Ask the Car People.SM


2009 Subaru Forester

3747 messages,  Last post on Oct 15, 2012 at 3:22 PM

You are in the Subaru Forester Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Forester, Future Vehicle, Wagon

Messages Page 100 of 376

#985 of 3747 Head Gaskets by ateixeira

Apr 21, 2008 (9:20 am)

Subaru has had engine issues in the past, but they were with the head gaskets, not the piston rings.
 
You also missed the 2nd most common issue - wheel bearings.
 
The head gasket material was revised for 2002. The wheel bearing design was changed entirely to the new sealed type for 2003.
 
No vehicle is perfect, and yes the Forester has had a couple of common flaws, but the piston rings was just not one of them.
 
For a buyer coming out of a 100k+ mile perfectly reliable Lexus, all I have to say is to a search on "peeling paint" in the Outlander threads before you pull the trigger.

#986 of 3747 Catching up.... by ateixeira

Apr 21, 2008 (9:23 am)

Congrats to madisonsgame, LL Bean is very nice! I just test drove one this weekend (I'll share a review later today).
 
Does the iPod kit include Bluetooth? To be honest, I have no idea. I don't really see the appeal. I have a Bluetooth headset for my phone. That's all I need. Even that is a bit of a nuisance because then you need 2 chargers, one for the phone and another for the headset. It tries to solve a problem I don't have (speakerphone works fine for me).
 
My wife's iPod will hopefully plug in to the Aux input, though I have not tried it yet.
 
Review coming soon...

#987 of 3747 2009 LL Bean Review by ateixeira

Apr 21, 2008 (10:46 am)

As folks here know I test drive a X Premium model a couple of weeks ago. The LL Bean model has been popular so my dealer has not had any availble until now. In fact, this was their only one. Get 'em while they're hot.
 
The whole family came along. This was as much a test-fit as it was a test-drive.
 
The wife drove. I had gone alone last time, but this will be her car. I sat in the back seat with the 2 kids, so I observed it as a passenger this time.
 
Body roll is mitigated very nicely. Impressive. Somehow it's not stiff, either. We went over some train tracks and you hardly felt them.
 
Wifey floored the throttle a few times and it moves along well enough. No where near the rush of an XT turbo, but we want something significantly more fuel efficient than our minivan.
 
One big plus on the LL Bean is the perforated leather is very nice, much better than the leather on the Honda Odyssey (hard) we test drove while minivan shopping last year. The arm rests on the doors are a microfiber/suede material that we all loved. Very plush. Noticeably nicer than the cloth on the X model, the arm rest as well.
 
We sat 3 across, no problem. My 5 year old sat on the hump and said space and comfort were fine. I'm 6' tall and did not feel cramped, plus I'll be in the front anyway. Big windows and the huge moonroof prevent any feelings of claustrophobia, even with 5 people inside.
 
The GPS. Oh boy. Complaint time.
 
The interface was not intuitive. The screen is not as big as I expected, I think 6.1". It was probably not set up for the Region we were in, but it failed to find 2 gas stations around the corner, and it could not find my home address, either. The display also seemed dim, though to be fair I didn't try to adjust the brightness.
 
We will definitely pass on the GPS. I actually preferred my Garmin, and that way we get 6 CDs instead of just 1, for $1400 less.
 
The wife looked at all the colors and wants either of the 2 Silver colors or the Blue. 2nd choice would be Red or Sage Green, but she really would prefer those first 3 colors. She does want the LL Bean model, but not the NAV option.
 
Though I like to sleep on big decisions like this, she was nearly ready to buy that car on the spot. If they had a non-NAV model in stock I'm pretty sure we would have driven it home.

#988 of 3747 GPS pics and nit-picks by ateixeira

Apr 21, 2008 (11:04 am)

See pic below.
 
You can see the 4.3" Nuvi screen with the vent mount actually resides closer to the driver, so the screen appears to be nearly the size of the built-in unit.
 
It's also a little brighter, though again I did not adjust the brightness. I had the same complaint about the Mazda CX9, but not the Subaru Tribeca.
 
The interface was a bit less intuitive, too. You seem to have to take one step more than you should each time, hit one more button than necessary. When I hit POI (points of interest) I want to see categories. It wants me to type in a name, or you have to hit a button to get the categories.
 
The way I see it, I'm always looking for something - gas, food, whatever. I don't know what restaurant is closer, so show me the whole category.
 
It could not find my addy nor could it find two Exxons on Rockvile Pike that have been there for ages. The East coast DVD was inserted, I checked, but I'm not sure if the region was properly set. Probably not. The salesman didn't know how to program it, either.
 
Other nit-picks? Selection. Why only one of the most popular model? The salesman told me these are the fastest selling by far.
 
I like the XT wheels better than these, so I would trade if they let me. Maybe I'll ask later.
 
I like the sport grille but wish I could swap without having to pay extra for the option. The standard grille does look good with the silver, though.

Garmin vs Factory GPS.JPG
Garmin vs Factory GPS.JPG
0x0 (45kb)

#989 of 3747 Re: GPS pics and nit-picks [ateixeira] by kurtamaxxxguy

Apr 21, 2008 (12:46 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 21, 2008 11:04 am)
Good to know about the built-in Nav. I passed on that since I also have a Garmin that works perfectly fine, and can be hidden away to deter thieves.
 
Perhaps posters here can advise whether or not sport grille helps with radiator airflow (better? The same?). It is pricy, though.

#990 of 3747 ConGrats!!!! (ateixeira) by tkay

Apr 21, 2008 (1:31 pm)

Yep, It's a done deal.Hope the wait is not long for the Bean you want. (2nd.option) Drove by the Hyundai Dealer,guess what? no waiting...

#991 of 3747 Re: ConGrats!!!! (ateixeira) [tkay] by ateixeira

Apr 21, 2008 (1:36 pm)

Replying to: tkay (Apr 21, 2008 1:31 pm)
Yeah, he still has not found the model we want, even though we gave him 5 color choices.
 
I don't know if this is funny or scary but the same dealership (Fitzgerald) still has 7 unsold 2007 Outlanders, brand new.

#992 of 3747 So what is it about Hyundai owners by p0926

Apr 21, 2008 (4:36 pm)

That makes them want to proselytize so much? They make Subaru owners seem downright laidback in comparison. Anybody else remember Hung & Tung from the old Forester vs Santa Fe topic? I think there must be some requirement to drink a gallon of company Kool-Aid prior to leaving the dealership
 
-Frank

#993 of 3747 Re: 2009 LL Bean Review [ateixeira] by madisonsgame

Apr 21, 2008 (5:37 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 21, 2008 10:46 am)
I wanted the NAV.system but the one I bought did not have it. That's ok! Cause the Garmin would suit me just fine. The only thing I need now is the subwoofer. I want more bass. I definitely love the leather seats and all the goodies that came it my 09 Bean.
I am definitely glad I bought my 09 Bean when I did, because Subaru is no longer going to make them.

#994 of 3747 Re: Head Gaskets [ateixeira] by batman47

Apr 21, 2008 (11:32 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 21, 2008 9:20 am)
The paint chipping in the 2008 Outlander has been solved by Outlander owners using a simply mudflat (front and rear). See,
 
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

Messages Page 100 of 376

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