SUBARU FORESTER – Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed

Posted by November 29, 2019 in Articles
SUBARU FORESTER – Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed


– When you wanna hit the dirt roads, but you wanna be a little
different, what do you get? (engine revving) When you wanna blow the doors off a Camaro in your turbo charged
all wheel drive sleeper, what do you get? (engines revving) They made one for
e’erybody, from Vermont moms to so Cal surfer dudes to liberal arts professors
and Overlanders. This is everything you need
to know to get up to speed on the Subaru (vocalizing) Forester. You’re the man now, dog. (electronic music) It’s the mid ’90s,
people were wearing Fubu and Levi’s Silvertab jeans. Dear Mama by Tupac Shakur was blasting out of my dad’s car as he
pulled away from me and my mom. Ironic, don’t you think? It’s like rain…SUVs
like the Jeep Cherokee and the Ford Explorer were
already hugely popular. And Subaru didn’t make anything like that. They made weird looking, totally rad stuff like the SVX. It’s got a freaking race car window in it. But smaller, car based crossover SUVs were starting to take off. Subaru’s Legacy Outback
was beginning to sell and Honda CRVs and Toyota
RAV4s were taking over small parking lots. And it’s no wonder, they
both came with picnic tables in the back. I love picnics, I hate ants. You wanna go to a picnic? Hello? The RAV4 might not have
come with a picnic table. Portable furniture aside, people
preferred the car like fuel economy and the car like handling over the truckiness of
the body on frame SUVs of the time. Subaru product planners took notice. Hey Mitch, what if we put the boxy wagon onto a small car platform
and jack the ride height up a little bit? Dude, I freakin’ love how you think. Dude, we can make an STI version. We should. Yeah, but let’s not send it to America. Yeah dude, (beeping) them. So like Steph Curry, they took this shot. Subaru debuted a forest
colored Impreza based concept called the Streega at the
1995 Tokyo Motor Show. When it finally launched as a ’98 model, they had changed the name to the appropriately
outdoorsy sounding Forester. The new crossover had a tall greenhouse with huge windows along
with a high seating position that gave people the visibility they liked about SUVs without all the bulk. And because it had a low
car like center of gravity, also due to the nice low boxer engine, it was way less likely to roll over especially compared to the
notoriously tippy flippy Ford Explorers of the day. (tires screeching) It did so well in safety
tests that it was the only crossover not required to
have a rollover warning on the sun visor. Under the hood the first
generation Forester got the sweet (beeping)
turbo charged two liter EJ20G boxer engine, making 250
HRSPRS, hallelujah, yeah. Sike, we didn’t get that,
only Japan got that. Every time I believe
somebody, they break my heart. American Foresters got the
Outback’s 2.5 liter EJ25 boxer four with 165 naturally aspirated forest dwelling, oat eating horse puppies. And every car came
standard with a five speed manual transmission,
hallelujah, save the manual. Subaru also doubled down on
people’s love of traction. So unlike the Impreza at the time, every Forester came with all wheel drive. (engine revving) The S trims got a sportier
fiscus limited slip dip and 16 inch alloy wheels because S always stands
for sport, you silly goose. – Gimme some of this. – There were dealer option packages that added even more rugged stuff, like a brush guard and a
rear differential skid plate to protect your rear dip
from rocks and stumps, and for you geeks out
there, there was a dash top gauge pack with an altimeter, a barometer, and a digital compass. How sick is that? Back in the wagon booty there
was almost 65 cubic feet of cargo space. This thing could haul stuff. It didn’t haul much (beeping) yet. (engines revving) In the year 2000 Japan started
to get sportier Forester variance with suspension
mods, bigger brakes, and a body kit. Subaru made 800 of the
super limited STI2 type Ms with gold BBS wheels and an ECU too good for a 5.8 zero to 60. Meanwhile the U.S. Subaru
Forester was affordable, practical, safe, and capable. The automotive press loved
it with heavy hitters like Consumer Reports and Car and Driver calling it the best small SUV. But the new millennium
dawned, grunge music was out and Subaru still wasn’t
selling a whole heck of a lot of cars in America. Subaru was competing against giants like Honda, Toyota, and Ford. And they were losing. They desperately needed more buyers. They hired an ad company, Wieden+Kennedy to make them look cool. Those are the guys who came
up with just do it for Nike. But after a year of
paying out mucho dinero to those mad men, Subaru
actually saw a decrease in sales. So they hired a smaller
firm, Mulryan Nash, who said they could figure
out how to sell the Forester to a new niche market. The new guys started by looking into who was buying their cars. As one would assume, their
all wheel drive vehicles were selling well in places
like the Pacific north west and up in New England. That makes sense, it’s snowy and rainy in
those places, what else? But what was less expected than that was that around 80% of
the buyers in those places were women, and after a
