2009 Subaru Forester XS Premium 2.5 petrol
Summary:
Wish I'd bought the turbo
Faults:
Centre console wobbles quite a bit.
General Comments:
Comfort and quiet.
Superb handling.
Engine feels under-powered. Need to rev it a bit.
Build quality is not as good as I expected.
The car had burning smell from under the bonnet for quite a while when new, due to wax in the engine bay according to the dealer.
Gear changing feels a little binding.
A pillar blocks fair a bit view.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 30th November, 2009
23rd Apr 2010, 00:17
I am the author of the original post and here are some updates:
1. The paint job is really terrible. The paint is so thin that any slight scratch will exposed the white inner layer.
2. The windscreen is faulty. It looks as if it has been sand-blasted when the sun light comes in from a certain angle, and I couldn't see a damn thing.
I started to really question Subaru (or Toyota Management) 's quality control process.
Very disappointed.
13th Dec 2012, 06:06
The head gasket will leak sooner with the turbo version on the 2.5. Avoid 2.5-litre Subaru engines unless your hobby is changing head gaskets.
30th Dec 2009, 21:06
Just took delivery of a shiny new black XS premium... And we (my wife, 2 kids, and I) love it! We had a Ford Falcon G6E, but we had many problems with it, and the kiddies always complained about the lack of leg room back in the Ford, so we decided to get a much more practical car, and we just love it. The sunroof is a favourite, and I really like the driving position - not to high, not as low as the Falcon, and fantastic visibility! The only thing I miss about the Falcon is the power... we could get from 0-100 in about 7 seconds in it... the Forester gets there at about 9-10 seconds (which isn't bad for a SUV). I feel safe in the forester. It just feels like a really solid car.
The only gripe I have with it, is the blue interior illumination. It's a little distracting at night, and doesn't match the red dials and buttons.
Our family would definitely recommend this car to anyone looking at an compact 4X4. It's out 4th Suby (for some reason we switched to a Ford). but I can tell you, we won't be going back.