2013 OBW vs. 2014 Forester - by the numbers

[tommersyip]

Originally Posted by JordanMayPhoto

Premium Fuel kills any daily driver in my book.

Those fuel numbers are way off. Maybe the 3.6 motor gets that horrible 18/25 but I am getting 26/32 roughly in my 2.5.

Premium is fine as long as the car is still economical. Just readjust your viewing of MPG of any car that uses premium down 5.5% (price difference around here for regular to premium). And compare

Outback H6 gets 18/25 mpg regular
2014 FXT gets the equivalent of 21.7/26.5 when adjusted down 5.5% for the cost of premium.

Still deserves a look. I am suspecting that all-highway mileage on a turbo CVT will be alot higher than the EPA.

[Healey3000]

Originally Posted by JordanMayPhoto

Premium Fuel kills any daily driver in my book.

Those fuel numbers are way off. Maybe the 3.6 motor gets that horrible 18/25 but I am getting 26/32 roughly in my 2.5.

I compared the H6 to the 2.0T as that seemed more appropriate. To me, the 2.5 is underpowered and the primary thing holding me back from purchasing the Outback.

I like the power of the H6 but the MPG numbers are not competitive for the power it makes. Case in point, Toyota's 3.5 V6.

[Georgeh]

Interior dimensions are impressive - 9 inches shorter overall, but the same cargo space and significantly more leg room in the rear. I'll believe when I see it, but if it's correct, it will be very nice.

And then I wonder about what the next-gen OB will be like.

[JordanMayPhoto]

Originally Posted by tommersyip

Premium is fine as long as the car is still economical. Just readjust your viewing of MPG of any car that uses premium down 5.5% (price difference around here for regular to premium). And compare

Outback H6 gets 18/25 mpg regular
2014 FXT gets the equivalent of 21.7/26.5 when adjusted down 5.5% for the cost of premium.

Still deserves a look. I am suspecting that all-highway mileage on a turbo CVT will be alot higher than the EPA.

There is NO need for manf to build engines for cars like this that require premium only. I've been in the auto business long enough to know better. The only time I would tip my hat in that direction is with high performance sports cars, which the Forester is not.

I had an FJ Cruiser perviously and when the first year came out with the Premium sticker everyone was in shock just like people will be over the new Forester. When Toyota realized their huge error every following year model now runs on any unleaded fuel and gets better power. Let's hope Subaru takes a queue from Toyota on this one and premium doesn't last long.

I am not knocking the entire vehicle, the Forester looks great and I hope its a hot seller for Subaru. I really like the company, their mission, and most importantly their owners. Some of the best vehicle owners I have been around my entire life. Hard to say that about many of my previous vehicles!

I briefly considered the H6, then I saw the mileage. No thank you. I drove both and didn't see a significant enough power increased from the 2.5 to justify how much more money I was going to spend per year on fuel. I doubt most people think about that and just want their right foot happy. I didn't buy this car as a sports car, it's not regardless of engine. If I wanted that I would have picked up the WRX STi

My 2.5 OB gets great mileage, has amazing AWD, I can stuff a ton of stuff in it, I am 6' tall and can sleep in it, etc etc etc.... it's a great car

[monty]

Forester simply looks like a Rav4. Tried a 2013 recently as I was thinking of buying one to replace my hybrid honda. Other car is a 2013 CVT with about 12K miles on it. Love the looks of the current Forester much better than the new upcoming Rav4 lookalike. However, the quality, ride, handling, noise, felt like a second rate American car compared to the Outback. I still cannot understand how the American made Outback is so superior to the Japanese made Forester. I think very few people would pick a Forester if they drive the Outback. Really no comparison unless they update the quality in the 2014 considerably. Another factor to look into is the failure rate of the turbo engines compared to regularly aspirated engines. I have heard they are much more expensive when higher mileage comes around.

[p nut]

I'll be looking for a new DD in the next year. Forester is on the top of the list. The OB will stay as my wife's DD and road trip vehicle. I believe the OB will ride a bit better due to the longer wheelbase. And I like the longer cargo area (even though it may not be bigger) for loading all the kids stuff.

But for my own DD, the Forester would be better. For camp outs with the family or scouts, I like the better approach/departure angles and tighter turn radius. I'm liking the taller cargo area for loading things like bikes, etc. Also, the lower price is a bonus.

[dboz]

Regular to Premium fuel price is usually roughly $.20/gallon. Figure 18 gallons so $3.60/tank. Not exactly a deal breaker in my book if you want an extra 50-70hp and torque.

[SamC]

Originally Posted by Georgeh

Interior dimensions are impressive - 9 inches shorter overall, but the same cargo space and significantly more leg room in the rear. I'll believe when I see it, but if it's correct, it will be very nice.

And then I wonder about what the next-gen OB will be like.

Well said. Does anyone know what size gas tank the 2014 Forester will have?

[fun2drive]

Hi test to regular here in Florida where I live runs between 25-50 cents a gallon so it all depends where you live.
My 3.6L mileage is pretty good much better than the 18/25 on the window sticker. Now that it is cold and the thing is in Ohio and using the winter fuel mileage has dropped but it has dropped on all my vehicles up north.
I am excited about the 2.0L turbo engine and how it works out because it will much more fuel efficient than the 3.6L...

[Healey3000]

The more I read about the 2014 Forester, the better it looks. I daresay that it beats the OB in just about every category, the question of course, is whether the build quality and interior are as solid.

One review said that the Foz was extremey quiet, perhaps best in class. Lots of soft-touch materials.

Lots of standard equipment as well, like the rear-view camera, moonroof (not that I really need one), X-Drive, power liftgate and three modes for the CVT. All this for a possibly lower price than the OB. There's a great merged thread on subaruforester.org that has tons of information.

Let's be honest, I just want that 2.0 turbo engine!