Newbie seeking advice on Foresters

[Cheeseburger]

Hi guys.  Post #1 for me.  If i'm asking well worn questions I hope you'll be kind with me... it always takes a while to learn to navigate a new forum.

 

I'm thinking very much of buying a Forester.  I'm not set on any particular incarnation yet (well, it'll be a 2004 or later XT), but my budget is about $15K, and I live in Australia.  That's enough to get me into a decent 79V of some sort - neat S3's are just out of range.  Anyway, I need to ask a few questions to get a feel for what direction to head.  

 

I currently own a BMW E36 328i and a Suzuki Sierra/Samurai, both of which I maintain myself (I like hands on relationship with my cars).  These cars are extreme opposites - the Bimmer offers monster on-road performance and driver comfort, and the Zook is unstoppable offroad and is as basic as it gets.  Unfortunately my interest in hardcore offroading is all but gone, and the Bimmer is more performance than I can ever use.  I need a practical middle ground option.  Something that can comfortably commute, yet also good for camping and adventuring.  Enter a Forester.

 

Subaru is a marque i've never dabbled in before, so I need to know:

• Would you classify Foresters as DIY friendly vehicles, or are they quite a headache for a DIYer?  
• Are they expensive to maintain, or typically Japanese in terms of upkeep?
• Do they have any inherent quality issues... ie, issues that would stop you from even considering buying a 10yo example?
• Is any year a recognised standout for the Forester, or simply a case of the later the better?  Is there a light year of difference between 79V's and S3's or just subtle improvements?
• Auto vs manual.  I think i'm just about done with manual gearboxes, but I keep reading bad things about the 4-speed auto in the mid-00s Foresters.  Is this a case of unrealistic reviewers expecting cutting edge performance from a mid-price SUV, or are the auto trannies genuinely terrible?
• How pervasive is the head gasket issue?  And assuming a proper service schedule, how long is the bottom end of a 2.5 motor good for?
• Would you consider the Forester to have strong aftermarket support, or is it somewhat of a niche vehicle?

 

 

I think you get the general drift of what i'm asking.  If you can offer me any advice or food for thought i'm all ears

[uniberp]

Forester is an Impreza. I bought one because the Legacies were getting too big to be pushed (+200lbs) around by the ej25. The 4EAT is as durable a passenger car AWD as I know of, plus it has better AWD. I'd never advise a subaru belt cam engine for a performance nut unless they were ready to swap shortblocks on a regular basis.

 

4cyl Subarus have lots of underhood space to work. Up to 2010 or so they (all I know), they haven't designed them for ease of initial assembly instead, like so many cars where you are need to drop the subframe to change the starter and crazy things like that.

 

Hi guys.  Post #1 for me.  If i'm asking well worn questions I hope you'll be kind with me... it always takes a while to learn to navigate a new forum.

 

I'm thinking very much of buying a Forester.  I'm not set on any particular incarnation yet (well, it'll be a 2004 or later XT), but my budget is about $15K, and I live in Australia.  That's enough to get me into a decent 79V of some sort - neat S3's are just out of range.  Anyway, I need to ask a few questions to get a feel for what direction to head.  

 

I currently own a BMW E36 328i and a Suzuki Sierra/Samurai, both of which I maintain myself (I like hands on relationship with my cars).  These cars are extreme opposites - the Bimmer offers monster on-road performance and driver comfort, and the Zook is unstoppable offroad and is as basic as it gets.  Unfortunately my interest in hardcore offroading is all but gone, and the Bimmer is more performance than I can ever use.  I need a practical middle ground option.  Something that can comfortably commute, yet also good for camping and adventuring.  Enter a Forester.

 

Subaru is a marque i've never dabbled in before, so I need to know:

• Would you classify Foresters as DIY friendly vehicles, or are they quite a headache for a DIYer?  
• Are they expensive to maintain, or typically Japanese in terms of upkeep?
• Do they have any inherent quality issues... ie, issues that would stop you from even considering buying a 10yo example?
• Is any year a recognised standout for the Forester, or simply a case of the later the better?  Is there a light year of difference between 79V's and S3's or just subtle improvements?
• Auto vs manual.  I think i'm just about done with manual gearboxes, but I keep reading bad things about the 4-speed auto in the mid-00s Foresters.  Is this a case of unrealistic reviewers expecting cutting edge performance from a mid-price SUV, or are the auto trannies genuinely terrible?
• How pervasive is the head gasket issue?  And assuming a proper service schedule, how long is the bottom end of a 2.5 motor good for?
• Would you consider the Forester to have strong aftermarket support, or is it somewhat of a niche vehicle?

 

 

I think you get the general drift of what i'm asking.  If you can offer me any advice or food for thought i'm all ears

[bratman2]

He said XT which changes things right much. My wife has a 2011 XT so I would assume it similar. With the turbo it is a little more cluttered under the hood compared to any other Subaru I have ever worked on. The motor needs to be lifted about 2" to change the spark plugs if it is the same as a 011. Early turbo 2.5l Forester/Baja/Outback motors came with a oil strainer that was too fine if you coked the oil up much. This caused oil starvation, turbo failures and sometimes engine failure if the strainer became blocked up too much. Maintenance was the key along with replacing the strainer with an upgraded version with larger mesh. Just some food for thoughts. It gets about 4-5 mpg less than the non turbo 5 speed 2003 Legacy we owned before it and requires premium gas. I will add this, the 2011 XT is the first vehicle my wife still claims she loves this far into ownership. We have been married 33 years so that says a lot about how she feels for her XT. Hers is the auto 4 speed as no manual XT come to the US anymore.