Used 2006 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
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Subaru FAN For LIFE!!!!!
Paul Rojas, 09/15/2017
2006 Subaru Forester 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
23 of 23 people found this review helpful
I bought my 2006 Subaru forester off a second owner in 2010. At the time of purchase it had 110K miles. I have put over 200K miles on my baby and she still runs like a champ! All I have done as far as maintenance is changed out the timing belt and water pump every 100k miles and of corse its regular maintenance like oil and fluid change every 3k miles. Im a huge out door person and this car is great for camping and handles great in the snow, rain and graveled roads because of it all wheel drive. I truly recommend to all!!
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Great car but lots of repairs Starting at 120k.
mtnmrm@gmail.com, 02/23/2016
updated 02/27/2017
2006 Subaru Forester 2.5 X 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
65 of 68 people found this review helpful
I bought this at 100,000 miles for 8000. I'm on the fence on whether It was worth it or not. Been a good car but i've put some real maintenance dough into it. Pros: handling, acceleration, steering, quite roomy because of it's boxy shape and the seats that can fold forward. Really high clearance, all wheel drive, good suspension all means that this car can handle a wide variety of conditions, from poorly maintained roads to very wintry weather. I use my car for construction and enjoye the spaciousness in the back (especially with seats folded down) and being able to get places that big trucks sometimes can't get to. Cons: It's interior is quite delicate. I know I said I used it for construction, but I've had a number of cars before and I was disappointed with how easily the interior aged, dinged, scratched, and the upholstery tore and the carpet at the feet are tearing and wearing as well. The biggest issue is the major and minor repairs that you risk after about 120k miles on it, maybe sooner if you're not lucky. I guess this is true for most cars that aren't Toyota or Honda. I have put $3000 into it in four years. The big issues have been head gasket repair, multiple belt issues. The little issues have been thermostat, leaking and burning oil, emergency break stopped working, hatch stopped shutting, weather stripping coming undone and lots of air noise, leaking steering fluid. All this on top of a drop in gas mileage since I bought it, and "regular maintenance" like getting the timing belt replaced and fluid changes so looking back I would have looked for something maybe less 'nice' but more reliable. So far head gaskets are good, fingers crossed......
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Not a pretty car but a pretty darn great car
Sam M., 08/07/2018
updated 08/27/2019
2006 Subaru Forester 2.5 X 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
32 of 33 people found this review helpful
2-Year ownership/200K milestone update: Foz is still running strong, a couple minor things. The AC compressor burnt out and calipers were dragging, which bumped us up to a pleasant 25mpg. There's a mysterious slow oil leak to hunt down, I have to top off a quart every few weeks. First time towing a trailer & atv (2000 lbs total) with tranny cooler and some offroad hills - Foz pulled like a champ with a tolerable dent to gas mileage (~18mpg). Clean coolant and consistent, approaching 80K since head gasket replacement. Over 2 years, the Foz has not once thrown me a CEL and no pending codes. We've even earned our first rust spots- a Northeastern badge of pride. Hoping that 250K is in the future for this $2K Craigslist find. - - - - - - - - - If you wanted a show pony, you wouldn't be reading this. If you're looking for a modest work horse, you've hit the jackpot. I've only owned this humble car for a year, but experiencing all four seasons in the snow belt of NY has me convinced that I will own nothing less than AWD for the rest of my life. First off, I live in farm country and I hike in the Adirondacks frequently. I love snow driving, but haven't yet had a car that was up for the task. Until the Foz. This small beast has carried me through mountain blizzards and backcountry roads with control and confidence. I've even pulled an SUV out of a snow bank -- this is NOT the turbo model. Mpg in summer is decent 22/24mpg & the winter is an iffy 18 but the gas $$ is worth the extra confidence in the snow. Interior is plastic and plain with pretty dated-looking controls - no frills. Seats are actually comfy and the backseat/trunk area is HUGE with seats folded down. Bought this thing for cheap with a salvage title & the "Subaru problem trifecta" recently replaced (head gaskets, timing belt, water pump). No big ticket repairs yet at 190K. Take care of regular maintenance & it'll take of you. No one will ever tell you this awkward wagon is beautiful, but what she lacks in looks, she'll make up for in grit.
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Possibly the most functional car....not the best looking
dukedokken, 07/21/2012
2006 Subaru Forester 2.5 XT Limited 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 4A)
23 of 24 people found this review helpful
I've been the sole wonder of my 06 Forester XT. There's been a few times when I've wanted to trade it for something different to switch it up, but it's almost impossible because you feel like you're getting less of a car. Pros. Panoramic Sunroof, heated leather seats, handles all real world weather conditions, reliable, XT is VERY fast, quiet, good sound system. reliable Cons maintenance can be pricey
Watch those big ticket repairs.
James Bond, 08/26/2015
2006 Subaru Forester 2.5 X 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
52 of 57 people found this review helpful
No surprise here but this car is amazing in bad weather. I love driving this car in the snow, wind, rain and I feel very safe and secure while doing so. My main beef with this car is that it has about 140000 miles on it and I'm going to have to let it go because it needs some very pricey repairs. Repairs: -Head gaskets are leaking. It's basically a time bomb and I was quoted $1800 to replace the gaskets. -My front differential blew up. Luckily they found a used one and I didn't need to replace transmission. This cost me $2000 and it left me stranded on the side of the road in the middle of the night. -3 wheel bearings ($300 each i believe) -Now my transmission is slipping. My gas mileage dropped from 22 to 17mpg. I feel like it's a matter of time before I do need to replace the transmission and that won't be worth paying since it will cost nearly what the car is worth. -I had the timing belt and water pump replaced at 100k miles. Standard procedure but just be aware if this has been done or not around that mileage as it cost about $1000. I have not had very many small repairs. It's been a fairly reliable car other than the above big ticket issues. I've noticed a lot of used Foresters around the same year are around that 130k mile mark so I'm guessing this is sort of the point in these cars life where you either dump a ton of money into it or sell it.
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