[uscgretired07]

2006 2.5X NA, 152,000 miles. Don't really know maintenance history other than what was on the car fax when I purchased last month. This is my first Subaru and first ever 4 cylinder car.
Question: Is 2600 rpm at 65 mph normal for this car. It seems high and sounds like the car is really screaming. Fuel flow sucks. Average outside temp is around 16 degrees F.
Thanks,

 

[stan_t]

If you think that's high, try a manual XT.

Stan

 

[Majorlk]

That's what my N/A '10 runs at.

 

[2.5x_sleeper]

Not knowing the full maintenance history can be risky, as the critical timing belt + associated parts maintenance is due at 105K miles or 105 month.

You can view your Subaru recommended maintenance here on cars101.com.

Bobby...

['07 FSXT Member Journal] ['03 X Member Journal]

 

[uscgretired07]

I was told when I bought the car that the timing belt had been replaced by the dealership that I bought it from. I called a couple weeks later out of the blue and asked if they had any maintenance history of the car they sold me cause I wanted to change fluids and not repeat anything that they might have done and the service advisor told me they changed the timing belt while fixing a small head gasket leak. It hasn't thrown any codes, 1 owner etc. So I feel confident it is a sound car. Your thoughts as far as the RPM question?

 

[2.5x_sleeper]

RPM sounds about right.

Many shops, even dealership shops don't replace all the recommended parts, when doing the timing belt maintenance. It's the hydraulic tensioner or the idlers that fail & take out the timing belt!

We want the maximum performance from our Forestesr, so we're usually in 3 until I'm over 50 MPH, then then shift to D or 4.

Per cars101.com Automatic transmission gets 23 city & 28 on the highway. Odds are pretty good you'll be on the low side of city mileage.

Bobby...

['07 FSXT Member Journal] ['03 X Member Journal]

 

[adc]

As mentioned ..very important to change idlers, tensioner, water pump with the Timing belt.

2600RPM is correct.

 

[2.5x_sleeper]

I had to run an errand today, so I verified 2500 RPM at 65 MPH is normal.

The engine didn't sound like it was "screaming" to me. Perhaps you just need to get use to the normal sound your, new to you, '06 Forester?

Bobby...

['07 FSXT Member Journal] ['03 X Member Journal]

 

[uscgretired07]

Thanks for keeping me in mind while out driving around today. I guess that is just how a 4 cylinder sounds. Like I said previously, I have never owned a 4 cylinder car before. I'm not going to let it stop me from step'in on the pedal.

 

[pleiad7]

Not really so much a hallmark of a 4-cyl car, but more of the Forester's short gearing and 4.44 final drive.

Automatic: 1st 2.785, 2nd 1.545, 3rd 1.0, 4th 0.694 reverse 2.272; final 4.444

2006 Subaru Forester prices, options, colors, specs, images and more

 

[dave5358]

2006 2.5X NA, 152,000 miles. Don't really know maintenance history other than what was on the car fax when I purchased last month. This is my first Subaru and first ever 4 cylinder car.
Question: Is 2600 rpm at 65 mph normal for this car. It seems high and sounds like the car is really screaming. Fuel flow sucks. Average outside temp is around 16 degrees F.
Thanks,

That's the normal RPM for my XT. Subarus are noisy - live with it. For 2005 and prior years, the RPMs were about 200 higher!

Much of the maintenance history is not critical, because you're going to start doing it right (and keeping records). It would be nice to know what was done at the 105k timing belt replacement. Just the belt? Belt plus tensioners? Maybe the water or oil pump? The timing belt is usually not the part that fails first. Rather, a tensioner or water pump bearing freezes and the belt is the part that takes the punishment. But dealers frequently do not replace these parts - sort of a false economy.

If you know the previous owner, you might be able to get these details from him/her. Or, if you know the geographic area where the vehicle was located, try calling around to dealer's service departments (have your VIN number handy). This service on a Subaru is frequently done at a dealer. If they can locate the vehicle in their records, they will usually tell you the details of what happened at 105K.

 

[markinaustin]

And 2800 RPM at 70 MPH and 3000 RPM at 75 MPH in 5th gear on my MT5 NA 2006...

very consistent. With sound damping a la project quiet car on this forum you won't notice the noise.

 

[bman400]

My 2001 with 4EAT at 65 is around 2500. At 70 it's doing 3000.

 

[Pops88]

2006 2.5X NA, 152,000 miles. Don't really know maintenance history other than what was on the car fax when I purchased last month. This is my first Subaru and first ever 4 cylinder car.
Question: Is 2600 rpm at 65 mph normal for this car. It seems high and sounds like the car is really screaming. Fuel flow sucks. Average outside temp is around 16 degrees F.
Thanks,

I have a 2007 forester x base with 185,000 miles the car has been perfectly maintained, it is loud loves oil and has never left me stranded. The 4 speed is truly awful as it cannot find a happy place anywhere below 50mph but again it has been perfectly reliable for 13 years. The RPM is spot on and it seems necessary to maintain higher RPM for any kind of power, we recently took a 3500 mile road trip with the cruise set at 3500RPM or roughly 86MPH for the majority and the rest was bombing up and down roads in the Appalachian mountains and smoky mountain national park. The car ran flawlessly and recorded some of its best ever gas mileage, if your not used to the droning engine hum and sharp increase in overall noise with the slightest acceleration driving an older forester can take time to adjust to but they seem to be much more efficient and perfectly matched to the transmission if you are able to be generous with the gas peddle.

 

[ruminator]

average 16 degrees will drop your mpg's a couple