2014 Forester redesign (merged thread)

[inamik75]

Originally Posted by npaladin2000

I saw that thing, I can't believe those guys actually took a CX-5 offroad. It doesn't belong anywhere NEAR dirt. :)

What a joke offroad

[dirteemac]

Direct injection, diesels, hybrids, cvts... so much new technology is coming to the market, it's gong to be tough to decide what to get next. Looks like I'll be holding on to my trusty xt for a while until the smoke settles.

[JDBrian]

Hi folks

I'm late getting into this thread. I have an 06 X 5speed and have been looking for a replacement. It's pretty confusing out there now with all the new entries and not much info on the Forester or RAV4. Two things I need are a bit more cargo space than the 06 and I need to tow a trailer that could be up to 2Klbs. I'm disappointed to hear the CVT Forester x won't have paddle shift and is rated for 1500lbs towing. An Outback is rated for 2600 and is only slightly larger than the Forester.
I love the way the Subaru AWD feels and I've always driven a manual trans so I don't know if I can stomach a CVT. I'm going to drop by the dealer and take an Outback CVT for a drive soon. I like the Forester configuration better but the Outback is a possible contender. Someone a few pages back made a comment about how the AWD feels different when accelerating out of a corner. I felt that when I first test drove a Forester and I like it! I don't want to loose that road feel and I'm not sure the CVT will offer that kind of feedback!

The CX5 was lauded as a super vehicle, but in Consumer Reports I think it finished lower than the Forester x. Noisy, slow and a jittery ride is not something I want. I also wonder about the super high CR used in the SKyActive engine and if it's going to have problems with carbon buildup.

The 2.0L Escape looked good at first but there have been a lot of recalls already and performance wise it isn't up to the existing XT and would likely be stomped by the new version.

The Honda CRV- I drove Hondas for years before the Forester. Biggest issues there are the AWD system, poor visibility and high road noise which seems common to all Hondas

The RAV looks interesting but needs to be a whole lot more exciting than the previous model to get my interest. The drivetrain looks like it's been updated to a much better AWD and transmission package. The styling is kinda strange IMO. The new Forester is much nicer. Toyota also tends to package their options in a way that makes you buy the super expensive model to get the safety features and desirable options. It's a 2013 but there aren't any prices or specs online here in Canada yet?

I may end up sacrificing fuel economy and going for an XT if I can get one that is not fully loaded. It appears the XT will be offered in several trim levels here, so that's a good thing. Great thread here. Thanks to all those who have contributed.

PS: I drove a friends BRZ. All I can say is that car is sweeeeet! That 2.0 just sings and a Turbo version is really tempting!

Brian

[Loscaldazar]

The AWD forester gets better fuel economy than the new Rav's (2013) 2WD fuel economy, and the turbo gets similar gas mileage to the 4cyl Rav with AWD.

Not sure if that makes a difference in your choice

[fts1966]

okay back to the new forester. okay so a hybrid, cool. so why aren't the giving us the auto state stop in the usa? i would buy one and love one. i know a lot of people will chime in n how bad or clunky they can be or have used them and don't find them to be of use. i have driven them. i understand them. i want them.

okay to the transmission suppliers. a lot of auto companies use out sourced trannies.
ZF makes them for audi, ford ,ferrari , even for industrial apps. like the 210 ton grove crane that i use for work. as well as others that the company own. they even make the 5 speed automated unit in my smart.

my 2 cents.

[fts1966]

something that i have not seen discussed but a few times for the new forester is the power or spring fold rear seats. what model gets those. can't find any thing about them other than the buttons on the xt.

[fts1966]

i found some pics on line of a lhd no sunroof manual. it has the buttons in the back for the fold down seats. so are they standard?

[dpm]

yes, like '10-on SHs.

[dawgMobile]

I think I heard the reviewer from cars.com say that it was only the higher trim (read: limited and touring) that get the switch in the back. The others you have to use the pull up knob on the seat.

I've noticed that some things that used to come on the premium are now only in the leather bound releases: tilting rear seats no longer available on premium. Hmmmm

[staryoshi]

Hi folks
I'm late getting into this thread. I have an 06 X 5speed and have been looking for a replacement. It's pretty confusing out there now with all the new entries and not much info on the Forester or RAV4. Two things I need are a bit more cargo space than the 06 and I need to tow a trailer that could be up to 2Klbs. I'm disappointed to hear the CVT Forester x won't have paddle shift and is rated for 1500lbs towing. An Outback is rated for 2600 and is only slightly larger than the Forester.

The crosstrek is rated to pull 1,500lbs. I'd imagine the new Forester X will be rated to pull a bit more. My estimate would be 2,000lbs, but I cannot cite anything other than my gut there :P

I wouldn't even consider the new Rav4. It's hideous, its fuel economy lags the competition, and it will likely shrink in cargo capacity compared to the previous generation. It's also losing a few horsepower and the ground clearance has been reduced from 7.5" to a depressing 6.3". I'd sooner buy a CR-V, despite its awkward styling, as it offers tons of usable cargo space and competitive fuel economy despite the 5-speed A/T.

An Outback sounds like a good choice for you, though.

