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Wagons Subaru Crew Subaru Forester 2009 Subaru Forester
3640 messages, Last post on Nov 19, 2009 at 3:06 PM
You are in the Subaru Forester Forum. Your Host is kcram
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Do any of the expert Subaru folks here have an explanation for why there is such a wide variation of opinion regarding the '09 XT handling? I compared the '09 Forester XT with the '08 Outback XT and found the Forester leaned way less in turns. In my driving, it only leans if I turn really fast (like a hard turn at 50 or 60 mph). In normal driving, changing lanes, etc., it leans less than the Outback or the Mailbu Maxx I used to drive. Yet when I read reviews, some claim the XT heels over like an old barge or something in turns. Granted, with nearly 9" or so of ground clearance, I would expect some lean in really hard cornering - the XT is not a racer. Given that many car magazines /web sites actually test mules / pre-production samples, might it be the pre-production samples had different suspension calibration than the actual production run?
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Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 12, 2008 11:02 pm)
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Replying to: volkov (Dec 13, 2008 10:42 am) 
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Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 13, 2008 11:04 am) |
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Hi, Kurt, Just thought I would check to see how the snow is coming down in Oregon. It has just started snowing here and they expect the storm to stick around til Wednesday(with really cold temps  )...it looks like a pretty big storm on the satellite.
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Replying to: sgloon (Dec 13, 2008 11:12 pm) That artic cold front's really wierd....it's doing a zig zag over Portland and the main bulk of it's not over us yet. It will be and will get very cold for some time. I'll be going out to play in an hour or so, but want to let those who had to leave the apartment complex leave first. It'll be no fun playing tag with those summer tire tuners in the apartment parking lot.
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I've been driving the '09 XT awhile in 1 - 2" snow and some ice, mostly in deserted parking lots and roads to get the feel of this car in winter. What I learned wrt XT's winter weather driving: 1. Accelerate hard in a corner and the XT will swing its tail out. Drive easy and it stays pretty neutral. 2. Brake in a corner and XT just drifts (assuming wheels all have equally bad traction). If ABS turns on, it's remarkably quiet. 3. One side of car on asphalt and other side of car on snow did not induce wheel-spin during acceleration. In fact the drive system seemed pretty much seamless unless I pushed it hard per above. 5. The WRG2's work well on snow, less well on ice ( XT definitely slid a bit when there was ice underfoot). However wheel spin was brief - the car never failed to start or stop moving. 6. Snow and Ice build up fast in the mud flaps and front/rear edge of wheel wells. Some other cars I saw were much worse. 7. Snow melts on the hood. 8. Wipers, defrosters and defoggers do a good job keeping mirrors and affected windows clear. 9. If you have the rear bumper guard cover, you will have to be careful about keeping snow buildup off of it or you will not be able to open the rear hatch. I'm trying the Prestone Snow block spray to see if it helps keep stuff off of those problem areas. After my drive, I learned that ODOT had for today mandated chains be used on ALL Portland OR roads !!  I did not have chains on the Forester (though my trusty Auto Socks were ready if needed) and I did not see chains on other vehicles save tow trucks and ambulances. At least those Nokian WRG2's are winter rated ! By comparison, my former '04 Malibu Maxx FWD with GW tripletreads in winter: 1. Ran wide if accelerated in turns 2. Spun its front wheels a lot 3. Went nowhere if both its front wheels spun on ice. That car would have probably gotten stuck today. Not the XT. 
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Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 14, 2008 2:45 pm) Possibly, if I had kept up the acceleration (I only let XT accelerate 1-2 seconds) , VDC would have cut in. I saw no warning lights flash during this test.
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Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 14, 2008 5:27 pm) Out of curiosity, is snow melting on the hood not something you experience with other vehicles?
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Replying to: xwesx (Dec 15, 2008 10:58 am) My Malibu Maxx did have insulation under its hood. Should also add the XT warms up pretty quickly compared to other cars I've owned.
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