2019 Forester - No, really.

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 03/28/2018 at 14:03 • Filed to: Subaru

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At least the interior is a clear improvement

Updated 2.5 with 181 hp and 176 lfs-ft will hopefully improve mileage by keeping the oil inside of the engine.

Standard CVT means yes, no more manual fozzy.

new “sport” trim to rub salt in the wounds cut from the loss of the XT

Its funny, I feel like Subaru went Toyota here and Toyota went Subaru.

victor > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:08

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Struggling....to...see...the...change.

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:13

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I’ll be to first to defend a good CVT, but Subaru’s are the freaking worst

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:19

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Hopefully the infotainment UI is better than the outgoing version. The interior seems, well fine, which is a step up for Subaru. The outside is also fine.

Shame there’s nothing more powerful. 181hp still seems slow.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > victor 03/28/2018 at 14:19

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taillights annnnnd maybe a crease in the headlights lower part? All i got.

Arrivederci > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:19

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So very little change.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By 03/28/2018 at 14:20

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*but Subaru’s are the freaking worst after Nissan

FTFY 

HammerheadFistpunch > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 03/28/2018 at 14:20

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given their competitors are all moving into the 200+ hp range

xyzabc > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:20

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Interior looks like a Ford.

DipodomysDeserti > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:22

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No XT and no manual option?

RIP Subaru. I wonder how long it’ll be until they stop making the WRX.

All these quirky Japanese brands have now melded into one homogenous brand made up of CVT mall crawlers. 

I should have held on to my old 4wd manual Loyale...

gettingoldercarguy > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:23

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Whoever is driving Subaru away from their rally heritage needs to quickly be coached via the exit door. By chasing Audi, etc. They’re going to sacrifice what makes them so valuable. Do they not realize that Audi really doesn’t have any brand identity currently? Their wrc lineage is garbage and their LeMans stuff was based on diesel. Keep the gold wheel dreams alive!

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:23

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Why are Subarus so down on power when other manufacturers are routinely getting 190-200hp out of similarly sized 4 cylinders?

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:24

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WTF no more XT? What is the sports trim? Same base powerplant with just some minor design tweaks?

Also they took a handsome if bland looking vehicle and made it look like a Nissan Rogue (the rear). WTF?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > victor 03/28/2018 at 14:25

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They made it look more like a CRV

BeaterGT > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 03/28/2018 at 14:26

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I’m actually surprised the turbo stuck around that long in the Forester.

BeaterGT > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:28

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Meh. Couldn’t agree more about Toyota, since Subarus are plain boring now.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:42

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No XT? Well that sucks. So let’s see in how many ways in which Subaru has failed IMO and prevented us from getting a single new Subaru for the family:

No WRX Hatch

No Crosstrek with the 2.0FADIT or even their 1.6T turbo

No Turbo option on the Outback, only the outdated 3.6R

No Manual XT

No legacy GT

NO Levorg ( This is the biggest crime)

No hybrid options at all, I mean just take Toyota’s systems dammit

No DSG or even a simple automatic across the range but stupid CVTs

Grossly Under-powered 2.0L motor on the Impreza and Crosstrek

I guess they don’t care because they’re so happy to be rolling around in stacks of Dollars, Rainbow stickers and Granola bars.

wafflesnfalafel > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:47

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Five bucks this “new” rig pulls folks away from the new, chunkified Rav4.

tuxOnWindows > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 03/28/2018 at 14:49

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I’m no expert but I’d guess it’s due to the AWD.

benjrblant > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 14:57

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Subaru went Toyota here and Toyota went Subaru

Yes. 100%.

no more manual fozzy.

F- YOU DAMMIT

los[s] of the XT

F- YOU DAMMIT

KEEP YOUR 2000'S TOYOTA OUT OF MY SUBARU! UGH!

BobintheMtns > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 03/28/2018 at 15:16

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Shitty old-ass engines that haven’t seen a re-design in decades...

HammerheadFistpunch > BobintheMtns 03/28/2018 at 15:30

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This is the FB25, which is relatively new. Its still terrible, but its new.

