Subaru Forester Owners Forum banner

I've given up on Foresters!

2K views 16 replies 16 participants last post by  15FXT20 
#1 ·
So, I've been a member of this board for 8 months and I'm finally making an introductory post. And it's to announce that I'm not going to be buying a Forester.
I've been looking for the perfect Forester XT to replace my Xterra for the better part of a year, getting more and more frustrated with the lack of affordable, decent condition FXT's in this area. And of course on the few occasions when a good one came up for sale, it would get snatched up before I even had a chance to look at it. I saw a WRB with low miles going for $16k in Caldwell, ID sell in three days flat.
During this time, the realization started to slowly sink in, that a Turbo charged car just really wasn't right for me as a daily driver. We're a one vehicle family, I drive upwards of 22k miles a year, and my workplace is not really accessible via public transportation. So I need something reliable. Also the reality that having to run premium gas would almost negate the MPG savings versus the Xterra.
In a moment of weakness, I even briefly considered a RAV4 (in my defense the V6 ones are ridiculously fast,) but came to my senses.


So, I bought this instead:



2011 Outback Limited 3.6r

I had considered the Outback XT (same issues as the FXT though), 3.0 (still requires premium gas) heck I even thought about getting a Legacy GT and lifting it (others have tried, too much work). When I found out the 3.6 runs on 87 octane I was pretty much sold. Plus no timing belt to change, no turbo to possibly burn out. Just good old, wholesome, naturally-aspirated power :wink2:
Love it so far. Not as fast as an XT, but at least as fast as the Xterra. Should save me about $40-50 a month in gas. My insurance only went up a couple of bucks, despite the car being five years newer and worth more than twice as much.

I plan to continue using this board, if you folks don't mind. I've grown to like this board, plus I still have a paid membership (totally worth it, for less ADs). And Subaruoutback.org seems pretty informative, but doesn't seem as active or friendly, for whatever reason.
 
See less See more
1
#6 ·
Before the Forester, I had an '11 Outback 3.6R Premium. It was a great car, and i truly had misgivings going to the Forester. But, the combination of eyesight, easier access and visibility from within made the decision for me. That said, the Outback was just about perfect. The engine and transmission combination was smooth, and wicked quick. Mileage wasn't bad, 18 in town, and 24 on the open road.
Hope you enjoy it long and well.
 
#8 ·
Prior to the purchase of my 15 FXT, I seriously considered the Outback 3.6. I had an 01 VDC and loved the H6 in that, it made good noises, was very smooth, and had nice torque once it was on the roll. However, I couldn't find one around here that wasn't pretty used up. A new one was 10k more than my XT. And while the thrill of the turbo is fun, a good natural aspirated engine is hard to beat.
 
#9 ·
I, too came from an Xterra (4x4 Off-Road with 6MT), but settled on the Forester, followed by a Baja (both turbos).

Glad you found something that works well for you, even it it's not a Forester. My dad has an Outback, and although he loves it, he wishes he had gone for the 3.6. Good for you. Enjoy.
 
#10 ·
Very good choice; I am tempted by the H6 Outback to replace my current Foz when the day comes, but it has moved WAY upmarket in terms of price and equipment.

My '91 BMW garage queen requires premium, but with the hefty difference in gas price between regular and premium, I am consciously choosing regular gas-using cars as daily drivers.

George
 
#14 ·
Very good choice; I am tempted by the H6 Outback to replace my current Foz when the day comes, but it has moved WAY upmarket in terms of price and equipment.
The funny thing is, in this area, used OBs aren't really more expensive than comparable Foresters. There's just so much more demand for Foresters, I guess.
And the H6's aren't in very high demand at all, because West Coasters are very MPG-conscious.

I had an 01 VDC and loved the H6 in that, it made good noises, was very smooth, and had nice torque once it was on the roll.
Well, one of the few things I dislike about the 3.6, is that the exhaust note is pretty non-existant. It sounds pretty good if you flog it, but at low RPMs it sounds like a sewing machine. Could be easily fixed, though.
And when I was doing research of the 3.6 some people said it was fast, some people said it was slow. I think if you're comparing it to a passenger car, it's not real quick. But for an SUV, it's fast. Faster than the Xterra, which was way faster than something that big and boxy had a right to be.
The H6 really shines in the mid-range. 0-60 time is nothing spectacular, but 60-80 is shockingly quick.


I love the paddle shifters, too.
 
#12 ·
Very interesting discussions ..... I also was going to buy a Forester XT.
I have had a 2005 3.0 H6 Outback which I absolutely loved. Was going to buy an FXT but decided on a 2.5 non-turbo Forester which I am now giving to my wife and buying a 3.6 Outback.

The FXT is a whole lot of fun to drive but the real world sensibility swayed me, especially when I realised it was a good one to give to my wife and get another H6 :))

Hopefully I'll be as happy as you are.

Cheers
Flint
 
#16 ·
Funny, I did the opposite. I was looking for older ones (both second gen), but couldn't find the OB I wanted (Timberline Green Limited or LL Bean) in decent shape locally. After getting frustrated, I checked out some pics of SG's online and convinced DH they were pretty sweet looking. Test drove an 05 and that was it. It did take a couple months to find the XS, there's a lot of rot issues here, but it was worth it. Found the XT about a month later because DH found my XS more comfortable on longer drives than the Baja (he had back surgery earlier this year). I also agree on the forums, I found the same thing. Congrats on finding a car you're happy with!
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top