Subaru Forester 2014 Manual Transmission?

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: glock19
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
My wife gets excellent fuel average mileage (~30) above the EPA highway rating with about 40/60 driving in her 2011 5m forester. The biggest issue is high rpm revs in 5th if you drive over 75mph. Also, another I would say significant issue ( for me), her clutch comes out very close to the carpet causing hard shifts and supposedly it's a non adjustable hydraulic system. Had similar issue with our '05 Toyota Rav4. Fuji's MT are near bullitproof in normal driving (not beat-on) - throwout mechanism - not so much.


That's my big issue with MT's. While a CVT is cruising along in the low 2k RPM range at 65-70 MPH, my STI and previous 5MT Subie are/have been almost a grand higher. It's great to have the power to accelerate without shifting, but really, how hard is shifting to 4th to get around some one or climb a steep hill?

Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: FirstNissan
Ive been interested in the manual transmission forester for a few years now, im liking the look and drive of the 2014 model, however my local dealer dosent have any manual's in stock. Automatic drove very well, was wondering if anyone has any input.

Thanks!


My dad is looking at the 2014 Forrester. The weak CVT is currently a no-go. We are trying to find real world MPG number for the MTX, though. The CVT is rated MUCH better EPA MPGs, but I just don't buy that on the surface. Dad is interested in the MTX if it can put up good real world MPGs.


Weak?

Originally Posted By: Cold_Canuk
Originally Posted By: FirstNissan
Ive been interested in the manual transmission forester for a few years now, im liking the look and drive of the 2014 model, however my local dealer dosent have any manual's in stock. Automatic drove very well, was wondering if anyone has any input.

Thanks!


Fine with the transmission but make sure you're ok with the 'normal' oil consumption of 1 quart per 1200 miles as listed in the owners manual...... Lots of the new FB25 engines have oil consumption issues. I'd read the Subaru Forester post on the Forester community website on the >2011 new FB25 oil consumption issue before buying. I wish I had.

I think anyone would be crazy to buy a >2011 Forester until they fix the oil consumption issue on the new FB25 engine. Buy a new car and wait to see if you have an oil guzzeler or not. They actually installed a low oil light on the dash, not oil pressure, a 'low oil light'.

Old saying: Learn from other peoples mistakes.


The FB25 oil consumption is a concern for me too. I've had no perceptible oil consumption on the king of Subie consumers, the STI, so losing that would be bothersome.


I'm worried about mine as well. However, I just did the first oil change at 3,750 miles and it didn't burn any. We'll see how it fares with the 7,500 mile OCI.

We use about 1/4 qt over ~7.5K OCI with an early release engine prone to eating oil. The TC can be noisy at cold startup. If you dont continuously top off to the full 5.5qts I dont think it will burn as much.

 

[badtlc]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: gathermewool


Weak?



http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weak

I was looking for an example of 2014 CVT failures.


How is weak related to failures? Subaru had to derate the towing capability of the CVTs by 1500 lbs. That doesn't mean they will fail, that just means they are weak.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: gathermewool


Weak?



http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weak

I was looking for an example of 2014 CVT failures.


How is weak related to failures? Subaru had to derate the towing capability of the CVTs by 1500 lbs. That doesn't mean they will fail, that just means they are weak.


VERY good point - "weak" IS a very general description

Aren't the CVT and MT rated at the same towing capacity? Is it known that the Forester was derated due to the CVT instead of the body? Again, generalizations are no good.

 

[JTK]

Where are we seeing the towing was derated for the CVT?

I see the previous gen and 2014 CVT both rated at 2400lbs max towing.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Where are we seeing the towing was derated for the CVT?

I see the previous gen and 2014 CVT both rated at 2400lbs max towing.


Where did you see that the '14 is rated for 2,400#?

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool

Where did you see that the '14 is rated for 2,400#?


Ah! Stupid MSN Auto listed them at 2400lbs.

I see per the Subaru site, they list the 2014 Forester CVT @ 1500lbs for towing. Quite the difference. More of what I would expect for a vehicle of this size/weight and braking capacity.

 

[webfors]

I'm a fan of the 5mt in my Forester.

Notchy = can be
stiff clutch = I guess so
like it? = yep!

I suspect the 6mt is similar, but with much better gear ratios.

I've put a lot of towing miles on that car, and it has performed admirably. The new Dodge van will be taking over that duty and allow my foz a graceful and enjoyable retirement for the next 100k

 

[ronbo]

About the CVT being made by Aisin.
Found this comment in msn auto on the 2014 Forester

" I did some research on the CVT transmission that Subaru now uses. I was shocked to find that they do not make the CVT it is actually made by a comany named Jatco? A quick search of Jatco gave me the impression that the CVT's are being made in China...not my favorite place to buy parts for my car. I also noticed that the CVT's that have been giving Nissan problems are also made by none other than Jatco. Nissan recently extended warranties on cars with the Jatco transmissions. Good luck selling that as a used car as the info is now popping up all over the net. The other disturbing fact with the CVT is when they break you pretty much just throw the whole thing out. Subaru."

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: ronbo
About the CVT being made by Aisin.
Found this comment in msn auto on the 2014 Forester

" I did some research on the CVT transmission that Subaru now uses. I was shocked to find that they do not make the CVT it is actually made by a comany named Jatco? A quick search of Jatco gave me the impression that the CVT's are being made in China...not my favorite place to buy parts for my car. I also noticed that the CVT's that have been giving Nissan problems are also made by none other than Jatco. Nissan recently extended warranties on cars with the Jatco transmissions. Good luck selling that as a used car as the info is now popping up all over the net. The other disturbing fact with the CVT is when they break you pretty much just throw the whole thing out. Subaru."


That's incorrect.

Subaru's current line of CVTs are all Aisin units. Not Jatco derived like their conventional ATs.

Nissan has always used Jatco for their transmissions, CVT and all.

 

[badtlc]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: gathermewool

Where did you see that the '14 is rated for 2,400#?


Ah! Stupid MSN Auto listed them at 2400lbs.

I see per the Subaru site, they list the 2014 Forester CVT @ 1500lbs for towing. Quite the difference. More of what I would expect for a vehicle of this size/weight and braking capacity.


It is actually 1000 lbs. They added the stipulation for the 2014s that to get to 1500 lbs, the trailer has to have its own brakes. By far the worst rating in the segment.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Forester a very light unitbody CUV based on the compact impreza- platform - whaddya want

I think it's astounding the wife gets over 30mpg with an SUV AWD and I struggle to get 36 with a tiny fit that weighs 750 lbs less and only has one-wheel drive - but Im still killing the honda highway rating doing only town -rural driving with 13 lights one way!

Rule - if you dont need to use your brakes - you are likely driving efficiently.

I wish to add that I think I liked the EJ253 engine better with PZEV and fuji's version of VTEC over the noisey TC and VVT and 0w20 synthetic in the new car - it provides really NO overall gain in MPG. Running only 1 intake valve at low load/rpm with the tumble baffles on the '09 EJ really let you get excellent around-town fuel mileage with a 5M schtick.

 

[zloveraz]

Originally Posted By: ronbo
About the CVT being made by Aisin.
Found this comment in msn auto on the 2014 Forester

" I did some research on the CVT transmission that Subaru now uses. I was shocked to find that they do not make the CVT it is actually made by a comany named Jatco? A quick search of Jatco gave me the impression that the CVT's are being made in China...not my favorite place to buy parts for my car. I also noticed that the CVT's that have been giving Nissan problems are also made by none other than Jatco. Nissan recently extended warranties on cars with the Jatco transmissions. Good luck selling that as a used car as the info is now popping up all over the net. The other disturbing fact with the CVT is when they break you pretty much just throw the whole thing out. Subaru."


Wow that is a whole lot of incorrect data.... JATCO isn't Chinese... LOL

JATCO=Japanese Automatic Transmission Company... Was originally a division owned by Nissan however they sold off the majority years ago when Nissan was about to go under.

Makes CVT that many manufacturers not just Nissan, i.e. Ford, Jeep, etc choose to implement...

CVT's have rebuild kits, fact is a lot of aftermarket kits exist to actually improve a lot of the OEM CVT parts.

Subaru utilizes AISIN as their source for CVT transmissions.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

So the CVT in the Subarus are going to be related to the Toyota CVTs?

That's good news. Aisin makes good products.

JATCO CVTs ... not so much.


They generally aren't seen as rebuildable. my understanding is when the metal belt breaks, it just ruins everything inside, including the case.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: Miller88

They generally aren't seen as rebuildable. my understanding is when the metal belt breaks, it just ruins everything inside, including the case.


Any of today's ATs generally wouldn't be rebuildable if something along the lines of a chain or something big throws a wrench into the works. Lots of conventional ATs use a chain in them anyway.

The Aisin sourced Subaru CVTs use a roller chain, not a segmented belt, but in essence is the same thing given this roller chain doesn't ride on gears. It's compressed between sheaves.