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The real capability of a forester

15K views 34 replies 16 participants last post by  frogstar7055 
#1 ·
So I recently inherited my wife's 07 forester base model n/a. It is replacing my 03 f150. We live in northern Wisconsin so we get snow, lots of it. Now my truck is stock with the limited slip and I have a fair amount of experience building and driving 4x4 trucks off road. I do know that with most 4x4 's when in 4x you really are only pulling with one front and one rear tire because of the open diffs. So I guess I'm asking, should I look at my forester as a 4x4 that's always locked in and on car tires? I just have s hard time trusting it off road.
 
#2 ·
Your Forester has open front and rear diffs.
It has a center limited slip, rather than a center lock.

Its light duty, for everyday commuting and grocery getting. Can benefit of 4x on the paved roads that would have too much traction to damage a center lock.


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#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
:confused: I mean, yeah, of course that's what the majority of the world's Forester owners use them for, but that's far from their capability limit.

@Bobert1850 - that Forester is much more capable than you're thinking. If you keep it stock, it's still going to be a beast in the snow. Get AT tires for it, maybe a lift, and it's unstoppable in any snow probably 12" and less.

This past winter was the first year with my Foz, and it literally didn't flinch at 8" of snow, and that's with the awful Yokohama G91 tires found stock on the newer Foresters. That's far from what WI people would consider a huge storm (I used to live near LaCrosse), but it's certainly not nothing. I'm talking huge hills where Jeeps and Tacomas and especially full size trucks are getting stuck and backing down - I just put it in Drive and went straight up, laughing the whole time. Get yourself some Dynapro ATm, BFG K02, Geolandar G015, etc. and you'll create a monster.

Off road - you can search YouTube for hundreds of examples like the video below. This is someone (no idea who, maybe on here?) at AOAA, an off road park in PA where MtnRoo Northeast is planning a trip next month.

It's not a rock crawler, but in stock, or very near stock form, Foresters are incredibly capable of handling stuff that other cars can't touch. That's the thing to keep in mind - it's a car. It's never going to be a monster lifted Jeep, but it can do a hell of a lot more than most give it credit for. Even though he does send it pretty hard in a few spots, this stuff in the video is a good example of exactly what a Foz is capable of handling.

 
#6 ·
I plan on playing in the mud some. Just debating whether it's worth putting the effort into a little lift and tires. Also, I read all over about the viscous center diff in the autos, but what about the manuals? Is it really just an open diff because that would kinda defeat the awd system and make it able to send all the power to just 1 wheel. Also, when they say "it sends the power to the wheels with the most traction", how is it doing it? By applying the brakes on the other wheels or what?
 
#11 · (Edited)
AOAA looks like a lot of fun! I'd like to get there sometime! Edit: with my Jeep

I live in Syracuse NY and head up north from here a lot - we get a LOT of snow. My Forester last winter with snow tires did awesome in some pretty deep roads. I even ran some unplowed seasonal highways with the local Jeep club and the Forester really held its own and even outperformed some Jeeps.
 
#14 ·
So a 2inch lift all around sounds good? Is that around the max before I do start getting into CV issues? Because this car has 250k miles and in a few years will become just a play toy so CV wear is not much of an issue. And where is the place to get said lift?
 
#15 ·
+/- 2" is about the max you want to do, and is pretty standard with any year Forester. ADF, FDF, Subtle Solutions, Sumo, and Subie Lift Oz are the companies you want to look at for a lift. There's not really a huge separation in terms of quality, fitment, or even price. They're all about the same, so just pick whichever and go for it.
 
#17 ·
I can't get your image to load, so I can't quite tell what size spacers those are. You can get a 1" strut-top spacer lift kit from ADF for about $150. The 2" kits from all the reputable fabricators are much more expensive because they're not just spacers, they include a bunch of additional components needed to correct the suspension geometry.

Already with a 1" lift, it moves your rear wheels forward in the wheel wells (and there isn't a lot of breathing room there to begin with...less so if you're looking to run slightly oversize tires). I have 1.375" lift in the rear as a strut-top spacer only and I ended up cutting away fender liner and hammering back pinch welds to accommodate the shift in my rear wheels.

If you go to 2", you definitely need the additional components that come with the kits from ADF, Subtle, LP, etc in order to keep everything in place. I think you'll find they're all comparably priced...that's simply what it costs to get 2". I wanted to do 2" but couldn't afford that (+ installation labor) along with other mods I wanted to make, and that's why I went with the 1". I kinda regretted it when I was out in the garage hammering away at the fenders, LOL, but ultimately the compromise gave me the financial leeway to also upgrade to AT tires, which are so so worth it if you're doing much offroading.
 
#18 ·
I cant get it to load ether. It's a Ebay add for 3inch billet spacers. The dont come with the brackets for the rear "traction bars". I cant remember their real name lol. But for $150, I can buy these and buy the brackets from one of the other company's and it will still be cheaper.
 
#20 ·
Its a civic/corolla/Impreza alternative with more storage space.
Ooorrrrr....it's a truck alternative with a nicer ride, better MPGs, and awesome snow handling..? :wink2:

No, I did not buy my Forester wishing for a truck. I bought it wishing for a car that would get better MPGs, provide a nicer ride and safer transportation than the truck I got rid of, and also be capable of reliably taking me into whatever backcountry I wish to go explore - and get me home again afterwards. And guess what! I got exactly what I wished for! It does ALL those things! :thumbsup:

There's no doubt a Land Cruiser or a Jeep would make a better unpaved adventuremobile, but I don't want to drive something like that around town the rest of the time, and alas I can only afford to own one vehicle. After a year+ of using my Forester for grocery-getting, school dropoffs, and lots of wilderness trekking, I still can't believe how perfectly the Forester has bridged my needs. :smile2:
 
#26 ·
I traded in a 4 door f150 ecoboost for my '17 forester and couldn't be happier. The truck rode rough, was frustrating to maneuver in certain situations, and got half the gas mileage the forester gets. I've packed my forester to the brim with stuff setting up for our wedding and when we moved. Both times people had something to say about how much it can fit. I've taken it down trails and through slosh I wouldn't want to take the truck, due to maneuverability. The forester also gets nearly double the mpgs the truck did as well. (14-15 in town/18-21 hwy vs 23-26 in town/30-32 hwy).

It's true capability is it's ability to be good in all of my day to day driving situations. Maybe not the greatest mpgs, best offroad, or most high tech - but it does all of these things well, which I love it for.
 
#21 ·
Also don't forget that only Subaru and Audi passed the EU standard tests for an all wheel drive vehicle. That is because only those two have an active all wheel drive. The Subie power split is 60%front 40% rear. My Forster has performed with the Jeeps in sand and mud. I am not lifted so I stay off the rocks. That being said I have traversed some fairly rough land with 6 to 8 inch deep holes and ruts.
 
#28 ·
I just have to add my 2 bits to this conversation...

I had SUV/4X4s - back when they were trucks and not SUVs. Like a Dodge Ramcharger and the Dodge Raider (a Montero in Dodge trim). Both were mostly unstoppable - except with the Ramcharger when I could barely pass a gas pump. The Raider didn't get stuck anywhere. Both were regularly taken off-road on trails around Las Vegas and up in the Mt Charleston area. Hell, the Ramcharge was at Lake Mead with a former boss and pulled his boat AND his truck out of the lake when his wife backed down the ramp a bit too far.

When I bought my Subie, I traded in a Mazda 3, that I bought in 2008 because the only Imprezas on the lot were the WRX models and I wanted something more fuel efficient.

I bought the Subie because it is comfortable, capable and classy. It has handled everything I've toss its way and never missed a beat. I'm now looking to make a mild off-roader with it - something more capable in the mountain and desert "roads" and trails, but still be a smooth and capable on-road traveler... A 2" lift is probably a bit too tall for me, as I've got an elderly (and short) parent I provide care and some transportation for .. mom needs to get in and out without cracking a hip.

Will my Forester ever be the desert rat my old Rancharger was? Nope. But it will be capable enough and not drink me out of house, home and bank-account in the process. And I'll feel great driving around town and wherever I need to go.
 

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#29 ·
Curious if anybody has measured or noticed a change in the ability to get in and out of your Forester after a lift. I mean a big difference.

Me - 6'2" tall. 2014 Forester 2.5i Limited. Looking to possibly get a minor lift (if at all).

Issue? My mom. She's 83, was 5'1 and has "shrunk" with back discs disintegrating. The Forester was the easiest for her to get in and out of the passenger seat when I was shopping back in 2013. The Crosstrek, the Outback and others were either a climb to get in or a hassle to get out of - as the door sills are a higher lift from the floor pan. The Forester is only an inch or two (OK - actual measure is 2.5") and the extra inch or two can be a bit tough.

For getting out of the Foz, a lift wont matter much except the drop to the ground. Getting in - if there is a big difference in seat cushion height, it may be difficult for her to get in?

Has anybody (or could anybody) measure the height to their seat cushion if the have a lift?
 
#32 ·
This thread is really exciting to me. I traded a Wrangler for my 2019 Subie Sport. From the sound of it, I may have gotten more than I realized with the Forester. Does anybody have opinions/thoughts of how the newest gen of the Forester compares to older generations? Is it just as capable off/rough roading as the older vehicles?
 
#35 ·
And now my 2 cents on Foresters off road.

I have never owned a vehicle that with limited modding could perform so far beyond it's designed expectation.
I've built my Xterra, lifted, locked, armored up. It is a beast off road but.....

It's no where near as fun off road as my old Forester was with a 2" handmade lift (couldn't buy them back then,had to make it) and the center clutch lock mod.
Blowing Jeep guys minds when they seen what it can do was just to much fun.

That said I've picked up another SF and gonna build it up better than the first one.
 
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