Subaru Forester

Subaru Forester

Year:             2003

Model:           XS Luxury

Engine:          2.5L unleaded

Transmission: Manual Dual Range

I owned one of these from 2006 to 2011.  I bought it when it has 89,000 km on the clock and sold it when it had just ticked over to 148,000 kms.  During the 5 years I owned the car I did nothing to it except get it serviced regularly.  I did not even change the tyres.  When I got the car it had a set of coopers on which had only a few thousand clicks.  When I traded it in there was still a fair amount of tread left. 

Well what did an eight year old Subaru Forester look like when I sold it, pretty good actually.  The paintwork (silver) was in good condition and polished up nicely, the interior had stood the test of time, nothing worn or broken and the leather seats were still supple.  The first owner told me that he had always put leather protector on the seat about 4 times a year.  I continued with this at least twice a year.  The engine bay also looked great after giving it the once over with the pressure spray at the car wash.

What was it like to drive

The manual version has just enough power to be fun to drive.  The suspension was reasonably firm so cornered well for an AWD car.  Did I just use the word car??  Yes, with good reason, because that is just what it was like to drive, with the added advantage of the higher seating position of an AWD.   AWD is also great, when you push the accelerator you get all the power on the road, even in the wet.  One of the criticisms often levelled at AWDs is poor fuel consumption, not so with the Forester.  I consistently achieved between 9.5-10 L/100Km around town. (where I live the roads are good and not too congested as they would be in Sydney or Melbourne)  On a trip it would return about 8.5-9 L/100Km, not great but passable.  I have heard that the auto version is much thirstier though.  I have also driven a fair number of kilometres on dirt roads and the ride was great and felt very sure footed. 

Likes

Pretty well everything really.  My highlights are the ride and roadholding, the heater delivering warm are within half a kilometre on those freezing mornings, luggage space and lots of storage. 

Dislikes

I wish the sunroof could have tilted back rather than having to open it.  In Australia you really need that sun protection. No auxilury connection to the radio so I had to listen to MP3 players with the little FM tranmitters. 

Conclusion

Would I buy another one?  For the same vintage of car, yes definitely. For the era of manufacture I thought it was one of the most versatile cars on the market with both comfort and driver satisfaction.  It had just the right power to weight ratio to give it a bit of power.  I have driven Outbacks with the same engine and they appear sluggish and underpowered to me.  If you are looking at one of these cars manufactured before the model change (MY08 or before.. See note Below) I would certainly test drive one and see what you think.  Lots of fun and safety features.  Very reliable though I think it can be expensive if there are problems. Clutches can be expensive to change as there is a lot of labour. Also check the rubber boots on the CV joints, if they are damaged it will shorten the CV joint life.

Note on new model
Did I update to a fourth Subaru ( the Forester was the third), no I jumped ship.  I felt that the new model was a bit spongy, it really didn't grab me.  Estetically the interior was also a bit dated, almost the same as the model I am reviewing.  I am also not a fan of the Subaru satnav system, just don't like the display.  What did I end up buying, it was certainly a surprise to me.  After I had driven just about every compact AWD on the market. I bought the new Kia Sportage.  I will review that one when I get 10,000 Km on the clock.  At the moment all is good.