Subaru Forester Owners Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

2019+ Forester Likes and Dislikes?

('19+) 
147K views 318 replies 153 participants last post by  Kean 
#1 ·
I have a 19' Forester- Premium model. After 3500 miles, here's what I like and dislike about the car.
Likes
- CVT transmission. Live in the mountains and it always finds the perfect RPM for power.
- Power. From all the reviews I read, I thought this thing would be a dog. I can hit 90 with no effort on 7 percent grades.
- Better gas mileage than my 2010 Forester.
- Xmode and Hill Descent Mode- Use this a lot for winter mountain driving. There are several steep icy roads where I have to creep down at 5 mph.
- Adaptive Cruise Control. It made my commute to San Diego 10 times easier than in my old Forester.
-Big back seats. Front seats are very comfortable.
Dislikes
-NO WAY TO MANUALLY SELECT gears in the Premium model. Those of us who live in mountain communities always use engine braking to slow the car down. I only have Drive and Low (the low is a useless gear because it is not the right gear for engine braking). In my old Subaru, it was either 3rd or 2nd gear.
- The Cheap black plastic molding around the LCD and media screen- it shows the smallest amount of dust. Wish they would have used a different material.
- Android Auto...I use it but I think it can be improved.

Overall I love the car but Subaru really should put a way to manually shift gears like in the old Foresters using the gear shift lever. I don't care about sporty driving, I just care about maintaining control driving down the mountain.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
We really wanted to buy a new 2019 Forester. The lack of an XT option made it a no go. Crossed shopped most of the competition and then came back to Subaru. The Outback 3.6R is so smooth and responsive. We both love it. I need to build a 3.6 Forester after selling the XT.
 
#4 ·
My daughter's 2008 Toyota shows the individual tire pressure of all four tires, plus the spare. My 2018 Forester has but one trouble light and even then can only sense four tires. With my utilizing a full-sized spare, doing five-way rotations at oil changes, I must pay to have my rotated spare tire's TPMS "relearned" at every rotation. This is both a pain and costly, considering that it's a new vehicle.
 
#8 ·
I find the placement of the foot rest to be too close to the seat. I prefer to drive with legs straighter rather than at a 90º angle. My 95 Civic with manual has a very roomy foot well. The Forester looks much smaller. There's not enough room to accommodate the left foot anyplace else.

I am getting used to the differences, but the poorer visibility still irks me. The blind spots are in a different spot. The rear view mirror in the Civic gives me a 90% confidence level for passing and I then turn my head and look. In the Foz, I have to watch both the rear view and passenger side mirror. Glancing into the rear view does not require head movement, but the passenger side view does. I think that's what I find irritating. I never have passengers so I'm going to remove the rear head rests and hope that helps.

It's difficult comparing a low end car from the stone ages to a modern, electronics filled car. The rides are very different, too. I have a lot more respect for that old Civic. But I do like the Forester. Sitting up so high is very nice! And the plusses make up for any quirks.
 
#7 ·
Overall I love my 2019 Forester - that said, the following dislikes are concerning for a car 5 months old. 1. Hatch periodically has to be reset (which I have not mastered). This is exceptionally inconvenient when picking people up or taking to the airport. Literally I have to put luggage in the trunk via the backseat. Huge embarrassment! 2. Dealer had to remove the luggage crossbar to resolve whistling noise. 3. AC did not work-dealer had to replace (2 days). Dealer provided loaner and communicated I would be charged for gas if the tank was not returned full (resolved when I confronted them). I am keeping the car, but struggle when asked if I love my new Forester.
 
#155 ·
With regards to the power lift gate, hold the button in for 5 seconds until you hear a beep. Then do a complete open/close cycle. You may also find that pushing the lift gate button inside the car sometimes doesn't work. I found out that putting the car in Park, foot on the brake pad and pushing the doors open switch on the driver;s door seems to help.
The luggage cross bar can be adjusted to reduce wind noise. Try a few different positions to see which one works.
What did the dealer do to fix the AC? Thanks
 
#10 ·
x mode 2.0

blind spots are really a mirror setting issue. all the cars that ive driven, i have yet to find one that has a true blind spot.

I love the 19 forester Premium so far. Package 15 has all the features functional i thought only the limited would have. The only differences so far is xmode 2.0, fog lights(bought for total of 100$), 18 inch wheels, chrome/silver plastic parts..

im glad i didnt wait for the limited that i ordered, and just went with the premium that was on the lot.

Nothing within the past 2 weeks that gave me reason to dislike. Oh. i dont like the lane correcting feature. I thought it was poor handling, but realized that its equipped with lane correcting thing and moves the steering wheel . i disabled that one.
 
#11 ·
I really love this car, the ride, visibility, the super-bright LEDs (I can see in the dark now!) and the hill hold thing (I forget the updated name) is a thing I didn't know I needed! The timing on the blind sport detection is on point, too. Had a rental Buick something small SUV last year in SoCal and its BSD was terrible, so apparently this is a thing you can mess up.

Things I'd improve:

- Power gate, which I paid extra for in my Sport, doesn't work anymore. :(
- I also wish it had gears 1, 2 & 3 (like in my '01 Forester) available for winter purposes near the shifter because I have no idea how to use paddles and don't want to (don't judge).
- Sport specific: there's a lot of orange, which I thought was hideous at first but has really grown on me, however, I'd love the navy leather/blue stitching in the newest Crosstrek hybrid even if it's the half leather/half cloth (this combo is awesome in the summer -- heck with full leather seats!)
 
This post has been deleted
#12 ·
I just went from a 2000 Forester to the 2019 Forester with Touring Trim and I really love it. This is actually my first new car so I'm thrilled. The Drive is fairly quiet and smooth and Sport mode makes accelerating up hills or on the highway a pleasure. The saddle brown interior and the tech make it feel like a luxury car compared to my old Subie. So far my big complaint is the Harmon Kardon stereo. For some reason it is really bothering my ears. I had to bring down some of the levels but am still not satisfied. I actually prefer the aftermarket stereo I had in my 2000. But hands down I love this car and its worth the extra money to get the higher trim with all the safety features in my opinion.
 
#13 ·
2019 Touring

I leased a 2019 Forester Touring two weeks ago and am very happy with the car.
Problems: My car came from a dealer in Connecticut and for some reason I can not get rid of the weather forecast from the dealers neighborhood.
The map in for current location always brings up Connecticut.
Dealer doesn't have a clue.
Other than this cosmetic issue I am very happy.
 

Attachments

#14 ·
I have Forester 2017 base trim, switched from Forester 2009 base trim.
What was greatly improved:
1. Rear view camera. Very important, huge convenience
2. Improved sound insulation, way less road noise
3. Hopefully, most important: I heard, they changed cooling/oiling system of cylinders block and they promised it won't need gaskets replacement after 60K miles (that was a real plague of old Foresters). Gaskets replacement for boxer engine is $2000 - $2500.
4. minor but still good - trunk light

What I HATE. Minor issues might be disliked, but these two were obviously intentionally added to keep the owners frustrated and as a permanent reminder - YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST CLASS!
1. Control dials lightning. They intentionally made it totally ineffective and deem at the day time, esp. when there is a cloudy day. This is the first car I ever saw where speed and RPM dials are unreadable.
One can clearly read them ONLY at night time. It is obviously unsafe, but who cares! Subaru does not.
If one is not happy with that - go buy yourself the top trim, pay extra $5K and we will give you properly lighted control panel. You think it is too pricey? - Well, YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST CLASS!
2. Trunk cannot be unlocked from outside when the battery is dead. What should I suppose - Subaru engineers are idiots? Really?
 
