<![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One - Jalopnik Comments]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One - Jalopnik Comments]]> http://jalopnik.com Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:42:43 EDT Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:42:43 EDT http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c5036528 Well NOT being of the lesbianic persuasion I was kinda hoping to see more of the tire changin' mans jeans. Looks like he fits in them quite well. But I agree that not displaying the "coin slot" is a good idea. After reading numerous reviews on the 2009 Forester and with my job transfering me from Phoenix AZ to Portland OR I have decided the Forester is for me. So after enjoying the last 3 years in my 1999 Jaguar XJ8 Vandenplas, I'll be trading it in for the Subie. I test drove the 2.5X with 4sp automatic. It doesn't have nearly the power of the V8 in the Jaguar, but it will probably fare better in the snow at Mt. Hood than the Jag. For those of you thinking about getting the NAV/DVD option just note that if you have a movie playing while in motion you will get sound only. When you apply the brakes the video portion returns. The salesman told me that if you pull the emergency brake up one click it overrides that lockout. I question 2 things. What made him perform that test to begin with and why would he suggest you drive your car with the brake partially engaged??? Dork. I am ordering the 2.5X L.L. Bean edition in Sage Green with Platinum leather interior and no NAV/DVD.If you are a member of Costco they charge you invoice plus $100.00. Contact Costco Auto Buying Services for more info on that. Maybe I'll meet some hot guy from Vermont on the way??? If not, I guess I can always let the air out of one tire and call for help. Yes, I am Democrat. No, I am not a vegan. I still believe in the ad that said "Beef, it's whats for dinner". For those of you that have an awesome sense O' humor and love life as much as I do then I hope you have enjoyed reading this novel. For those of you that love to criticise...well just remember before you do walk a mile in my shoes. That way you'll be a mile away and have a sweet pair of shoes on !!

jagfag69

]]> 12:365724:c5036528 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:42:43 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4665049 Oi, what's wrong with the Legacy?

-=[ArcSine]=-

]]> 12:365724:c4665049 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:06:56 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4637141 @AbundantChoice:

For you and everyone else who has commented on the MPG: Are those of you who own or have owned Foresters really seeing mileage significantly under Subaru's numbers? Like under 24-ish combined?

Matthew DeBord

]]> 12:365724:c4637141 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:46:42 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4633122 I've got a Forrester XT, and love the thing to death. You're 100% correct that it doesn't shine on little suburban commutes and whatnot. It's really made for the nasty roads (not pure offroading), hill climbs especially. This thing destroys ski vacation trips with aplomb.. the extra turbo oomph comes in extremely handy.

With that said, the MPG on the XT is extra-atrocious. I rarely crack 20MPG. And if you get the XT, it's premium gas only! Luckily on a day to day basis I only put 15 miles on it, and I save the craziness for weekends.

AbundantChoice

]]> 12:365724:c4633122 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:13:07 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4631099 @camp6ell:

I actually think it got punctured and then went flat quick. It sounded all the sudden like the car had a loose hubcap or something. But who knows. It was impressively mangled.

Matthew DeBord

]]> 12:365724:c4631099 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:35:15 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4631066 @Euromobile:

Please come back for Parts Two and Three, when we will address that very issue.

Matthew DeBord

]]> 12:365724:c4631066 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:32:39 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4630415 @FreeMan: i don't think it blew like that... it became like that after driving for x miles with aforementioned puncture. mattydoesn't want to tell the nice man at subaru this though.

camp6ell

]]> 12:365724:c4630415 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:46:19 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4629187 It's a bit derivative of the Mitsubishi Outlander in its styling, but with a diesel lump, this might be my next car. Unless it has a craptacular interior. I can't abide a flimsy, plasticky interior unless it's in a working vehicle.

Euromobile

]]> 12:365724:c4629187 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:21:46 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4628925 hmm.. any reason why my comment got deleted?

Daniel_L

]]> 12:365724:c4628925 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:04:43 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4626881 I've been pestering SOA to bring over the Forester STI. Still waiting.
The wife had an '04 XT and every time it snows here she bitches at me for getting rid of it.

IppoJ

]]> 12:365724:c4626881 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:26:47 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4626109 What's with the donut spare? Full size spares fit fine in the older Foresters!

Turkina

]]> 12:365724:c4626109 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:57:25 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4625872 Everyone like the review but for a nativly french speaker like me who usually have no problem with english, I must admit I missed some part.

Anyway, looking forward for Part 2 :-)

Daniel_L

]]> 12:365724:c4625872 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:49:50 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4624115 bmw X3?

Lotucris

]]> 12:365724:c4624115 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:51:08 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4623359 @FreeMan:

Jagged rocks. Struck while slipping sideways. Just a theory.