HammerheadFistpunch > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 15:32

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just remember that the 2.5 RS/WRX/STI were all crazy outliers for a company like Subaru at the time. Nutty, wacky bets that just happen to pay off. im not saying that heritage isn’t important, im just saying those aren’t what built/builds the company.

HammerheadFistpunch > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/28/2018 at 15:33

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No true impreza wagon either, just a dumpy hatch.

Amoore100 > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 15:39

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Indeed, this is the contemporary equivalent of the mighty Loyale

Slow, frumpy, and boring, but reliableish and AWD

HammerheadFistpunch > Amoore100 03/28/2018 at 15:40

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yup. people forget what built the subaru rep...it wasn’t turbo’s

Amoore100 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/28/2018 at 15:40

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KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Amoore100 03/28/2018 at 15:56

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Heavy, Slower than regular Slowtrek, increase in Fuel economy doesn’t compensate enough for price premium, 2014.

camarov6rs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/28/2018 at 16:06

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I mean seriously where is all the money they are making going!? It isn’t being put into the product that’s for sure. Their current base engines have been around forever with few significant updates, their platforms are nice but there isn’t anything truly different about them, their safety tech works very well but doesn’t seem to be pushed much technologically speaking and their “technology” feels decidedly old compared to others.

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 03/28/2018 at 16:10

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Ah yes, how could I forget?!?

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > camarov6rs 03/28/2018 at 16:19

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“But we are a teeny tiny company! Boohoo! We don’t have enough R&D to give you a WRX Hatch or update the STI’s 2.5EJ or develop a decent DCT/Automatic so take this CVT instead pretty please?” All that money went into the Ascent, I’m telling you. Gotta bring in those subarbanites’ cash and get them all into the Impreza/Crosstrek-> Forester/Outback-> Ascent program the moment they are in college.

Long-Voyager > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 16:20

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*Puts on flame suit*

All Imprezas are hatches.

vicali > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 16:23

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Have you seen WRC lately?

That’s a Yaris, Fiesta, C3, and an i20.. They’d have to bring back a Justy to compete.

camarov6rs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/28/2018 at 16:30

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The sad thing about the 2.5 EJ is that they already have a modern 2.0T making 300 hp in Japan but instead of investing the money to bring it here they phoned it in and kept their already ancient engine. Funny how the STI guys said it was ok because they were already “familiar” with the engine and knew how to get the most out of it right away, really that’s a poor excuse for a company to basically say we ran out of money during the development so we decided to scrap a body style and keep the old engine and focus on chassis.

HammerheadFistpunch > Long-Voyager 03/28/2018 at 16:33

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They are now, that used to not be the case.

yes, it technically has a hatch for a 5th door, but its longer than the sedan and has windows for the cargo are and the majority of the cargo area is covered by the roofline. Wagon.

hatchback

Amoore100 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/28/2018 at 16:50

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I didn’t realize they had stopped selling them; that besides, all you said was “No hybrid options” which I mean they had one option, not a very good option, but an option nonetheless.

gettingoldercarguy > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 16:57

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Nah the 2.5rs was hyped by Gran Turismo. People followed that for years and wanted a taste. No different than the gtr or the Evo.

HammerheadFistpunch > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 17:00

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im not saying it didn’t fuel the growth, but it wasn’t the base.

gettingoldercarguy > vicali 03/28/2018 at 17:03

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There’s still a strong rally following for those the Subarus. Yes their reliability helped but having brand ambassadors are a huge benefit to the non enthusiast buyer.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_World_Rally_Team

gettingoldercarguy > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 17:04

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It wasn’t just that.

gettingoldercarguy > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 17:07

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There were many facets to Subaru’s growth and sacrificing a major long-standing one is exactly what I said it is above.

Long-Voyager > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 17:24

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Both hatches.

This is a wagon:

I will even accept this as a wagon:

The Impreza, regardless of year, lacks a large rear window synonymous with wagon. It’s a hatch, not sure why that bothers so many people.

HammerheadFistpunch > Long-Voyager 03/28/2018 at 17:26

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but...it’s clearly got windows. I’m not sure if you are seeing what I’m seeing but the old one had windows. ITs a short wagon, but its a wagon. I think you are the only one I’ve ever heard that thinks the old one isn’t a wagon.

vicali > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 17:27

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Not arguing with you, I’m as much of a rallysubaru fan as they come, just that for the 10% who bought subies to get dirty the rest were driving because of the outback.

