Any experience with the newer Foresters?

[fmradio516]

Sorry to bring up another car thread, but the dealer near me has some great deals on 2018 Foresters.

Some other users on here were complaining about older Foresters and Outbacks being money pits.

Anyone have an experience with the newer models? I know its hard since they are well, new. But, just thought id ask. Seems like a popular car.

[jcs7282]

FWIW, my wife has a '16 Outback (4 cyl) which shares many similar parts/features from the Forester.

Reliability has been fine so far -- no problems at all, about 22k on it, so frankly I would not expect any for how new the car is.

Good:
-AWD makes the thing a tank, esp in the snow (we run snow tires but you probably don't really need to)
-Pretty nice interior for the money, and especially compared to prior gen Subies
-Decent, but not outstanding, fuel economy

Annoyances:
-Subaru Starlink infotainment system sucks. UI is clunky, slow and sometimes buggy. Dealer says "it is operating as intended" and went as far as to admit that its performance and design does indeed suck, but they cannot do anything about it.
-No way for owner to do a TPMS reset (unless you have a diagnostic tool at home). This is really only an issue if you run a dedicated winter tire/wheel setup for the snowy months (as we do). Therefore, when you swap tire setups, you must go to the dealer for a TMPS system reset, since the tire pressure idiot light will go on as a result of "seeing" the new TMPS sensors. This happens regardless of whether you use OEM or aftermarket sensors (we have OEMs and it happens every fall/spring when we swap).
-Window "lock" feature also locks out the driver's buttons from working. We have little kids, so this is probably only an issue if you do too.

Dealer experience has been mostly good (Metrowest Subie in Natick MA) and overall a nice car.

[biker72]

Consumers Reports have them highly rated.

[daker13]

My '15 Forester just hit 60K and has been great.

[benb]

I have about 70k on my 2013 Outback.. 2.5L "FB" engine. If you go buy a 2018/2019 Forester with the base engine (non turbo 4-cyl) you're getting a newer version of the "FB" and the CVT is a newer version of what I have.

I've had pretty much 0 issues with my car. A trim panel on the drivers side door seemed to be defective and I dented it with my elbow resting my arm on the door with the window open. They replaced that under warranty with like 5k miles and the replacement hasn't dented in the remaining 65k miles.

I also had one of the plastic covers for the child seat tethers in the roof break.. my son ripped it off and eventually the plastic tab wore out. Got another one very cheap from the dealer. He's out of giant car seats that use those tethers so that won't ever break again.

It seems highly variable but my car also tends to need a quart of oil before it's time for the oil change, and has needed to do so pretty regularly right away from within a year or so of buying it. But these cars in 2012-2013 have a 7500 mile oil change interval. In 2014 or 2015 they changed it to 6000 miles. So you go in more for service but you never have to add oil. It doesn't really bother me much. 1 quart in 6000-6500 miles is not really a big deal IMO. But there were some earlier "FB" engines with major oil burn problems.

If I could do it again I'd get a 6-cylinder outback or a Turbo Forester.. It was only a $3k difference or so at the time and IMO the 4-cylinder is kind of underpowered.. it almost never hits EPA #s and I'd say the majority of the time my car doesn't hit the EPA #s for the 6-cylinder outback. You might as well have the extra torque/power.

[ScottW]

Go figure, my first post on a bicycle forum will be about cars, but anyway...

My daily is an 05 Legacy GT (2.5L 4-cyl turbo, 5-speed manual) that I bought in 2012 with 96K on it. Now sitting at almost 198K and will clear 200K sometime next month. I'm mechanically inclined and have done all my own work on it (clutch, timing belt, wheel bearings & CV shafts, plus the more mundane stuff). Subarus are like Legos. Lots of parts interchange across their various models, and I've worked on others.

Fuel economy worse than competitors' cars is the price you pay for having AWD. The tradeoff is that with halfway decent tires you will be able to go up hills like a beast in mud or snow, and on paved roads you can get away with hooligan style mid-corner throttle application in heavy rain without the car spinning or sliding too dangerously. If you've never driven one in adverse weather, you don't know what you've been missing.

