Going insane but getting better...

[philby]

Hi folks...

 

We are almost down to our final choice...we believe, finally!, that it will be an 05 Forester XS LL Bean. Went thru the whole outback i, Limited, Forester XS ...OOOOH Turbo XT...Zoom! Zoom! but the gas mileage suffers in proportion to the increase fun factor!

 

Net result...we needed utility, good gas mileage, creature comforts (6CD and leather) and occasional towing capabilities....

 

Now with the 1750 cash back deal still in effect, the Forester looks like a deal and we found a pearl white model locally..haven't pulled the trigger yet but we do have a couple of last minute questions though...We are moving from IL to TX in June :

1. Towing with the stock motor. We will occasionally pull a 1500lb (gross) trailer and so wondered how it deals with towing.

2. Mileage ---- Can we realistically expect 28 highway (without the trailer!). Our driving will be 30 percent urban 70 pct highway. What would be a good average to expect?

3. Road noise....Chip and tar in Texas (we are moving there in June). How's the road noise level in the Forester?

4. Air conditioning. How does/would it handle Texas summers?

5. Would you recommend re-tinting the windows/sunroof when we move to TX?

6. Anything we should add to it or gotcha's we should be prepared for with this vehicle? I have been trying to find negative comments on the car but, so far, have found overwhelming good things said about it.

 

Thanks for your help folks...

 

Phil C.

[felipe01forester]

First of all, where in Texas are you moving to?

 

Now, to answer your questions.

 

1. Subaru motors are just fine as long as you stay under the GAWR, although you might drive a little slower and probably put a dent in your gas mileage.

 

2. You could probably expect up to 28 on the highway and around 20 in the city.

 

3. What road noise? Well, since I listen to the stereo pretty loud, I don't notice.

 

4. With the Subaru A/C, you could turn the cabin into a refrigerator compared to the Texas heat.

 

5. Retint not necessary. Just get a good pair of shades because Texas isn't all sun. We do have overcast days, you know.

 

6. Whenever we do get some rain, the streets will be slick. The AWD works wonders. If you're doing a lot of heavy-terrain driving, the AWD is awesome.