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I'm looking at replacing our 2006 Focus estate - I'm looking for no frills, family transport that can handle MTB and camping trips. Basically our existing car but in better shape, and ideally something a bit better-built and feasible to maintain for a while. We've been offered a 2005 Subaru Forester with 70k miles for a decent price. It wasn't on my list, but I do like them. Apart from that, I'm sure it's generally a bad idea to replace one ageing estate car with another one. Does anyone have any particular experience with this car?
Pretty much bomb proof and great 4 x 4 system. You might, however want to get new shape. But guessing 2005 model will be ok price.
I suspect only real drawback to them would be servicing intervals (I think they need a bit more work due to the 4x4 - but that might just be an extra fluid change at regular servicing) and amount of fuel it will drink. I twill be a great vehicle and likely to do what you need very well, but the fuel costs would be a concern for me.
Usual recommendation is Octavia or Berlingo - both of those are very good for family lugging adventures as well (but don't have the look of the Subaru - which probably looks the best out the 3 (in my opinion)).
petrol versions are very thirsty.
boxer diesel used to fail prematurely otherwise v reliable.
parts can be dear due to low volumes.
other than a total engine failure, I've had very little go wrong with my subaru outback....
Octavia Scout is 4x4 and can be had for reasonable money
No idea about the engine but I'd check if/when it's due a cam belt change as it may be getting close at that mileage.
Check it well for rust particular around inside of wheelarches, subframes and suspension turrets/areas.
2ltr petrols of that vintage were pretty much bombproof, and 30mpg should be doable if you don't have a lead foot.
Parts - expensive. If running costs are an issue I'd be sticking with the big brands and cheap pattern parts.
Boot isn't as big as you think with the seats up.
Some have been owned by pensioners who polish and clean them every other day and they're in mint condition - some have been owned by farmers who chuck sheep in the back and treat them like a quad-bike! 🙂
The 2005 vintage were strong though - I was in a 3 car shunt in mine (me in the middle) - and I was the only one to drive away from it. Had minor damage and the other 2 cars were undriveable.
Boot isn’t as big as you think with the seats up.
Really? Can't remember if my old man had a 2005 or 2006 but it seemed to have plenty of room, if anything it was deceptively big for such a small (outside) car.
As you say though they are thirsty buggers, not as bad as some of the other boxters but still not cheap to run. That was about the time the government grants for LPG were being handed out though so you could get lucky. Don't think they had the diesels that far back.
I had an '04 one (from new) and getting bikes in was a squeeze. Needed both wheels off sideways, or seats down. And from what I can remember, not a massive height between boot-floor and roof. Needed seat-post out. I got a tow-bar mount in the end.
I could get more kit in the Octavia estate I had after the Forester.
More of a jacked-up estate back then than an SUV we know now.
I miss my 2004 Forester, bought with 140k on as a cheap automatic following knee surgery and kept it for another 45k before rust got the better of it. It was thirsty, did 24-25mpg regardless of how I drove it, but other than oil changes and a couple of sets of brake pads cost me nothing while I owned it.
Check for rust on the inner sills near the rear wheels, mine had no rust at all on the body but was like lace underneath the underseal from front to back.
Might be worth checking the VED rate as well, mine was ~£300 but I think the 2005 models were close to £600.
Boot isn't as big as you'd think but I coud fit my fatbike in with the front wheel off.
Wahey - something I can weigh in on at last!
We have a 54 plate Forester, picked it up a few years ago with 63k on the clock after our Octavia VRS got mashed by an HGV, just come back from a trip to the Alps in it. Main issue is ours can be very thirsty as it has the Prodrive engine upgrade pack but on the run back at French national limit speeds (circa 80) we were getting about 33mpg, which is about as good as you'll get.
Servicing can be expensive but worth getting done by someone that knows what they're doing. Depending on model there are specific parts that can be really expensive to replace - we needed the rear dampers replacing and as it's an XT they're self-levelling - we were quoted £1k per side plus fitting! Thankfully there's an aftermarket alternative which, whilst still not cheap, was perfectly acceptable. Tyres can be expensive as there's only one recommended model. I have a set of Speedline Prodrive wheels to put on it but haven't got round to sorting replacement tyres yet.
Interior is no more than functional, but 05 might just be facelift, in which case the interior is a bit better.
It is, for want of a better word, a fun car - handling is amusing, it's pretty quick, comfortable and always puts a smile on my face.
...and the flat-four engine always sounds nice! 🙂
I'd have another Forester - I just need to tow a horsebox now and they're on the limit for that.
As a family we've had... a Subaru GL (below), x2 Legacies, x2 Impreza, x1 Outback, x1 Forester and a Justy.
My brother had the GL like below (but his was black with an A-team van stripe!) - 1.8 engine and 4WD in a little hatchback - it was great fun!
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They're really nice cars and you can get a lot for your money- they can hit a lovely line between "not popular" but also "often well loved" which means the market's small and the cars are mostly pretty decent. Hidden rust aside- because all Subarus like to rust and the "it's a no frills, robust, indestructible car" thing possibly means people don't expect trouble.
The early diesel is awful, but then if it's 70000 miles old it's probably not on the original engine. The later diesels are merely not very good diesels. The petrols are nice, though yes, bad for fuel. The turbo petrols are ace, and even worse on fuel.
But they're not that big. I nearly got one after my mk1 Focus and I was surprised to find the effective load area's smaller (high floor, less well shaped). TBH even the Legacy/Outback's not as big in the back as you'd think. Still better than many.
If I was getting a subaru for what you describe, I'd probably get a Legacy or Outback. TBH I'd probably get the cleanest mk3 mondeo 2.2 I could find, they're getting old but they're so damn good at what they do. And ludicrously big in the back, you can park an entire mondeo in it then park a mondeo in that then put an octavia in the glovebox.
(I have a legacy, and I absolutely love it, but it's not really representative as it's a recent grey import- hardly a drop of rust on it. I also have a UK spec '07 Legacy as a parts donor and it looks like a shipwreck underneath)
Just a quick question.
Which engine the 2l 2.5l or dirty diesel
The diesels were known for killing flywheels , the 2.5pet likes head gaskets and the 2l had the good awful secondary air pump, Mine failed one morning due to a seized valve on some this can be mapped out but as mine had the hitachi ecu the fix cost was close to £1800 .. I would never touch another, more trouble than they are worth imho
They're great cars! I've had 2, a turbo and a non turbo, as well as 2 outbacks and a mad Leggy. The forester is the best of the lot!
Yes, they're thirsty but 30 mpg is easily doable, and service costs really aren't as high as everyone thinks, bar the cam belt and tensioner. If that hasn't been done recently (inc the tensioner and idler bearings) budget £500 at least. Other than that they're no more expensive than most other cars, and a lot more capable/reliable/fun...
There are plenty of makes of tyres available for them, so go all season and you'll have a car that will get you anywhere you wish to go in any conditions.
The interior is utilitarian but very hard wearing and the seats are probably the most comfortable i've ever sat in- way more comfy than merc and BMW.
Handling wise, fit a Whiteline 20mm rear roll bar and links, and you'll be on rails!
I'd have another in a heartbeat, but the outback will do for now...
Avoid the 2.5litre petrol, or the pre 2011 diesel. Subaru forgot to drill an oilway to the centre main bearing...
I have the 2007 2.5 turbo model, it's great to drive with 226bhp and suprisingly good at driving up and down muddy rutted tracks when needed with good tyres on. It's the country gent's Imprezza turbo.
I love it and try not to think about running costs...luckily I haven't actually driven to work since March 😉
I stay in a really tiny village yet there are 4 Foresters and an Outback which is weird.
VED on mine is getting on for £550!
The early diesel is awful, but then if it’s 70000 miles old it’s probably not on the original engine.
