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Bear with me on this please it's late & I haven't slept much in the last two days coming off a new job, so it is VERY possible I am over thinking this.
As some of you know I love Mazda's & Subaru's always have & will. Been drooling over the idea of buying a NB Miata for a good while now. With this new job comes of course more money which is good & our current Subie is sadly about to get in the next year or so & we don't want to keep putting more money into her. This time she wants a Outback which is fine with me.
Winter is coming & I've driven enough Miata's to know that to drive one every day can take it's toll on you & well it's small no room for you things. I really like the idea of for myself having another Forester would like to find an XT version for the power. Love the HUGE sunroof as well not to mention all the other goodies the car offers. Haven't been able to find a XT with a manual as of yet. Not giving up though. One of my biggest complaints on the Subaru's is ground clearance.
For us it's a big deal & we don't need a 4X4 truck. I saw a slightly lifted Subaru Forester running around the other day. Looked really good & not pieced together. IF I decide to buy a Forester for myself & do this
(I'm not worried about resale.) What are the pros & cons of it? I gas mileage will suffer a bit.
Am I missing anything? Any other idea's that I'm missing out on?
I'm not sure of the costs or all of the potential consequences of lifting a Forester. I do know that increasing the ride height will also raise the center of gravity. That will negatively impact handling and (theoretically) make the vehicle more likely to roll over in a worst-case-scenario.
You mentioned looking for a Forester XT with a manual transmission. I've looked back at least to 2010 and I can't find any year when they offered the XT with a manual. It was the 4-speed automatic only through 2013 and the Lineartronic CVT from 2014-present. I'd love to be wrong here, but I can't find any evidence to support the existence of a Forester with the turbocharged engine and a manual tranny.
The Forester XT is probably the most fun (or at least the quickest) SUV this side of a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (that costs twice as much). I like Subarus a lot and have considered buying one more than once. But I can't, in good conscience, not mention the ongoing 'oil consumption' issue, if you weren't aware of it. There was a class action lawsuit involving 2011-2015 models that was recently settled. The engines were using oil a high rate (as much as one quart per 600 miles). There weren't many engine failures, but the high rate of consumption does not bode well for the long-term durability of the engine. Subaru said that the problem had been fixed in mid-2015 going forward, but that doesn't appear to be the case. A reputable consumer magazine (Consumer Reports) claims that as many as 4% of 2015-2016 models (after the 'fix') still consume higher than normal amounts of oil. It's just something to keep in mind.
The Mazda CX-5 is a great vehicle and a lot of fun to drive. It handles great, but acceleration isn't nearly as quick as the Forester 2.0XT. It is quicker than the Forester 2.5i (by a full second 0-60), but like the Subie it is automatic only.
I'm not sure of the costs or all of the potential consequences of lifting a Forester. I do know that increasing the ride height will also raise the center of gravity. That will negatively impact handling and (theoretically) make the vehicle more likely to roll over in a worst-case-scenario.
You mentioned looking for a Forester XT with a manual transmission. I've looked back at least to 2010 and I can't find any year when they offered the XT with a manual. It was the 4-speed automatic only through 2013 and the Lineartronic CVT from 2014-present. I'd love to be wrong here, but I can't find any evidence to support the existence of a Forester with the turbocharged engine and a manual tranny.
The Forester XT is probably the most fun (or at least the quickest) SUV this side of a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (that costs twice as much). I like Subarus a lot and have considered buying one more than once. But I can't, in good conscience, not mention the ongoing 'oil consumption' issue, if you weren't aware of it.
I'm looking for a 2006ish model & now that you mention it I don't recall seeing a manual XT myself.
Second page states they tested a 5 speed I'm sure finding one would be tough. I know about the oil problems. Looking around I can find one where the problems have been fixed by the previous owners.
We have a 2001 S I understanding lifting anything affects handseling of said car. The one I saw for sale was JUST lifted about 4 inches, you noticed it but not enough to really see a huge difference. It seems that I'm looking for sort of a project car.
Second page states they tested a 5 speed I'm sure finding one would be tough.
