2000 Subaru Forester L
Well, this is my Forester page. It's a pretty useful car for us. We take it
camping several times a year, and we try to go skiing every so often but it is
on the highway most of the time. It comes in pretty handy for runs to home depot
or a trip to the airport.
The car is pretty easy to keep clean and maintain. I specifically chose the "L" version because it doesn't have painted bumpers or belt line trim. I've always felt that the unpainted panels are more durable against the scuffs and scrapes that the typical SUV might experience. I do wish I would have gotten the "S" model for the rear disk brakes, though.
I've been cleaning, polishing and waxing the car using Meguair's "professional" products since new. I have also been using the same products on my 2001 BMW. Though I've been pretty happy with the Meguair's Medallion products so far, I will probably change my paint care products to Zaino. It's a bit more expensive but after researching the matter, I decided to move to a polymer versus a carnauba based wax. And after researching the various polymers that are available, it seems that Zaino may be the best overall "deal" after all.
Here's the car after a week old Medallion application and a set of brand set of Dunlop SP Sport A2 tires.
Since the Forester is a little higher off the ground than a regular car, it's
much easier to crawl under the car and change the oil. No jack required. I've switched
to Mobil1 synthetic 5w-30. Though Mobil1
has one of the best oil filters available, it is not available in an exact size
for a Subaru. For the oil filter I go with the Purolator
PureOne. Purolator is the OEM supplier for Subaru and there's an exact fit
with model number PL14460. Not to be confused with the standard L14460, which is
the same filter that you get from the Subaru dealer.
At the 30,000 mile mark, I changed the transaxle and rear differential fluids with Red Line 75W90NS. After the switch, I noticed smoother shifting and a crisper transmission feel (the OEM oil was presumably a little thicker).
Out of the factory, the Forester is a tad on the non-sporty side for me so I performed a couple of high bang for the buck subtle modifications.
First off, I installed the FHI (Fuji Heavy Industries - Subaru's parent company) 18mm rear sway bar. The FHI bars come in three different sizes, 18mm, 20mm and 22mm. For an otherwise stock Forester, the 18mm bar is the perfect choice. It reduces the overall body roll enough to give it a good feel. There is still just enough understeer left to make the car safe to drive for the non-sporty drivers in your household. Anyway, the trick is to find a Subaru dealer that knows how to get these parts. Be careful, though, as there are some independent high performance parts dealers that buy these from the dealer and then mark them up and pass the savings on to you. Some apparently go so far as to tear off the parts tags so that you don't know the part numbers. Anyway, here are the part numbers:
- Sway Bar (qty. 1): 20450FA020
- Bushings (qty. 2): 21047GA671
Here is a comparison of the OEM 13mm bar and the new FHI 18mm
bar. Someone sent me these pictures in email but I forgot who it was. Once I
figure it out, I'd like to mention his name here.
Here is s a close up of the bars.
These are the bushings (be sure to lubricate them when you install).
I purchased mine from Lisa at Troncalli Subaru. The bar and bushings were $85, delivered.
The other incremental upgrade I did was change the tire size and series to a sportier tire. After doing the research, it seems that the Dunlop SP Sport A2 was the tire to get. I purchased them in the 215/65-15 size versus the 205/70-15 size that the car came with. The tire is slightly wider and has a slightly shorter side wall. The overall dimensions are close enough, though, that there are no side affects like rubbing tires or significant speedometer error. I think these tires are better than the Bridgestone Dueler H/L's that I would have defaulted to. In fact, the Dunlop's were even several dollars per tire less expensive.
I purchased from the TireRack, as I have for the last several set of tires that I've had to purchase. Excellent prices and service. The database of mail order friendly tire installers in your local area is a really nice feature.
The 2000 model didn't come with dual front cup holders in the front. I installed the cup holder out of the 2001 model, which is a direct replacement. It's a bit of a bear to install as you need to dismantle the center console a bit. It can be done. The problem that I have found is just getting the part. Some dealers claim that the part has been recalled and is no longer available. This is not true. The part number is
- Dual Cup Holder: 66150FC0100E
I purchased this for $21.10 delivered, also from Lisa at Troncalli Subaru.
Here's the car one week after I got it. This is almost to the end of the road at the Utica Reservoir in the Stanislaus National Forest.
Here are a few more recent shots taken at the Utica Reservoir in August 2001. It has been getting more and more crowded in recent years so we have to drive in a little further. The pictures probably look a little tame to the serious off-roader but believe it or not, it took a little maneuvering to get the car through unscathed. I did manage to scratch up the right front mud flap ($38 DAMN!).
Leaving the Kirby Cove camp site (camp spot number 1).
