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Wagons Subaru Crew Subaru Forester 2009 Subaru Forester
3657 messages, Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 8:32 PM
You are in the Subaru Forester Forum. Your Host is kcram
I just replaced the stock speakers (including tweeters) with JL C2 650x component in the front and coax in the rear. Also had dynamat installed on 1/2 the door in all 4 doors and around the speakers. Auto Sound of Willoughby also secured stock wires and loose parts in the doors that were causing rattles/vibrations. I'm SO glad I did not replace the head unit because the stereo sounds awesome now, even in surround sound, which sounded terrible before. The doors also feel more solid when they are closed. Crutchfield says these speakers are not compatible with the stock stereo, not sure why, but they sure sound good with the 6-CD circle surround stereo! I also had my Sirius Sportster radio hard-wired for power and connected to the aux jack in the center console and it sounds MUCH better than FM transmission, plus it's much cheaper than buying the Sirius module for the car. Hope this helps someone else that can't stand the stock stereo and door vibrations.
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Replying to: rich28 (Jul 31, 2009 6:31 pm) I upgraded the speakers on my 98 Forester and also noticed a significant improvement.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Aug 03, 2009 11:03 am)
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Replying to: rich28 (Aug 03, 2009 4:55 pm) |
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Just completed my first major road trip with my 09 Forester X Premium 5MT. I drove just over 3,000 miles in 22 days - thruought Oregon, Utah, Nevada, & Arizona. Observations: 1. Achieved GREAT gas mileage - 31.2 mpg overall for trip (which was almost all hwy driving). I tend to drive conservatively (65-70 mph, coast on long downhills, etc). 2. Forester handles really well on open road, and I found I could drive for hours without being fatigued. The drivers seat has inadequate lumbar support (for me), but an aux pillow placed behind lower back kept me comfortable. Car had plenty of power to handle big mountain grades. 3. Had an "incident" - a rock (kicked up from truck) chipped the windshield, which necesitated a $40 "chip repair" in Utah. Based on my experience (2nd chip) and other posts here, I think the Forester uses very thin glass which chips easily. 4. Despite driving thru the desert in 115+ deg F temps, had no overheating issues (not having a temp guage kept me nervous, however!). And A/C proved more than adequate keeping interior cool and comfortable. 5. The black plastic rear wheel well molding came loose again (already fixed by dealer 3 times previously). Apparently the adhesive strips used by Subaru to attach these moldings are having problems in extreme heat... 6. Here's an interesting lesson I learned: I wanted to charge my cell phone while car was parked at hotel. But power outlets are active only with ignition turned on. So, I decided I would leave key in ignition, and take door FOB with me to unlock doors later after phone was charged up. BUT - Forester won't let you lock doors with key in ignition. Then I noticed if you hold down door lock key for 3 seconds, it overrides and lets you lock doors with key in ignition. Unfortunately, this also "deadlocks" the car and you can no longer unlock doors using key FOB - which I learned upon returning to my car and finding myself locked out!!! The good news is that I called the Subaru Assistance phone#, and within 40 minutes they had a local road service provider on-site to unlock my car (and for no $ charge). It's nice to know the Subaru Assistance service really does a good job helping you out if/when you need it. Overall, I really enjoyed how the Forester performed. It had lots of room for camping gear, bicycle, etc. The huge sunroof was great to have in the mountains. I got as much as 450 miles cruising range on tank of gas. Chalk me up as a VERY satisfied Subaru owner... |
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Replying to: bikerguy3 (Aug 06, 2009 1:40 pm) |
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Just finished one year with my '09 XT, have 13,000 miles on the car, and thought I'd check in with my comments. Nothing has gone wrong with the car-- I'm very pleased about that! At this point, it is working as well as my Toyota Sienna did. No mechanical problems, nothing has broken. I love the way it handles and rides, the exterior visibility, the power, the tight turning circle, the easy rear-seat access, the big cargo space. If I could redesign it for next year, I would improve the interior (especially the carpeting) and make the seats more cushy -- I added a memory-foam pad and custom sheepskin seat covers on both front seats. (The excellent performance of the car is not matched by the chintzy interior.) I would make the gas tank a little higher-capacity. And I would lower the volume of the annoying seatbelt chime. Other than that, I can say I am quite pleased with my purchase. The car has been really fun to drive, and grips my steep driveway nicely in bad weather. I was at first reluctant to leave my favorite carmakers (Toyota and Honda), but the Forester lured me away because of its superior ride and handling. (The Rav-4 rode like a go-cart and the interior cargo area of the CRV was too small because the rear seats tumble into the footwell.) The Forester has been a very good choice so far.
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Replying to: xira (Aug 06, 2009 4:15 pm) I rarely drive over 70 mpg, and certainly notice the dip in mpg for anything over 60 - 65. The absolute most I have been able to squeeze iw 449 miles, with approx 1/2 gallon left to spare. That's actual mpg, not based on what the computer says. For highway driving, I would not thing the standard you have would easily give 3 more mpg. But, if you figures are accurate that the 31.2 you indicate is based on the entire trip per actual fuel consumption, that'g great. The car is getting more "noisy" as time goes on Just a lot of noises of various types, nothing I can pinpoint. The carpeting (if you really want to call it that) is lousy. I purchased a wind deflector for the moonroof which has made things much quieter as I like to travel this time of year with roof open, and I talk on the phone constantly and that does cut down on the wind noise considerably. Only problem the wind deflector Subaru provides is rather large, much taller than really is necessary. But, it does the job. The radio is "so so" You cannot get a great deal of volume out the rear speakers, though. Lastly, my left thigh keeps hitting the part of the door on the inside that sticks into the car a bit. Kind of annoying, I never had that problem with another car. |
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Replying to: bikerguy3 (Aug 06, 2009 1:40 pm)  I have a Forester and Sienna also - great partners in crime.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Aug 07, 2009 7:58 am) on both the trip computer and confirmation of actual fuel purchases. Normally when driving locally, I achieve about 27 mpg. Probable Contributing Factors: 1. I usually use premium unleaded fuel 2. Just before leaving on trip, I changed the oil, using (for 2nd time) Mobil 1 synthetic oil. 3. At about 13K miles, the Forester did seem to start getting better MPG...??? 4. While not a "hyper-miler", I do lot's of minor things to maximize MPG - like keeping speed under 70 (wish there was a 6th gear!); coasting in neutral down hills; avoiding aggressive starts; skipping gears when accelerating (3rd or 4th); avoiding prolonged idling; keeping car clean/waxed; closing sunroof at high speeds (too noisy anyway); keeping extra weight in car to minimum. I should also note that I don't have XT turbo, have M/T, and the PZEV engine (mandatory in OR)..."> |
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