Hello and Merry Christmas all . my son is looking for a new ride as the 19 year old GMC Jimmy is going to be put to rest. the rear end is on the way out so we have been looking for a replacement the last couple of days. so far we have two Subaru Foresters that seem like a fine replacement. both cars are Subaru certified. one is a 2009 premium with 67,000 and the other is a 2010 51,000 with the basic package. I have not owned a Subaru in a long time but do know they need a timing belt change around 100,000. what does the timing belt/ water pump change usually run on average $1,000 , $1,500. when asking I was told both cars have a 7year/ 100,000 powertain warranty.
comparing two Subarus
- Thread starter matrass
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How old is your son? Is he ready? Do you remember how you drove as a teen?
Why let the rear axle scare you? What's on the way out? It's always cheaper to fix what you have. What's it need? Races/bearings, seals? Big deal. Cheap and easy on that truck even if you send it out to have done.
As for which Subie, given a choice I always pick the one with the lower miles. What's the price difference?
Why let the rear axle scare you? What's on the way out? It's always cheaper to fix what you have. What's it need? Races/bearings, seals? Big deal. Cheap and easy on that truck even if you send it out to have done.
As for which Subie, given a choice I always pick the one with the lower miles. What's the price difference?
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
How old is your son? Is he ready? Do you remember how you drove as a teen?
Why let the rear axle scare you? What's on the way out? It's always cheaper to fix what you have. What's it need? Races/bearings, seals? Big deal. Cheap and easy on that truck even if you send it out to have done.
As for which Subie, given a choice I always pick the one with the lower miles. What's the price difference?
my son is 24 and he has moved to another state so he is driving a lot more than when he lived with us . we took his old ride to the mechanic I have used for as long as I remember to see if it would pass inspection ( truck will have to be inspected in the other state in a couple of months) I was told by my son that the car had gotten very loud in the rear end . we also need to do some bodywork for some rusty areas. when the mechanic was done he called me and said the rear is on borrowed time. the mechanic has always been straight with us and I trust his opinion. the guy I go to prefers to keep the truck running for another year but felt it would cost too much and felt we got our money out of the 19 year old truck . as far as the Subies go the 2009 is $1,650 less than the 2010. my son has been saving money for a down payment and does not have much as far as student loans ( he has been paying them down since he had no car payment) our son has had our old car since he was 17, it is time he gets something newer and more dependable as he is now a school teacher on his own. when he lived with us and an issue came up with the car I was always there to lend a hand or help him out of a jam. I am leaning toward the 2010 but in the end it will be his choice. I just like to be informed if he has questions or concerns.
How old is your son? Is he ready? Do you remember how you drove as a teen?
Why let the rear axle scare you? What's on the way out? It's always cheaper to fix what you have. What's it need? Races/bearings, seals? Big deal. Cheap and easy on that truck even if you send it out to have done.
As for which Subie, given a choice I always pick the one with the lower miles. What's the price difference?
my son is 24 and he has moved to another state so he is driving a lot more than when he lived with us . we took his old ride to the mechanic I have used for as long as I remember to see if it would pass inspection ( truck will have to be inspected in the other state in a couple of months) I was told by my son that the car had gotten very loud in the rear end . we also need to do some bodywork for some rusty areas. when the mechanic was done he called me and said the rear is on borrowed time. the mechanic has always been straight with us and I trust his opinion. the guy I go to prefers to keep the truck running for another year but felt it would cost too much and felt we got our money out of the 19 year old truck . as far as the Subies go the 2009 is $1,650 less than the 2010. my son has been saving money for a down payment and does not have much as far as student loans ( he has been paying them down since he had no car payment) our son has had our old car since he was 17, it is time he gets something newer and more dependable as he is now a school teacher on his own. when he lived with us and an issue came up with the car I was always there to lend a hand or help him out of a jam. I am leaning toward the 2010 but in the end it will be his choice. I just like to be informed if he has questions or concerns.
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The added information is helpful. He's obviously mature and bless his heart for wanting to be a teacher. Money is going to be tight for him. He may need your assistance along with a second job for a while. Unfortunate but it is what it is. He can't be driving a beater. Get the cheaper Subie.
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
The added information is helpful. He's obviously mature and bless his heart for wanting to be a teacher. Money is going to be tight for him. He may need your assistance along with a second job for a while. Unfortunate but it is what it is. He can't be driving a beater. Get the cheaper Subie.
Your thoughts are exactly as mine. money will be tight and we already talked about picking up a part time job for the summer if after school tutoring does not work out. we are going to give him some money for the down payment to add to what he wants to kick in, so he will borrow less and try and keep the car payment as low as possible without draining the bank account dry ( we always tell him to keep a few thousand for an oh [censored] fund )he has been very good about paying down student loans and has a lot less debt than any other student I know. we also talked about selling his current ride as a parts car and figure he can maybe get $800- $1000 for it to set aside for any repairs that might come up.