Long-Voyager > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 17:37

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There are plenty of people who agree. Just because it has small quarter windows does not make it a wagon.

This is honestly a Subaru guy thing, IMO. Anyone I know who’s not into Subaru calls them what they are, hatches. I honestly think Subaru guys call them wagons because they’re ashamed of buying a hatchback for some unknown reason.

In your own pics you use this to define wagon: has windows for the cargo are and the majority of the cargo area is covered by the roofline. 

Yet the “wagon” you posted has a shorter roofline over the cargo area than the “hatch”, with both of them having windows for the cargo area.

Even then, by all technicality, they are all hatchbacks, they all have a hatch at the back;)

gettingoldercarguy > vicali 03/28/2018 at 17:43

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I think that’s short changing their long standing strategy and not giving full recognition of the new strategy. When they say “gold wheels are a thing of the past” I question if they truly know how to Captain this ship.

“Subaru’s WRC efforts date back to 1980, however, the team, in its current form, has existed since 1989, when the British firm Prodrive took over its operations, and its base moved from Japan to Banbury , England.”

These are some classic MBA moves that are damaging long term, overlooked for their short term profits.

“On 16 December 2008, it was announced that Subaru would no longer be competing in the World Rally Championships.”

This is them saying “we’re good on lgbtq rights so we’re halting direct support.” It is astonishingly myopic.

HammerheadFistpunch > Long-Voyager 03/28/2018 at 17:45

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the rules man...the rules

https://jalopnik.com/5872562/what-makes-a-wagon-a-wagon

Besides, these aren’t windows, they are portholes and they are before the C pillar visually - Extensions of the rear windows not dedicated cargo area windows.

Long-Voyager > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 17:53

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Really, it’s ok you bought a hatch, I won’t judge you. ;)

Unless you try to call it a wagon, then I will judge you, hard.

Going off the Jalopnik definition, the Impreza’s roof doesn’t cover over 50% of the floor:

gettingoldercarguy > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/28/2018 at 17:55

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“Hey honey! If we cut groceries and mortgage out of the budget, look at how much money we save!”

HammerheadFistpunch > Long-Voyager 03/28/2018 at 17:56

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I don’t own a subaru, and the last one I did was definitely a wagon. I’m not saying your pro van anti wagon agenda is wrong, but its for sure wrong.

Long-Voyager > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 17:57

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By Jalopnik definition, the roofline covers less than 50% of the cargo floor, not wagon.

vicali > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 17:58

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save the wiki quotes, I’ve been on NASOIC and SF for almost 20 years, watched wrc religiously for longer than that, and rode around in a GL wagon as a little three year old.. I know the story.

Flat brims are a recent thing, SVX and XT don’t sell, Outbacks and Corolla Imprezas make bank. 

Long-Voyager > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 17:59

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That is a wagon. I’m not anti wagon, I’m anti “calling cars that aren’t wagons wagons to try to sound cooler”. I also happen to have a real wagon sitting awaiting an engine when I get back around to it.

See my previous post, by Jalop rules why no Impreza has ever been a true wagon.

HammerheadFistpunch > Long-Voyager 03/28/2018 at 18:03

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good sir, you missed the end of the roof by a long way here, no the spoiler doesn’t count, but it should surely count the end of the roof don’t you think?

gettingoldercarguy > vicali 03/28/2018 at 18:17

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Cool, I helped found Cobb tuning.

Long-Voyager > HammerheadFistpunch 03/28/2018 at 18:21

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The spoiler is mounted to the hatch. The start of the spoiler is the end of the roof, start of the hatch. The hatch cannot be counted as “roof”, as it is a break in the roofline, described in the very definition you were citing: Rule 2. The roofline must extend past the passenger seating area and continue on, unbroken

vicali > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 19:27

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So you have a vested interest in Subaru selling turbos to tuners in the North America market, cool..

I can see why you would feel like they are straying from their ‘brand’ by abandoning their rally heritage and moving to people movers.

