Topic: Test Drive: 2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring

[Autos_Editor]

The Subaru Forester is one of the few compact crossovers available with a manual transmission and all-wheel drive combination, says Chris Chase.

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[northsparrow]

A well focused review of a well focused vehicle. Canadians still like manual transmissions ( and wagons) so it's a pity so many other brands have dropped them from the North American market just because Americans don't know what's good for them.

[lebowski]

Nice review and a really nice car, but I'd still want the XT version - if only it came with the MT - or even a decent 6-speed AT, it would absolutely be my next car.

[SaskSpecV]

This is the exact vehicle I was searching for recently - a reasonably sized manual transmission "hatchback" with good cargo volume, decent fuel economy, appropriate power, and nice features.  And AWD to top if off!  Unfortunately, I was informed by my local Subaru dealership that they will not stock MT Foresters as they "won't sell" - what a self-fulfulling prophecy!  So if I wanted to try one out, I'd have to drive to another Subaru dealership (250 km away) which may or may not have a MT Forester in stock.  Sure they would order one in for me - but only if I put a deposit down first.  In addition to the the lack of MT inventory, a number of other factors turned me off the Forester: the "mandatory" $395 dealer fee, $1525 freight and PDI, zero incentives (even for cash purchase), lack of some features on the Touring model that would cost a fair bit to purchase afterwards (cargo cover, tweeters, subwoofer, etc), and the reputed poor dealership experience other SK Subaru owners have mentioned.    All in all, the "value priced" MT Forester at $28,695 would have cost me $35K out the door.  It looks like a very nice vehicle - but I thought there were better alternatives for that amount of money.  Maybe it fits the bill for someone else though, and Subaru appears to be setting sales records every month, so obviously they can continue operating the same way.

[random006]

Anyone else having a hard time loading the large scale images?

[August]

Great article.  I considered buying a Forester but cannot get past the flimsy plastic luggage tie down anchors.  The Tiguan's, in comparison, are solid metal.

[mrthompson]

Tie down anchors are a deal breaker? 

[SJP]

Tie down anchors are a deal breaker?

WOW, I have been known to pick nits, but that does seem pretty harsh. I am sure there could be a counter point to Forrester/Tiguan comparison that could balance this out.

[greengs]

This is the exact vehicle I was searching for recently - a reasonably sized manual transmission "hatchback" with good cargo volume, decent fuel economy, appropriate power, and nice features.  And AWD to top if off!  Unfortunately, I was informed by my local Subaru dealership that they will not stock MT Foresters as they "won't sell" - what a self-fulfulling prophecy!  So if I wanted to try one out, I'd have to drive to another Subaru dealership (250 km away) which may or may not have a MT Forester in stock.  Sure they would order one in for me - but only if I put a deposit down first.  In addition to the the lack of MT inventory, a number of other factors turned me off the Forester: the "mandatory" $395 dealer fee, $1525 freight and PDI, zero incentives (even for cash purchase), lack of some features on the Touring model that would cost a fair bit to purchase afterwards (cargo cover, tweeters, subwoofer, etc), and the reputed poor dealership experience other SK Subaru owners have mentioned.    All in all, the "value priced" MT Forester at $28,695 would have cost me $35K out the door.  It looks like a very nice vehicle - but I thought there were better alternatives for that amount of money.  Maybe it fits the bill for someone else though, and Subaru appears to be setting sales records every month, so obviously they can continue operating the same way.

Every other dealership has some sort of doc/registration fee not just Subaru.  The $1525 freight and PDI is again standard across the board and some manufacturers charge over $2000.  Too bad you seem to have only one dealer in town as I know for a fact that in Calgary for example you can buy a Forester for $1200-$1500 off msrp without much hassle. 

[August]

Sadly flimsy tie down broke the deal for me.  This will be my first vehicle without a separate trunk.  Perhaps my fear is irrational - a former coworker died after her free company frozen Christmas turkey hit her head from behind in an otherwise minor car accident.

[dirtyjeffer]

This is the exact vehicle I was searching for recently - a reasonably sized manual transmission "hatchback" with good cargo volume, decent fuel economy, appropriate power, and nice features. 

we were looking for the very same things...going in tonight to purchase a 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring...no, it doesn't have AWD, but the 3 days per year it would come in handy wouldn't make up for the extra costs to have the other 362 days...i know, i know, different "class" of vehicle, but you would be surprised at how roomy the Elantra Touring is (1848 liters of cargo capacity vs 1934 for the Forester, which is similar to other compact SUV's)...just something to consider.

[SaskSpecV]

Dirtyjeffer - LMAO - the reaon I stopped looking at a Forester is because I just bought a used Elantra Touring last weekend!  Found a very low mileage 2009 with manual and sunroof (both "must-haves" for me).  No stability control for that year, which I definitely wanted, but it was 4K more for a 2011 model - not worth it IMO.  For half the price of a new Forester, I just couldn't pass this one up.  The space efficiency and practicality won out...even if the power is only adequate.  But the handling is nice, visibility is great, and I like the styling.  BTW, the dealer here was offering a 2011 ET at CarCostCanada invoice (about $1500 off MSRP), and another 3K off with cash purchase.  Hyundai must not be moving very many ETs (especially compared to the new Elantra sedan).

[PlanB]

Dirtyjeffer - LMAO - the reaon I stopped looking at a Forester is because I just bought a used Elantra Touring last weekend!  Found a very low mileage 2009 with manual and sunroof (both "must-haves" for me).  No stability control for that year, which I definitely wanted, but it was 4K more for a 2011 model - not worth it IMO.  For half the price of a new Forester, I just couldn't pass this one up.  The space efficiency and practicality won out...even if the power is only adequate.  But the handling is nice, visibility is great, and I like the styling.  BTW, the dealer here was offering a 2011 ET at CarCostCanada invoice (about $1500 off MSRP), and another 3K off with cash purchase.  Hyundai must not be moving very many ETs (especially compared to the new Elantra sedan).

I would have thought that a 3 year old model (regardless of mileage) would be a LOT more than just 4k lower than a 2011 model (with even more options like SC).  Did I mis-read something in your post? 

[JohnM]

I never expected to be commenting on tie-downs but if adding all steel ones allow you to get the vehicle you really want, here is my suggestion.

The tie-downs must be bolted in, yes??  If so, go to some industrial fastener outlet like Brafasco and see if they have something suitable that you could simply bolt in.  No, then try Canadian Tire for OEM replacements.  Worst case would be VW if you really like theirs but I bet they cost a fortune.  You might have to either drill out the mounting through-hole or add a good solid steel washer but there can't be much to this upgrade.  The fit and the colour might not be perfect but you will certainly end up with a very solid and very safe solution.

There have to be many auto supply places which could help you here. 

Cheers,
John Meyer

[SaskSpecV]

You are right, the difference b/w new 2011 and used 2009 was only 4K after taxes (after knocking $4500 off the new MRSP) - and it definitely made me think.  But the used 2009 Touring had only 11000 km, and still had 3.5 years of warranty.  So if I bought new, I figured I was getting the following: stability control (definitely wanted), my choice of colour (didn't really care), an extra 1.5 years of warranty (would be nice), and bluetooth (but it's a really crappy overhead unit, not integrated into the steering wheel, so I'd rather get an aftermarket job).  If I thought the 2011 would have a lot higher residual value I'd have gone that way - but it'll be a used, manual transmission, Hyundai wagon that we're planning on driving into the ground - the residual value in any case will be terrible!  My wife and I use it to haul the dogs and tack/feed to the horses - so that "new car" feeling wouldn't last very long anyways.  So for our situation, it just didn't seem worth it to spend the extra 4K.  Others would likely have a different calculation.  The deal with my wife was if I buy a cheaper, practical vehicle now, she can't say no when I look to buy a weekend toy-sports cars in the future!

[SJP]

Even more useful than tie downs, I have used animal cage barriers to separate the back area from the passenger area. It creates a "transparent" wall between the two compartments, just in case something does become airborn.

[5 Wheel Drive]

Never had the need for tie downs in the back of the Forester.  I might pickup a small cargo net from the dealer just to keep small things from rolling around back there.  The only thing that ever stays back there on a semi-permanent basis is my snow brush.

There's been some mention of flat, tinny sounding audio in the Forester.  We had the dealer install the accessory tweeters in the doors.  It's no Lexus Mark-Levinson, but they made a huge difference.  I get decent sound quality with my iPod plugged into the aux. jack.

[johngenx]

Subaru product engineers are all deaf.  The sound systems suck, engines are clattery, and the exhaust note on most models resembles a tractor.

I like the newest Forester but I too despise the idea of shelling out over $2K above MSRP for documentation/etc.  The local dealer has a 2009 used model with 70K on it and they want $2K under the price of a new one.   

[safristi]

..SO.. .!!!! ? is it a "TURKEY" or NOT.............. ....

[dirtyjeffer]

Dirtyjeffer - LMAO - the reaon I stopped looking at a Forester is because I just bought a used Elantra Touring last weekend!  Found a very low mileage 2009 with manual and sunroof (both "must-haves" for me).  No stability control for that year, which I definitely wanted, but it was 4K more for a 2011 model - not worth it IMO.  For half the price of a new Forester, I just couldn't pass this one up.  The space efficiency and practicality won out...even if the power is only adequate.  But the handling is nice, visibility is great, and I like the styling.  BTW, the dealer here was offering a 2011 ET at CarCostCanada invoice (about $1500 off MSRP), and another 3K off with cash purchase.  Hyundai must not be moving very many ETs (especially compared to the new Elantra sedan).

signed the paperwork last night...should take delivery mid April...while i was thinking about a used one, they are tough to find, and with 0% interest for 84 months, it likely ends up being the same price vs buying a used one and paying interest on it...i think if you have the sunroof, you have the "Sport" model, which also includes 17" wheels...we just got the GLS model, which has an ugly looking radio (oh well), 15" alloys (likely better ride than the 17's, and cheaper to replace the tires, although not as nice looking as those 17's and last year's GLS only came with steel wheels and hubcaps), bluetooth (i wanted), heated seats, lumbar support and a few other goodies that weren't offered in the 2010 model...there was a $3000 cash incentive to buy the car, but i don't have the cash in the bank to buy a car, so i had to finance it...the cost of borrowing money elsewhere would have used up the $3k in saving too quickly, so we just took the 0% offer...i also added the 7 year warranty and their "protection package" to provide a 10 year warranty on any interior/body/rust issues.