#15 ·
2019 Forester Sport

I tow a teardrop camper and in NH have some steep rides and turns and was the reason I traded in my 2018 Touring to have the paddles but the cruise control has consistently worked in controlling turns and steeps without using the paddles surprisingly. Now my 2018 touring didn't do as well as the 2019 Sport. Miss the leather seating but starting to like the Sport better.
#1 dislike is having to keep hitting the A button or whatever they call it everytime I restart the car. The feature if not turned off, turns the engine off when you are stopped in gear at a stop sign or light or heavy traffic that is stopped, and when you lift your foot back off the brake it restarts the engine....a real pain in the butt! Wish I could disengage it permanently rather than have to manually turn it off each time I start the car. They may have had good intent on it but if you ask me, starting and stopping an engine that often is only going to bring wear and tear to a part.
Putting all else aside love the car.:grin2:
 
#158 ·
2019 Forester Sport

I tow a teardrop camper and in NH have some steep rides and turns and was the reason I traded in my 2018 Touring to have the paddles but the cruise control has consistently worked in controlling turns and steeps without using the paddles surprisingly. Now my 2018 touring didn't do as well as the 2019 Sport. Miss the leather seating but starting to like the Sport better.
#1 dislike is having to keep hitting the A button or whatever they call it everytime I restart the car. The feature if not turned off, turns the engine off when you are stopped in gear at a stop sign or light or heavy traffic that is stopped, and when you lift your foot back off the brake it restarts the engine....a real pain in the butt! Wish I could disengage it permanently rather than have to manually turn it off each time I start the car. They may have had good intent on it but if you ask me, starting and stopping an engine that often is only going to bring wear and tear to a part.
Putting all else aside love the car.:grin2:
Try not putting too much pressure (standing) on the brake pedal at stop lights. Try less pressure, just enough to stop the car from moving. Takes a bit of practice. Lots of cars have Auto Stop/Start these days and Subaru in their wisdom decided that they should do the same.
 
#18 ·
2019 Limited, like pretty much everything except:

- Can't permanently disable the auto start/stop (surprised no one has mentioned that yet)
- Tail gate gets stuck (not the memory button issue, but have also had that happen)
- Agree with everyone on not being able to change gears on non-Sport/Touring trims. I live in a very hilly area and I assumed you'd still be able to change "gears" on the shifter even without the paddles but you can't
 
#159 ·
2019 Limited, like pretty much everything except:

  • Can't permanently disable the auto start/stop (surprised no one has mentioned that yet)
  • Tail gate gets stuck (not the memory button issue, but have also had that happen)
  • Agree with everyone on not being able to change gears on non-Sport/Touring trims. I live in a very hilly area and I assumed you'd still be able to change "gears" on the shifter even without the paddles but you can't
There has been quite a few discussions elsewhere on the Auto Stop/Start feature (wonder why?). This is what I remember:
(1) The Auto Stop/Start feature will not activate if the AC is running.
(2) The Auto Stop/Start feature will not activate if you are towing something.
(3) The Auto Stop/Start feature will not activate if you go easy on the brake pedal at stop lights. Try less pressure on the brake pedal, just enough to hold the car.
 
#20 ·
I generally like our 2019 Forester Premium (my wife's car) but some things bug me:

- the front fenders rise at the sides rather than drop off so the vehicle feels much larger and harder to determine the edge of the vehicle when parking.

- there is little room for anything because the electronics take up so much space. Where do you put a trash can/bag? Where can my wife set her purse?

- the armrests are pretty useless unless you have very long arms.

- I agree with the original poster about the dust being easily seen.

On the plus side, the drive is good and solid and acceleration is fine. The rear traffic-crossing alert is very helpful as is the adaptive cruise control. Visibility is excellent and seating is very comfortable - especially if you have long arems. :)
 
#22 ·
250 miles in with my 2019 Sport and the orange is growing one me. The features of the sport w/option pkg were what I wanted and no regrets on that side but can do without the flashy orange to be honest. I've had people refer to the car as the one with the orange stripes vs. the new Subaru or new Forester. Other car is a 2018 CRV, I had a 01 CRV that got stolen but didn't want 2 of the exact same (18/19) so decided to give Subaru a try.

Dislikes are almost all around the center between the seats console:
- gloss black shifter surround can and has a few times already reflected the sun into my eye's. Guess its a lunchtime/high noon kind of event but odd and unexpected.
- forward pocket is too small to fit my iPhone 6plus when the USB cord is connect. Without the connection it "just fits". Otherwise the phone hangs out and is not ideal
- e brake switch is too far back for me as it gets covered by whatever seems to always get tossed in the car as I get in (jacket)
- Arm rest storage is a bit small
- cup holders in a suck position. When you are driving you are reaching behind grabbing the drink from the top rather the side (good grip). I imagine one day I will grab my fast food drink where the top pops off and my drink spills all over the center console, seats, and shifter.

To be honest I disliked the shifter position on the CRV but now I see why it is where it is, all of the above is not an issue when you can move the cup holders, e-brake, brake hold all forward. But I prefer the Forester shifter location so I can't have it all here I guess :)

Non center console related
- (for me at least) can't see the start button from a normal seat position.
- up shifting at times during a stop rather than holding gear for engine brake assist through to complete stop
- took way to many google searches and attempts to move Weather from New York to my local area. For some reason the travel link did not want to work the first few days.
- I drive with the steering wheel high and pushed all the way towards the dash, in this position when grabbing the top of the steering wheel my fingers can hit the top of the dash overhang (annoying)

Overall VERY happy with the Forester. I'm getting used to the autostop function, but this was my biggest issue day one. I had gotten into a few stop/start situations where the system did not work so well and that really hasn't happened in a bit. Waiting for a few hundred miles more before pushing down on the pedal and seeing what acceleration and passing can be like. For now just granying it around.
 
#24 ·
Theres a lot to like about the Forester (I have 2019 Premium, w/ option 14, which gives me almost everything I want without the things I don't need or don't consider worth the extra). Mine gets used mostly on longer road trips, and the adaptive cruise control is really appreciated. In general, I really like the car, and wouldn't trade it for anything else. There are several things that could be better though:

- as others have said, no way to set the default behavior for auto start/stop. This also applies to the AVH feature (I'd like it to default on). Seems like this would be something that could be easily changed in software.
- my single biggest annoyance is with the keyless system, particularly around locking. On my other car (Chevy Bolt) I just get out, close the door, and walk away. After a few seconds, it automatically locks the car. With the Forester, I have to touch the unlock sensor on the door, or dig the fob out of my pocket to lock it (kinda defeats the purpose of a keyless system). And then I'm often getting something out of the back. Then I have to walk back to the front or get fob etc., which is just annoying. Can't count the number of times I've left car unlocked because of this. It could be so much easier...
- STARlink. Does anyone use it? Just adds complexity I never use or need. Think Subaru would be better off just focusing on the Android Auto/Carplay experience.
- The only feature I miss from the higher trims is the lack of fixed "gear" points, especially for downhill/mountain driving or snow. Wish they could make that available on all trims, especially given the target demographic who is buying a lot of these cars.
- The analog tach and speedometer. These take up a lot of dash real estate for two simple numbers. Much better to go all-digital there, would improve the UI substantially.
 
#26 ·
I have driven my 19 Sports over 3500 miles with MPG above 30, so I am a happy camper comparing with my previous Highlander in terms of mileage.

A few things that I think Subaru can do better:
1) Get rid of start and stop function. It may reduce EPA MPG but a big plus for the consumer. No one wants it. I have tried to use the brake to control it but it always stopped when you don't want to. Sometimes I wanted to use it but it refused to kick in (maybe I brake too slow and too late?). It also seems to power on after one minute (?) no matter if I still step on the brake.
2) Get rid of Starlink software. No one uses it due to sluggish performance.
3) Makes door lock automatic after leaving the car. Should not be difficult at all.
4) Make the gear automatic to "Park" after power off the car. I have driven Enclave and this function is so convenient. I don't have to remember switch to park gear every time.
5) Some times the car in front of me changed lanes and slow down, the Eyesight was slow to react so it also slowed down even though the car is in a different lane.
 
#28 ·
3) Makes door lock automatic after leaving the car. Should not be difficult at all.
This is one I miss, too. On my prior vehicles with keyless access I would enable this. It was nice knowing my vehicle would always lock itself - it only drives you a little crazy if you run out to the garage to grab something (without the key), and the car is locked.

I do like the lock option on the power tailgate buttons - but it wouldn't be needed if the vehicle just locked after you walked away.
 
#29 ·
The more we drive it, the more we like it.

When I park, I know to place lever in "P" position, only when on a grade do I also apply the park brake.

I never have had an auto locking vehicle, can see where such would be a PITA when cleaning, etc. It's easy to remember to lock when wanted locked.

I usually / almost always deactivate the auto stop deal when I start out.

I find I like the Eyesight more as I learn it's limits more. I wasn't looking for a self driver, I understand that I don't have one either. I have learned to not use the adaptive CC so much in heavier traffic.

I really like the visibility afforded.

I love the brakes.

I'm growing to love the steering more as well.

I was impressed with size compared to my BIL's Grand Caravan, impressed with how well the 2.5di flat 4 moves it and even growing a fondness for the CVT.

Very easy to clean car as well.


Only things I'd like to change, is going to slightly more shock damping, and maybe some more responsive tires (like Goodyear RS-As for example).

I also wonder about larger sway bars, but really …. it seems well balanced as is for general use.

I do like the looks of the earlier dual muffler / exhaust tips and I think would have looked great on the Sport, but I know that such would only be for "looks" just for a "sportier" flavor. Wonder if earlier rear section is usable on a '19?

In Time.
 
#30 ·
Pet Peeve Driver Focus: 2 issues:
1. Does a poor job of identifying what driver enters driver seat. Am I doing something wrong here?
2. One Driver is constantly alerted to pay attention and her eyes are on the road?

Try to ask SOA about this and they referenced go to dealer?
 
#34 ·
I agree with almost all of this. A couple of minuses I haven't seen:
- Lack of coolant temperature gauge. I know this is a mostly useless piece of dash real estate, but if you don't drive long distances and you're concerned about the oil getting up to temperature, it's a nice-to-have.
- For all its undeniable virtues, it's personality is extremely bland. This is the first car I have ever owned where it simply wouldn't occur to me to go for a joyride, just to go for a drive. Nothing wrong with the way it drives, it just doesn't have the personality that invites fun. Which, for the vast majority of its owners, is probably just fine. If I could go in the just-a-way back time machine, and get an XT with a stick, I'd probably never own another car.

And one as-yet-unseen positive:
- For all the griping about the CVT, it actually does a fairly good job of mimicking a conventional automatic. A hidden advantage, when there are no gears, it's always in gear. By comparison, my other car is a Mazda CX5 (which, btw, has huge dollops of the missing fun factor noted above, it's like a 2-ton Miata). It has a very conventional 6-speed automatic, and it's all too easy to catch it out between gears - esp at low speeds - with a resulting thunky engagement that can't be good for the driveline. That does not happen with the CVT at all.
 
This post has been deleted
#35 ·
My wife and I were driving home - northbound - this week on a clear, sunny day. The sun was over my left shoulder and behind us. The silver outline of the dash vent by the driver's door was brightly reflected on the side window effectively blocking the view of the outside rear view mirror. This made it harder to quickly glance at the mirror - it took a couple of seconds and lots of concentration to focus on the small center spot of the mirror that wasn't in the "reflection zone".

Other than that, very pleased with 33 MPG (measured) on winding and hilly 2-lane roads, very comfortable, quiet, smooth "shifting", plenty of room, excellent visibility, and how it handles well on the curves. Even when ascending 8% grades for several miles and passing slow semis on 2-lane roads, I never once wished for more power. This coming from a retired motorcyclist who has owned several 1000cc bikes. We appreciated the ground clearance while exploring the Cranberry Glades of WV, pulling off the road onto rough gravel turnouts to take photos.

Overall 99.9% satisfied.

.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top