I did some more digging and I was wrong. The Forester 2.5XT was available with a 5-speed manual from 2004-2008. I did a nationwide search for them and got 10 results. A few of them look brand new and have obviously been well-maintained. But the prices also range from high to way-too-high! The nicest one I found was a 2008 2.5XT Limited 5-MT with 81k miles on it (located in Arizona) and priced at $18,900! A nice looking 2006 2.5XT with 5-MT and 150k miles (located here in Atlanta) is priced at $9,995.
So they do exist, but they're definitely not going to be easy to find. Ebay Motors may be a good place to look, since it's such a rare, unique and desirable vehicle.
Just for the record, here is the breakdown of the exact trim levels by year that were available with the 5-speed manual-
None of the 10 that I found were the 2007-2008 'Sports' trim level (which is apparently a sportier looking version with larger wheels/tires but less features than the Limited). All of the 2006-2008 were Limiteds.
I hope you find one! These were probably rare when they were new and the vast majority of those who bought them still have them. I don't think there has ever been another manual, turbocharged small SUV/CUV other than the Forester.
I just noticed a significant power increase for the 2006 models. 2004-2005 models had 210p and 235lb-ft or torque. The 2006 increased to 230hp but torque remained the same (and hp and torque peaks were at 5600rpm and 3600rpm each year from 2004-2008). The 2007-2008 models took a small hit with 224hp and 226lb-ft of torque (also at 3600 and 5600rpm, respectively).
But acceleration from 0-60 is quoted as anywhere from 5.3sec for a 2004 (per Cars.com) to 5.9sec as the Car and Driver review you referenced indicated. Either way, it's pretty wicked speed for a small SUV.
I almost bought a 2005 Legacy 2.5GT Limited when it was new (to replace my totaled 2003 Acura TL Type-S, but that's a whole 'nother story). But I seem to remember the turbocharged models requiring Premium Gas. When I look now, it shows 'Premium Recommended', so I wonder if you can safely run it on Regular Unleaded?
So they do exist, but they're definitely not going to be easy to find. Ebay Motors may be a good place to look, since it's such a rare, unique and desirable vehicle.
I hope you find one! These were probably rare when they were new and the vast majority of those who bought them still have them. I don't think there has ever been another manual, turbocharged small SUV/CUV other than the Forester.
Not only that but finding one that hasn't been dogged to hell & back. I would consider a Baja but you would want the XT version of that as well. Most of them that I have seen are beyond my price point. Found a silver one with a 5 speed not the XT would miss the sunroof that the Forester has.
Not only that but finding one that hasn't been dogged to hell & back. I would consider a Baja but you would want the XT version of that as well. Most of them that I have seen are beyond my price point. Found a silver one with a 5 speed not the XT would miss the sunroof that the Forester has.
The majority of the ones I found on AutoTrader.com were in excellent condition. No mods, no cosmetic damage and very clean interior. But the prices are the painful part.
I checked on KBB.com to get an idea of a how much a 2008 is truly worth-
The majority of the ones I found on AutoTrader.com were in excellent condition. No mods, no cosmetic damage and very clean interior. But the prices are the painful part.
I checked on KBB.com to get an idea of a how much a 2008 is truly worth-
We've found really clean Foresters around this area for $7,500ish. Not as XT though. This area is considered Subaru country Asheville, NC / Greenville, SC area. Some in really good shape & some just okay. We paid $1,600 for our 2001 Forester & she still runs well she's got 293K on her.
Would you consider an Isuzu Trooper with a manual transmission? I forget what years but know they offered it for a few. I had a customer trade one in and it was a pretty nice vehicle, although bigger than what you are currently looking at.
Edit: After looking - I realize that the Trooper has been gone longer than I thought.
Would you consider an Isuzu Trooper with a manual transmission? I forget what years but know they offered it for a few. I had a customer trade one in and it was a pretty nice vehicle, although bigger than what you are currently looking at.
Edit: After looking - I realize that the Trooper has been gone longer than I thought.
Yeah they been out of production for a long time now IF you could fine one I'm sure odds would be that it's been beat to death. I more then be willing to consider a Subaru 4 door legacy with a 5 speed or a Mazda speed 6 which only came with a 5 speed. The Speed 6's have been modified to the point of just being crazy fast & odds are unreliable. So that's not going to happen. I have some bug eye WRX's cheap MIGHT consider one of them if I can find one stock. A legacy GT would be sweet to with a 5 speed though.
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