rjpm

One of the best passages in all of Sci Fi. rjpm

Bonnie, Does your car have an automatic or a 5-speed? Is your driving mostly city or highway? A manual transmission will always get better mileage (1-3) miles per gallon than an automatic in an otherwise identical car. Also, the first few thousand miles on any new vehicle are "break-in" miles. That is, the metal to metal parts in your engine are sort of polishing each other to a smoother surface. As they do so, the engine begins to loosen up a bit and less is lost to internal friction. Engines are usually fully broken in by four or five thousand miles. Have your first oil change at 2500 miles and the second at 5000 miles. You should notice by then that it is returning better mileage than you are getting now. I bought a Forester, 5-speed, six months ago and it now has 5500 miles on it and it just sings. Good luck with your new Forester!

ferret, thanks for the tip on the hill holder. Mine was acting as a brake while backing out of parking spaces and had a very abrupt engagement even on shallow hills. I'll adjust the PHV as you suggested and let you know.

An old saying: Data sufficiently tortured will confess anything!

I drove a Legacy 5-speed a few years back and found it to be comfortable but slow even with the stick. I bought a base Forester 5-speed last January and like it much better. The 2.5 engine with the stick is quick enough to have fun with and always produces smiles above 3000 rpm. The car handles well and visbility is great. More than that, Foresters have character. They're neither a ute nor a car, but have qualities of both. As far as rattles go I fixed them myself. They came from a few places: under the dash from swinging plastic connectors, the headliner in the rear when the car flexes torsionally but ceased after a few months, and the rear seats rattled until I unsnapped the seat cover sides and put some sheet foam in them. These noises only occurred after going over a bump or manhole cover, etc. On the highway the car is fantastic, quiet and smooth. As a higher end model the Legacy was tighter, but not near as much fun. Good luck in your choice.

First and foremost, young woman or not, you have the right to be treated correctly and to have problems fixed to your satisfaction. I bought a 2005, 5-speed, Forester last January. The clutch chattered from day one. I drove it for a while to see if it would work its way out. After 1500 miles I brought it to the dealer to have it checked. The shop foreman said that some chatter and some don't but most of them smooth out eventually. When the weather started to warm up (45 degrees plus) the chatter went away. I am concerned that this may be a temperature related issue BUT it should not chatter at all! According to Subaru forums this problem was fixed by the end of the 2003 model year. By all means speak to the dealer shop foreman first and ask what your options are. If he says that there is nothing he can do (especially with 58000 miles) then you should write to/visit the Zone Rep and insist on a solution. You might have to split the cost of replacement, or pay for the installation while Subaru pays for the parts. Either way, don't lose your cool, be reasonable and don't let them patronize you. Good luck, rjpm