I looked at Foresters at the time, but the generation I was looking at (05-09-ish) had a wheelbase a few inches shorter than the Legacy chassis with a couple less inches in the back seat, which made it worse for fitting kids' seats despite the vehicle appearing bigger. The next gen got a little bigger but had sinfully ugly interiors. My friend has a '17 Forester and the current ones are roomy enough for kid hauling and have nicer interiors. He's had no issues but the car only has about 30K on it.

Non-turbo 4-cyl Subies are slightly underpowered but the 6-cyl is pretty respectable. They make about the same peak hp & tq as the 4-cyl turbos, and last I checked they'll do it on 87 octane instead of taking 93. Mine has consistently burned about a quart of oil every 3K miles, but the non-turbo cars by their nature tend to consume less oil than the turbos. I top off whenever it's about 1/4 qt low. Oil is cheap. I hope you guys aren't driving around 1 qt low just waiting to hit your next oil change. And FYI, if you ever see the oil light on your dash, on most Subarus AFAIK it's not a "slightly low" light. It's a "shut off the engine before you destroy it" light. I've never had mine come on, even after I did find it 1-qt low (a one-time occurrence as the turbo was approaching grenade stage having sent 1 qt through the exhaust in <100 miles :eek:).

The engines are reliable but boxers have their quirks. Spark plugs can be weird to access, but that's a rare need. At some point in the life of the car, north of 100K miles IME, the valve cover gaskets may eventually start to seep and you may get a drop or two of oil onto the exhaust manifolds. Minor annoyance (smell) and not too horrendous to fix, but more difficult than an inline-4 engine that has those parts easily accessible up top. Timing belt interval is 105K, and it's not really any harder than any other timing belt job, just a couple more pulleys to deal with.

AWD means you have twice as many half-shafts & CV boots & trans/diff seals, but those are decently long-lasting parts. CV boots on mine have lasted 60-100K miles on the fronts (engine/exhaust heat) and the rears I believe are still original. Some Subaru owners complain about wheel bearing failures. Mine have lasted about 80-100K on all 4 corners (perhaps slightly shorter than I might hope, I dunno) and they're no more difficult to change than on other cars.

Mine has certainly not been a money pit by my standards. By design it has a few more moving parts than a similar model of Toyota or Honda, but show me ANY car with nearly 200K on it that the owner hasn't put any money into and I'll show you a poorly maintained POS.

[p nut]

Had a '13 Outback, which has the same engine. 2.5 CVT. When I sold it, it had around 70k miles (5 years). Zero problems. Held speed up steep mountain passes better than other 4-cyl automatics, thanks to the CVT. Agreed on power, or lack thereof. But on 100% highway drives, going 70mph, I was getting 33-34MPG. AWD is phenomenal.

I like the Foresters with the high roof. I would personally get the new '19 Foresters with the global chassis and more importantly, the bigger rear passenger space and the wider hatch opening.

I would buy another without hesitation.

[Spdntrxi]

Sorry to bring up another car thread, but the dealer near me has some great deals on 2018 Foresters.

Some other users on here were complaining about older Foresters and Outbacks being money pits.

Anyone have an experience with the newer models? I know its hard since they are well, new. But, just thought id ask. Seems like a popular car.

I have a 14 XTi.. ~45k.. it's been great and Subura has been great. I did have eyesight system failure not too long ago, but Subura America replaced it for nada

Also have an 18' Crosstrek.

[fmradio516]

I have a 14 XTi.. ~45k.. it's been great and Subura has been great. I did have eyesight system failure not too long ago, but Subura America replaced it for nada

Also have an 18' Crosstrek.

Just wondering what the eyesight failure was.

[Spdntrxi]

Just wondering what the eyesight failure was.

The CPU.. it's quite pricy from the factory and controls a whole host of stuff when it's not working. It started turning off and on randomly and then eventually just stayed off. It was already out of warranty, but I just made one polite call to SA and they said they would take care of it.

[Jmaxwel8]

My wife and I bought an outback over the summer. It’s the best driving car we have ever owned. I can’t say enough good things about it. The only bad thing is the gas mileage

[Spdntrxi]

My wife and I bought an outback over the summer. It’s the best driving car we have ever owned. I can’t say enough good things about it. The only bad thing is the gas mileage

you must have got the 3.6... atleast you have some power. I wish my Crosstrek had my XT engine.. my only gripe.

[Mr. Pink]

As a long time Subaru driver and two time Forester owner (01 and now 10), my big complaint is the size bloating of these models (basically the whole market segment across the board), especially the roof height going up and up. They were originally small cars with clearence and AWD, now they are smallish SUVs. I want the former. I have a hard time getting my bike up there (I'm six foot tall), and now have to use a small stepladder to get into my ski box. The newer Foresters are about four inches taller than mine. Outbacks have followed the same trend.
This is why I'm looking at the VW Alltrack.

[oldpotatoe]

As a long time Subaru driver and two time Forester owner (01 and now 10), my big complaint is the size bloating of these models (basically the whole market segment across the board), especially the roof height going up and up. They were originally small cars with clearence and AWD, now they are smallish SUVs. I want the former. I have a hard time getting my bike up there (I'm six foot tall), and now have to use a small stepladder to get into my ski box. The newer Foresters are about four inches taller than mine. Outbacks have followed the same trend.
This is why I'm looking at the VW Alltrack.

Look at 4 Motion ‘S’...same guts as Alltrack but AllTrack more $ for essentially a sunroof, 17 inch wheels, some trim doodads and faux leather seats...

love my S...

[fmradio516]

Look at 4 Motion ‘S’...same guts as Alltrack but AllTrack more $ for essentially a sunroof, 17 inch wheels, some trim doodads and faux leather seats...

love my S...

Are VWs still ridiculously expensive to work on?

[AngryScientist]

not s subaru specific comment, but i find modern "infotainment" systems maddening.

i rent cars all the time, and i loathe all the modern dashboard stuff, i find it distracting and dangerous. needing to use the dashboard touch screen to turn on the air condition or adjust the cabin temperature seems unsafe to me, especially in a car i'm totally unfamiliar with.

the proximity keys also baffle me. i still need to have the key physically, there is just no place to put it once i get into the car?

i'm very far from buying another car, but i'd still put a priority on a two knob radio coupled with a very simple climate control system.

a centrally controlled computer thingy that does bluetooth, text messages, phonecalls, the air conditioner, seat heaters and the radio is just too much all in one spot with no tactile controls.

and forget about it if/when that thing breaks...

[Ralph]

About 6 months ago....I had to repair (actually replace) the module that controls dash on wife's Ford Edge limited. Vehicle was 6 years old, and 5 year warranty had expired. About $900. All new vehicles seem to have something similar controlling things these day.

Would much prefer a simpler dash....but market seems to want smart vehicles these days. Don't need my dash to read text messages to me, or to send them from voice command. It is distracting.

[oldpotatoe]

Are VWs still ridiculously expensive to work on?

Probably no more ‘ridiculous’ than any other modern auto in similar price range. I donno..in 60k of TDI and 30k of my Golf GSW and 130,000 of 2000 Beetle, have only had a heater fan and window motor go south(both Beetle)...About $550 total for both...is that ridiculous? I donno.

[daker13]

As a long time Subaru driver and two time Forester owner (01 and now 10), my big complaint is the size bloating of these models (basically the whole market segment across the board), especially the roof height going up and up. They were originally small cars with clearence and AWD, now they are smallish SUVs. I want the former. I have a hard time getting my bike up there (I'm six foot tall), and now have to use a small stepladder to get into my ski box. The newer Foresters are about four inches taller than mine. Outbacks have followed the same trend.
This is why I'm looking at the VW Alltrack.

Interesting. I think of the classic Forester look as kind of boxy, with a little more space around one's head and shoulders (I'm 6'2"), and one of the things I did NOT like about my '15 was that it looked a bit generic-small-SUV to me, and not enough like the old Foresters. (I previously had an '03.) But it did have a bit more room than a CRV, or it FELT like more room, and I liked that. Going from memory, I recall that the space inside my '03 and '15 was pretty much the same, but--to me, anyways--the '15 LOOKED smaller. I could be wrong, though, because I'm relying more on my sense than measurements.

I will take issue with you saying that Foresters were 'originally small cars' though--to me, they are unquestionably SUVs and always looked like one.

In my town, grey CRV's are an epidemic.

[toosahn]

I was excited for the new 2019 Forester until reports on the vehicle's performance came out. Underpowered.

I'm happy with my CX-5 for now and if I were in the market for a new CUV it'd probably have to be the upcoming CX-5 turbo.

[fmradio516]

I was excited for the new 2019 Forester until reports on the vehicle's performance came out. Underpowered.

I'm happy with my CX-5 for now and if I were in the market for a new CUV it'd probably have to be the upcoming CX-5 turbo.

Interesting. The 2019 Foresters have >10 horsepower more than the previous year.

[pjm]

not s subaru specific comment, but i find modern "infotainment" systems maddening.

i rent cars all the time, and i loathe all the modern dashboard stuff, i find it distracting and dangerous. needing to use the dashboard touch screen to turn on the air condition or adjust the cabin temperature seems unsafe to me, especially in a car i'm totally unfamiliar with.

the proximity keys also baffle me. i still need to have the key physically, there is just no place to put it once i get into the car?

i'm very far from buying another car, but i'd still put a priority on a two knob radio coupled with a very simple climate control system.

a centrally controlled computer thingy that does bluetooth, text messages, phonecalls, the air conditioner, seat heaters and the radio is just too much all in one spot with no tactile controls.

and forget about it if/when that thing breaks...
To me, there’s nothing uglier than these big touchscreens in the middle of the dash all covered in fingerprints. I also can’t stand glossy, reflective trim all over the dash and center console. The interior designers lately seem to be infatuated with this glossy piano black trim which looks great in the showroom, but shows every fingerprint, speck of dust, and micro scratch two days later. Not to mention, reflections on the dash are just very annoying to me.

[likebikes]

op, have you driven one yet?


if you're coming from an e30 with a 5mt, a 2018/19 forester with a CVT will be much, much different.

also, how much did your e30 sell for?

[fmradio516]

op, have you driven one yet?


if you're coming from an e30 with a 5mt, a 2018/19 forester with a CVT will be much, much different.

also, how much did your e30 sell for?

Yep I've driven one and im well aware that they are different. I really dont drive fast or aggressive at all. Most people complain about how slow I drive. I just need something reliable that can take my mountain bike.

I am not tied to the Forester, but I just want something decently cool. Was looking at the 4Runners, but $.

I am also not COMPLETELY tied to a brand new car. Id ideally like a used car with lowish miles but im always paranoid about buying used cars.

And the e30 sold for $10.5 but I miss it :(

[Spdntrxi]

I was excited for the new 2019 Forester until reports on the vehicle's performance came out. Underpowered.

I'm happy with my CX-5 for now and if I were in the market for a new CUV it'd probably have to be the upcoming CX-5 turbo.

all underpowered, unless you get XT.. but no more XT for 19' So sad. Mazda's are nice and peppy...but small in the back.

[Mr. Pink]

I will take issue with you saying that Foresters were 'originally small cars' though--to me, they are unquestionably SUVs and always looked like one.



The original Forester was an Impreza with a boxy body and clearence. That whole segment was essentially a marketing gesture that used existing parts to create a new model. The Rav 4 was created by the engineers working with the marketing guys at Toyota assembling whatever parts they were making at the moment into a new, small AWD vehicle. I'm guessing that Asia and Europe were the first markets, but, it took off in America.

Funny, the ex and I had leased a few Outbacks in the 90s, and when it came time to get a new one in 00, she really wanted the Forester on the showroom floor, because, "it wasn't a station wagon", and I bet her girlfriends were getting on her about driving a wagon. I kinda laughed to myself, but, kept my mouth shut. Her car, anyway, I rode the train to work. They totally had her number. Put a box on an Impreza, and, Ouila, SUV. Sort of.
I wanted the WRX hatchback, anyway.

[martl]

As a long time Subaru driver and two time Forester owner (01 and now 10), my big complaint is the size bloating of these models (basically the whole market segment across the board), especially the roof height going up and up. They were originally small cars with clearence and AWD, now they are smallish SUVs. I want the former. I have a hard time getting my bike up there (I'm six foot tall), and now have to use a small stepladder to get into my ski box. The newer Foresters are about four inches taller than mine. Outbacks have followed the same trend.

Sadly, that is the trend; I loved my '99 fozzy for being just a car with more room and that fantastic AWD.
I got an '18 as replacement and covered 22000km on it in the last 5 months, mostly Autobahn.
It feels bigger (well, it is) and is not as agile, but it still is reasonably sized. Where other SUVs have a width of close to 2m (the new BMW X5 has), the forester only grew like 2 inches from 1,73m to 1,79m. i live in the city with narrowv roads all around and i appreciate that a lot.

