2003 Forester: Best All Around

I spent a year looking at various SUV’s. When I found the 2003 Subaru Forester that was it. I bought one a few weeks later. I found most impressive the opinions of Forester owners; all of them seemed to love this car. I looked at some other cars that exceeded the budget like the Lexus RX 300 and Mercedes ML320. But a lot of owners had significant issues with these cars, which cost many thousands more. Do your homework. You can and should look up the professional reviews. The Forester gets good marks all around. Some other car may be better in any area you look at, but overall, no other seemed to compare. Another thing I really liked right up front was that the spare tire is not hanging off the back of the vehicle. It is inside under the cargo area and it is full size.

My first impression when I walked up to one was not great. It looked a bit like a station wagon because it is a little lower than a lot of small SUVs. That impression dissipated fairly quickly. There are a number of stylistic changes to the 2003 model that I prefer over the 2002 model.

The Forester comes in the X (base) and XS models. The X comes with standard air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, door locks and mirrors, ABS brakes and AM/FM/WB/CD audio system. The XS adds a 6-CD in-dash audio system, automatic climate control, EBD braking system, disc brakes all around, aluminum alloy wheels and the All-Weather Package that includes heated mirrors, seats, wipers and a limited-slip rear differential. We purchased the XS with the premium package. The premium package comes with the monotone paint scheme and a large moon roof. Leather seats are available with the premium package, only with an automatic transmission. For some reason, they do not offer all the colors in the premium package that they do in the two-toned schemes, omitting a nice blue and a nice green. I can’t explain why XS premium packages are restricted to the colors of red, black, white, silver or gold or what the seat covering had to do with the transmission. That is just the way it is. I think they should offer more choices at the top end, not less.

At the dealer I found that the optional equipment comes in “popular equipment groups.” Here are the groups that you are likely to find, and they may depend on the model:
Group 1- rear bumper cover, cargo tray and splash guards.
Group 2 – auto-dimming mirror/compass, security system upgrade and custom tailpipe cover.
Group 3 – Air filter, rear cargo net and armrest extension.
Group 4 – Cargo bin, rubber floor mats
Group 5 – Cargo nets rear, sides and set back and cargo area spotlight.

There is also a premium sound package. It consists of upgraded speakers, tweeters and a sub-woofer. We compared it with the standard system side-by-side. I thought it sounded better, but it did not sound $532 better to my ears. The radio comes with a weather band, which I think is a great feature.

We wanted the options in groups 1, 2 and 3. The cargo tray is a rubber tray that covers the whole cargo area. The cargo bin is a small bin that does not look nearly so impressive in real life as it does in the brochure. The armrest extension seemed very necessary to me because the standard armrest is way too low to rest your arm on. I had a car before with the auto-dimming rearview mirror and a compass, and I liked those features.

I feel that it is a very safe car for its size. Unlike many other similar models, there is no sticker on the visor telling you that it may flip over on you. That is nice. It still has the one telling you (in English and French) that your air bag can kill you, but they all have that. The “Boxer” engine is a flat, horizontally opposed four-cylinder design. That lowers the center of gravity. The car corners very flat. Besides that there are four airbags and ABS brakes. I find the visibility to be very good also. The Subaru owners’ magazine I received in December 2002 says that the 2003 Forester is a “best pick” among small SUVs in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests. They say that it is the only one to achieve the highest rating in both the 5-MPH bumper and 40-MPH frontal offset tests. See the complete results at: http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_smsuv.htm

Subaru has a great web site. I like that it lets you check actual inventories of dealers in your area. I have looked at a lot of vehicle manufacturers’ web sites and Subaru is among the best. The dealers I contacted through the web site all responded promptly. The local dealer was good to deal with. It was not as painful as buying a car has been in the past. They located a car with the color and most of the options I wanted about 150 miles away and had it delivered and the remaining options installed within two days.

