[WisconsinTreeman]

Hello all,

I recently just bought my first Subaru. 2015 Forester Limited 2.5. I have been a XM listener in my vehicle for years. This Forester does not have a XM capable HU. Current HU is the CF625UM. My thoughts are to go OEM to do this. I see Some of the HUs in other foresters have the xm button the left side of the unit where my AM button is. Could it be that easy to just buy one of those units and plug it in? Is there even an XM radio antenna in my Forester? I've also seen that there was a touchscreen Nav/Xm HU is some 15' Foresters. Is that an option? Do I just go aftermarket? I like the idea of seeing my radio info on the HUD but that's not a deal breaker. I do however love the steering wheel controls and Bluetooth calling and such. What's every ones thoughts? Any guidance is truly appreciated.

 

[billshoff2]

You could upgrade to the next level OEM Subaru radio which would give you Sirius XM and HD services. It should fit into the dash perfectly and hook up to existing wiring. A new one from your dealer would be ridiculously expensive but a second hand one from a junk yard or ebay might be a good choice. Cost: $50 to 100.

You'll get better sound from the Subaru's optional Kicker speaker kit or from aftermarket coaxial or triaxial speakers. Figure on $100 and up.

I don't know whether your Forester has a satellite antenna built in or not.

I doubt it would be practical to try to upgrade to the OEM radio with navigation. There are too many parts missing from your car to do that without spending a fortune.

IMO, you're in the ideal situation to go aftermarket. It won't cost any more and you'll get better sound and features for your money...including navigation, if you want it. Check with Crutchfield or a local car stereo shop for their ideas.

At the very least new speakers will give a huge upgrade in quality. OEM factory speakers are cheaply made.

Good luck with your project.

 

[WisconsinTreeman]

Thanks for the input. Your thoughts kinda confirmed mine.
The real question now is to see if I have an unused xm antenna wire laying behind the HU. I can't find much on the different antennas on different '15 Foresters
If not, aftermarket may be my best option.

 

[Jimmick]

Thanks for the input. Your thoughts kinda confirmed mine.
The real question now is to see if I have an unused xm antenna wire laying behind the HU. I can't find much on the different antennas on different '15 Foresters
If not, aftermarket may be my best option.

Hey I know this thread's a few years old, but I am in this same situation and was wondering what you ended up doing? I like to keep things OEM just because I like the quality better, I like to keep my multifunction display working with the radio info it has, and of course the steering wheel control. Also, I despise touch screens, so I was also thinking of upgrading to the OEM unit that has XM built in. I am facing the same question though... Do I have an XM antenna built in? I recently added the fog light kit to my forester and discovered after I bought the kit that it already had all the wiring, so rather than using what the kit came with I went to my local dealer and bought the actual button for in the dash, went to Autozone and got the relay, installed the fog lights, plugged everything in and it worked! So, this experience showed me that I didn't need to do all that extra work running wires and such. Apparently Subaru puts the same wiring harnesses in the vehicles even if they don't have the equipment to use it. After that, I decided to get the tweeter kit for it. Same deal! I just popped the cover off, the wires plugged right in! Now that I know this, I question if the XM upgrade would be easier! I currently have a SiriusXM branded radio in my Forester running through AUX port. I'd like to clear out that mess and have it all built in. I am wondering if I don't have the XM antenna (which I'm pretty sure I don't) if there's a way to make my current SiriusXM antenna work with the OEM radio that has XM built in, which I am debating buying (found it on ebay for an ok price). I know there was something like 4 or 5 different radios Subaru put in the 2015 Forester. I have the cheapest of all. Doesn't even have the HD radio, which is another feature I'd like to have.

 

[uberbills]

Hey I know this thread's a few years old, but I am in this same situation and was wondering what you ended up doing? I like to keep things OEM just because I like the quality better, I like to keep my multifunction display working with the radio info it has, and of course the steering wheel control. Also, I despise touch screens, so I was also thinking of upgrading to the OEM unit that has XM built in. I am facing the same question though... Do I have an XM antenna built in? I recently added the fog light kit to my forester and discovered after I bought the kit that it already had all the wiring, so rather than using what the kit came with I went to my local dealer and bought the actual button for in the dash, went to Autozone and got the relay, installed the fog lights, plugged everything in and it worked! So, this experience showed me that I didn't need to do all that extra work running wires and such. Apparently Subaru puts the same wiring harnesses in the vehicles even if they don't have the equipment to use it. After that, I decided to get the tweeter kit for it. Same deal! I just popped the cover off, the wires plugged right in! Now that I know this, I question if the XM upgrade would be easier! I currently have a SiriusXM branded radio in my Forester running through AUX port. I'd like to clear out that mess and have it all built in. I am wondering if I don't have the XM antenna (which I'm pretty sure I don't) if there's a way to make my current SiriusXM antenna work with the OEM radio that has XM built in, which I am debating buying (found it on ebay for an ok price). I know there was something like 4 or 5 different radios Subaru put in the 2015 Forester. I have the cheapest of all. Doesn't even have the HD radio, which is another feature I'd like to have.

I just bought a 2015 premium with eyesight and I am looking into installing the foglights/switch as well as swapping the HU for the newer touchscreen with XM/HD radio. Seems pretty straight-forward so hopefully I don't brick my new used ride