The AWD is still as good as it was, probably even better with X-Mode. Eyesight works great, as does the CVT.

Even though i just run the standard 4-Cyl with 150PS, i don't think the car is underpowered. I still can can swim along on a german Autobahn, it pulls 4 persons and gear up a steep mountain gravel road to our cottage; everything else is unnecessary overkill imo.

In the short half year i had it, there were no issues with it at all. First inspection/oil change was reasonably priced. EU/German Subaru dealers/servicers have a reputation for being very good and mine are no exception.

Starlink: I don't use it. The entertainment system will play stuff from my smartphone via BT, thats all i want.

This is why I'm looking at the VW Alltrack.

That is a nice car, but as a road car with an attached assist-awd not 1:1 comparable. Much less clearance, and doesn't have the benefits of a permanent AWD, which come to play in wet conditions, on snow or (naturally) on unpaved roads. Up to the buyer to decide how much of that he wants. Subaru Foresters always were very road-useable Offroaders, the latest models even more so.

[Mikej]

About 6 months ago....I had to repair (actually replace) the module that controls dash on wife's Ford Edge limited. Vehicle was 6 years old, and 5 year warranty had expired. About $900. All new vehicles seem to have something similar controlling things these day.

Would much prefer a simpler dash....but market seems to want smart vehicles these days. Don't need my dash to read text messages to me, or to send them from voice command. It is distracting.

I would bet its cheaper to put that info tainment system in than a regular radio / hvac control. Circuit boards are so cheap and easy vs an actual button or knob. But somehow they charge extra for that thing.

[fmradio516]

Guys - I think im leaning towards not going for the new Forrester.

Reasoning is, I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee w/170k miles on it. It runs fine, but stuff goes wrong with it every once in a while. Never left me stranded anywhere(knock on wood). But Its held up ok. Could probably benefit from suspension work but that would cost more than the car is worth.

I really dont drive a lot. But when I do drive, its a round-trip weekender to Long Island to visit family around once a month. My wife has a new Crosstrek, but she drives it a lot for work, and doesnt always wanna take it on the trip to NY, so we take the old jeep.

I wish the Jeep had less miles because I really like it, but all things must come to an end. I really want to get a trailer hitch so I can get a bike rack, but my mtn bike fits in the back of the jeep with all the seats down, so thats ok.

Ideally, id get a car thats a few years old with less than 50k miles to replace the jeep. I was looking at older Forresters, but they dont go down in value.

So I guess this is my official WTB.

Where would I post a WTB for a car? Here or marketplace section?

[Ralph]

Not trying to be argumentative but.....what does the value of the vehicle have to do with whether or not it's worth to fix up? Could be you could spend a few thousand dollars on the old Jeep, and get another 50,000 miles out of it at least.


I have a retired neighbor, who looks for opportunities like your Jeep. He will buy something for $500-1000 at auction, take it to his local garage (he doesn't do mechanical work himself), spend a few thousand on it (more than it was worth), and then resale it as a fixed up vehicle for $5000-6000.

I hear the argument all the time...."it's not worth fixing up", but it's rarely true. There is not much you can't fix on a car for the cost of the sales tax on a new car, and if you throw in the first years depreciation (which comes out of your net worth), I think it's always cheaper to fix up an old car and drive it VS selling and buying.

The only exception I can think of is body work. Fixing engines, transmissions, and suspension is relatively cheap. it's body work that is expensive, and often not worth doing.

I also understand a family needs a nice car...then having a beater OK. Shucks...I always keep one nice vehicle around. And I also understand buying a new vehicle is usually an emotional decision....you just want one. if that's the case....I understand that also, as long as you understand it's not really about the old car. Nothing wrong with spending some hard earned money either.

[livingminimal]

Our family car is a '13 Forester.

We've had a couple of issues with it, but they're weird ones. Like, the rear view mirror has fallen off. And the sunglasses case is perpetually open and wont close.

We also just had to replace a drive shaft. Not terribly expensive at Midas. Like $250.

Tire situation can be rough, having to replace them all because of AWD wearing, the engine "pings" a bit which is weird.

We use it for all of our family road trips, and all of the kids activities all summer long, so we have about 84K miles on it in just over 5 years. Our kids have done from 4yo and 1yo to 9yo and 6yo and havent really damaged the interior at all, at least not in any meaningful way.