I love the way the Subaru AWD feels and I've always driven a manual trans so I don't know if I can stomach a CVT. I'm going to drop by the dealer and take an Outback CVT for a drive soon. I like the Forester configuration better but the Outback is a possible contender. Someone a few pages back made a comment about how the AWD feels different when accelerating out of a corner. I felt that when I first test drove a Forester and I like it! I don't want to loose that road feel and I'm not sure the CVT will offer that kind of feedback!

I feel that the CVT-powered Subies have a strong planted feel to them, but that could just be me :P My only experience really testing the AWD system has been whipping the '12 Impreza around a curvy gravel road ;)

The CX5 was lauded as a super vehicle, but in Consumer Reports I think it finished lower than the Forester x. Noisy, slow and a jittery ride is not something I want. I also wonder about the super high CR used in the SKyActive engine and if it's going to have problems with carbon buildup.

Every comparison I've seen has the CX-5 finishing 2nd behind the new Ford Escape and in front of the CR-V with the current Forester left in the dust. I found it neither noisy nor jittery, but I did find it to be slow. Flipping it into manual-mode and revving it up a bit helps quite a bit (since the A/T is geared for fuel economy), but the best bet is to wait for the 2.5L model that will be available between now and March which improves the power figures to 184 HP and 185 ft-lb of torque, which will be close to best-in-class for the car/engine size and only reduce the EPA rating to 24 City / 30 Hwy for the AWD model.

The 2.0L Escape looked good at first but there have been a lot of recalls already and performance wise it isn't up to the existing XT and would likely be stomped by the new version.

I find that the styling is a bit awkward, but performance with the 2.0L Ecoboost engine should be fairly impressive. It weighs more than the current XT but it has a good bit of torque to go with it. I believe the fuel economy rating is 21/28 on premium which is a good bit better than the current XT's 19/24. The new XT will compare favorably to it, though, with a better power to weight ratio and comparable fuel economy (23/27, I believe).

The Honda CRV- I drove Hondas for years before the Forester. Biggest issues there are the AWD system, poor visibility and high road noise which seems common to all Hondas

My biggest issue with the CR-V is the continued use of a 5-speed A/T and its awkward design. The thoughtful interior design was a strong point for me and I did not experience excessive road noise when I drove it, but that's a subjective statement.

I may end up sacrificing fuel economy and going for an XT if I can get one that is not fully loaded. It appears the XT will be offered in several trim levels here, so that's a good thing. Great thread here. Thanks to all those who have contributed.

The XT looks to be quite a fun ride, for sure, no argument there! :)

The XT will be offered in Premium or Touring trim levels only, and the Premium XT model will likely be priced between the Limited and Touring X models (So about $27,500 MSRP before delivery or about $28,300 delivered).

Personally, I'm favoring the Touring X model as I'd rather load up on features than take advantage of the increased power and fuel expense of the XT.

[inamik75]

Originally Posted by staryoshi

Personally, I'm favoring the Touring X model as I'd rather load up on features than take advantage of the increased power and fuel expense of the XT.

Thinking on the same lines after realizing the XT has the FA20 engine meaning its direct injection which I want avoid like the plague!

[dawgMobile]

Originally Posted by staryoshi

The crosstrek is rated to pull 1,500lbs. I'd imagine the new Forester X will be rated to pull a bit more. My estimate would be 2,000lbs, but I cannot cite anything other than my gut there :P

From cars101.com
On Towing a trailer with the 2014 Forester.
Previous models (2013, 2012 etc) were rated at 2400 pounds.
The 2014 is rated at 1500 pounds. And even that would be a lot to tow behind the X model because it has no transmission control.
The 2.0XT turbo model would be a better choice with its paddle shifters, though the turbo engine would be boosted most of the time when towing which isn't particularly desirable.
The lack of paddle shifters on the 2.5X of course means the Forester is a not a good choice for anything other than infrequent, light towing. People who tow know that transmission control is key to their safety and vehicle performance - whether slowing on a downgrade, accelerating up a hill, or pulling a boat up a steep ramp for example. In a side wind or bumpy road with the trailer swaying, the experienced tower doesn't want to just hit the brakes, instead they know to gradually downshift to maintain stability and safely control the trailer and vehicle. The computer managed Low mode is the only choice the driver has other than Drive, and Low mode simply doesn't give the driver any transmission choices.

[staryoshi]

Originally Posted by dawgMobile

From cars101.com
On Towing a trailer with the 2014 Forester.

I've actually read that before, too. It conflicts with what my dealer claims, but I'll defer to Joe on this one. I have no experience with towing so I cannot speak definitively on the issue.

I wouldn't ever task whichever vehicle I choose with hauling more than an ATV or a small trailer, anyway (Under 1,000lbs), so it's a non-issue for me but surely is significant for others.

[npaladin2000]

Originally Posted by staryoshi

I've actually read that before, too. It conflicts with what my dealer claims, but I'll defer to Joe on this one. I have no experience with towing so I cannot speak definitively on the issue.

I wouldn't ever task whichever vehicle I choose with hauling more than an ATV or a small trailer, anyway (Under 1,000lbs), so it's a non-issue for me but surely is significant for others.

The CVT might not be able to handle towing loads like the 4EAT could. Which also means the XT might be able to do better.

Of course, it could also be due to measures they took to lighten the frame.

[dirteemac]

^yes, you need weight to tow things.