Subaru Forester - looking for opinions
Discussion
Currently running a Toyota Avensis shed as a bit of a stop gap car. It's serving me well but I'm always thinking of what to try next.
I've always wanted a Subaru, impreza out of budget right now and i could do with more space anyway.
The alternative is a forester or an outback.
Budget is probably going to be around the 3k mark, which is know is a tough price range, more than shed money but not usually good enough to get you anything decent.
What do people think of these cars?
I need something good for family duties, slightly unusual, and big enough to throw a mountain bike in during the summer.
Petrol is more suited to my mileage. I like the idea of the XT turbo version. It will cost more to maintain, but that bonnet scoop just looks cool.
My other suggestions ideas have been something more boring and comfortable like a MK3 Mondeo. That's more of a modern car with all your mod cons, or an accord tourer.
Suggestions welcome. I'm in no rush, but if anyone has seen any worth looking at feel free to post a link.
I've always wanted a Subaru, impreza out of budget right now and i could do with more space anyway.
The alternative is a forester or an outback.
Budget is probably going to be around the 3k mark, which is know is a tough price range, more than shed money but not usually good enough to get you anything decent.
What do people think of these cars?
I need something good for family duties, slightly unusual, and big enough to throw a mountain bike in during the summer.
Petrol is more suited to my mileage. I like the idea of the XT turbo version. It will cost more to maintain, but that bonnet scoop just looks cool.
My other suggestions ideas have been something more boring and comfortable like a MK3 Mondeo. That's more of a modern car with all your mod cons, or an accord tourer.
Suggestions welcome. I'm in no rush, but if anyone has seen any worth looking at feel free to post a link.
We're on our 2nd 3 litre Outback and both my Mum and my brother have 2.5 XT (N) Foresters...and Imprezas prior to these.
The Outbacks have been fantastic - no issues and no failures at all in more than 10 years and over 100,000 between them. The H6 motor is super-smooth, responsive and quite quick. It's a chain engine, so oil, filters and occasional plugs (PITA) and that's it. The auto gearbox has a 30,000 mile service and filter interval (canister filter mounted behind the battery in the engine bay). Extraordinary comfort - most comfortable car I've ever had (& I've had a few nice cars). Thirsty - 23mpg locally and never more than 30mpg, even on a run. You can get a good one for between £2000 and £3000.
Exhausts rot quietly, but our car is 12 years old and it's still passing MOTs and not leaking. Rear subframes can rust on some - I suspect that they may have been used for boat launching though, because our is clean and no visible rust.
Foresters are a bit lighter and noisier. They also feel less planted in standard trim. Lovely car to use daily - again thirsty, but engaging and very practical.
Clutches get heavy (as with Imprezas) and need to be changed quite fast or gearbox synchromesh gets tired at 90,000ish. Rear dampers get tired and die - fiendishly expensive for self-levellers from Subaru only - Pedders (Aussie company now here) sell complete replacement shock/springs, pre assembled for the price of 1 shock from Subaru. They work fine, but the car sits an inch higher thereafter.
Secondary air pump and exhaust flap valves die. Expensive to replace, but can be ditched and coded out with no adverse conseqeunces and no MOT issues. Belt services are a tad pricey - every 50,000 miles (I believe).
Highly recommended, tough and entertaining soft roaders. Surprisingly fast and excellent road manners when fitted with decent tyres - no-one expects to be overtaken by a muddy estate car.
The Outbacks have been fantastic - no issues and no failures at all in more than 10 years and over 100,000 between them. The H6 motor is super-smooth, responsive and quite quick. It's a chain engine, so oil, filters and occasional plugs (PITA) and that's it. The auto gearbox has a 30,000 mile service and filter interval (canister filter mounted behind the battery in the engine bay). Extraordinary comfort - most comfortable car I've ever had (& I've had a few nice cars). Thirsty - 23mpg locally and never more than 30mpg, even on a run. You can get a good one for between £2000 and £3000.
Exhausts rot quietly, but our car is 12 years old and it's still passing MOTs and not leaking. Rear subframes can rust on some - I suspect that they may have been used for boat launching though, because our is clean and no visible rust.
Foresters are a bit lighter and noisier. They also feel less planted in standard trim. Lovely car to use daily - again thirsty, but engaging and very practical.
Clutches get heavy (as with Imprezas) and need to be changed quite fast or gearbox synchromesh gets tired at 90,000ish. Rear dampers get tired and die - fiendishly expensive for self-levellers from Subaru only - Pedders (Aussie company now here) sell complete replacement shock/springs, pre assembled for the price of 1 shock from Subaru. They work fine, but the car sits an inch higher thereafter.
Secondary air pump and exhaust flap valves die. Expensive to replace, but can be ditched and coded out with no adverse conseqeunces and no MOT issues. Belt services are a tad pricey - every 50,000 miles (I believe).
Highly recommended, tough and entertaining soft roaders. Surprisingly fast and excellent road manners when fitted with decent tyres - no-one expects to be overtaken by a muddy estate car.
Edited by Toed64 on Monday 19th February 22:57
I've owned a Forester and Legacy in the past.
My 1st Gen 12 year old Forester felt like a car to drive, it was very well put together and went through two mots with minimum expenditure, very planted on the road and it was capable off road too.
My 3rd Gen Legacy Estate was just the simple 2.0 gl base model, but it's probably the nicest all round car I've ever owned, those boxer engines are so ridiculously smooth. It was an all round very smooth drive, seats were comfy, minimum vibration yet when you wanted to hustle along it was so sure footed it would embarrass many vehicles. I have a fond memory of trying to make it across the Island of Yell (Shetland) from one end to the other (18 miles) in about 15 minutes to make the last ferry home. That car was so reassuring even at an average speed of over 100 on some very uneven and twisty roads.
As a bonus it made easy work of snow too, as long as it wasn't too deep.
If I could have only one car for the rest of my life, it'd be a Legacy
My 1st Gen 12 year old Forester felt like a car to drive, it was very well put together and went through two mots with minimum expenditure, very planted on the road and it was capable off road too.
My 3rd Gen Legacy Estate was just the simple 2.0 gl base model, but it's probably the nicest all round car I've ever owned, those boxer engines are so ridiculously smooth. It was an all round very smooth drive, seats were comfy, minimum vibration yet when you wanted to hustle along it was so sure footed it would embarrass many vehicles. I have a fond memory of trying to make it across the Island of Yell (Shetland) from one end to the other (18 miles) in about 15 minutes to make the last ferry home. That car was so reassuring even at an average speed of over 100 on some very uneven and twisty roads.
As a bonus it made easy work of snow too, as long as it wasn't too deep.
If I could have only one car for the rest of my life, it'd be a Legacy
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