Owner Review: The poor man Porsche Cayenne? My 2008 Subaru forester 2.5XT(SH)

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Basic information about my car:

2008 subaru forester 2.5XT(SH)

Reasons why I bought this car(purpose):

I was using this old Mercedes 230E(w123) my father passed to me since I had my driving license. I got married in 2008 ,had a boy and was looking for a more comfortable family car. Nothing in the car market then met my expectations because I was so used to my old W123 in terms of drive and durability. I was looking for something versatile, powerful and yet not too big. it would be a car for family outings n work, and also for exploring wild places eg.fishing n birding.

Car Selection Process

• I had a budget of RM150,000-200,000
• Models that I have considered include: Nissan X trail

I was exactly what I wanted! it looked kool n sporty , yet not too flashy in public. It was powerful and could out-run most average cars on the road. 

User Experience

• I have already done 202,611 km.
• My average fuel consumption is 11L/100km.

Since purchasing it in 2010, the car has had it's glory days. Driving was a pleasure, we made countless holidays and weekend trips all over the country. We felt safe in all road conditions. I would overtake cars swiftly with just a push of the paddle.

The children enjoyed the back seats and sunroof. The car seats were really comfortable, it is the most comfortable seat I know of, vs honda, mercedes, lexus, perodua,toyota! but after the fifth year things started to deteriorate. Now and then ,here and there things started to wear-out. The beak disk gave shivers, front drive shafts were shaking, air conditioner radiator leaks, ignition coil problems, engine oil leaks, fan belt wear out, wheel bearing humming..... they were all seperate events that happened throughout the recent 6-7 years.

I would say such breakdowns are reasonable on an aging car, but what freaks me out is the price and availability of replacement parts. every time u visit the workshop u would have a headache and a deep hole in your wallet. sometimes u would swear to pay whatever it cost to revive the beloved car to its prime condition.

But sometimes it just cost too much, yet you are still forced to pay and get the car up and running.it feels great to be back on the road but there is always the haunting feeling of things breaking down, sooner or later ,leading to a inevitable spending of a fortune at the workshop.....

Pros and Cons

Pros of my car

The ride is really good. The car is really powerful . The seats are super comfortable. The car interior is simple but well designed, feels roomy, no sharp edges to bump your knees on. The driver has a good clear view of the surroundings, no blind spots, the rear mirrors are large and wide angled. The boot has plenty of luggage space. The foldable rear seats make it even bigger. Roof rails are very useful, they are solid and really functional. 

Cons

Maintainace and spare parts cost a bomb. spare parts and backup is poor. Simple car parts are harder to find than Cinderella. Good foremen are as hard to comeby as Prince Charming......and when you do find them it costs a hell of a price! The dealer Tan Chong motor image is not very helpful in this situation. It is surprising that Subaru car parts cost 2 to 3 times more than other brands, even more than continental brands. 

Total Score: 5

Performance: 5

Quality & Features: 4

Space: 5

Ride comfort: 5

Fuel Economy: 4

Price & cost: 3

Summary:

Being a great car, a Subaru Forester deserves being more common on Malaysian roads. yet it is rare due to the premium price and expensive maintenance cost. Then they tell me maintenance and spare parts are expensive because the Subaru Forester is a rare car. You see ! It's a loop! Subaru is stuck in this loop of karma! When my generation of WRC fans die out , nobody is going to buy a Subaru anymore......

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