[JLD94]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking around here a few days looking for information on the 2014 Forester. I had a friend who's first car was a late 80's Subaru wagon.... don't remember what it was, and that's my only experince with them.

I'm considering the 2014 Mazda CX-5, 2014 Nissan Rogue and the 2014 Subaru Forester.

The hard start thread has me somewhat worried, in the past I have heard Subaru's are reliable and many end up with 200-300,000 miles on them. Any of you out there have one with mega miles?

Anyone out there pick the Forester over a more mainstream brand. Curious why?

Thanks for any info you are able to share.

 

[tonyford]

Subaru is a mainstream brand.....just in case you didn't know it.

 

[dawgMobile]

I think the hard start is a 2.0DiT problem not the 2.5i boring (aka, my) engine problem. The 2.5i problem is the shudder at low (what I call 2nd gear) rpm.

PS Cross shopped mine with rav4 and cr-v; suzuki already had a death sentence in the US when I was looking at the '14. To me, the mix of good mpg, decent power, awd (rough road capability), and visibility/safety made it a no brainer. Sometimes I think I'd like some of those nice appointments that the big sellers have, but I also think I put safety and mpg as my two top criteria, and the foz takes top grades in both.

 

[kentuck1163]

My last Subaru Forester had 235,000 miles on it when I sold it. It was still running around town for several more years after that.

The FB25 engine on the non-turbo 2014 Forester has been around since 2011. It's not a new untested engine anymore.

The AWD system is the best there is.

I think you can't go wrong with the Forester. The only thing that's fairly new that you might worry about is the CVT transmission. But CVT technology has come a long way- and the one on the Forester seems good so far.

The Rogue has almost identical specs to the Forester, but the Subaru has had much better reviews and folks seem to HATE the CVT on that one.

I'd go with the Subaru... But, then again, all the folks you are going to encounter here are a tad biased.

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[adc]

I think Subars are on the road longer bc their owners are probably more car knowledgable and more likely to take better care of them. Older subaru's tended to have head gasket issues. Those days should be over. The new NA engine (new for2011) had some oil consumption issues. That problem appears to be behind them. The CVT is new for the Forester but has been used in the Outback.

Subaru's AWD system is certainly the best. Have not heard much good about the Rogue. Probably the CRV would be the most reliable vehicle ion its class but I can't imagione owning one...

 

[Schrobo]

When the wife and I were shopping, it came down to the CX-5 and the Forester. Wife really liked the interior stylings and bells and whistles of the CX-5. But that thing was a black box with peep-holes for windows. You can't see anything out of those windows. There's a reason the car comes with blind-spot warnings on the top trim, you NEED them! And to top it off, the ride of the Forester was so much better. CX-5 you could feel every bump in the road compared to the Forester. Safety and comfort went to the Forester, and those are at the top of the list.

Now that we have our new Forester, we absolutely love it. It handles very well, decent interior, comfortable, and we barely feel the crappy roads we have to drive on.

 

[the-man]

I have worked at Toyota and Subaru dealerships, and owned a Mazda, Toyota, Subaru, and vw.
I'll start with driving all models of Toyota and Subaru at the dealers and seeing what came in for repairs and such.
The Toyota feels like a corner cutting brand that focuses on advertising to become a "mainstream" brand look. Allot of people buy because they see allot of them on the road.
The dealership had 46 bays for repairs and I can tell you they were always full, including newer models. In the. Year I was there I had many people coming back for issues with noises, leaks, and just poor quality workmanship

At Subaru it was a completely different story. When I drove the cars, moved them around etc they always started up, didn't have check engine lights on, and the interior always looked good (even with. 300,600 miles on the odometer from 5-10 mile test drives) where at Toyota they commonly had the issues just mentioned.
The only concern I had at Subaru was the engine using oil, maybe a qt , in the 7500 mile interval.
I had a 99 Subaru last and sold it with 385,000 on the original engine and trans (auto.)
Now with the Mazda it was an 08, 2.0 auto, and had more problems in 70k then 500k I have had with 3 subarus. It was a good handling car, good on gas, but bad on build quality.
Nissan rogue, really?! Have you seen the iihs crash results? I'd feel safer in a fiat or wheel chair. But seriously I would categorize Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, and Honda in the same category for quality and expected cost over the 150-200k life.
Subaru honestly has something good going for it. The boxer engine, symmetrical awd, and longevity puts it above the rest.if you think I'm just saying this because I have one, look at what has gotten the motor trend cuv of the year, and other recognitions by 3rd parties.

You won't go wrong with a Subaru

 

[JLD94]

Subaru is a mainstream brand.....just in case you didn't know it.

Thanks for the infomation, that helps a lot.

 

[submec]

Got my new Forester 2014 the other day. Have driven it only 200 km on mountain roads. A wonderful car to drive, I really enjoyed every moment.
But the navigation unit is simply crap (see my other post today).
And, when I was to park the car this evening, the whole dashboard suddenly started flashing and a warning signal sounded. Impossible to switch gear or change any setting. Switched off and restarted the engine - that "solved" the problem, i.e it disappeared.
What next ...?
Conclusion: Makes me doubt that Forester is a reliable car (I've had four Volvos, all working like swiss watches, so ...).

 

[tonyford]

Thanks for the infomation, that helps a lot.

You're welcome. Anytime.

 

[JLD94]

Thank you everyone for the comments and comparisons with other small CUV's.

6 months ago, we considered a CX-5 when replacing my wifes Accord, but decided against it for the somewhat rough ride. We ended up going with another Accord, not because we were overly impressed with quality (had just as many problems as any domestic I've owned) but because the resale was very good.

This time, I am looking for myself and if I am going to get rid of my truck (not used much for real truck duty) I want something that gets good MPG since I drive over 20,000 miles a year and has good room and utility to do the normal bags of mulch, exc.

I ruled out the CR-V as much as I wanted to like it since I know resale will be good because of the lack of a center console. Escape bad resale and small back seat, RAV4 felt kind of cheap. I've always sat in Subaru's when the new car show comes around once a year but never gave them any serious thought.

Went to test drive the CX-5 again, it was fine, I know I like it. A big reason the way it looks, and the MPG. Since the Subaru dealer was next door and I was hearing/reading good things about the Forester I thought we would take a look. They were closing in 15 minutes so I just asked to sit in one. WOW, I was really impressed with the room and was very interested after talking to the sales man, he had owned 4 Subaru's and was pretty frank about past issues (head gaskets, AWD bearings), no pressure just showing me the car. Anyway it made me really want to look into them a bit more.

The 2014 Rogue, main interest is the look, and the MPG. Not impressed with the 2013, a friend even has one. I had not noticed the crash ratings on the rogue yet.

The plan is, this weekend dealers in my area should get the 2014 rogue in, so we will go and test drive both the Rogue and Forester, but I am already really impressed with the Forester.

Thanks again for the information, I appreciate it!

 

[JLD94]

Got my new Forester 2014 the other day. Have driven it only 200 km on mountain roads. A wonderful car to drive, I really enjoyed every moment.
But the navigation unit is simply crap (see my other post today).
And, when I was to park the car this evening, the whole dashboard suddenly started flashing and a warning signal sounded. Impossible to switch gear or change any setting. Switched off and restarted the engine - that "solved" the problem, i.e it disappeared.
What next ...?
Conclusion: Makes me doubt that Forester is a reliable car (I've had four Volvos, all working like swiss watches, so ...).

Strange. I would be getting a base model so hopefully not as much to go wrong with.

 

[the-man]

You have to remember that any car, Volvo, Lexus, BMW etc will even have a lemon or small issue.
The difference between a base model, 2.5i, and the top model, 2.5 touring, is only more features and gadgets. They both have the same engine, frame, ride etc. Allot of people are a fan if the base model because that's less things to maybe break.
Also keep in mind your experiences at the dealership and think of when you go back for service how that will be. The fact that the Subaru dealership was ping to close in 15 minutes and the salesmen didn't push you away says something . Try going 15minutes before close at any other brand. Probably a different feel.

 

[Schrobo]

Grab the cars and go for an extended test drive with each. Get a couple hours with it. Especially with the CX-5. If you're looking at base models, you won't have blind spot detection unless you choose it as an option. It's necessary. That thing has blind spots for days with its limited visibility.

 

[JLD94]

You have to remember that any car, Volvo, Lexus, BMW etc will even have a lemon or small issue.
The difference between a base model, 2.5i, and the top model, 2.5 touring, is only more features and gadgets. They both have the same engine, frame, ride etc. Allot of people are a fan if the base model because that's less things to maybe break.
Also keep in mind your experiences at the dealership and think of when you go back for service how that will be. The fact that the Subaru dealership was ping to close in 15 minutes and the salesmen didn't push you away says something . Try going 15minutes before close at any other brand. Probably a different feel.

Yes I was very impressed with the sales guy we had, and have spoke to him a couple of times since asking questions. A very good guy. Of course when I first walked in there was a salesman sitting watching tv, and when the front desk person paged for a sales person to come up, he got up and walked off, as the other guy came around the corner.

Grab the cars and go for an extended test drive with each. Get a couple hours with it. Especially with the CX-5. If you're looking at base models, you won't have blind spot detection unless you choose it as an option. It's necessary. That thing has blind spots for days with its limited visibility.

I know what you mean the Forester was very open and airy

 

[adc]

The plan is, this weekend dealers in my area should get the 2014 rogue in, so we will go and test drive both the Rogue and Forester, but I am already really impressed with the Forester.

Thanks again for the information, I appreciate it!

One additional thing Subarus for a long time strive for the safest vehicle on the road. The pillars on the Subaru are built jto take nuclear force. They were known not to be cutable by "Jaws of Life" They actually have a solid steel reinforcing bar burried within the 'B' Pillars. Subaru is the only company to pass the new "Small Front Overlap" Crash test on all car lines. Again I am not a Subaru Fan Boy but this is a fact worth noting.

What makes a Subaru, a Subaru: Subaru Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame

 

[JLD94]

One additional thing Subarus for a long time strive for the safest vehicle on the road. The pillars on the Subaru are built jto take nuclear force. They were known not to be cutable by "Jaws of Life" They actually have a solid steel reinforcing bar burried within the 'B' Pillars. Subaru is the only company to pass the new "Small Front Overlap" Crash test on all car lines. Again I am not a Subaru Fan Boy but this is a fact worth noting.

What makes a Subaru, a Subaru: Subaru Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame

Thank you, that is good to know, I appreciate you mentioning and adding the link

 

[submec]

Strange. I would be getting a base model so hopefully not as much to go wrong with.

Hopefully ... The difference between the base model and the LP (cf Touring) isn't that great in terms of electronics, though (essentially it concerns leather seats, moonroof, tinted windows and navigation unit).
I'm used to computers, so for me it's no real surprise, but I certainly don't want to have to "reboot" the car every 200 kms!
As concerns the CVT: If you are used to a conventional automatic, you may find the CVT a bit "strange". You may need several hundred miles of "training" to really appreciate its advantages.
I was happy to have had the chance to drive a XV Crosstreck for almost a thousand miles prior to my purchase of the Forester. To start with, I disliked the CVT, until I learnt that you have to handle the accelerator a bit differently ...
I think those who dislike the CVT never tried to learn ...

 

[Rukkian]

When I started looking to replace my old car (09 HHR) the Forrester was not even on my radar. I really liked the looks of the escape (still do), and that was the car I had picked out to begin with, but wanted to do my homework. I scoured many publications, reviews, etc before even going out for a test drive. I drove the escape, and it was pretty nice (with the SEL and 2.0L), but for supposedly having ~270 HP, it did not seem real peppy.

I drove the crv, but it sucked, and was expensive once you got a few options, I did not like the rav-4, as I have heard many bad things about them, and left it out. I then drove - Kia Sportage and Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Tuscon, Nissan Rogue, Chevy Equinox, Mazda Cx-5, and even the mits (cant remember the name).

I really like the price on the Rogue (dealer was going to do their top line model fully decked for 25), but it just wasn't big enough and I did not like the way the cvt ran.

My 3 main goals - Better gas mileage, more room and AWD (compared to my HHR), plus I wanted Leather and Bluetooth Audio streaming. I quickly whittled it down to the CX-5, Santa Fe, and Forrester (which I could not even drive cause the dealer had none). My wife drove the CX-5 and within 2 minutes said, I dont like this at all. She could not even say what it was, she just didnt like it. I think it may have been the visibility, as it is horrible.

We both liked the Santa Fe, but in the end, the gas mileage, safety, reliability of the Foz won over all. The visibility is odd when you first get in a Foz, cause the windows are so BIG! I dont think I will ever want to go to a vehicle with less visibility, as it is just so nice to be able to see everything, with virtually no blindspots. Adding to that, it is actually fun to drive (coming from another econobox), and the safety ratings are as good as it gets.

I can honestly say I have not had any remorse about this purchase at all. I do wish I would have gone up to the touring, but that would have been a bit more money, and hard to find, so I am fine with what I have. So far there is no other car I would want.

 

[mjsub]

One additional thing Subarus for a long time strive for the safest vehicle on the road. The pillars on the Subaru are built jto take nuclear force. They were known not to be cutable by "Jaws of Life" They actually have a solid steel reinforcing bar burried within the 'B' Pillars. Subaru is the only company to pass the new "Small Front Overlap" Crash test on all car lines. Again I am not a Subaru Fan Boy but this is a fact worth noting.

What makes a Subaru, a Subaru: Subaru Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame

^^^^ Small offset crash result is what's keeping me, impatiently, waiting for the car to finally show up. Small offset crashes cause 20% of all injuries and I'm surprised that Toyota ignored it.

Back to Nissan Rogue, it's appears to have nicely designed interior with great storage solutions in the rear. However it's a new platform with old CVT and unknown safety rating. Feels like gambling - much more so than first year model Forester.