RE: Subaru Forester STI | Spotted

[RB Will]

TEKNOPUG said:

Given that the FSTi is basically a bigger Impreza, minus the ground clearance and low range box of the standard Forester and that the Legacy is also a bigger Impreza; which was the better "bigger Impreza" if you could only have one?

Forester feels and drives far more like an Impreza

[pti]

RB Will said:

TEKNOPUG said:

Given that the FSTi is basically a bigger Impreza, minus the ground clearance and low range box of the standard Forester and that the Legacy is also a bigger Impreza; which was the better "bigger Impreza" if you could only have one?

Forester feels and drives far more like an Impreza

Yep. Legacy feels much more 'grown up'. Still a very nimble thing, especially in modern company.

[GravelBen]

Always liked these, but scratched the itch with a Legacy GTB instead - similar performance (mine had the 280bhp EJ208) but much more refined,and without the STi markup.

[Smint]

Forester even in warm XT form is noisy light and nimble, Outback is just as capable but in a quieter more refined way more restful way, well insulated and heavier so soaking up the worst of road surfaces.
Both give great confidence in poor conditions.

[JazzyTopher]

Been tempted a few times by these, but never pulled the trigger. At nearly 18k I wont be doing so anytime soon either...

[gherkin]

Just how big are the boots on these things? Looking at a family workhorse for lugging kids stuff, camping trips etc. but can't see anything on the boot size on the Forester other than somewhere saying 387 litres which seems very small?

[trails]

gherkin said:

Just how big are the boots on these things? Looking at a family workhorse for lugging kids stuff, camping trips etc. but can't see anything on the boot size on the Forester other than somewhere saying 387 litres which seems very small?

It's essentially a tall Impreza so not huge, but the height means its quite a flexible space, and has a praticle square aperture.

[Konan]

gherkin said:

Just how big are the boots on these things? Looking at a family workhorse for lugging kids stuff, camping trips etc. but can't see anything on the boot size on the Forester other than somewhere saying 387 litres which seems very small?

The boot floor is quite short and the struts intrude a fair amount as they're adapted from the saloon.

The boot lid being vertical makes it more practical than a WRX wagon for bulky items.

[RB Will]

It is fairly decent. My dad uses the old rubber boot liner from his forester in his Disco 4 and there isn’t much difference.
Get a dog guard in the forester and you can stack stuff up to the roof too which is pretty high.

[Smint]

gherkin said:

Just how big are the boots on these things? Looking at a family workhorse for lugging kids stuff, camping trips etc. but can't see anything on the boot size on the Forester other than somewhere saying 387 litres which seems very small?

Our dogs, medium cocker, large cocker, female viszla (sometimes a borrowed whippet too) all fit comfortably in the boot of our 2008 Foz (SG9).

The boot isn't huge but as said being near enough box shape its better than many so called estates almost half again as long/wide almost all of which hobbled with a sloping tailgate.
Not sure how the boot of later model Foresters compares.

Back in the day my Hillman Super Minx estate came with a (Range Rover style) horizontally split tailgate, these were so useful for load carrying things like wardrobes beds white goods pipes etc, can't think why no one still offers this design.

[trails]

That must be a record for PH; four different posters in a row agreeing with each other

[Trash_panda]

gherkin said:

Just how big are the boots on these things? Looking at a family workhorse for lugging kids stuff, camping trips etc. but can't see anything on the boot size on the Forester other than somewhere saying 387 litres which seems very small?

Guess the question is, how much st are you wanting to take? And what are you using now?

[Konan]

I just took some comparison snaps between my BP Legacy and our SH Forester with a tool chest in for reference. The Forester boot's just that bit too small for my liking, maybe comparable to a C class for usability?

The legacy is a bigger car of course, but not 'massive' but it translates into a really usable extra boot space. I used to have my dog crate in on a permanent basis and it didn't come half way across the width and had room to back things behind and in front. Forester (and C class!) half the boot was gone.

Legacy:

Forester:

Forester: