shooternick Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 i am thinking about getting a forester 2.5 xt i know that it will be a bit thirsty but does anyone know of any good/bad points about this car dont want to invest a lot of money on something which is not too good your help will be appreciated thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDarkPassenger Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Seem to be used by a lot of farmers. Originally well known in agriculture and the engines never burst. All in all, good reliable motors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SXPhil Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 A rally based car with a big boot You won't go wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SXPhil Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 (edited) Edited January 13, 2010 by PhilSIDC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleaner4hire Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 If its one of the old type id have a sit in one first as I was ready to buy one until I sat in the drivers seat - the centre column is too wide and i didnt have enough room for my left leg (my legs are quite long though). Spoilt what should have been the perfect motor for me Other than that it was ideal as a reliable, light offroad shooting/dog carrying/shopping wagon. Pity as it was good to drive too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppythedog Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 + from me. Had one for several years. All round very capable car, parts prices were awful but I rarely needed anything but service parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biakalblaster Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 yep - good cars, both for road work, snow driving and fields. I have a non-turbo model, done 100k miles in 8 years. A mate had one, which he converted to lpg, but valves wore out early. He fitted a 2nd hand engine, but a few weeks ago it blew out one of the sparkplugs - stripped threads. he decided to scrap it, as car has done 180k miles, and T-reg. But he offered it to me. So borrowed a car trailer off a farmer and towed it home with my landcruiser, in exchange for a bottle of single malt! So now have a spare parts forester in back yard. it has newer exhaust than mine and new back springs, another mate has a T-reg one too and is going well, exhaust didnt need anything replacing until after 100k miles and 10years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted December 26, 2010 Report Share Posted December 26, 2010 Anyone got anything to add to this? I'm looking at a 2.5XT too as I keep taking the front bumper off of the Golf. Something fastish but capable of a farm track would be lovely, the Golf falls to bits every time you hit anything bigger than a cow pat! I was going to start a new thread but found this in a search. Figured I'd bring it back up again to see if anything's changed in the last year?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted December 26, 2010 Report Share Posted December 26, 2010 PM Dead Eyed Duck. He's had a few. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted December 26, 2010 Report Share Posted December 26, 2010 That's got to be positive feedback in itself. He wouldn't have bought several if they were bad news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted December 26, 2010 Report Share Posted December 26, 2010 That's got to be positive feedback in itself. He wouldn't have bought several if they were bad news! It gets better. His boss bought them for him to use. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted December 26, 2010 Report Share Posted December 26, 2010 We have got a legacy twin turbo its the best A to B car across back roads fast surefooted and can still take my 4 dogs plus 5 adults . Good quality oil in the lump is the key and good servicing as with all vechiles . Buy buy is my opinion cheers OTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead-Eyed Duck Posted December 26, 2010 Report Share Posted December 26, 2010 I had two Foresters - they were company cars that I chose in place of anything else that I could have had for the price tag. Both did over 120,000 miles in 3 years and not a scrap of trouble. mpg was fairly heavy, but I knew this before I got them. Off roading was brilliant - the low ratio box was a huge help, and the massive sunroof was ideal for lamping from. I loved the well-built plastiky interiors, as a quick wipe down and that was it. I would have loved one of the new diesel Foresters, but the company I worked for changed owners and I had to go to a Prius.... Current car is a Skoda Yeti, which is OK and brilliant mpg. One downside of the Forester is that there are far fewer Subaru garages than there used to be. Hope this helps Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz2202 Posted January 1, 2011 Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 a superb vehicle, My one went every where without problems, and off road it out performed my shooting mates L200 with off road tyres. Its only downside off road is ground clearance. apart from that they are excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 1, 2011 Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 I have run the 2.0XT from new 130k of very hard use- love it. Keep an eye on the oil as they will burn some when driven hard they are difficult to drive in 30 zones (need to let them drive themselves a bit and use 3rd). Great off road way better than a pickup due to balance handling and turning circle but lack the ground clearance for real rough stuff. Turbo versions like mine have no low range, you don't need it and due to the torque it would tear a low box up. 2.5 versions are harder to drive in town legally and suffer more engine probs than the 2.0 ltr block. They are very reliable but eat tires and drink petrol "super unleaded for turbo" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snap Cap Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 Ideal light off road car as long as you don't go silly in it and try to climb mountains or take it for a paddle. Its ideal for getting your gear where you want it. Ground clearance is a problem so avoid tractor ruts. The only problem I found was getting decent tyres for it. 215/60.R16 not too many grippy tyres available for that size. BFG don't make anything in that size but INSA do if your comfortable with remoulds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 Ideal light off road car as long as you don't go silly in it and try to climb mountains or take it for a paddle. Its ideal for getting your gear where you want it. Ground clearance is a problem so avoid tractor ruts. The only problem I found was getting decent tyres for it. 215/60.R16 not too many grippy tyres available for that size. BFG don't make anything in that size but INSA do if your comfortable with remoulds. Dont recomend putting remolds on a turbo, Yokohalma are decent on off road choice you do need the speed rated tyres IMO. The front end will lift if you enter deeper water and you loose steering, it aint a heavy duty off roader but will handle flat fields and muddy tracks great- but please remember it is a fast and powerfull road car and the tyres need to handle this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 A bit of on road scrabbling is to be expected on A/T tyres I suppose but you can't have it all. I'm not a fast driver anyway, more of an impatient "If I wasn't in my Landy I could have overtaken this ****" sort. I don't generally rush about too much but it is nice sometimes when following that 30mph in a 60 zone Sunday driver to be able to drop it down a couple and get round them on the short straights that wouldn't allow such manouvres in a regular car. The Forester sounds to be just like that - happy enough round town but if you do need to get a move on now and again it has the ability. I would certainly have the turbo version. Out V6 Golf is stunning on the road without looking stupid and that's just what I like. A nice subtle car that shifts a bit when needed. The trouble is it just doesn't do off road, not at all! A set of Geolandar AT would be spot on tyres I think. Anything rougher and I will take my Defender but I just want something that will do the car + a little more job without going to a small 4x4 like a CRV or Rav4. Lets face it, they're just slow and if I had to take that route I may as well just take the Landy anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 A bit of on road scrabbling is to be expected on A/T tyres I suppose but you can't have it all. I'm not a fast driver anyway, more of an impatient "If I wasn't in my Landy I could have overtaken this ****" sort. I don't generally rush about too much but it is nice sometimes when following that 30mph in a 60 zone Sunday driver to be able to drop it down a couple and get round them on the short straights that wouldn't allow such manouvres in a regular car. The Forester sounds to be just like that - happy enough round town but if you do need to get a move on now and again it has the ability. I would certainly have the turbo version. Out V6 Golf is stunning on the road without looking stupid and that's just what I like. A nice subtle car that shifts a bit when needed. The trouble is it just doesn't do off road, not at all! A set of Geolandar AT would be spot on tyres I think. Anything rougher and I will take my Defender but I just want something that will do the car + a little more job without going to a small 4x4 like a CRV or Rav4. Lets face it, they're just slow and if I had to take that route I may as well just take the Landy anyway! The geolanders are exellent. 4wd cars like the golf etc. dont come even close to the forester when the going gets tough. And Rav4 are for hairdressers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 You could have a look at the Volvo XC70 in diesel form. Permanent FWD, has a bit more ground clearance than the V70 and is quick on road and comfortable. We bought ours new in 2006 and have put 110,000 miles on it, its the 185bhp, six speed auto model and has been very good just regular servicing, has returned 32.15mpg over that mileage. With the 215/65/16 Pirelli Scorpion STR tyres had no problems in snow or muddy tracks with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 I'm currently driving my second Forester and have little to say which has not already been mentioned in this thread. Mine gives me a smooth fast drive to Scotland for my deerstalking, will take me along any of the forestry tracks when I get there, and has enough room to accomodate a red stag on the way back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Funny you should mention stalking. I had an invite to do a weeks Red stalking with a very knowledgable chap from another forum. It would have been a brilliant experience. He had a car full to get there so I'd have had to drive myself. Landy - no way, car - wouldn't make it to where I had to get to = couldn't go. I wasn't pleased! Having looked on Youtube it's amazing where some people manage to get their Foresters. Some of the stuff they seem to do would probably stop an amateur in a Defender! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hambone Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Can't comment on forester (may have more clearance) but had legacy's on and off for last 15 years. The 2 things that let them down are ground clearance and mpg, other than that they are excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Good on road and food off roader, limited by low ground clearance when compared to LR etc. Will do 90% of the off road stuff a LR will do. Engine is pretty thirsty but pretty reliable, Like all small far eastern car makers a lot of parts are captive to the main dealer and that means expensive. Personally I would go Discovery, A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 I'd like a Disco but they're a bit slow. I enjoy the fun of something quicker now and again because I'm still a child at heart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.