The added information is helpful. He's obviously mature and bless his heart for wanting to be a teacher. Money is going to be tight for him. He may need your assistance along with a second job for a while. Unfortunate but it is what it is. He can't be driving a beater. Get the cheaper Subie.
Your thoughts are exactly as mine. money will be tight and we already talked about picking up a part time job for the summer if after school tutoring does not work out. we are going to give him some money for the down payment to add to what he wants to kick in, so he will borrow less and try and keep the car payment as low as possible without draining the bank account dry ( we always tell him to keep a few thousand for an oh [censored] fund )he has been very good about paying down student loans and has a lot less debt than any other student I know. we also talked about selling his current ride as a parts car and figure he can maybe get $800- $1000 for it to set aside for any repairs that might come up.
I don't believe a 2009 and 2010 Subaru have timing belts. Around 08 or 09 they switched to chains. Which model? They also had the head gaskets sorted out by then.
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
How old is your son? Is he ready? Do you remember how you drove as a teen?
Why let the rear axle scare you? What's on the way out? It's always cheaper to fix what you have. What's it need? Races/bearings, seals? Big deal. Cheap and easy on that truck even if you send it out to have done.
As for which Subie, given a choice I always pick the one with the lower miles. What's the price difference?
Rear axle is on the way out in my Cherokee. I bought another axle for it. All it take to swap is disconnecting the u bolts, removing the brake line and ccable and the driveshaft to swap
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
How old is your son? Is he ready? Do you remember how you drove as a teen?
Why let the rear axle scare you? What's on the way out? It's always cheaper to fix what you have. What's it need? Races/bearings, seals? Big deal. Cheap and easy on that truck even if you send it out to have done.
As for which Subie, given a choice I always pick the one with the lower miles. What's the price difference?
Rear axle is on the way out in my Cherokee. I bought another axle for it. All it take to swap is disconnecting the u bolts, removing the brake line and ccable and the driveshaft to swap
The Premium package had a lot of nice upgrades over the base model. It depends on if those upgrades are important to your son, or is he OK with less content. My Mom has an 09 and it has been very reliable.
Originally Posted By: mtndew_dad
The Premium package had a lot of nice upgrades over the base model. It depends on if those upgrades are important to your son, or is he OK with less content. My Mom has an 09 and it has been very reliable.
+1; if the features matter to him, go with the Premium. If not, then the lower mileage on a newer model might be the better option. Same transmission in both?
The Premium package had a lot of nice upgrades over the base model. It depends on if those upgrades are important to your son, or is he OK with less content. My Mom has an 09 and it has been very reliable.
+1; if the features matter to him, go with the Premium. If not, then the lower mileage on a newer model might be the better option. Same transmission in both?
JTK
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Originally Posted By: Miller88
I don't believe a 2009 and 2010 Subaru have timing belts. Around 08 or 09 they switched to chains. Which model? They also had the head gaskets sorted out by then.
That depends on what model Subaru. ~2010+ Foresters will have the FB25 as opposed to the Timing belt EJ253
The Legacy and Outback didn't get a timing chain FB25 until 2013.
The Impreza was 2012+
I don't believe a 2009 and 2010 Subaru have timing belts. Around 08 or 09 they switched to chains. Which model? They also had the head gaskets sorted out by then.
That depends on what model Subaru. ~2010+ Foresters will have the FB25 as opposed to the Timing belt EJ253
The Legacy and Outback didn't get a timing chain FB25 until 2013.
The Impreza was 2012+
the two cars both have an automatic transmission. the 2010 is a Certified Used 2010 Subaru Forester 4dr Auto 2.5X w/Special Edition Pkg. the 2009 is a certified Subaru Forester 4dr Auto X w/Prem.does this help on he timing belt question ? that is my biggest concern until I have my mechanic give the car a once over before purchasing. as far as swapping out the rear end goes my Son is heading back out of state next week and needs a car for work. wish a I had a few weeks to sort things out but I do not. my son did not seem to mention if the features were important. the 09 came from NY and the 10 cams from PA. if the 2010 has a timing chain and the 09 does not would be be a deal breaker on the 09 I would think.
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Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I don't believe a 2009 and 2010 Subaru have timing belts. Around 08 or 09 they switched to chains. Which model? They also had the head gaskets sorted out by then.
That depends on what model Subaru. ~2010+ Foresters will have the FB25 as opposed to the Timing belt EJ253
The Legacy and Outback didn't get a timing chain FB25 until 2013.
