DCAWD.com

Hey folks, one of my friends is looking into a new 2010/2011? forester xt limited. anyone test drive one of these recently? she's also concerned about the turbo & reliability. if anyone can shed some light in that area...

Thanks

my girlfriend just bought a 2010 Forrester Limited (no turbo, she didn't want to have to use premium fuel) and she loves it.
if they would sell me a manual transmission with a turbo I'd have a new one tomorrow.
if you're in the market for a new Subaru of any type, head to Don Beyer and talk to Matt.

There are a few on the boards that have them. I've heard that if you can stand not having a 5-speed, they're awesome.

well, you mean manual. if ever there was a vehicle that could benefit from the 5EAT, its this one. Alas, its stuck with the 4EAT.

Its not bad but it could be so much better, even with an auto-only config

You're in luck. I bought a 2010 Forester XT Limited just this past February. I love it, with some caveats.

I came from a WRX wagon with a manual. Since the XT is not available with a manual, I had no choice but to accept the automatic. Now most of my reservations come from having to adjust to an auto after living with a manual for the past 14 years (all my previous cars have been stick), but you also have to consider that this is the 4-speed auto that Subaru's been using for many years. Reliability shouldn't be an issue at all. Responsiveness is an issue.

There's certainly enough power for any situation, you just need to have patience for that half-second until the transmission kicks down and engages.

Also, the Limited has reclining rear seats, which are a nice touch. But driving on the highway with the windows down causes these to rattle a bit. Then again, Subarus do tend to have the odd rattle here and there (on the interior, at least).

I'm loving the "plush-ness" over the WRX - leather seats w/butt warmers, automatic climate control, softer ride, etc. Rear seat room is awesome! Utility is great. There's an AUX input for the head unit hidden in the center console along with a second power outlet so you can charge your MP3 player / iPod while it's plugged into the stereo - and all hidden away from prying eyes.

Again, the turbo and reliability are definitely not a problem. As complacent said, if you can stand not having a 5-speed auto (or not having a stick), it's a great car. Or SUV. Or whatever it's categorized as these days.

--Alan

WRXWagon2112 wrote:You're in luck. I bought a 2010 Forester XT Limited just this past February. I love it, with some caveats.

I came from a WRX wagon with a manual. Since the XT is not available with a manual, I had no choice but to accept the automatic. Now most of my reservations come from having to adjust to an auto after living with a manual for the past 14 years (all my previous cars have been stick), but you also have to consider that this is the 4-speed auto that Subaru's been using for many years. Reliability shouldn't be an issue at all. Responsiveness is an issue.

There's certainly enough power for any situation, you just need to have patience for that half-second until the transmission kicks down and engages.

Also, the Limited has reclining rear seats, which are a nice touch. But driving on the highway with the windows down causes these to rattle a bit. Then again, Subarus do tend to have the odd rattle here and there (on the interior, at least).

I'm loving the "plush-ness" over the WRX - leather seats w/butt warmers, automatic climate control, softer ride, etc. Rear seat room is awesome! Utility is great. There's an AUX input for the head unit hidden in the center console along with a second power outlet so you can charge your MP3 player / iPod while it's plugged into the stereo - and all hidden away from prying eyes.

Again, the turbo and reliability are definitely not a problem. As complacent said, if you can stand not having a 5-speed auto (or not having a stick), it's a great car. Or SUV. Or whatever it's categorized as these days.

--Alan

How does the stereo sound? Enough bass? Did you get the add-on subaru subwoofer? Just curious.

Mr Kleen wrote:my girlfriend just bought a 2010 Forrester Limited (no turbo, she didn't want to have to use premium fuel) and she loves it.
if they would sell me a manual transmission with a turbo I'd have a new one tomorrow.
if you're in the market for a new Subaru of any type, head to Don Beyer and talk to Matt.

I thought all subaru's needed premium fuel... thats what Adam told me...

missvenezuela85 wrote:

Mr Kleen wrote:my girlfriend just bought a 2010 Forrester Limited (no turbo, she didn't want to have to use premium fuel) and she loves it.
if they would sell me a manual transmission with a turbo I'd have a new one tomorrow.
if you're in the market for a new Subaru of any type, head to Don Beyer and talk to Matt.

I thought all subaru's needed premium fuel... thats what Adam told me...

nope, all turbos (aside from the diesels that we don't get in the US anyway) with the factory ECU tune require premium 91-94octane fuel. Some can be tuned to work with lower grade or higher grade fuels. Majority (if not all) of the NA engines only require the minimum octane which I believe is 85 octane in the states (but most areas 87 is the lowest you can get, IIRC).

