV's. I love the quality. The transmission linkage is very good, not BMW quality but close enough. I have always preferred light steering cars, this has it as well as tight at center. Suspension is clearly better than a truck based ride. So........except for..........
 
I HATE the Hill Holder. I might be able to live with it for the traffic lights on a hill deal, although I've been driving stick shift cars for 45 (!) years and pride myself on being to get a car moving in that situation. Problem is the darned thing works in reverse too. Our garage is flat, but just outside of it the driveway slopes down a little, and I am accustomed to getting the car moving till it starts down that little slope, then pushing in the clutch. This car stops when I do that, so I'm left with having to use the power of the engine to push against the brakes all the way down the hill. Unless I am missing something. I have tried to sorta blast out backwards, kick it in neutral before the brakes come on to stop it, THEN coast down in neutral. I don't care to have to perfect that maneuver over the life of this car. So.......
 
Can the Hill Holder be disabled?
 
Thanks for the help from this forum during my search for a car.

#3 of 225 Re: New owner as of yesterday - the long version [applejf] by once_for_all

Aug 01, 2006 (10:51 am)

Replying to: applejf (Aug 01, 2006 10:28 am)
"This car stops when I do that"
 
It should only stop if you put the brake on in the process. The clutch alone won't engage the hillholder, the brake needs to be activated first in order to seal the ball valve check in the master cylinder.
 
I have learned not to activate hillholder when backing downhill in reverse. If you release the parking brake, start rolling, and do not apply the brake again, the Forester will not stop.
 
The benefits of the HH, IMO, outweigh the constraints.
 
John

#4 of 225 Re: New owner as of yesterday - the long version [applejf] by samiam_68

Aug 01, 2006 (11:42 am)

Replying to: applejf (Aug 01, 2006 10:28 am)
Hill holder can be adjusted to be a lot less "grabby". Have your dealer do it - it's a free adjustment under 12/12 warranty. Or, you can search these threads to see how to do it yourself (fairly easy).

#5 of 225 Hill holder adjustment? by applejf

Aug 01, 2006 (2:51 pm)

Replying to: samiam_68 (Aug 01, 2006 11:42 am)
samiam_68 says Hill holder can be adjusted to be a lot less "grabby"
 
Thanks. The salesman did say that it gets less grabby with time, right away. Having only had the car for 24 hours, I guess I need to calm down a LITTLE bit about this feature. It just seems annoying to deal with in so many situations (of backing, e.g.) where I really don't even get to use its benefit, but rather have to work around it.
 
thanks for the info

#6 of 225 Re: New owner as of yesterday - the long version [applejf] by ateixeira

Aug 02, 2006 (8:57 am)

Replying to: applejf (Aug 01, 2006 10:28 am)
Congrats, Kate just got her 2nd Forester, so you're in good company.
 
-juice

#7 of 225 Re: New owner as of yesterday - the long version [ateixeira] by applejf

Aug 02, 2006 (9:46 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Aug 02, 2006 8:57 am)
thanks Juice, I recall you were helpful to me on this forum, over the last few weeks, with this decision. I liked it when I drove it home from the dealer, and it continues to grow on me.
 
Fred

#8 of 225 Re: New owner as of yesterday - the long version [applejf] by terry92270

Aug 09, 2006 (3:47 pm)

Replying to: applejf (Aug 01, 2006 10:28 am)
People still buy stick-shifts?
 
Goodness! Step confidently into the 21st Century!

#9 of 225 people buying stickshifts by applejf

Aug 09, 2006 (5:08 pm)

Replying to: terry92270 (Aug 09, 2006 3:47 pm)
People still buy stick-shifts? says terry92270

 
Yep, it takes me back to the 19th century. Sittin' up thar on the stagecoach, ridin' shotgun maybe, nothin' but big sky ahead, lookin out for injuns while heppin' the cap'n by grabbin the brake lever when he says to. You got a real feel for your wagon when you do your own shiftin' .
 
The ladies seem to like it too, at least mine does - she will not have an automatic.
 
applejf

#10 of 225 Re: people buying stickshifts [applejf] by terry92270

Aug 09, 2006 (8:28 pm)

Replying to: applejf (Aug 09, 2006 5:08 pm)
LOL....glad you all have a sense of humor.
 
I appreciate a stick, like when I had the Viper, or another power car. Just have never found them more than a bother on low power ones, is all...

Messages Page 1 of 23

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement