JPACOUPE

Are there any of you out there?

I'm looking at a 2.0XT at the weekend and wondered what people thought of them.
Are you happy with yours?
Would you buy another?
Do you wish you had gone for the 2.5?
Have you had the Prodrive pack fitted?

Any comments would be welcome.

ta

Mog

You could always buy my 05 Forester STi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...t=forester+sti

Mog

ricardo

You could also have a look at www.subaruforester.com to see what the enthusiast owners are doing. There's a Europe subsection too.

A few Forester owners on here as well, including me. Do a search and you should find some threads about handling mods and so on.

geldy

2.0XT is a fine car, but I would definitely have bought the 2.5 if it had been available at the time.

Barney19

For what it is worth, I had a brand new 2002 Forester Sport for nearly three years and it was an excellent car, I couldn't fault it. However my local dealer used to lend me an Impreza WRX courtesy car when the Forester was serviced and I got 'bitten by the bug' and consequently traded it in for a new WRX with PPP a couple of months ago - I don't regret it one bit.

ChrisC

I've got an S Turbo so a little older but after two Impreza's its great!!
Space and no hassle from the idiots in Corsas/Novas etc.
I've only added four pots up front, stiffer anti roll bar at rear, 17" wheels and tyres, Whiteline drop links, panel filter and a modified Super Draeger back box. Next I am modifying the air intake and adding water cooling to the inter cooler - all Impreza bits and things I learned along the way.
Not sure if I'll get the bhp back over 200 but I think so! And its sensible!!!!! HONEST

N-8

HI I have a 2003 2.0XT cannot fault it.

Had a remap to over 230bhp before I bought it, zero sports cool action and cool radiator, put on JDM Forester STi springs, whiteline anti roll bars front and back, rear strut brace, brembos upfront and WRX 2 pots on the back and just put on a prodrive zorst.

It has the sunroof and leather. It has a wealth of space, is comfort to drive is fast but stealth so no one checks it out much (the brembos were resprayed) and on a clear road she will do 140mph, and get there quickly.

At the start of the year I took out a WRX SL and it hadn't a patch on it in many respects including handling. I reckon it ll take a S203 to replace this perhaps even a new facelift forester sti..........

As to a 2.5 XT to be honest I haven't tried one but a bigger engine is always a comfort but the forester has limited tuning, even the STi is rolled back to 265bhp from factory over handing aspects due to height.

The forester is a stealth WRX or STi with all the comforts it just depends on how far you'll want to go ultimately.

Good Luck

pslewis

The Forester puzzles me somewhat, I like it - don't get me wrong ............ but, its secondhand market appeal is rather limited IMO and its values suffer accordingly.

What does it do that makes people buy it? Don't say its got the performance of an Impreza, because it clearly hasn't .... it's fast but it ain't no Impreza.

Its in a funny market segment, isn't it?? The "grown-up family man who wishes he had an Impreza" sector?

Pete

stockcar

personally Pete, its for people like ourselves with a young family that need some space with useful performance and don't want an impreza because of the lack of it.................the other main thing is i work on Subaru's all day long and makes more sense for me to run these (currently own three "turbo's" in total - only one impreza!!)

you've also never ran against a Forester in your UK car if you think they're slow....................the wifes JDM car will eat you for b/fast!!

pslewis

Wouldn't the Tartan Blanket, Pipe and Tartan Slippers get in the way of a race from the lights

I haven't seen a big lump of a Forester that could see me off in my standard UK Impreza!!

6 Seconds ain't about to worry me

Good write up here ....... but it does ask the same question I do - WHY??

http://motoring.independent.co.uk/ro...rticle5144.ece

Pete

Viper61

Why?? Well after 12 months fantastic ownership of an Impreza we needed a handy tow car. There was no way I would stick a tow bar on mine, so we got a Forester and I kept the Impreza Didn't go for the S Turbo as wife liked the big sunroof & kit with the All Weater Pack and it does the job just fine. Maybe next time it'll be an XT

pslewis

I tow with my Impreza ............... and its fine!!

So, the question still remains, WHY?

Pete

stockcar

between the 18's, uprated r/bars, suspension, exhaust, etc...........there's no room for the blanket!!!

suppose that means i'll be re-building the engine shortly........

p.s. any time you want a play on a test track...................LOL

seriously though, have you ever driven one?? and if not then how can you possibly have an opinion???

pslewis

Please remember .................. I said that I LIKE them!!

I just cannot see the point of them really and was looking for an insight into the mind of a Forester owner .............

I have not driven one, I have sat in a few in the showroom, opened the doors and kicked the tyres.

I 'should' need one, I 'should' want one, I 'should' see the point ......... as I tow, have a dog, go boating, drive over muddy fields ............... but I don't!

Its the rapid depreciation that I simply couldn't take .....

Pete

Viper61

Pete, depends what? 1250kg of caravan is a bit beyond the Impreza for weight & it was better than a Pug 306 Diesel!!

stevem2k

Because it isn't a chav's motor like your old impreza is.

ChrisC

Like I have said elsewhere I got fed up with prats wanting to race from the lights, from/around the roundabout etc.
Now I can enjoy my car which is an S Turbo with a big sunroof and tinted rear windows which can perform on autostradas which my Imprezas could do and go up mountain tracks where neither of my Imprezas would have got and can stuff a whole country's wine production in the back!!
And like someone said it ain't common like Imprezas so it is a true Q car!

pslewis

But, the depreciation is SHOCKING!!!!!!

Pete

stevem2k

Pete , your capacity for spouting rubbish is legendary so I ran your theory through whatcar.co.uk with the same parameters for each....

Subaru Forester (97-02) 4x4 2.0 S Turbo AWD 5dr
4X4 5dr
2000-X
Mileage 50,000

Dealer £8,571
Private £8,031
Part Ex £7,166
Trade £7,044
Cost New £21,570

Subaru Impreza (93-03) Saloon 2.0 Turbo 4WD 4dr
Saloon 4dr
2000-X
Mileage 50,000

Dealer £8,851
Private £7,899
Part Ex £7,386
Trade £7,276
Cost New £20,770

Nich B

Why


Because I have space, all the benefits of Subaru, I have close to 300bhp and dont get hassle from chavs and I can park it up without worrying.

Its different, I dont see too many about, and very few modded ones.

and best of all the legendary (for all the wrong reasons) PSLewis doesnt have one.

As for depreciation on new vehicles, that goes without saying so buy something thats 3 years old thats taken the big hit.

Wife has an Impreza and we get the best of both worlds

scoobfan

ooh , Where's Pete now then !!

Personally i think the Forrester is cracking, thinking about one after
i'm finished with my Wagon.
(Impreza's are practical, in Wagon form, obviously!!)

Rob

AC-scoobie

Your figures are all wrong, fair enough they would apply to anyone else but Pete's car is still worth what he paid for it

Josh L

Earlier this year I took the decision to reduce my motoring budget and, after more than 7 years of Impreza ownership (98, P1, STI8, WR1), traded in my WR1 for a 2.0 XT.

Quite apart from smugness generated from saving myself something in the region of £350-400 every month, the car has put a big grin back on my face for the first time since my P1.

Contrary to the comments of one or two smug dreamers, I have yet to be embarassed by any unmodded 'Classic' or WRX, and have put many to shame. Whilst the tyres produce what Evo correctly describe as 'comedy handling' this is easily remedied, and once you adapt your driving style it's a blindingly quick car, for a wardrobe.

In my case, being about money, as the 2.5 started to creep up towards ST1 money, I didn't seriously consider it, and opted for one of the last manual 2.0 models. However, I can honestly say that it's proved to be a more relaxing, comfortable, versatile and economical car than any of my Imprezas, and is a hoot to drive, even if it's just to see the faces of the Vauxhall and BMW drivers that take such offence at being overtaken by a barge.

Only downside is that today's Impreza drivers completely ignore you, until you pass them of course

Nich B

Luv it

Ill love it even more after Andy F wields his magic touch

Seriously, Impreza owners who need the space, etc dont leave just move across to a Forester.

Mind you I got caught off boost with a load in the back and got embaressed by Fiesta Mum this morning, bugger.

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

When I was looking the prices of Imprezas shocked me!! Glad I shot of mine when I did!

The Forester offers an excellent all round package, reasonable performance, good amount of space for passengers (head and leg room) and luggage, an automatic gearbox (which my wife wanted), good tuning potential (which I may have done to a minor extent! ), cheap to insure compared to an Impreza (nearly half the price for me, compared to a classic Impreza of the same year and value) and discrete (by not drawing the attention of boy racers, etc)

The only other cars that may have been considered for my needs were a mixture of soft-roaders, Volvo type estates and people carriers, none of which appeal! I think I made the right choice, without being too chav or too old man!