Also, I am not sure about the new fuel requirements for the new third gen engines.

sirwilliam wrote: nope, all turbos (aside from the diesels that we don't get in the US anyway) with the factory ECU tune require premium 91-94octane fuel. Some can be tuned to work with lower grade or higher grade fuels. Majority (if not all) of the NA engines only require the minimum octane which I believe is 85 octane in the states (but most areas 87 is the lowest you can get, IIRC).

Also, I am not sure about the new fuel requirements for the new third gen engines.

Huh, I was always under the impression the NA's needed premium and had heard that numerous times. Even my Dad's '96 Outback says it needs premium.

Nope. Only the Turbo Models require the Premium. Something that is coming down the Subaru Pipeline, ALL Turbo Models will require synthetic oil, as well as all 2011 Forester Models with the new Boxer.
I've talked it over with my Service Department plenty of times and they say the common denominator for reliability with Subarus is the driver. Either not getting them serviced or serviced incorrectly. The engine is solid, the tranny is bulletproof, and the body and chassis are taut/ tight.
Like Alan said, prolly the only thing you might experience is a rattle here or there. One that we found after numerous visits from our Regional Service guy was one of the hatch bumpers can come loose. It just requires about a 1/4 turn to tighten it and voila the rattle is gone.

We have got two XT Limiteds in our inventory right now. Steel Silver and Newport Blue, both with the Platinum interior. My new Sales Manager is a bit antsy to move em, it being the end of the month and all.

Regardless of that I can help your friend get into one without all the normal Stealership BS. Don Beyer is a great store. Many of us DCAWD'ers get our cars serviced here and have bought them from here.

On the 2011 note the Limited trim has been replaced with Touring. There are a load of new changes to it. I'm getting ready to order one for a customer of mine that is down in Florida.

thermobox wrote: I've talked it over with my Service Department plenty of times and they say the common denominator for reliability with Subarus is the driver. Either not getting them serviced or serviced incorrectly. The engine is solid, the tranny is bulletproof, and the body and chassis are taut/ tight.

interesting how easy it is to forget all the issues with blown ringlands, spun rod bearings etc not to mention the stop sale Subaru did in 2008 when it realized the stock tune was terrible. Is Subaru putting that on the shoulders of owners now? I won't even bring up how poor quality the paint was on my GRB compared to my BP5 and the utter lack of response from my local dealers ("paint issues? We've never seen that")

I apologize if I sound bitter...I love Subaru's (owned three so far) and hope to one day own another but feel really let down lately. The GRB was a magnificent car and by far the most capable I've owned.

Whoah Tiger!! We were discussing a 2010/2011 Forester XT Limited.

Nobody denies there was an issue with the late 2008 early 2009 WRX/Sti's. You were the first one to bring it to my attention. Subaru, like other manufacturers perform stop sales regularly for all kinds of reasons. They did one recently on the 2010 Tribecas for a faulty window/door lock control and some Legacy/Outback models for a steering wheel roll connector.

Subaru is not putting anything on anyones shoulders. I said "I" talked to "my service dept".

The Forester engine is essentially the same WRX engine that has been going now since 2002. There have been minor tweaks and changes, but for the most part it's the same.

sorry, you said Subaru's in general, not the Fozzie. My bad

I did. My Bad also .

thanks for all the reviews and info. do you know if the forester xt shares the same turbo as the wrx? or... and just out of curiosity, does anyone know how many lbs the turbo is pushing, and if this can be raised safely on the stock turbo?

supasixfo wrote:thanks for all the reviews and info. do you know if the forester xt shares the same turbo as the wrx? or... and just out of curiosity, does anyone know how many lbs the turbo is pushing, and if this can be raised safely on the stock turbo?

Yes, you can turn the boost up a little on the stock turbo, but you will DEFINITELY need a tune if you do so. I would also recommend a down pipe A downpipe and tune though I think will be all you want to do to the tranny...

how much tuning can you do with the Auto along for the ride?

I've never tried it, but I thought COBB had some maps.

Cobb's got some maps for the auto Forester XT.

--Alan

I can't imagine the MAPs for the Manual and auto would be all that different.
I'm sure there are some things that have to be accounted for, but boost, timing and fuel are the same regardless.

No, they are not the same turbos. The Forester is a flanged version of a TD04, the WRX is a flanged version of a VF52. They do share intercoolers from what I can tell. The dimensions seem identical.

The Forester is pushing 12.1 and the WRX is pushing 14.2.
Yes, you can raise the boost just like any of the previous years. But like all the others have said you will need to adjust air, fuel, timing, etc.
These engines respond well to proper tuning and engine management.

supasixfo wrote:thanks for all the reviews and info. do you know if the forester xt shares the same turbo as the wrx? or... and just out of curiosity, does anyone know how many lbs the turbo is pushing, and if this can be raised safely on the stock turbo?