Used 2009 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
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Nice, but I like my 2005 better
javan68, 12/23/2011
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD w/Premium Pkg,VDC (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
59 of 62 people found this review helpful
I have a 2005 Forester that is the 2.5X Manual version. I bought the 2009 for my wife, with the Auto. It is the Premium version. As a summary, I like the vehicle, but the fuel economy is crap. We get about 20-22 mpg on average, whereas my '05 gets 26-28 on average. If we really baby the gas and drive ultra conservatively, we may be able to get 25 mpg, but that is a huge IF. As for Snow driving, I will take the '09 over my '05, granted, my '05 is more fun to drive. The '09 is like a tank in the snow. We are in the market for a replacement for the '09. Our family is growing again, and the forester is just too small. Perhaps if it got better fuel economy, we would reconsider.
Excellent Small SUV
vkinsocal, 10/22/2010
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD w/Premium Pkg,VDC (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
29 of 30 people found this review helpful
I've owned this car two years now and this car has been nearly flawless. I love the low end RPM power this car has. The torque curve is very flat on Subaru's 4 cyl engine. driving in snow is great. Heater and air conditioning is simple to operate. Wiper controls are fantastic and make sense. Cruise control on the steering wheel as well as radio controls are like a a more expensive car would have. Changing your own oil is a breeze as the oil filter is vertical and you can get to everything without driving the vehicle on ramps. Visibility when backing up is best in class. Paddle shifting manual mode transmission is handy holding gear downhill. For ~25K out the door a fine machine.
The one and only
Allen, 01/28/2018
updated 07/30/2020
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/VDC, Nav (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
17 of 17 people found this review helpful
Bought this car new. Meticulously dealer maintained first 4 years. Excellent independent mechanic last 4 years. First surprise, we had to replace the front suspension lower gel-filled fittings at 50k miles cracked=$500.00. Second surprise, replaced right front brake caliper three times over time. Third, transmission cooling lines failed, go figure. Fourth, head gaskets $2000.00. On the plus side, tire wear has been good with Yokohama Geolanders. Exhaust system has lasted a long time (except we had to have all the heat shields cut off), unbearable rattling. This is the one and only Subaru we’ll ever own. Love my “Subie”? Give me a break. Going back to Toyota and Honda. Please save me! As of July 2018 we’ve reached 108,500 miles. We had to replace both mufflers. No complaints with that. But.....The car now has a mysterious antifreeze odor in the cabin and when you exit the vehicle. No visible leaks. According to the Subaru Owners Blog this is a common problem with this engine. Buyer beware! Both mufflers finally wore out. Replaced them, then both rear wheel bearings failed. Last straw! We traded the vehicle for a Honda CRV in March 2019. Interesting note: The well known dealer in our area resold the Forester for $3000 more than trade in value. It sold in less than a week! I wish the best to the poor soul who bought it.
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Cant find a downside to this vehicle
subarublue77, 01/22/2012
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD w/Premium Pkg,VDC (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
35 of 37 people found this review helpful
Did not know SUV existed until I read Consumer Reports. They rated this #1 in small SUV category. I test drove also small SUV Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota and the Forester out classed them all. I bought it used from the Subaru dealership (Jax, FL) and they had the Carfax. Took it to my mechanic and he said everything looked great! Wanted something that seats 4 & back seats go down so I can carry wood for my woodworking projects. Took it on a couple of long drives already and nice smooth ride. Car accelerates well given it is a 4 cylinder. I bought the SUV because of its reliability history and price. I read all the reviews on Edmunds.com and almost everyone liked their Subaru.
Great for tall drivers
don225, 01/09/2013
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD w/VDC (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
33 of 35 people found this review helpful
I bought this car for 2 reasons 1. Head room,I'm 6'5 2. AWD Over all happy but a few issues to note 1.The car has an uncanny ability to suck in the exhaust from other vehicles, and it has nothing to do with the in cabin filter. 2.The design of the front seats. As the driver its almost impossible to reach under the seat to grab anything, and there is a cable that runs directly from the underbelly of the seat to the ground that eliminates passage. The passenger seat sits so low that even I feel like a kid in a car(I'm 6'5) 4.Rattles. have fun going back and forth to the dealer getting all the rattles in the body panels shored up while under warranty 5.Transmission issues at 70K mi 6.Sterio
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