Hello everyone,
I'm new to the forum and what brought me here was getting facts directly from owners instead of just reading from caranddriver, motortrend, etc...
I'm looking for an SUV to replace my '99 Pontiac Grand Prix and so far I've narrowed down my selection to two possibilities. The Forester obviously being one of them. I've looked at several other SUV but really what it comes down to is Subaru's AWD system, you can't beat it. Nearly every other SUV out there (Equinox, Escape, CRV, Rav4, etc...) use a "on-deman" AWD even though they claim real-time. They also have a maximum torque transfer of ~30% to the rear wheels, where as the Forester is 60/40 and up to 50/50.
The other thing that I like about the Subaru 2.5X Touring is its winter options (heated mirrors, heated seats, wiper de-icer, etc...). When you wake up and it's -30 or it snowed, these options are worth their weight in gold.
But now to my concern...
I live in Petawawa Ontario, which is roughly 200km north of Ottawa. This would be my main winter vehicle, used to travel to work (55km highway driving per day) and a couple of trips to Sudbury (340 km one way).
Now, I've read up all the information I can possibly gather about the Forester and so far I believe that it's the better choice. However, I'm leery about the four-speed transmission. I know that this vehicle is fantastic in the city, but how does it perform on the highway?
I'm not looking for a fast SUV (don't need the turbo). I'm just wondering, how it behaves on hills, does it downshift into 3rd gear frequently/easily? Does it bog down on a steep hill? I'm a bit worried about having a vehicle that constantly downshifts each time there is an incline on the road. As I mentioned before, there are plenty of hills when I travel.
That's really the only concern that I have and would greatly appreciate some information from Forester owners and look forward to your replies.
Edit: I carpool to work with another person. When I travel to Sudbury it's with my wife and daughter. Just in case people wonder what kind of load I have in the vehicle.
I'm new to the forum and what brought me here was getting facts directly from owners instead of just reading from caranddriver, motortrend, etc...
I'm looking for an SUV to replace my '99 Pontiac Grand Prix and so far I've narrowed down my selection to two possibilities. The Forester obviously being one of them. I've looked at several other SUV but really what it comes down to is Subaru's AWD system, you can't beat it. Nearly every other SUV out there (Equinox, Escape, CRV, Rav4, etc...) use a "on-deman" AWD even though they claim real-time. They also have a maximum torque transfer of ~30% to the rear wheels, where as the Forester is 60/40 and up to 50/50.
The other thing that I like about the Subaru 2.5X Touring is its winter options (heated mirrors, heated seats, wiper de-icer, etc...). When you wake up and it's -30 or it snowed, these options are worth their weight in gold.
But now to my concern...
I live in Petawawa Ontario, which is roughly 200km north of Ottawa. This would be my main winter vehicle, used to travel to work (55km highway driving per day) and a couple of trips to Sudbury (340 km one way).
Now, I've read up all the information I can possibly gather about the Forester and so far I believe that it's the better choice. However, I'm leery about the four-speed transmission. I know that this vehicle is fantastic in the city, but how does it perform on the highway?
I'm not looking for a fast SUV (don't need the turbo). I'm just wondering, how it behaves on hills, does it downshift into 3rd gear frequently/easily? Does it bog down on a steep hill? I'm a bit worried about having a vehicle that constantly downshifts each time there is an incline on the road. As I mentioned before, there are plenty of hills when I travel.
That's really the only concern that I have and would greatly appreciate some information from Forester owners and look forward to your replies.
Edit: I carpool to work with another person. When I travel to Sudbury it's with my wife and daughter. Just in case people wonder what kind of load I have in the vehicle.