Subaru Forester…Good, Bad, and Ugly???

Thinking of getting one for my wife…what do you guys think? Anyone have one, how do you like it? Anything I should watch out for mechanically? Thanks!

You married a lesbian? Cool!

Oh, is the rainbow and “Kerry for President” stickers standard or an option?

I have two friends that swear by Subaru. One owns a Forester and he loves it. He has had it now for a couple years. My other Subaru owning buddy has been driving Subarus since the 1980’s and is on his 4th vehicle. Great engine and drivetrains on Subarus much like that on a Toyota. Body life is another story as Subarus seem to rust out long before their time. I don’t know if it is due to inferior steel or lack of sufficient rustproofing but the bodies seem to rust out really fast. My friend who has owned 4 of these cars has lost 3 to cancer and the 4th appears to have the early signs of cancer as well.

my wife is on her 3rd one and no she is not a lesbian.She commutes 120 miles a day and put over 300,000 on both of the previous ones with no major repairs. They do well in snow and get good gas milaege.Also retain value better than some. I would say to seriously consider one

Check out the Jeep Compass. Subaru ??? Don’t you love your wife ??? Just kidding.

big g

For what it’s worth, the Subaru Forester is ranked as a top safety pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Thanks guys for the info! As for the lesbian comments…if anyone is a lesbian in my family, it’s me!

Now, if anyone else has any more useful information (something I can discuss with the dealer), feel free to post.

Eyehunter, when you say they rust out fast how “fast” are you talking about….5-6 years or sooner than that? What areas of the body seem most affected? Thanks!

Don’t know about the good and the bad, but it is UGLY.

Remember Forest says – Pretty is as pretty does. We ran our 1st one for 6 or 7 yrs with no rust problems. The 2nd not as long but no rust there either.

One thing I would advise is going with the bigger motor option and if you do a lot of metro driving check into the sport package with your dealer.

Subarus have always been pretty good cars, I have had a few I used to use mostly for beating down the trails.. and it was very economical to get there.

I am sure your wife can care less that they are very off road capable, but its handy when you dont have to push her out of a snowbank in the driveway.

They used to have issues with a cv joint here and there, and distributors would go out around 120K($300). Other than that, very dependable.

Actually, I like Subarus, but the Forester is just kinda ugly, and the new model is REALLY ugly.

I do like the outback wagons though. Maybe the best looking wagon around.

Ugly isn’t an issue…my wife can make any car look better!

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Ugly isn’t an issue…my wife can make any car look better!

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You still won’t get to drive the new car.

Eyehunter, when you say they rust out fast how “fast” are you talking about….5-6 years or sooner than that? What areas of the body seem most affected? Thanks!

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I would say the cancer started within 5 or 6 years. It always began around the wheel wells and on the sides near the back bumper. Keep in mind that he is now on his 4th Subaru despite the cancer. He never kept any of his Subarus in the garage as that is where his wife’s vehicle is parked. I wouldn’t say that the rust was there because of neglect as he is about the neatest person I know. The one he is driving now has yet to show any cancer so maybe they improved their rust proofing. Toyota cars used to have the same problem. The engine and drive train would almost always outlast the body. My other friend’s Forester is 2 or 3 years old and looks showroom new. I drive the most dependable car ever. It is 11 years old and has no rust whatsoever. 190,000 miles and runs like a top. It is a good old 1995 Pontiac Grand Am. It is my 3rd Grand Am. They are by far the most dependable car I have ever owned. You can’t go wrong buying her a GM vehicle.

Eyehunter

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You can’t go wrong buying her a GM vehicle.

Eyehunter

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That’s the problem, I have gone wrong 3 times now buying her a GM car! More mechanical issues than I care to get into….thus we are looking foreign this time.

Without offending the women , A subaru is the best possible car for a woman to own. They are very safe vehicles.
My dad bought one for mom years ago, that one was a legacy, then 7 years later with no problems, no rust, he gave the legacy to my little sister, and bought mom an outback. They are extremely good through the snow. I can’t emphasize that enough. Great on gas. And mechanically sound. out of the 2 subaru’s dads owned in 10 years. All he has fixed is one alternator.
The legacy honestly went through snow better than my first pickup(Ford ranger 4×4) with BFG AT’s. Truely a great vehicle.
If I had to pick one downside, I would say the power wasn’t enough. But for the women of today, thats probably a good thing.

Slip, A few years ago a friend of mine and I took his to Red lake. We actually pulled five guys in a suburban out of a drift that their frame was hung up on. Needless to say we all got a good laugh from this! Including the guys who were stuck. Blew my mind!

Thanks everyone for the good info, and to Coppertop for the good laugh…hopefully she won’t be pulling anyone out of any snow! I think our minds are made up and we will be heading out Friday to take an up close look at one! I talked to a few dealers today and found out there isn’t any 2006 close-outs due to the fact that Subaru’s model year begins in JULY and they start closing them out in JUNE….huh??? Guess it will have to be a 2007, but I’m sure my wife won’t mind!

SuuuuuuBaaaaaaRuuuuuu!!

Have fun car shopping Slip! I know you enjoy it!!

Its a good vehicle and the AWD is very nice for a car. My wife had an Impreza for a couple of years and it ran great. I drove a Forrester for a couple days once and liked it too. Its a solid choice.

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As for the lesbian comments…if anyone is a lesbian in my family, it’s me!

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