I find the interior comfortable. The seats are good but on the firm side. They do seem to be pretty comfortable for long trips. Three hours is the longest I have sat in it at a stretch, and I felt like I could have gone much longer. There is adjustable lumbar support. I am tall but I have enough headroom. Once I became familiarized with the controls, everything makes sense to me and is easy to operate. It has lots of little compartments and places to put things. In the visor there is a place to put a pen and a couple of cards, like a gas credit card or your Subaru roadside assistance card; very thoughtful. I find the heated seats to be a nice feature, even though it really does not get very cold here. It warms up the seats just before the heater starts to warm the interior. The heater is not bad. It has an automatic mode that works pretty well. I can usually leave it on automatic and just adjust the temperature dial. The cargo area is likewise well thought out, with tie-downs, grocery bag hooks, more little compartments and a power outlet.

I like the way it drives very much. It has sufficient power and handles very well. It has a short turning radius that I appreciate. It is fun to drive. The professional reviews have all the fine points and you should read those. I will just say that I like it a lot and it is fun to drive.

What don’t I like? Not much that is very significant. They warned me about one thing: the parking light switch. I have not figured out why this is really even necessary. It is on the top of the steering column. You are likely to turn it on accidentally while cleaning the car and you can easily miss that it is on. It will drain your battery because it operates without the key inserted. The interior lighting could be better. The dome light is too far back, because of the large moon roof, and there is no other lighting. It is hard to find the door lock switch in the dark; lighting it as the window controls are would help too. It could use lights in the foot wells or on the doors. There are two map lights if you really need to see something. There is a six-CD changer but the compartment in the dash above only holds five CD cases. The center console is likewise just a quarter of an inch too small to fit it one in.

The mileage is not quite as good as I had hoped. It has an EPA mileage rating of 21 MPG/26 MPG. I am getting about 20.5 MPG out of a tank of mixed city/highway driving and 23.5 MPG on straight highway driving. However the fine print on the window sticker does say that your actual mileage may vary.

I have received a recall pre-notice already. It is for an automatic transmission that may not prevent the vehicle from moving when it is placed in the “Park” position. I have not noticed any problem with that.

The basic warranty is 3 years/36,000 miles and comes with roadside assistance. The powertrain warranty is 5 years/60,000 miles.


2003 Forester 2.5 XS with Premium Package - Specifications and Features (from www.subaru.com)

ENGINE
Type: Horizontally opposed 4-cylinder with die cast aluminum-alloy block and aluminum-alloy cylinder heads.
Displacement: 2.5 liters (150 cubic inches)
Horsepower: 165 @ 5600 rpm
Torque (lbs.-ft.): 166 @ 4000 rpm
Valve train: 16-valve with single overhead camshaft design (SOHC).
Fuel System: Sequential multi-port fuel injection system.
Ignition System: Low-maintenance distributorless electronic.
Engine Management: ECM Engine Control Module manages fuel injection and ignition systems and features learning, self-diagnosis, limp-home and anti-knock capabilities.
Fuel Tank Capacity: 15.9 gallons
2003 EPA Mileage Estimates (mpg, city/highway): 21/27 (manual transmission), 21/26 (automatic transmission)

CHASSIS
Body Construction: Unitized with hydroformed front sub-frame, front and rear crumple zones and aluminum-alloy hood. 72% of body sheet metal is two-sided galvanized.
Suspension: Fully independent, heavy-duty raised type with coil springs and struts. Front: Lower L-arms with liquid-filled rear brushings and stabilizer bar. Rear: Parallel links and stabilizer bar.
Brakes: Power-assisted with dual diagonal hydraulic circuits and 4-channel/4-sensor anti-lock braking system (ABS). Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). Front: 11.4-inch ventilated discs with twin-piston calipers. Rear: 10.3 inch discs.
Steering: Variable ratio rack-and-pinion with engine-speed-sensing power assist.
Turning Circle, curb-to-curb: 34.8 feet
Wheels: 16-inch aluminum alloy.
Tires: 215/60R16 94H M S all-season radials with raised white letters and full-size spare.

DRIVETRAIN
Manual Transmission: 5-speed manual with overdrive.
Automatic Transmission (Optional): 4-speed electronically controlled automatic with overdrive. Automatic power mode engages with rapid use of the accelerator pedal.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD): Full-time AWD system automatically distributes power between front and rear wheels based on traction needs: Manual transmission models have a viscous-coupling locking center differential. Automatic transmission models have an electronically managed continuously variable transfer clutch. 2.5 XS models have a viscous limited-slip rear differential.

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase/Length: 99.4/175.2
Width/Height: 68.1/65.0
Track: front/rear: 58.9/58.5
Minimum Road Clearance (at curb weight): 7.5 (at curb weight)
Headroom: front/rear: 39.0/37.0
Legroom: front/rear: 43.6/33.7
Shoulder room: front/rear: 53.5/53.6
Curb Weight (pounds): w/Manual Transmission - 3130; w/Automatic Transmission - 3175
EPA Interior Volume (cubic feet) 91.2
EPA Cargo Volume (cubic feet) 29.6 (rear seat up). 62.7 (rear seat down-SAE).
Towing Capacity (pounds, when properly equipped. See Owner's Manual for detailed instructions you should follow when towing a trailer): 2000 with Automatic Transmission (Class One). 2400 with Manual Transmission (Class One).

SAFETY FEATURES
Meets all federal passenger car safety standards
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Viscous limited-slip rear differential
4-channel/4-sensor Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
Dual front air bags (SRS)*
Dual-stage deployment passenger front air bag (SRS)*
Front-seat head/chest side-impact air bags (SRS)*
Active front seat head restraints
Daytime running lights
3-point front seatbelts with pretensioners, force limiters and height-adjustable shoulder belt anchors
3-point rear seatbelts for all three seating positions with height-adjustable outboard shoulder belt anchors
Energy-absorbing collapsible steering column
Energy-absorbing front and rear crumple zones
5-mph impact-absorbing bumpers
3 rear child safety seat anchors
LATCH system: Lower Anchors and Tether for Children
Child safety rear door locks
*The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) (air bags) affords the driver and front passenger additional protection in a frontal collision. This system provides supplemental protection only, and seat belts must be worn in order to avoid injuries to out-of-position occupants upon bag deployment and to provide the best combined protection in a serious accident. Children should always be properly restrained in the rear seat.

EXTERIOR FEATURES
Large dual power heated fold-away mirrors
Variable intermittent windshield wipers
Windshield wiper de-icer
Dual-mode rear window wiper with washer: single speed and fixed intermittent
Rear window wiper de-icer
Rear window defogger with timer
Multi-reflector fog lights
Roof rails with cross bars
Monotone paint scheme

INTERIOR FEATURES
Sport design reclining front bucket seats with height-adjustable head restraints
Driver's seat height and lumbar adjustments
60/40 split fold-down rear seat
Leather-trimmed upholstery (optional only on automatic transmission 2.5 XS with Premium Package)
Perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter handle and parking brake handle
Rear seat headrest for all three seating positions
Tilt-adjustable steering column
Off-delay dome light
Overhead console with dual sunglasses storage bin and dual map lights
12-volt center console power outlet
Upper dash storage pocket with lid and digital clock
Four cup holders: two in center console and dual retractable rear
Power door locks, including rear gate lock
Remote keyless entry system
Power windows with driver's side one-touch auto-down feature
Power moonroof with auto open and close feature
Illuminated ignition switch ring
Cruise control
Automatic climate control system
Tachometer, ambient temperature gauge, engine coolant temperature gauge, low-fuel light and digital dual-mode trip odometer
AM/FM/Weatherband stereo with logic control cassette, 6-Disc in-dash CD changer and four speakers
In-glass antenna
Carpeted floor mats, Forester embroidered
Cargo area: dual storage pockets, 3 under-floor storage compartments, under-floor storage bucket, 4 cargo tie-downs and 2 grocery bag hooks; Cargo area cover
12-volt cargo power outlet and cargo area light
All-Weather Package: Dual-mode heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, windshield wiper de-icer and a limited-slip rear differential