Subaru Forester SUV | Crossover
Subaru Forester SUV | Crossover
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[Jan 19, 2001]
ryan
Model Reviewed:
L
Strength:
+practicle;
Weakness:
-interior styling. good money value, balance of active and passive safety, daily useability, and cost of use (gas and maintainance) Similar Products Used: testdrove: rav4, crv. |
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[Dec 31, 2000]
Peter Sachatsky
Model Reviewed:
Subaru Forester S
Strength:
In 1998, this seemed to be the best selection for the price considering quality, gas mileage, high speed stability, etc. Love the navigation system, heated seats and all the storage areas. Great dealership support.
Weakness:
Poor sound system. I also was disappointed in the AWD system. Found out that only 2 wheels worked when you get in real trouble. Yokahama tires are rated poorly for snow and ice in consumer reports. Fair bit of creaking noise from the back door. Improvements to body stucture and AWD system made in later years. If you are living in a place where there isn't lots of snow and you don't ski, ice-fish, etc. then the 1998 models are pretty good buys. If you are fairly active in the winter, I would suggest you go to the newer models where Subaru introduced the locking differential and strengthened the body structure. Similar Products Used: Test drove Pathfinders, Blazers, Explorers at the time of purchase and found the Subaru easier to drive and more stable under nearly all conditions. |
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[Dec 12, 2000]
Mark
Model Reviewed:
Subaru Forester-S
Strength:
Fun to drive, handles well in all weather, good looking vehicle, 165hp engine performs well, excellent tires and wheels, nice interior(leather), firm steering and handling, excellent visibility, Safety record, Auto Trans shifts smoothly, ABS performs well, heated seats are nice.
Weakness:
Cheap cupholders, very limited storage in front(other than glove comp.), cheap factory stereo, seats are not real comfy after several hours, engine is noisy, no rear hatch release inside, dash lights/symbols need to be better, rear seats cramped, rear window easily gets dirty, rear doors seem small and limit access, Roof rack difficult to access for shorter people. With its small weaknesses, this car vastly outperforms the other 2 listed. We purchased the Forester after much research and several test drives. We really enjoy driving it and are pleased with the purchase. Our twins were born 1 year ago and motivated us to look at the smaller SUV type vehicles. 2 baby seats, a stroller, some bags, and toys will fit in the rear, but that's it. We have used the roof rack for a trip and it was fine. Our next car will be the Outback because it is larger in the interior. But, the Forester will get you where you need to go. We found the 5 speed shifter very awkward to use; poor ergonomics. Auto was smoother and easy to drive. We would recommend this car to singles, couples, young families, retirees, anyone. The S model had more luxury features that we wanted, but we are sure that the L model would meet the needs of most others. Engine is much larger than the Honda or RAV4. If you are looking for a smaller SUV type car, this one is the best! Similar Products Used: Honda CRV, Toyota RAV-4 |
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[Dec 06, 2000]
Waren
Model Reviewed:
L
Strength:
Power, all-wheel-drive system, handling, availability of a 5-speed, seat comfort, brakes, utility, price.
Weakness:
Some driveline lash (w/manual gearbox), paint has scratched easily My wife and I drove the Honda CR-V, the RAV4, and the Forester back-to-back-to-back - The Honda seemed nice, unitl we drove the Subaru - it simply drove better, had MUCH better torque, better power, and the AWD amazed us when we drove off-road in a vacant construction lot! Similar Products Used: Honda CRV - big and nice, but much less power, really front-wheel-drive, with jerky part-time 4WD engagement, and drives like a minivan (lots of body roll, not crisp!) |
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[Dec 03, 2000]
Chips Shih
Strength:
Pity the US doesn't get the Turbo S version so vaunted in the rest of the world. As one motor journalist puts it ... and this is strictly for the car enthusiasts, It's 80-85% Subaru Impreza Turbo (also not available in the USA, but legendary in the rest of the world) performance on the roads, with more space in the back and safer on the sand & dirt!
Weakness:
Dull interior. Driving position rather low and cramped for a large guy. Ground clearance not nearly as good as the others in its class. Safe. Fast. Functional. It doesn't pretend to be anything otherwise and yet offers so much when it is a saloon, and even more when you take it off the road. Not a SERIOUS off-raoder by any means, but for mud, sand and dirt, nothing comes close at this price. Similar Products Used: Honda CRV (Not bad ... Strictly for ladies) |
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[Nov 23, 2000]
Steven Manschot
Model Reviewed:
Subaru Forester
Strength:
The car drives like a dream. Feels rock solid. Excellent handling in bad
Weakness:
The silly placement of the clock. The gearbox is a bit rough. Very nice, well balanced car. Not too expensive. The AWD drive really works in bad weather. The cars steers very well into the corners. Enough hp in the engine. One very nice feature is the hillholder. I wanted a LandRover Similar Products Used: Drived once in a landrover. Got a better daktari feeling. But my wife like the Subaru better. |
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[Nov 23, 2000]
Anthony
Strength:
Dealer was great to work with. Paid $350.00 over invoice for a fully loaded Forester. Very practical vehicle with decent power. All wheel drive gives the Forester excellent handling. Have owned the car for 2.5 years and have not had a single problem. It has one of the highest safety ratings for any SUV (big or small). I feel I got good value for my money.
Weakness:
Back seat is very uncomfortable and is a tight squeeze to fit more than 2 adults. More expensive than a RAV4 or CRV. A Forester with all the options is upwards of $25,000. The car is very sound mechanically and has been very dependable. I would recommend the car to anyone; however, if you have a large family, it might be a little small. Although it is more expensive than a RAV4 or CRV, it is much faster and has more power available than either of these cars so I think it worth paying a few more dollars for a higher quality vehicle. Similar Products Used: Test drove RAV4 and Honda CRV. |
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[Oct 30, 2000]
Bob Wagner
Model Reviewed:
L Forester
Strength:
Everything! It feels like a car, had the Subaru Legacy previously, and the Forester rides just as nicely as it did. The Legacy was a 2 wheel drive version (how the heck I ever bought a 2 wheel drive subaru I'll never know). I love the All wheel drive, I can actually feel the all wheel drive occasionally kicking and putting me right on track. This is wonderful on a rainy nite crawling up some Seattle street. While other vehicles are spinning their tires, I just wander around them calmly and pass them by. The handling on the Forest is great, it feels good to drive, I'm higher than in a car so I don't feel like I'm an ant when one of those Expedition beasts pull up nearby, and I'm not so high that I feel like I'm going to tip over everytime I take a turn.
Weakness:
It doesn't do my dishes.. not anything in here that I don't like about it. Yeah, I might have paid a bit more for it than I should have, but this is one car I got with 53 miles on it, got all the features in the car that I wanted, but the ONE thing that I didn't have in any way at all when buying this car, is any type of buyer's remorse. Of course, I got my financing at 8.5% through a source other than the dealer, they were offering the "good" rate at 14.9% and of course there's always that Ford financing that goes as high as 24.99%. This car I recommend to everyone, and so far, the look, the size, the ride, and everything else about it has many of my friends thinking about getting one of their own. Which they should.. Similar Products Used: Subaru Station Wagon 1986 - Drove it until it would slow down whenever it saw a "Hill" sign along the highway. Subaru Legacy Sedan (the two wheel one sheesh) - I loved the car, but needed and wanted the all wheel drive. Tried the Pathfinder, it was like driving an underpowered marshmallow that was really bumpy. Hadn't tried the others, just didn't seem to be a point to it, since I have had nothing but good luck with the Subarus I've had in the past. |
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[Oct 20, 2000]
Ed Buck
Model Reviewed:
L
Strength:
AWD, cornering, power (manual transmission), cargo space
Weakness:
Tail gate sqeaks/rattles Love the car, is has lots of room, decent power and can carry quite a lot of stuff. Fantastic in snow. |
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[Oct 19, 2000]
Chris
Model Reviewed:
L
Strength:
I like the looks. Reliable so far. Peppy engine, decent MPG. great for hauling my 2 dogs.
Weakness:
Smaller than it at first seemed. Audio system blows! Back seat room is ridiculous. Smells like a FART when I shut it off. I leased this vehicle in April 1998. Compared to the other vehicles I tested this won hands down. I have 30000 miles on it. It's been totally reliable, just oil changes needed. Although, the tires are almost wore out already. When i first got it i was very excited, my 1st "SUV". Now I'm looking forward to my lease ending. It just seems to small. The only thing it's good for is hauling my dogs or a couple of boxes. My Ford Taurus has more passenger-interior room. The factory "upgraded" stereo sounds completely aweful and whenever I shut the engine off the car smells like it let out a giant rotten EGG FART! Similar Products Used: Honda CRV, Kia whatever, Toy Rav 4 |