Redesigned 2019 Forester - details now available

[fsrph]

Details on the redesigned 2019 Forester are coming out. Highlights - Turbo version (XT) no longer available. Manual trans not available. All trims are CVT with Eyesight. Have an optional new technology called DriverFocus that uses facial recognition to monitor for signs of driver distraction. Online dealers are suggesting the price of the 2019 model will be about $500 more than in 2018, but that's not official.

From https://www.autoblog.com/2018/03/28/201 ... e-changes/

"While every new Forester comes with Subaru's EyeSight driver assistance features, the Touring spec debuts the DriverFocus fatigue and distraction alert. In unison with EyeSight, DriverFocus uses facial recognition software to monitor signs of fatigue or distraction on up to five different drivers."

Anyone else interested in this vehicle? Looks like a solid vehicle but to me not having a manual trans available is a disappointment. Read where Subaru wanted all Foresters to have Eyesight and it doesn't work well with a manual transmission.

Francis

[mark4269]

No Foresters with manual transmission? Wow. Now I am super-glad I bought my 2017 Subaru Forester with a manual transmission. My Fozzie has been absolutely awesome for the past year and a half. Now have 17,000 miles on it, hope to get to 300,000.

[Valdeselad]

Have always wanted to be a fan and owner of a Subaru, but the fact that their interiors (electronics, user interface, etc) seem at least a decade behind the competition has been a consistent disappointment.

[nbseer]

Had a 2003 Forester and suffered through two head gasket replacements (even though Subaru claimed the defect was fixed by my model year).

Also the seats were too hard.. but I did get 217,000 miles on it and had fun doing donuts in the snow!

[wootwoot]

No turbo no purchase.

[denovo]

I am not a fan of buying cars in the first year of a major redesign. Let other people uncover the problems and buy later in the cycle.

[Nearly A Moose]

I’d go nuts driving manual in the city, so not an issue for me. I don’t really see anything compelling in the redesign specs you mention. I like my 2015. But it has a weird issue with the electrical where it reboots the system randomly, and it seems to be rough on the battery.

[Pigeon]

I'm thinking about it. I don't really need a new car as there is nothing mechanically wrong with my 2010 base model Corolla. But it is terrible in snow or even on wet pavement. Snow tires help some but it is much worse than other Toyotas, including older Corollas, I've owned.

I don't want a manual and do want Eyesight. I have no interest in the facial recognition stuff. I've been toying with the idea of buying one the last year or so, but the problem is that I'm cheap, the Corolla is only a 2010 and I just haven't been able to make myself do it.

I do agree with the pp that getting a car the year of a significant redesign isn't a good idea, so I'll either get the 2018 or wait until the 2020s are here.

[mikebee]

Would not buy a Forester as no manual option.
Bullet proof cars. Our 4 year old Impreza is ok apart from lacking another gear between 4th and 5th. The boxer engine and awd is terrific.

[CurlyDave]

I’d go nuts driving manual in the city, so not an issue for me. I don’t really see anything compelling in the redesign specs you mention. I like my 2015. But it has a weird issue with the electrical where it reboots the system randomly, and it seems to be rough on the battery.

My 2017 Outback had battery problems and when I took it into the dealer and complained, they reprogrammed the computer and the problems went away. It turns out that someone limited charging amps to 10 in software in an attempt to squeeze out a (very) little extra mileage.

It only shows up as an issue if you primarily drive short distances, a few miles between stops. Made a huge difference in my car.

[Nearly A Moose]

I’d go nuts driving manual in the city, so not an issue for me. I don’t really see anything compelling in the redesign specs you mention. I like my 2015. But it has a weird issue with the electrical where it reboots the system randomly, and it seems to be rough on the battery.

My 2017 Outback had battery problems and when I took it into the dealer and complained, they reprogrammed the computer and the problems went away. It turns out that someone limited charging amps to 10 in software in an attempt to squeeze out a (very) little extra mileage.

It only shows up as an issue if you primarily drive short distances, a few miles between stops. Made a huge difference in my car.

Thanks, that's really helpful. That fits our driving patterns to a T. I'll ask about that when I take it in.

[need403bhelp]

Any reasons why the 2019 Forester may be more or less risky to buy than a usual first year of a new generation?

I know that it is built on the Subaru Global Platform, which is currently used for the ?2018 Impreza.

However, some features seem to be new, for example, the engine:

https://www.subaru.com/2019-forester-debut

All Foresters are powered by a new version of the 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER four-cylinder engine, now with direct fuel injection and higher compression, along with active valve control system (AVCS) on the exhaust side. The new engine produces 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque, versus 170 hp and 174 lb-ft in the previous Forester, for a boost in everyday performance and responsiveness.