couple focus group Q and As, they confirmed that most of the people buying Foresters were lesbians. I know nowadays it’s something of a cliche but it’s true, LGBT women
were four times more likely to own a Subaru than any other
segment of the population. Now Mulryan Nash specialized
in niche advertising, and here’s what they came up with. Their first print ad featured a Subaru climbing over a rock and
proclaimed it loves camping, dogs and long term commitment. Too bad it’s only a car. And their sales took off. They featured slogans
that still sounded good if you didn’t know, but
they gave a subtle wink to the underserved, extremely
loyal consumer base. In 2000 Subaru hired Martina
Navratilova to appear with Foresters on
billboards, in magazines, and in commercials. This wasn’t a subtle nod
in print with Xena lover on the license plate,
which they did before. This was network TV. Some buyers and dealers pushed back, but money talks and losers walk. This ad campaign which nowadays is taught in marketing classes,
skyrocketed Forester’s sales and effectively saved Subaru. (tires screeching) The second generation
2003 Forester came out looking almost exactly
the same as the first, only now it had a new rear end with triangle-y headlights. It was nailing every crash test and earning top safety ratings. You know the kind of things
people are concerned about, but more importantly the Forester XT finally hauled (beeping) into
American dealerships in 2004. Under the newly scooped
hood was a turbo charged 2.5 liter EJ255 Boxer-4
making 210 buff horses with a ton of turbo capability. (engine revving) Now drivers who wanted all
the performance of the WRX in a more business like
understated package could walk into a dealership
and buy a Forester XT. If you were lucky enough
to live in Japan in 2004, you could get this awesome Forester STI. Subaru was dead set on making the fastest mean looking Forester ever. (engine revving) Little powerhouse cranked out 265 hrsprs, let you shift through six gears. It comes with MOMO stuff. Smash that like button
so I know how many of you like MOMO stuff. And while we’re over here lamenting about how we never get
anything good from Japan in the states, if you
got a U.S. Forester XT STI parts bolt right on. And there was an added bonus, it was much easier to slip past the cops in the boxy Fosy, than it
was to rumble by in a Rex with a big wave. (siren blaring) The totally new third gen
Forester came out in 2009 designed by Mamoru Ishii. It started to look like the crossover it always was deep down inside. The same engines carried
forward with the XT now pouring out 225 back country horses. The Forester’s new mainstream looks and a rap sheet for being super safe pushed sales higher than they’d ever been. (tires screeching) 2014 saw the debut of
the fourth gen Forester with a pretty mild face lift
and even more interior space. The 2.5 XT became the 2.0 XT with a two liter, four
banger making 250 hrs prs. The five speed manual was
replaced with a new six speed unit, but you couldn’t get it with a turbo for some reason. On the plus side this was
the Forester’s first time getting Subaru’s X mode, which works with the all wheel drive and stability control to
handle the trickiest off road and slippery situation. (engine revving) The brand new fifth gen Forester
came out this year, 2019. And of course it’s bigger, more comfy, and safe as can be. There’s a new sport trim sporting orange and black accents, but
there’s not much else sporty about that one. The days of boosted Forester
XTs are dead and gone for now. And if you’re lamenting the
loss of a hatchback STI, Subarbu unveiled a brand
new Forester STI concept. It features a new E boxer hybrid engine, all the STI suspension
goodies you’d expect. Big old 19 inch aluminum wheels and six piston Brembos in the front. It’s a bad ass looking
beast that will remind you of the no nonsense roots
that helped the Forester save your favorite car company. (engine revving) Guys, I wanna give a big shout
out to some of our favorite dudes around, Evett’s Model Shop. Times are tough for small
businesses right now and Evett’s is trying hard to survive. But rent is getting out of control. They may have to shut down
if they don’t get help, and you may have seen these guys in our video where we made
a 124 scale drift missile or more recently they
helped us put together our Bugatti drone that went
41 miles per (screeching). If you have a second, please
go donate to their Indiegogo in the link below or go
buy a cool ass model kit, an RC car or a helicopter at their store if you live near Santa Monica. They’ve been around since 1948. Every time I walk in
there I feel like a kid and now I’m an adult with a job so I can finally get all the stuff that my dad said I couldn’t
buy when I was a little kid. Places like this don’t exist and we need to keep them around. So anything you can do to help them, they’re really great friends of ours. I love you. Thanks for watching Up to Speed. We make one of these every week. Hit that subscribe button
so you don’t miss any. Smash that like button ’cause
I wanna be on the trending page and I don’t know how to do it. You wanna buy a Donut shirt? Go to DonutMedia.com. Let us know what cars you
wanna see down in the comments, follow me on Instagram at James Pumphrey, follow Donut at Donut Media. Check out these episodes.

About the Author: Michael Flood

100 Comments

  1. What's your favorite joke from this episode? Leave a timestamp and I'll comment on my favorite one! – Pumphrey 💪🐴⚡⚡⚡⚡

    Reply

  4. Looks like my 2006 turbo needs a rainbow flag. It will wear it with pride. 254000 km timing belt done at 245000km. I love it. Just got to wait 42 weeks, while it traverses through the panel beaters. For the 4th time in 6 years. Next person to crash into it will earn me a murder charge.

    Reply

  7. I have a 09 Fozzie. I regret not getting the XT. I lowered it 1.5” and put a RSB. The looks I get from those luxury snobs when I take a turn is priceless. Also driving pass almost every car in the snow storm. Love it! Amen!! Save Evvett!!!!!

    Reply

  24. Dude, you are soooooo over the top. Get that Camaro crap off of the video, because my 87 Z-28 stock will blow the doors off a 2004 Subaru Outback!

    How do I know? Because I own BOTH cars!

    I love my Subie and would not trade it for any vehicle.

    Drink less soda or coffee and calm down!

    It was irritating to try to listen to your video.

    I know that some or a lot of people like that presentation, but you are tuning-out a lot of people with this thing that you are doing.

    Have fun.

    Reply

  25. 11 min. in and I have a migraine. You need to get your facts right and look at other models. Outback came with all the options you talk about, but was LOWER and weighed less. I have the all-weather package,……so I have a LSD in the rear. I put on Primitive Industries skid plates in front, trans, and rear. I have more ground clearance than your boxy, high-centred fu-fu wagon.

    I go places that regular Jeeps with stock wheels and tires go. I have more space to put all my crap. And I don't look like a funny Ford doing it.

    Also I can get .91 G on the skid pad.

    Let's see if your Forrie can do that without turning turtle!

    Reply

  32. Omg! Can you do the Subaru XV? I learning all about the different kinds of cars and the way you present. You have amazing comedy and personality. Thanks for your show!

    Reply

  35. Seriously, an STI Forrester is exactly what I would've wanted in a 1st Gen body! That's perfect!
    Also, side note- I possibly would've bought a BRZ had they made an STI model. Seriously, WTF Subaru! America wanted STI Forresters and BRZs

    Reply

  36. Also, Subaru should've never quit the Baja, and should've made an STI of that too! That would the ultimate Subaru for me!
    Baja STI!

    Reply

  40. Wouldn't the 06-08 models of Forester be the 3rd gen? They did a facelift for those years. Does that not count?

    Reply

  49. I saw this video too late, went to donate to the Model Shop, and I see they're closed. I hate seeing small businesses go under.

    Reply

  52. To think about it, too much testosterone nearly ended this company's life.

    Good o'le Lesbians saved the day!. And made it possible for us to own a Subaru.

    Thank you Lesbians

    I salute you 😎.

    Reply

  54. I own a 2006 xt and yes i overland it, and yes its true STI parts bolt right on. Thus car has taken me up and down the US many times with no issues and plenty of power since I've added weight to it.

    Reply

  62. You didn't talk about the Sub Forester 1999 S Turbo that is just amazing, my dad have one and prepared it at 285 hp and that siiick

    Reply

  70. Subaru Foresters are COMPLETE JUNK,wife had 2010,engine used up 6qt of oil in a month,then the engine locked up,Subaru knew about their faulty engines and did nothing,DO NOT BUY ANY Subaru's.Don't believe me,look it up yourself!

    Reply

  82. So I have a 2004 Forester. I’ve been planning on getting a new one next year. I’ve always wanted a turbo sti Forester but that’s never happened. After seeing that sti “e-boxer” concept now I want that. Does anyone think I should wait until 2021 to see if they actually release that or just get a 2020 Forester?

    Reply

  83. Can someone post the clip of the meme of the forest trolls with the PS brand logos holding the Bilbo Bagins from The Hobbit?

    Reply

  93. My 04 Forester's license plate is "FLANNEL" as a nod to that exact marketing campaign. And because I love flannel, of course! It's a requirement in the LGBT community.

    Reply

  94. i have ford's attempt at a forrester, the freestyle. it's a pretty sweet car for hauling stuff and ass. initial impressions are totally boring, but if you push the car, it's all for it. regretfully, mine is not the awd version. that'd be pretty cool if it was.

    Reply

  96. I was beginning to like the car, but then they marketed it to lesbians. Crap.

    But hey. They like subies AND girls. So we have 2 things in common

    Reply

  99. You really need to calm down Mr Donut, you are a big guy and you are over-enthusing. Your blood pressure must be through the roof. Plus, it's pissing people off hence the -673 (including mine). Shame really because your content is great. I had to jump ship at about 3 min because I needed to keep my headphones.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *