Topic: 2019 Subaru Forester

[Dante]

I'm just livid that I have no new replacement/upgrade option for my wife's car. 

I hear you as I've been in the same boat, and still am, for quite some time. This is why I followed closely the pre-launch info on few of these new compact SUV (Tiguan, RAV4 and to a lesser extent Forester mainly due to CVT). I too need to replace my Outlander at one point (it's 11 yo now) and don't have a replacement. I would be forced to go upscale but even then, I'm limited to the options.

[Kulharin]

Could have made a bold move and released a hybrid option for the Forester to make up for the loss of the Turbo and Manual transmission... Instead we get pretty much the same thing repackaged with fewer options and less fun.  Maybe the XT and manual would have sold better if they paired them together as an option.

[Noto]

^^ doubt it.

... But even if something is a slow seller, the image the availability of it can be valuable. Now Subaru is resting on the availability of the WRX and STi to show its performance chops... Once upon a time, your legacy weapon, Forester, and every other model pretty much could be had in some form of Hoonmobile.  Nope, Subaru has become Toyota.  The few pissed off people will be far outweighed by the massive sales increases.

Welcome to the world of "progress"

[johngenx]

Toyota found out with the V-6 RAV than CUV buyers aren't interested in more power.  Sales of the V-6 were disappointing and they gave up on it.  Production costs can be minimized with one driveline and so just build it with the one that people buy.

I know a few people that passed on the Forester XT thanks to the price to interior finishing relationship.

[Kulharin]

Did the RAV-4 V6 have a hybrid option though? A lot of compact SUV buyers are looking for something very fuel efficient and a V6 fuel consumption is a big jump from a 4-cyl...  mine as well go for a Highlander at that point... A manual transmission also usually caters to some of the same people that would consider a more powerful engine, as opposed to only being offered on the lowest end trims, if offered at all.   

It's weird auto-makers do such a bad job at combining options that make sense... while options became less and less common.

Put it this way, the only way I'd consider a V6 or a turbo that requires premium fuel with gas prices where they're at and where there headed is with a hybrid.  Forester dropping turbo, and manual yet offers no hybrid option pretty much removes any interest in the new forester for me.  I liked my old 2010 manual transmission forester non-turbo but it certainly struggled climbing the mountain passes in BC.  Now I'm in a 2008 Lexus RX400 hybrid, and it looks like I'll be staying in that for a long time!

 

[sailor723]

Toyota found out with the V-6 RAV than CUV buyers aren't interested in more power.  Sales of the V-6 were disappointing and they gave up on it.  Production costs can be minimized with one driveline and so just build it with the one that people buy.

I know a few people that passed on the Forester XT thanks to the price to interior finishing relationship.

Yeah, when my daughter was shopping small CUV's the XT interior just didn't match the 35K+ price tag. She was different in that she wanted some power. In her case she chose an 18 month old BMW X1 with the 6/160 CPO warranty for about the same money.

[gord_boyd]

Any updates by purchasers on new Forester please?