Matthew DeBord

]]> 12:365724:c4623359 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:25:44 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4622183 What the heck causes a tire to blow like that?

FreeMan

]]> 12:365724:c4622183 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:51 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4621225 Almost as good a writeup as my favorite automotive writer (still alive) the infamous Ezra Dyer

[www.automobilemag.com]

I mean, how many of us have dreamed of showing up to our 5th yr high school reunion in something as cool as a Ford GT?

jakay11

]]> 12:365724:c4621225 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:14:19 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4620822 I had an '06 Forester XS with a 4 speed automatic and the football field sized moon roof. While I miss the moon roof, I don't miss the terrible, ok, awful automatic, which was probably the main reason for such dismal fuel economy. I traded mine in for an '04 WRX with a manual, which I'm getting better fuel economy with!

This new Forester shows a lot of promise, it's a little more palatable to the general public than the current box on wheels is or was.

This article is much, much better than the STI article. Nice work.

grzydj

]]> 12:365724:c4620822 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:59:33 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4620813 Presenting the new Subaru RAV4. Gone are the days of unique looking autos. The new Jag XF looks like the lame "oval era" Taurus. Thanks god my family still has Citroens to keep the landscape of the world interesting.

vwminispeedster

]]> 12:365724:c4620813 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:59:06 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4620269 Thanks for the kind words about the writin'--we try. The '09 is solid, but not bulky. It felt super-firm on good roads and just nimble enough on rocks and dirt. We hit some serious bumps and dips, too, and the overall effect wasn't too jarring. Aside from the obvious versatility, the Forester inspires a lot of driving confidence, and I always think that's a plus.

Matthew DeBord

]]> 12:365724:c4620269 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:39:30 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619924 Thank you for the nice review, matt. I love the line, "...Like a girl who slapped at the bass strings until the bars closed down, then quit the band and got hitched. " If my WRX needs a big sister, I will definitely buy one of these...

akirachan

]]> 12:365724:c4619924 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:27:22 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619816 I pretty much like mine, but the mileage ain't the best. I know, I shoulda gotten the stick, but hey - it was used, and the selection was limited. Not only that, the space for the clutch pedal was, like, tiny. Really tiny. And my size 12s don't fit into tiny that well.

So I'm hypermiling the best I can and get maybe 26.5, 27 on a fabulous day.

It sure as hell is a solid little car, though. Like driving a bridge abutment. What kind of mileage do those get?

Elhigh

]]> 12:365724:c4619816 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:23:24 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619774 @ash78: I have to agree. This platform with the Diesel wil give some salesmen in New Jersey a commission chubby. I wouldn't care if I paid MSRP for that. (Although I will fight like a banshee for 300 over invoice).

Great writeup.

the-cubicle-dweller

]]> 12:365724:c4619774 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:22:13 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619713 Yes, the citizens of Burlington, VT rejoiced. Then every young professional couple went out and bought the L.L. Bean edition while everyone in the state under 30 went out and bought a WRX.

Glad I'm not over 30! Subaru dominates Vermont and we pu-pu on all Audi drivers.

skaspy

]]> 12:365724:c4619713 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:20:00 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619525 Very well written.

My wife loves her Forester and if the XT becomes a bit more economically attainable I might have to pursue. Why the complaint about gas mileage? 28MPG from a vehicle that can do everything (besides heavy towing) that an explorer or Liberty can do seems pretty darn good.

Neener

]]> 12:365724:c4619525 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:13:02 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619362 We have taken the trusty forester cross country twice, on some jeep trails, in some snow, and to the home depot hundreds of times. it is absolutely the best car for most. not a single problem, unless you count the lesbians checking out my wife. i call that opportunity.

flightofthesuperbees

]]> 12:365724:c4619362 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:05:34 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619304 @graverobber: I'm leaning more towards "boxers riding up" than "undershirt tucked in", personally. Either beats the plumber crack.

Ash78

]]> 12:365724:c4619304 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:02:47 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619184 Matt, let me be the first to say thank you for having the tire-change-guy tuck in his shirt and saving us from an awkward "coinslot" moment.

This car really speaks to my inner lesbian.

graverobber- Same great taste, new low price!

]]> 12:365724:c4619184 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:57:10 EDT <![CDATA[2009 Subaru Forester, Part One]]> http://jalopnik.com/365724/2009-subaru-forester-part-one#c4619095 Maybe this should be called the Tribeca instead (Triumphantly Besting Canals)

I'm a big fan of these things, in theory, because they seem to be the best vehicle for the most people...on paper. My biggest hangup has always been the weak fuel economy, obviously due in part to the drivetrain. I really hope Subie rolls out their anticipated diesel soon. I'm anxiously watching.

Very well-written review, probably my favorite so far on this site.

Ash78

]]> 12:365724:c4619095 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:51:55 EDT