I thought I'd share our experiences with this machine and maybe help folks to understand the car's appeal.
As of the last fill-up at 30,660 the car had consumed 1044 gallons of fuel, for a lifetime average of 29.4 mpg with best and worst tank averages of 23.8 mpg and 32.9 mpg, with the worst and best reflecting the seasons in which they were achieved as well as the RVP values of the fuels used. Suffice it to say that I do warm the car up for my wife on really cold winter mornings and that fdcg27 ain't scraping ice when the car can do it for me. About 80% of these miles were accumulated on my wife's rather brutal commute down I-75 toward the 'natti, where traffic is often very slow and there are accidents clogging things up three days out of five. The rest consists of local errands and a few interstate trips.
The driving experience is quite pleasant. The EPS is nicely weighed and offers some road feel and the car makes its way down the road without any conscious need for steering corrections. I've had it over the ton a bit and it's perfectly stable and happy at those speeds. Acceleration is good and the CVT keeps gearing as high as possible at all times and offers a very tall top ratio, so highway cruising involves relaxed engine speeds. The CVT is pretty unobtrusive in operation and is never obnoxious in use. Brakes seem to be strong and smooth in operation. The AWD system is utterly transparent and does the job in bad weather conditions, but world-class AWD is something Subarus are known for. I know that a lot of folks have ragged on the OEM Yokohama tires, but we've found them to be okay in use on this car as they were on the '09 we still own which is now hived off to a DIL and riding on Pirellis.
Ride quality deserves special mention as the Forester is fairly softy sprung and has an uncommon amount of suspension travel. It dances over bad road surfaces nicely and the ride is quite plush as compared to most modern cars. The seats are comfortable and the upright seating position allows plenty of legroom in the rear. There's ample cargo room in the back as well. The high seating position is nice for visibility and this car has plenty of glass and is easy to see out of, unlike many current machines. My wife does like the high seating for this reason. The interior is okay but nothing special. At least the seats are covered in a light grey cloth and the dash is blue with the door panels grey, so the interior seems brighter than the relentless black of my Accord. Then there's also the huge glass sunroof to brighten up a winter's day and to provide welcome air in the spring.
These Foresters were all built in Japan and the car is well assembled with no rattles or other unpleasant noises. The only problems we've had involved the drain line for the AC, which clogged and was cleared under warranty and the car having taken a $5K hit in the rear in the early spring of this year. The dealer repaired the car with all OEM parts and their work was good. While the Forester was laid up we had a new Rav as a rental and it was not as pleasant a car in any way.
Oil consumption remains nil. I put a five quart jug in and drain about that out. Oil changes are recommended every 6K, which seems pretty short by current standards or even as compared to the 7.5K recommended for the '09.
We've been very pleased with this car overall and I'd recommend that anyone shopping a Rav, CRV or the like go and drive one. They are a different experience and the unique engine configuration should appeal to anyone who likes cars. The reduced understeer and better ride alone make this a more enjoyable car than anything else in this class.
As of the last fill-up at 30,660 the car had consumed 1044 gallons of fuel, for a lifetime average of 29.4 mpg with best and worst tank averages of 23.8 mpg and 32.9 mpg, with the worst and best reflecting the seasons in which they were achieved as well as the RVP values of the fuels used. Suffice it to say that I do warm the car up for my wife on really cold winter mornings and that fdcg27 ain't scraping ice when the car can do it for me. About 80% of these miles were accumulated on my wife's rather brutal commute down I-75 toward the 'natti, where traffic is often very slow and there are accidents clogging things up three days out of five. The rest consists of local errands and a few interstate trips.
The driving experience is quite pleasant. The EPS is nicely weighed and offers some road feel and the car makes its way down the road without any conscious need for steering corrections. I've had it over the ton a bit and it's perfectly stable and happy at those speeds. Acceleration is good and the CVT keeps gearing as high as possible at all times and offers a very tall top ratio, so highway cruising involves relaxed engine speeds. The CVT is pretty unobtrusive in operation and is never obnoxious in use. Brakes seem to be strong and smooth in operation. The AWD system is utterly transparent and does the job in bad weather conditions, but world-class AWD is something Subarus are known for. I know that a lot of folks have ragged on the OEM Yokohama tires, but we've found them to be okay in use on this car as they were on the '09 we still own which is now hived off to a DIL and riding on Pirellis.
Ride quality deserves special mention as the Forester is fairly softy sprung and has an uncommon amount of suspension travel. It dances over bad road surfaces nicely and the ride is quite plush as compared to most modern cars. The seats are comfortable and the upright seating position allows plenty of legroom in the rear. There's ample cargo room in the back as well. The high seating position is nice for visibility and this car has plenty of glass and is easy to see out of, unlike many current machines. My wife does like the high seating for this reason. The interior is okay but nothing special. At least the seats are covered in a light grey cloth and the dash is blue with the door panels grey, so the interior seems brighter than the relentless black of my Accord. Then there's also the huge glass sunroof to brighten up a winter's day and to provide welcome air in the spring.
These Foresters were all built in Japan and the car is well assembled with no rattles or other unpleasant noises. The only problems we've had involved the drain line for the AC, which clogged and was cleared under warranty and the car having taken a $5K hit in the rear in the early spring of this year. The dealer repaired the car with all OEM parts and their work was good. While the Forester was laid up we had a new Rav as a rental and it was not as pleasant a car in any way.
Oil consumption remains nil. I put a five quart jug in and drain about that out. Oil changes are recommended every 6K, which seems pretty short by current standards or even as compared to the 7.5K recommended for the '09.
We've been very pleased with this car overall and I'd recommend that anyone shopping a Rav, CRV or the like go and drive one. They are a different experience and the unique engine configuration should appeal to anyone who likes cars. The reduced understeer and better ride alone make this a more enjoyable car than anything else in this class.