Mine was the supposedly later better version. Big end bearing failed at 10yrs/122k.
Subura UK did a short block replacement FOC. Silky smooth now...
Are foresters not the ones you run until someone steals the cat which are basically impossible to get and it gets written off?
What are the rules about how stealthy an ad can be?
I've had my 2006 Forester 2.5XT for nearly 11 years now, kept it for so long because there's just nothing else (within sensible car budget) that I thought would be a suitable replacement. It has been an excellent car, driven over 100,000 miles by me at 28mpg which isn't the best, but great fun, especially with a cheeky remap! Facelift model, but with the lower £300 VED, since it was registered before March 2006.
My colleague had a 2006 2.0 petrol model for a similar length of time and his fuel economy was roughly the same, but his was getting rusty and had to go, check the subframes and rear strut tower. If you want to keep them long term, you might want to be friendly with a welder, they are getting to that age now.
Some parts can be expensive, but there are great Forester forums online with loads of information and advice on how to deal with the common issues that crop up.
Unfortunately, "we" have decided that it's time for my Forester to find a new home, although I now have management approval to keep the car over the winter, it will be a sad few months! So it will be up for sale at the beginning of next year and there will be tears ...
Brian
I have a 2011 forester with the 2.0 diesel.
Goes well, has sailed through 2 mots since I bought it.
Great to drive, I’ve averaged around 44mpg since I’ve had it.
Parts can be expensive, but you won’t need that many of them.
You’ll get bored waiting for the tyres to wear out, mine had brand new tyres when I got it, they still had the pimples on, 22.000 miles later they are barely worn.
The diesels don’t lack power, there’s absolutely plenty for normal driving.
I bought mine because i need the snow performance, we live on a hill which is impassable whenever there’s 1” of snow.
Wife has just bought a diesel xv, there’s a theme here eh.
They are great cars to drive.
Sold my 2008 XTen at the beginning of the year. Great car, but not as big inside as you might think (quite compact for an estate).
Pretty quick with the 2.5t, but thirsty and a small fuel tank. Mine was in really nice condition too, but the clutch was very heavy and I was going to change it this year until the trouble started...
Thieves targeted my car the steal the exhaust and kept coming back till they got it! Between me and the police chasing them off about 5 times in a week, they finally cut it off from the manifold and dragged it away.
Cats are rare as hens teeth to replace and I had to go through insurance to get one (cost well over 1k to replace). First car I've ever had that's been targeted so much, so as soon as it was fixed I sold up.
Heavy clutch made it a bit of a chore in stop-start traffic, but it was really good on b-roads and roundabouts 🙂
I like this impreza for the money. Talk of rust has put me off though. I'm looking for the same car as the OP and am thinking of budgeting for a tow bar and bike rack to take the "how do bikes fit" thing out of the equation.
We’ve got a 55 plate facelift Xten 2.5, had it for 5 years and 35k miles at 75k now. As mentioned above, if you get a pre-06 plate the tax is circa 300 rather than 550). Very robust and practical but also very good fun (coming from an Impreza previously), and great in the snow with the right tyres. Downsides, yes it’s thirsty, could really do with a 6th year, and occasionally slow parts availability but these are minor things. It’s been a huge amount of practicality for the money. Ours is mapped for premium fuel with the secondary air pump omitted, an H&S exhaust, a select few sti oem bits and the white line arb.
The rear shocks are a very common problem - but relatively cheap to sort - we swapped to the peddars kit (300 odd quid vs £1k+ for self levellers). Will miss it when it’s time to sell (new car is on the docks in jp!)
parts can be dear due to low volumes.
Some can be unobtainable for the same reason. My sister in law had to scrap her legacy after an attempted theft because things like ignition lock barrels were unobtainable in any kind of reasonable timeline. So servicing can be a bit pricy but repair - as in damage repair rather than replacement of comsumables- can be a major arseache. Fun as a second car maybe but time rather than cost is the problem if you are reliant on the car