I’m only suggesting that people movers have been their bread and butter with the Leone, Legacy, Outback, Impreza, and Forester since they came to North America in the 70s.

gettingoldercarguy > vicali 03/28/2018 at 19:50

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No, I’m no longer there.

I understand what earns the lion’s share of income, but abandoning their performance roots will come at a cost that has supported their rugged sensible image. It’ll also slowly reduce or eliminate enthusiasts from their ranks who indirectly sell that make. A family member might not want a wrx but since so and so likes theirs they’ll look at a Crosstrek. I don’t want a Focus RS but a Ford Escape looks nice.

Their upper management previously was intimately aware of this. Several things have changed where this is seemingly no longer a priority.

This isn’t from a hidden vested interest. Rather, I’m an enthusiast who hopes Subaru continues to grow without abandoning so much of who they are. Think BMW enthusiasts bemoaning the last two M5s compared to the e39.

Cheers

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Amoore100 03/28/2018 at 19:50

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I’d rather have this over most STIs tbh

AestheticsInMotion > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 20:02

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“gold wheels are a thing of the past”

That’s a heart-wrenching thing to read

gettingoldercarguy > AestheticsInMotion 03/28/2018 at 20:03

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One of their execs said that.

AestheticsInMotion > DipodomysDeserti 03/28/2018 at 20:04

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The real question is what comes first - axing the wrx, or making it CVT only

AestheticsInMotion > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 20:09

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Well... I still have faith in Mazda. The day the Miata is canceled I’ll shed real tears though. And... Maybe a little in Honda? Looks are a bit over-the-top but the type R is still 1000x more insane than anything else the Japanese brands have done lately.

Nissan is dead to me but they still sell the Z and GT-R so... They get a pass. Toyota is showing signs of life but we’ll see. Subaru... Man. They really seem to think nothing of their vocal enthusiast base. The worst part is that they’re probably right. I see so many friends and family grabbing Crosstrek’s and thinking they just bought some “crazy” adventure-mobile....

(edit) also Mitsubishi is still around I’ve been told

DipodomysDeserti > AestheticsInMotion 03/28/2018 at 20:16

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I think they’ll make ot a high trimmed Impreza again, then make ot CVT only, then just call it the Impreza sport.

gettingoldercarguy > AestheticsInMotion 03/28/2018 at 20:19

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My thoughts are pretty much spot on with what you said. I’d really like to see another b13 Sentra se-r from Nissan.

AestheticsInMotion > DipodomysDeserti 03/28/2018 at 20:21

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That’s worse than how the Evo went out. Hopefully it’s still a ways out.

And boy would it be nice to get one more proper hatch bodystyle

AestheticsInMotion > gettingoldercarguy 03/28/2018 at 20:25

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I honestly think they might be one of the most underappreciated sporty cars out there. They’re xheaper than almost all of the competition from that time, and perform at the top of the pack. If this was a manual I’d be there tonight to pick it up. I wonder what a swap would be like for one of these...

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Long-Voyager 03/28/2018 at 20:26

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From the sales brochure for the 2006 Subaru Impreza. It’s a wagon and always has been. It was a wagon until 2008 when they shortened the cargo area, increased the rear window rake, and reduced the rear windows to port holes.

gettingoldercarguy > AestheticsInMotion 03/28/2018 at 20:59

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It’d make a fun racecar.

John-Palazzo > Long-Voyager 03/28/2018 at 23:16

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I never owned a Subaru in my life and I love wagons. That’s a wagon, the new ones are hatches. You are the only person I have ever seen in my life who calls that a hatch.

Long-Voyager > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 03/29/2018 at 06:57

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Fun part, if you lay the 2 body styles over each other, they actually lengthened the cargo area, reduced the rear window rake, and reduced the rear windows to match what can be seen from inside on the outgoing model.

Subaru also tells us the Forester is an SUV, which it is clearly not......

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Long-Voyager 03/29/2018 at 08:09

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Lol, wut?

Way more rake on the rear window of an 08-11 hatch than a 02-07 Wagon. Also note the reduced distance between the rear wheels and the end of the trunk.