2014 Forester redesign (merged thread)

[twowings]

Originally Posted by hogtownrocketsled

I LOVE my Forester Moonroof.

Me, too ! This is the absolute best time of year for one here in Red State Hell...warm days and cool nights....wife and I went meteor shower-watching a few days ago and opened the roof, laid our seats way back and listened to Pink Floyd while Mother Nature put on a great show....

[SHermanXT]

Originally Posted by twowings

Me, too ! This is the absolute best time of year for one here in Red State Hell...warm days and cool nights....wife and I went meteor shower-watching a few days ago and opened the roof, laid our seats way back and listened to Pink Floyd while Mother Nature put on a great show....

And did you happen to be... Partaking in anything else?

[Jumpem]

Super disappointed that the 2.5i Premium doesn't have X-Mode, paddle shifter, or fog lights. To get X-Mode I need to get a 2.5i Limited or an XT. To get paddle shifters I need to get an XT. Then the XT Premium doesn't even have fog lights. Need to get the over-optioned XT Touring.

The options packaging is terrible.

[dawgMobile]

TOTALLY AGREE! The lack of xmode on premium is infuriating. Bet it will trickle down in 2015; like power driver seats betweeon 09 and 10..

Originally Posted by Jumpem

Super disappointed that the 2.5i Premium doesn't have X-Mode, paddle shifter, or fog lights. To get X-Mode I need to get a 2.5i Limited or an XT. To get paddle shifters I need to get an XT. Then the XT Premium doesn't even have fog lights. Need to get the over-optioned XT Touring.

The options packaging is terrible.

[TCARZ]

Originally Posted by bashfulbernie

My first car was a very old 1950 Ford. It had push button start. It was one more thing to go wrong back then, and it still is.

My first car was a 51 Studebaker. It had push button start, too. No big deal, imho.

[pleiad7]

What's the big deal about push button start? I'd take a key over that kind of gimmick anytime. Also, IIRC, at the height of the whole Toyota/Lexus uncontrolled acceleration issue, people were panicking and couldn't figure out how to power down the car with the button (push and hold for 2 secs). Starting and stopping an engine should be idiot-proof, or it turns into a liability.

[lfdal]

Originally Posted by pleiad7

What's the big deal about push button start? I'd take a key over that kind of gimmick anytime. Also, IIRC, at the height of the whole Toyota/Lexus uncontrolled acceleration issue, people were panicking and couldn't figure out how to power down the car with the button (push and hold for 2 secs). Starting and stopping an engine should be idiot-proof, or it turns into a liability.

What the nice girl says..... a vastly over-rated option IMO, and one that is getting more "hackable" daily. I'll stick with a key, thank you.

[Sarkus]

Originally Posted by Jumpem

Super disappointed that the 2.5i Premium doesn't have X-Mode, paddle shifter, or fog lights. To get X-Mode I need to get a 2.5i Limited or an XT. To get paddle shifters I need to get an XT. Then the XT Premium doesn't even have fog lights. Need to get the over-optioned XT Touring.

The options packaging is terrible.

I'm not sure what you are looking at, but the specs I'm seeing say the paddle shifters come with the CVT, which is an option on the Premium. So if you get a CVT, you get the paddle shifters. And the fog lights are also an option, which is exactly how it is on the current Forester.

As for X-Mode, sure, that would be great to have on every model. But its also an new thing so I'm not surprised they didn't make it standard.

[SubaruTung]

with new features come new problems, you might find yourself driving down the road and hit X-mode and all your wheels dont function... and finally push start and power lift gates, why not voice command start and voice command door open :) and why get rid of the hood scoop?! its what made turbo and subaru stand out!

and there seems to always be a little draft in all subarus by the door panel and windows,

im glad i got the 2013


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com Free App

[Jumpem]

Originally Posted by Sarkus

I'm not sure what you are looking at, but the specs I'm seeing say the paddle shifters come with the CVT, which is an option on the Premium. So if you get a CVT, you get the paddle shifters. And the fog lights are also an option, which is exactly how it is on the current Forester.

As for X-Mode, sure, that would be great to have on every model. But its also an new thing so I'm not surprised they didn't make it standard.

The press releases I was seeing the day of the auto show suggested the paddle shifters were on the XT CVT only. But now the 2014 Forester page on Suabru's site shows differently. You are right.

[staryoshi]

I believe that it is 6-gear paddle shifting for the X and 8-gear for the XT.

[Loscaldazar]

Originally Posted by staryoshi

I believe that it is 6-gear paddle shifting for the X and 8-gear for the XT.

X has 6 speed, the XT has both 6 and 8 speed depending on whether it is in sport or sport#

[Jumpem]

Originally Posted by Loscaldazar

X has 6 speed, the XT has both 6 and 8 speed depending on whether it is in sport or sport#

Just a note. In my Outback CVT, the car is quicker if the paddles are left unused. Using the paddles to change "gears', the engine is behaving traditionally, you accelerate up to say 5k RPM, then you "upshift" and the RPMs drop to 2k and have to climb to 5k again, then repeat. The CVTs normal behavior is to climb to 5k RPM, and it stays there until you are done accelerating. Much nicer.

I only use them to "downshift" for compression braking.

[Gorkon]

With respect to the above posters, both the cars.com video showing the Limited at the L.A. auto show and the interactive brochure on subaru's website both show a steering wheel without paddle shifters for normally aspirated versions. In addition, CVT shifter is labeled "L-D" and not "M-D" in those media files as well and some text I read (can't remember where) are indicating a "low mode" for non-turbo vehicles with CVT.

Therefore, I believe that the spreadsheet is wrong and paddle shifters _are_ only available on XT versions. Might be different in other markets, but it looks like that is what is coming to the U.S..

I use my '09 manual shift gate mostly for engine braking or in slippery conditions to reduce unwanted gear/speed changes. The "low-mode" may suffice, since CVT is smooth.

[Loscaldazar]

Originally Posted by Gorkon

With respect to the above posters, both the cars.com video showing the Limited at the L.A. auto show and the interactive brochure on subaru's website both show a steering wheel without paddle shifters for normally aspirated versions. In addition, CVT shifter is labeled "L-D" and not "M-D" in those media files as well and some text I read (can't remember where) are indicating a "low mode" for non-turbo vehicles with CVT.

Therefore, I believe that the spreadsheet is wrong and paddle shifters _are_ only available on XT versions. Might be different in other markets, but it looks like that is what is coming to the U.S..

I use my '09 manual shift gate mostly for engine braking or in slippery conditions to reduce unwanted gear/speed changes. The "low-mode" may suffice, since CVT is smooth.

Interesting. I would have thought that the would offer the manual mode with the Non turbo, as they already do on the outback and leggy.

And yes, leaving the car in the regular CVT mode will be fastest, but the paddle shifters will come in use in slippery conditions, and I'm wondering if they might be useful at a track day for engine braking into a corner (or would the CVT's normal operation provide enough engine braking into a corner if left in S# and not using the paddle shifters)?

Or if you put the car into sport and sport# do you have to use paddle shifters, or does it also have a mode where it optimizes the CVT for performance in an automatic mode? What I'm talking about, is the 09-13 foresters, if you slid the gear selector into drive, you get normal, fuel economy based shifts. Slid it over into sport, you get faster shifts, and gears held longer for more Fun, but it still is in automatic mode, push up or down will in sport mode, you have a manual sport mode where it shifts and downshifts when you tell it to. Will the CVT be the same way with normal shifts in Intelligent, then a sporty automatic in S and S#, with the option of using the paddle shifters to make it behave like a traditional automatic?

Hope that made sense.