I'll have a 2010 Forester for a week; any questions I should look to answer?

[ifcar]

Not regardless of price.  I happen to think nearly all Chrysler products are cheap looking beyond measure.  Even the cheapest Asians are fairly decent, while the Europeans top all in terms of appearance.  The Impreza looks like it tried to ape the dash grains found in the VW Rabbit, which is a decent benchmark for that range of vehicles.  The switches can't be that much worse than anything else out there from an Asian automaker, and I've handled a few knobs in my day (har har).  But I look at it this way; I bought a car stickering at $28k which has a dash out of an $18-$20k base car.  Is it worthy of a $28K car?  Maybe I could have bought a stripper Acura, which would have been nice, sure, but the content and capabilities are what I wanted. The dash isn't great but it doesn't let the whole car down, as you seem to think it would.

I never said it did.

[ifcar]

In too many cases, descriptions of a car as ?basic? or ?honest? or ?competent but unexciting? are employed as attempts to excuse a bad car for being uncompetitive. ?Sure, Car X isn?t going to appeal to a driving enthusiast, but it?s just fine for someone who wants good basic transportation,? far too many car reviews will conclude.

Reviews like that, of cars that are inexcusably inferior to competitors that would serve the same sort of consumer far better, cheapen the phrase of ?honest transportation? to a euphemism for ?bad.?

The 2010 Subaru Forester compact SUV ? which spent a week with the DC Car Examiner ? is good, honest, basic, competent but unexciting transportation. And it outdoes its competition at providing the virtues that make it so...

Continued at link:
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-1017-DC-Car-Examiner~y2009m10d11-Review-2010-Subaru-Forester-25X-Limited--honest-basic-transportation-done-right

[S204STi]

I never said it did.

Ok, my mistake then.

[S204STi]

I don't recall where I read this, maybe it was here, but something like 40% of Subaru owners pay cash for their vehicles.  Meaning that most Subaru owners probably could have bought something else, but picked a Subaru instead, or they are simply more prudent in general, being good managers of their money.  I remember now that stat was part of an article pointing out that Subaru is the ONLY automaker posting better numbers YTD over each previous  year.  Obviously they're doing something right.

[Raza]

He's known for mild hyperbolism at times.

Am not!

The STi I drove wasn't that bad, sure the steering wasn't as heavy as the Elise or RSX nor does it handle as well as the Elise but it still handles pretty nicely.  And it handles bumps and stuff without being too stiff and not too much body roll. 

Now, if you want to talk about driving like a Toyota.. the VWs drive like Toyotas with their crappy non linear brakes!

Poo on your wrong opinion!

But I haven't driven an STI since the hawkeyes.  It was okay, but lacked the "something special" the standard WRX had at the time.  The performance was great, but driving it back to back with a WRX made it clear that you weren't really gaining anything in the fun department. 

And then driving it against an Evo VIII really put it into perspective; how could two cars so similar be so different?  How could the Evo feel so special at town speeds and the STI feel so ordinary? 

Some of the worst cars I've ever driven have come from Toyota.  The 2008 WRX sits on the same list as the Scion xB, Toyota Paseo, and Toyota Camry I4. 

[Raza]

I don't recall where I read this, maybe it was here, but something like 40% of Subaru owners pay cash for their vehicles.  Meaning that most Subaru owners probably could have bought something else, but picked a Subaru instead, or they are simply more prudent in general, being good managers of their money.  I remember now that stat was part of an article pointing out that Subaru is the ONLY automaker posting better numbers YTD over each previous  year.  Obviously they're doing something right.

Yeah, they're selling out their identity for sales. 

[J86]

Am not!

[S204STi]

Yeah, they're selling out their identity for sales. 

Your trolling is simultaneously amusing and annoying.

The 08 WRX and the current GT are an epic fail, but you should drive the 09 sometime.  From all reports it's back to the usual good-ness that made the WRX so special.

[Submariner]

Am not!

Poo on your wrong opinion!

But I haven't driven an STI since the hawkeyes.  It was okay, but lacked the "something special" the standard WRX had at the time.  The performance was great, but driving it back to back with a WRX made it clear that you weren't really gaining anything in the fun department. 

And then driving it against an Evo VIII really put it into perspective; how could two cars so similar be so different?  How could the Evo feel so special at town speeds and the STI feel so ordinary? 

Some of the worst cars I've ever driven have come from Toyota.  The 2008 WRX sits on the same list as the Scion xB, Toyota Paseo, and Toyota Camry I4. 

I cannot possibly imagine the WRX being as bland as a Camry. 

[CALL_911]

I cannot possibly imagine the WRX being as bland as a Camry. 

Apparently, the 2008 was. According to reviewers, the 2009 seems to have brought back the WRXness to the WRX.

[Raza]

Your trolling is simultaneously amusing and annoying.

The 08 WRX and the current GT are an epic fail, but you should drive the 09 sometime.  From all reports it's back to the usual good-ness that made the WRX so special.

It's not really trolling; I drove the car with every intention to buy.  I like Subaru, which is why I'm so critical of their current trend.  I'll give it a try when possible, but from what I've read, they've just given it more power and (I think) firm up the suspension a little.  I've read nothing about better steering or pedal feel.  

I think I'll have time to drive one this weekend, if I'm lucky.  I'll try it out.

http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=15346.0

[S204STi]

It's not really trolling; I drove the car with every intention to buy.  I like Subaru, which is why I'm so critical of their current trend.  I'll give it a try when possible, but from what I've read, they've just given it more power and (I think) firm up the suspension a little.  I've read nothing about better steering or pedal feel. 

I think I'll have time to drive one this weekend, if I'm lucky.  I'll try it out.

http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=15346.0

I recall the steering improving in at least one review.  It should, at least.  It has firmer front strut mounts, firmer springs overall, and significantly better tires which will make most of the difference in steering feel IMO.