Is there any reason, e.g., that the engine, or another key aspect of the 2019 Subaru Forester, would be less risky to purchase than a usual first year of a new generation? For example, has a similar engine already been used by Subaru in another vehicle or in another part of the world?

Thank you so much!

[02nz]

Need403bhelp, it’s a “new version” of a very tried and true engine, the 2.5L boxer that’s on almost every Subaru. They added direct injection to get more performance. But it’s the same basic engine design, and direct injection is hardly new technology. I wouldn’t let this keep me from buying the new Forester if it’s otherwise the right car.

[Joylush]

I am so so so glad I bought my 2018 turbo model. I just love it. So now that the info on the 2019 models is out, I have no regrets.

[capitalG]

I bought the 2014 Forester XT (1st year of model) when it was new to replace my 2004 WRX (3rd year), also purchased new. The WRX had no unexpected repairs beyond routine maintenance in the 9 years / ~100k miles I owned it, whereas I’ve had to take the Forester into the dealer for 3 unrelated OEM issues (tire sensor, transmission x 2) - these were all in warranty and fixed promptly, but still a PITA and makes me wonder what else may go wrong post-warranty. While I still like my Forester as a daily commuter, people mover, and snow car, if I had to do it again I wouldn’t buy a significant redesigned model in its first year.

Regarding transmission, I used to love my manual transmission on the WRX (even living in a high traffic area) but have to admit the Forester CVT is pretty impressive for what it’s supposed to do - I do miss the control I had on the manual but overall the CVT made more sense for my intended (pedestrian) purposes for the car. IMHO, manual or not,with or without turbo, the 2014 Forester model was pretty clearly not a sporty/crossover SUV anyways with its soft suspension and the body roll...if you are looking for a sporty SUV (which you may not be), the recent Foresters are likely not the car for you.

[Ron]

I’d go nuts driving manual in the city, so not an issue for me. I don’t really see anything compelling in the redesign specs you mention. I like my 2015. But it has a weird issue with the electrical where it reboots the system randomly, and it seems to be rough on the battery.

My 2017 Outback had battery problems and when I took it into the dealer and complained, they reprogrammed the computer and the problems went away. It turns out that someone limited charging amps to 10 in software in an attempt to squeeze out a (very) little extra mileage.

It only shows up as an issue if you primarily drive short distances, a few miles between stops. Made a huge difference in my car.

Thanks, that's really helpful. That fits our driving patterns to a T. I'll ask about that when I take it in.

Interesting that you brought up the electrical issue, which my wife has had with her 2015 Legacy ever since she's had it.

Over the last three years, its failed to start and it seems like it happened only after driving a short distance (less than 5 miles) away from home. This had happened three times and was able to be restarted with just a jump. She had it in to the Subaru dealer and they could not find a problem, even though they did reprogram the ignition (push button start) last year.

However, last Thursday, it failed again. I drove to where she was stranded and tried to jump start it again, but to no avail. Wound up getting it towed to the dealer. They were not able to get it started and their "battery test" showed that the battery had indeed failed and would not take a charge (charging system was OK). Normally, they would not give a new battery (it's over the 36 month warranty, even though she bought the extended warranty that had a $50 deductible), but they did so based upon the problems she's incurred over the years. They also reprogrammed the ignition again, since they said that they had received a recent patch (the low charge condition?) and said with confidence that there would be no longer failures (we'll see).

- Ron

[Nearly A Moose]

I’d go nuts driving manual in the city, so not an issue for me. I don’t really see anything compelling in the redesign specs you mention. I like my 2015. But it has a weird issue with the electrical where it reboots the system randomly, and it seems to be rough on the battery.

My 2017 Outback had battery problems and when I took it into the dealer and complained, they reprogrammed the computer and the problems went away. It turns out that someone limited charging amps to 10 in software in an attempt to squeeze out a (very) little extra mileage.

It only shows up as an issue if you primarily drive short distances, a few miles between stops. Made a huge difference in my car.

Thanks, that's really helpful. That fits our driving patterns to a T. I'll ask about that when I take it in.

Interesting that you brought up the electrical issue, which my wife has had with her 2015 Legacy ever since she's had it.

Over the last three years, its failed to start and it seems like it happened only after driving a short distance (less than 5 miles) away from home. This had happened three times and was able to be restarted with just a jump. She had it in to the Subaru dealer and they could not find a problem, even though they did reprogram the ignition (push button start) last year.

However, last Thursday, it failed again. I drove to where she was stranded and tried to jump start it again, but to no avail. Wound up getting it towed to the dealer. They were not able to get it started and their "battery test" showed that the battery had indeed failed and would not take a charge (charging system was OK). Normally, they would not give a new battery (it's over the 36 month warranty, even though she bought the extended warranty that had a $50 deductible), but they did so based upon the problems she's incurred over the years. They also reprogrammed the ignition again, since they said that they had received a recent patch (the low charge condition?) and said with confidence that there would be no longer failures (we'll see).

- Ron

So I just got back from picking my 2015 Forester up from the shop. They diagnosed (and fixed without charge) loose cables, both at the battery terminal and elsewhere (presumably the other end of end of the cable, perhaps ignition?). They also noted a low-voltage code, suggesting my battery wasn't getting a good charge at times. They had replaced my battery in December, and it's not clear whether the loose cables were a result of the batter replacement or the then-undiagnosed cause for the battery issues. But the dealer claims they've fixed it, so we shall see...

Also, more to the point of the thread, I was given a current model year tricked out Outback as my loaner. Aside from a peppy engine and a different (but not in my view materially so) control screen, I didn't notice any significant differences from my 2015 Forester in terms of features or comfort.

[need403bhelp]

Need403bhelp, it’s a “new version” of a very tried and true engine, the 2.5L boxer that’s on almost every Subaru. They added direct injection to get more performance. But it’s the same basic engine design, and direct injection is hardly new technology. I wouldn’t let this keep me from buying the new Forester if it’s otherwise the right car.

02nz, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts that the engine is a re-design of the existing and widely used engine with direct injection rather than a brand new engine. Thank you, also, for your reassurance.

I bought the 2014 Forester XT (1st year of model) when it was new to replace my 2004 WRX (3rd year), also purchased new. The WRX had no unexpected repairs beyond routine maintenance in the 9 years / ~100k miles I owned it, whereas I’ve had to take the Forester into the dealer for 3 unrelated OEM issues (tire sensor, transmission x 2) - these were all in warranty and fixed promptly, but still a PITA and makes me wonder what else may go wrong post-warranty. While I still like my Forester as a daily commuter, people mover, and snow car, if I had to do it again I wouldn’t buy a significant redesigned model in its first year.

Regarding transmission, I used to love my manual transmission on the WRX (even living in a high traffic area) but have to admit the Forester CVT is pretty impressive for what it’s supposed to do - I do miss the control I had on the manual but overall the CVT made more sense for my intended (pedestrian) purposes for the car. IMHO, manual or not,with or without turbo, the 2014 Forester model was pretty clearly not a sporty/crossover SUV anyways with its soft suspension and the body roll...if you are looking for a sporty SUV (which you may not be), the recent Foresters are likely not the car for you.

Thank you for sharing your experiences to date with the 2014 Forester XT and for the resulting warning. Re the "sporty"-ness, we have looked at quite a few compact SUVs (Forester, Outback - not really an SUV, CR-V, RAV4, CX-5, Rogue) and liked the Forester the best, except the lack of rear vents. (To be fair, we liked the CR-V, but the oil dilution issue killed it for us as an option.) The 2018 Forester has rear AC vents on Premium trim and up.

My main concern with the 2019 is any major issues (things that cause an engine or some other large & expensive part to go bad). I guess it is too early for something like this to have happened to your 2014... (and hopefully it never will...).

Thank you again for sharing your experience.

[philpill]

who needs this 2019 forester?
I am quite content with my 2006 turbo...no repairs and fantastic reliability. It will outlive me!

[nymeria.stark]

Details on the redesigned 2019 Forester are coming out. Highlights - Turbo version (XT) no longer available....

"While every new Forester comes with Subaru's EyeSight driver assistance features, the Touring spec debuts the DriverFocus fatigue and distraction alert. In unison with EyeSight, DriverFocus uses facial recognition software to monitor signs of fatigue or distraction on up to five different drivers."

No turbo and standard EyeSight would be a deal-breaker for me. It's already hard to find a Forester without Eyesight/Nav, and the DriverFocus sounds like a bad idea/glitchy. I might be showing my age, but I don't like the idea of my car scanning my face or braking for me. As much as I love the Forester, this sounds like a redesign that wouldn't make me happy.

[Jack FFR1846]

Is there any reason, e.g., that the engine, or another key aspect of the 2019 Subaru Forester, would be less risky to purchase than a usual first year of a new generation? For example, has a similar engine already been used by Subaru in another vehicle or in another part of the world?

Thank you so much!

The direct injected FB engine in 2.0L size was introduced in the 2017 Impreza and then 2018 Crosstrek. Now in the 2019 Forester, I expect Legacy and Outback are next. I don't follow the BRZ at all. I believe the WRX had it starting in '15 as a turbo 2.0L. The STi is the lone remaining user of the EJ25.

[sailfish2]

Had a 2003 Forester and suffered through two head gasket replacements (even though Subaru claimed the defect was fixed by my model year).

Also the seats were too hard.. but I did get 217,000 miles on it and had fun doing donuts in the snow!

Ugh, the dreaded head gasket issue is common with older model Outbacks as well.

I dealt with that about a year ago with my 2008 Outback.