Id like to get another two years (at least? seems reasonable?) out of my 2005 Toyota Matrix w/ 135K miles on it and wait to see if more fully electric, family-sized vehicles come on the market.

I am not a car person. In fact, I am a person that essentially thinks we should have them at all, but that's another story all together.

[fmradio516]

Not trying to be argumentative but.....what does the value of the vehicle have to do with whether or not it's worth to fix up? Could be you could spend a few thousand dollars on the old Jeep, and get another 50,000 miles out of it at least.


I have a retired neighbor, who looks for opportunities like your Jeep. He will buy something for $500-1000 at auction, take it to his local garage (he doesn't do mechanical work himself), spend a few thousand on it (more than it was worth), and then resale it as a fixed up vehicle for $5000-6000.

I hear the argument all the time...."it's not worth fixing up", but it's rarely true. There is not much you can't fix on a car for the cost of the sales tax on a new car, and if you throw in the first years depreciation (which comes out of your net worth), I think it's always cheaper to fix up an old car and drive it VS selling and buying.

The only exception I can think of is body work. Fixing engines, transmissions, and suspension is relatively cheap. it's body work that is expensive, and often not worth doing.

I also understand a family needs a nice car...then having a beater OK. Shucks...I always keep one nice vehicle around. And I also understand buying a new vehicle is usually an emotional decision....you just want one. if that's the case....I understand that also, as long as you understand it's not really about the old car. Nothing wrong with spending some hard earned money either.

Well I already have spend a good chunk of change on it. Power steering hose went last year and that was a $700 job after all the bells and whistles. Radiator went last year which luckily was only a $60 item online and I was able to replace it. And then last month the master cylinder went as well as a brake line and I lost the brakes while driving. Spent about a $1000 to replace all that at a shop. So I guess its an even more of an incentive to keep it, but im not mentioning the two O2 sensors (out of four) and oil pressure sensors I've had to replace in the past two years. It just seems like theres always something.

If I clean it up, I could maybe sell it for $5k; or I can hang onto it for a couple of years and pay to junk it. We'll see what happens.

[JAGI410]

My 04 Forester XT just turned 144k miles and is still running like a champ. But like all vehicles with age, things will start to wear out and need replacing. I've been pretty lucky so far, just a few minor things that I've fixed myself. The hope is to make it to 200k with it, but as-is, it's still pretty valuable since it has the rare 5spd trans. I can't find anything else new like it, so I'll just keep it!

With your Jeep, if you've already spent money to keep it alive and you have a sort of attachment to it, might as well keep it going as long as you can! A rusted out Jeep that still fires up is still worth money just because it says Jeep on it. Put a chunk of the "new car" cash aside and wait until you actually "need" a new vehicle.

[fmradio516]

My 04 Forester XT just turned 144k miles and is still running like a champ. But like all vehicles with age, things will start to wear out and need replacing. I've been pretty lucky so far, just a few minor things that I've fixed myself. The hope is to make it to 200k with it, but as-is, it's still pretty valuable since it has the rare 5spd trans. I can't find anything else new like it, so I'll just keep it!

With your Jeep, if you've already spent money to keep it alive and you have a sort of attachment to it, might as well keep it going as long as you can! A rusted out Jeep that still fires up is still worth money just because it says Jeep on it. Put a chunk of the "new car" cash aside and wait until you actually "need" a new vehicle.

Thats cool about your XT. I have been reading up on Subaru specific forums and they are saying that the XTs are experiencing less problems, but it could be due to the fact that there is less on the road.

There was a guy who posted about his Forester that is (iirc) 4 years old and has around 40k miles and he's already had to replace wheel bearings in 3 out of 4 wheels. Its crazy! When I had my old BMW, I had to replace one set of bearings at like 185k and those were replacing the originals!

[JAGI410]

I've never had to do a wheel bearing, ever. I've had a few high mileage cars too. That's crazy a Subaru needed one with that soon. The weirdest failure my Subaru had was the main driveshaft at 120k. $500 for a replacement and a few hours of work.

The availability of car parts online and the great YouTube community really make keeping old cars (or bikes, or toasters, etc) alive and out of the landfill.

[fmradio516]

^ Amen to that!