photo2001

No matter what you buy, nobody can guarantee that you won't have problems. I will just tell you my experience. I leased 2 Forester's, and bought the second one at the end of the lease, (an expensive way to go, but still cheaper than buying a brand new one). The first was a '98, with no problems, 25 mpg consistently, comfortable and plenty of room to carry my stuff, (no kids here). The second is a 2000, which has gotten poorer mileage, around 20mpg all around driving, no major problems. Minor annoyance-check engine light comes on. I had the 02 sensor replaced under recall, light still comes on. I find that when I fill up the tank, don't top it off, make sure to turn the gas cap 3 or 4 clicks, check engine light rarely comes on now. The back seat doesn't have great leg room for adults, should be ok for kids. I don't know if the Outback is better, but I think it is a longer vehicle. The Forester has a very comfortable driver's seat, and I have serious back problems and I can drive it comfortably for hours. I did a lot of research before I bought it, and I'm happy. No rollover warning like higher vehicles get. Consumer Reports top rating. My 2 cents. Best of luck! Kevin

I have had the check engine light come on in my 2000 Forester many times. The first time it happened I had the 02 sensor replaced under the recall. The light came on again a few days later. I have since found that when I fill up the tank, and don't 'top it off', make sure to crank the gas cap 3 or 4 clicks, the light doesn't come on as often. When it does I ignore it, but I'm not saying that's the best thing for everyone to do. One time I mentioned to the Subaru service manager and he said it's probably a part at the bottom of the gas tank that would mean removing the gas tank, replacing the part, umpteen hundreds of dollars..riiiiight. When I told him I had the extended warranty he seemed to change his tune, funny huh?

My 2000 Forester has been getting around 20-22 mpg in the winter. My '98 Forester got much better mileage, don't know why. I do know that when I use the AC, which I use a lot for defogging, it's like putting a hole in the gas tank. Also the winter additives they put in the gas here in the northeast hurt the mileage. Still, when I read what a lot of other suv's get for mileage, I'm happy with my Forester. Anyone think Subaru will come out with a hybrid eventually?

I want to like the B9, and I don't think it can be judged fairly unless seen in person, which I haven't had the chance to do. From the photos, the grill is still too much Edsel to my taste. I didn't decide to buy my Forester from it's looks alone, it took a drive to convince me, and I have come to appreciate that decision more every year. Imho, Subaru has always followed their own path, and if you like it, great! Thanks for the pics Subie-Gal!

The more I look at the pics of the 2006 Forester, the more I like it. Interesting how the grill went from kind of a toothy grin, (my 2000 Forester), to the next generations 'meaner' look. Maybe when I finally pay off my car in 2008, sigh...

I like the updates to the next Forester, but I wouldn't call it a major facelift. It reminds me of what Subaru did with the previous generation. Minor changes to the 2001 and 2002 models, then major changes to the 2003 Forester, front, back and sides and interior. If they follow the same schedule, the 2008 model should be interesting! But I do like the new front end and cupholders. I don't like the gated shifter for the auto tranny, which will apparently be continued.

This comparison may be a little like apples vs. oranges, except that all of the vehicles are from Japanese companies, but here goes. My first new car was an '82 Toyota Celica. Rear wheel drive, auto, less than peppy engine, not happy going uphill. It was reliable until near the end of the warranty, when, if memory serves, the seal went in the rear end. Luckily it happened JUST before the extended warranty I bought was up, so it was a break even deal. The other problems with it were: TERRIBLE rust problems, especially around the gas filler and the hatchback door. I had the rust fixed, (on my nickle) so many times, the body shop said he didn't want to see my car anymore, which is kind of weird considering I was paying for it. Other problem was a crummy tape deck which constantly broke. Next new car was an '88 Honda Accord LXi., 4 door, auto, front wheel drive. It was a fantastic vehicle. Roomy and comfortable. Very low seating. I developed a serious back problem while I owned that car, and eventually put in a Recaro heated seat with all power options, which was very expensive but allowed me to drive in comfort. One problem did come up with the Accord, which I can't specifically remember, but again I had the extended warranty which paid for it. Now that car was peppy! No problem with hills or getting up to highway speed, unlike the Celica. It was also very good in snow, despite being low to the ground. The Accord got great reviews, and had a great motor. Neither the Celica nor the Accord ever left me stranded, but Accord didn't have the rust problems, and was an overall superior vehicle. In 1997 I was still driving the Accord, (btw, my Mom was still driving my old Celica, which had one engine rebuild by then). I decided I needed something higher off the ground for my poor back, and had pretty much narrowed it down to the Subaru Outback. That was until I went to the '97 NY Auto show to look at the Outback and a friend of mine said: "What's that?" I look over and see a small SUV with no name on it. It was higher than the Outback, but shorter. I went over to it and talked to the Subaru rep. I asked him what it was and he said it hadn't been named yet. He wouldn't let me sit inside it either. I was still pretty sure I wanted the Outback, but this car interested me. Eventually it was named the Forester and I started reading about it in the car mags, and it was getting high ratings. After I drove one I was convinced. It was comfortable, drove like a car, heated seats, easy to get in and out. I leased a '98 S model for two years, and did not have one problem with it. At the end of the lease, I turned it in and leased 2000 Forester S, which I purchased at the end of the lease. Minor problems, just recently the cd player isn't working properly. Sometimes I get a little wind noise around the driver's window seal, and once I had to replace a fusible link, (that was a pain to figure out, even the dealer couldn't help me), but that was not the car's fault. Someone left the hatch slightly opened and the battery went dead, then they jump started it and reversed the polarity. The Forester tracks in any weather like it's on rails. I feel it's the best vehicle I've ever owned, with the Accord being a close second, but the Accord was too low for me and only fwd. As far as dealer and service experiences. The Toyota dealer=so-so, Honda dealer service=very good, (as long as I brought it where I bought it, the other Honda service departments were HORRENDOUS. Subaru dealer service=SUPERB. Unfortunately, the dealer I leased it at stopped selling and servicing Subaru's, and they were a few minutes from my home, so I have to travel 1/2 hour now, but they are also excellent. Bottom line. I am sure you will find fine cars with any of the three manufacturers, but I recommend Subaru as tops and plan to stick with them. Good luck!

As far as I know, there are no laws against posting a link to another website. It is not the same as posting the actual photos, or any other copyrighted material without crediting the source.

That B9 grill kept reminding me of something, but what is it...hmmm...got it! The Edsel!!!!! See: http://www.edsel.com/pages/pitemsfs.htm Please Subaru, don't put that face on any other Subies!

These are pre-recorded cd's. I did try a burned cd with a label once, which played, but ejecting was tricky so I didn't do that again. Then I read somewhere that self-labeled cd's are a bad idea in these units. I just ordered a car cd-cleaner disc (put it in the player and it cleans the lens) from Amazon and some cd cleaning cloths to see if that helps. Btw, I checked at Clarion's website and they did sell the replacement magazines at that time, don't remember how much though. I won't be needing an extra magazine, I usually play the same 2 cd's for months at a time, so six cd's will work for me for a long time.

It shows the track on the display, and I hear the disc spinning, but no sound, except for the first few seconds of the track. Btw, I have a Subaru 6 disc changer that I bought on ebay that I plan to have professionally installed, but wasn't planning to do that for awhile. It's the kind where the changer mounts under the passenger seat and the controller mounts in the dash. I might be installing it sooner than planned.

Hi Ed, The same thing happened with two cd's I tried. One time the player had trouble ejecting one of the cd's. I will try to clean the cd's as you suggest. When I took the cd's out, it looked as if there were either some scratches or dust on them. Thanks for the ideas! I'll post back when I have some results. Kevin

I have 2000 Forester S, leather, sunroof, remote start, etc. I purchased it at the end of my lease, (expensive way to buy, but a comparably equipped new model was way more). Minor problems. Keep getting the 'check engine' light, had the O2 sensor replaced under recall, light still comes on. It doesn't seem to have any effect on the way the Forester runs. When I fill up the tank, I make sure to tighten the gas cap 3 or 4 'clicks' and the light usually goes out. Also, not topping off the tank seems to help. The other problem that just cropped up is the single-cd player is acting up. It suddenly started playing only the beginning of a song then just stops playing. I think condensation might have gotten in. I am very happy with the Forester. Very easy to get in and out of for my bad back, (heated seats a plus too). I had a '98 Forester before, with no problems, but glad I got the 2000 because of the Gen 2 engine changes. Good luck with your choice!

Got in my 2000 Forester the other day and tried the cd player. It played the first minute or so of the song, then stopped playing. I tried removing it and playing it again and the same thing happened. The car has been sitting outside without being run for a few weeks and I'm wondering if moisture got into the player. It used to be garaged and I never had this problem, but I lost my garage space. The other thing is that I always leave a cd in the player, even when it's just parked. Is this a bad idea? Is there a way to clean the lens in a cd player? This is a single cd player, not a changer. Thanks for any advice.

The 'check engine' light has been coming on periodically since I've owned my 2000 Forester. I had the O2 sensor replaced on the recall, and within a few days the light came on again. I find that if I tighten the gas cap after a fill-up, the light is less likely to come on. It was also recommended that I don't 'top-off' the tank when filling up, which I had a habit of doing. I've been driving for five years without any engine problems. I think it's just a thing you learn to live with with some subies. Btw, my dealer tried to convince me that it was a problem with some part at the bottom of my gas tank and would cost me about $600 to fix. Nice try on his part. He backed off when he found out I had an extended warranty, lol.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?n=178&sid=178&article=7368 The rear side window looks a little like the Nissan Murano's. Anyone heard more about this suv? Other photos?

SevenSisters wrote: "...Fuel consumptionCity: 10.8 l/100 km (26 mpg) Hwy: 7.4 l/100 km (38 mpg)..." 26/38 mpg fuel consumption??!! The best I can manage from my 2000 Forester S is around 20 city/26 hwy. Are you driving downhill mostly?

Another example is Ford, the owner of Jaguar. Check out the back of some of the bigger Jags, the XJ I think. You can easily mistake it for a Mercury Sable. In one way this could be a plus for Jaguar, because when they were an independent company, they were not known for reliability, and I believe that has improved. I wonder if the public in general researches their cars enough to know that what they are buying might be a 're-badged' something else. I know that Saab doesn't advertise that fact in their commercials. If most people buying the new Saab, knew that they could get basically the same car for thousands less, without the Saab front end, would they buy it? Regardless of the upgrades.

I read an article in one of the car mags about Saab also using a Chevy SUV, (possible the Trailblazer), as the body for it's upcoming first big SUV. The article said that this is a temporary thing, and Saab might use the upcoming bigger Subaru SUV later with a Saab front end. I find this kind of 'cross-breeding' kind of cheesy. I also read that one of the new small Chevy SUV's uses a Chinese made engine. Remember when the 'Big Three' (GM, Ford, Chrysler), made high quality products without farming everything out? My Dad always bought Chevy's when I was a kid, and they were great cars. I'm on my second Forester, great car, maybe my last new car. I might consider another Forester if they come out with a hybrid or hydrogen powered one.

Found this interesting. Wonder if it will come to the U.S.? http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=41&article_id=8310

When I purchased my 2000 Forester S, it was the highest trim level. They just didn't offer the remote opener that year unfortunately.

Hi everyone. I recently lost use of garage parking for my 2000 Forester. Since it's on the street now, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to get a locking gas cap. (Why don't they put interior releases for the gas fill door like my old Accord had?) Can anyone recommend a place to get a locking gas cap for my Subie? Does Subaru sell any? Thanks!

I had a problem with the a.c. in an old car of mine, (not a subie). Repairs done at a mechanic. Two days later, it was shot again. Mechanic refused to give a refund. I found out that the local DMV would get involved, (this is in CT). I guess it has to do with licensing of the repair shops? Anyway, as soon as the shop owner heard we were going to the DMV, he gave a refund, after a bit of grousing. Coincidentally, this shop was right across the street from the DMV Don't know if this applies in all states. Good luck!

The air con. in my 2000 Forester is very cold. In fact I sometimes have to add a little heat to moderate it.

I agree about not worrying about your new Subie, and I am a worrier. I did buy an extended warranty for peace of mind, but I doubt I'll need it. I have a 2000 Forester, (first year with the phase 2 engine I think), and the only problem I've had is with the O2 sensor. After it was replaced under the recall, the 'check engine' light still kept coming on. One of the service guys told me not to top off the gas and make sure the gas cap is tight after a fill-up, and guess what? The light stopped coming on. That is the only problem I've had, (that I didn't cause). Acura's are supposed to be very high quality cars. A friend of mine bought a new NSX in '95. The second day he owned it, it wouldn't start. It turned out to be a dead battery. On a $70k+ car! The dealer wouldn't even replace the battery on their dime!. My point is, there is a sampling of problems in every type of vehicle, but it is doubtful they will show up in every car. For what it's worth, this is my second Forester. My first was a '98 and they have been the most enjoyable, problem-free vehicles I have ever owned. Previously I owned a Toyota and a Honda, and the Subie's have been far superior.