Congratulations on the new Subaru. She's a beaut!
I realize your MDX was 10 years old, but was there anything wrong with it other than just age? Were things starting to break on it at an alarming rate?
I'll be curious on your thoughts about the Forester vs the MDX with regards to levels of refinement. The Forester is definitely a lower class of vehicle than an MDX, but being ten years newer is probably loaded with a bunch more tech and features. I wonder how refinement compares...overall build quality, NVH, etc.
Thanks GBA. I love the colour combo. I laid down similar coloured bath sheet on the rear seat under the kids' Diono car seats to prevent stains on the fabric seats. No more food/juice in my car!
I planned on driving the MDX to the ground, but the radiator blew and it cost me $1100 to replace and flush the transmission fluid a couple of times. I had felt some rough shifts between 1st and 2nd for a little while, but it usually went away after driving for a bit. The tranny started slipping while my wife was driving with the kids without me, and when I tried to limp it home, I pushed it too hard going up a small hill and blew the rad.
They said coolant and transmission fluid were getting mixed and told me I'll be better off getting rid of it sooner than later.
So my search only took about a week and a half, and here we are.
I certainly will miss some of the features from the MDX, like:
- keyfob-linked memory seat/steering column/side mirrors --> my wife is 5' and I'm 6'2" so there's a BIG difference
- auto-dimming rearview mirrors (in & out)
- sunroof vent function (Forester's large sunroof doesn't have a vent function)
- more storage and larger trunk
- SH-AWD
- better stereo
- heavier, more planted feel
- kids will miss the DVD player in the back on long trips (until we give them a tablet)
- no car payment
Things I like about Forester compared to MDX
- NVH has improved slightly from MDX to Forester
- It feels much more solid going over bumps and train tracks.
- The suspension is tighter and less bouncy - less body roll in corners and ramps
- EyeSight -- adaptive cruise works really well, LKAS bounces me around a couple of times then tells me to pay attention
- proximity entry and push-button start -- the sensor is inside the door handle so I don't even have to press a button on the handle to unlock. There's a little area to touch to lock the doors.
- Power tailgate has height memory and is much faster to open and close
- faster to pick up speed in town with lighter body -- I haven't done any hard 'send', but it's more than adequate for DD
- Android Auto works pretty well. I hope it'll be wireless for my next car.
- 2 USB ports have enough power to charge my GS9 faster than it drains using AA
- Most importantly, I feel safe and don't worry about it breaking down
Build quality of Forester is very solid. I don't feel any creaks or rattles, and everything feels solid including switches and buttons.