The Impreza was 2012+
This is correct. The 2010 you are considering has a timing chain. The '09 has a belt, which should be replaced at 105k miles, there is also a time limit.
The new FB25 had some teething issues with oil consumption, so anything you can do to make certain it is not one of the oilers would be important. That issue was not resolved until the 2014 model year, but not all of them were oil consumers.
A good independent Subaru place should be able to do a timing belt for $800 or less. It is possible for an '09 to develop a head gasket issue.....Not as likely as earlier years, but something to watch for. They tend to leak externally from the bottom of where the heads mate to the block......They will leak for a long time before the gaskets blow internally. Good luck.
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I don't believe a 2009 and 2010 Subaru have timing belts. Around 08 or 09 they switched to chains. Which model? They also had the head gaskets sorted out by then.
That depends on what model Subaru. ~2010+ Foresters will have the FB25 as opposed to the Timing belt EJ253
The Legacy and Outback didn't get a timing chain FB25 until 2013.
The Impreza was 2012+
This is correct. The 2010 you are considering has a timing chain. The '09 has a belt, which should be replaced at 105k miles, there is also a time limit.
The new FB25 had some teething issues with oil consumption, so anything you can do to make certain it is not one of the oilers would be important. That issue was not resolved until the 2014 model year, but not all of them were oil consumers.
A good independent Subaru place should be able to do a timing belt for $800 or less. It is possible for an '09 to develop a head gasket issue.....Not as likely as earlier years, but something to watch for. They tend to leak externally from the bottom of where the heads mate to the block......They will leak for a long time before the gaskets blow internally. Good luck.
2011 was the introduction of the FB25. 2010 still has the timing belt. 2010 is the sweet year for the Forester. Most problems worked out and very reliable. I would choose 2010 over a 2009. We love our 2010. 60k miles and zero problems.
had heard of oil consumption issues on the Subies are these models affected by that ? was under the impression it was the newer models but would like some real world experience on that. so Nate1979, no issues with your 2010 going through oil ?
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Originally Posted By: matrass
had heard of oil consumption issues on the Subies are these models affected by that ? was under the impression it was the newer models but would like some real world experience on that. so Nate1979, no issues with your 2010 going through oil ?
No, that is the FB25 engines that have the oil consumption issues. I have heard that the older Subies are known to consume some oil but ours has been perfect so far. I do all my own maintenance as everything is pretty easy. ATF, coolant, front and rear diffs, and spark plugs.
Subies are super easy on oil as well and you can run just about any oil and they do fine. Mobil 1 5w30 on ours for 10k OCIs.
had heard of oil consumption issues on the Subies are these models affected by that ? was under the impression it was the newer models but would like some real world experience on that. so Nate1979, no issues with your 2010 going through oil ?
No, that is the FB25 engines that have the oil consumption issues. I have heard that the older Subies are known to consume some oil but ours has been perfect so far. I do all my own maintenance as everything is pretty easy. ATF, coolant, front and rear diffs, and spark plugs.
Subies are super easy on oil as well and you can run just about any oil and they do fine. Mobil 1 5w30 on ours for 10k OCIs.
The only real issue that older Subies have is headgaskets and in this case people seem to think that 2010 is the sweet year as they have the updated gaskets already. 2009 not so sure as it is a border year that got some updates I think.
I spent $500 not $1000-$1500 on a EJ255 eqipped engine(turbo 2.5) for tensioners and timing belt. It took the indy Subie mechanic 3hrs labor charged. It is not $1000-$1500 unless shop is overcharging you. Even my way more complex to change Acura MDX cost $800 with belt, tensioner and water pump and day loaner from dealer.
Still running OEM water pump with 190k miles now!
Still running OEM water pump with 190k miles now!
good to hear that the timing belt and water pump should not be $1000 to fix. like the idea of the 2010 having updated head gaskets and Nate1979 is not having any oil burning issues. hate to have him buy one burning oil. oem water pump still kicking at 190,000 nice !
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They are pretty equivalent to each other. I'd get the '09 for a little less. The head gaskets 09 vs 10 are the same. It was 08 that they revised the gaskets. Model yrs 2008+ don't have the head gasket leak issues as much as previous model years 2007 on down. This mainly applies to the non-turbo engines, the turbocharged ones didn't have the head gasket problems as frequently as the naturally aspirated ones did.
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Matrass what color is it? If it is Black, Dark Gray, or Silver I know of a set of wheel rims that will look spectacular on it. Sport Tuning T5's. They have black accent enamel on the spoke sides that really pops with black, gray or silver body color. I have these exact rims on my '09, they are among the lowest cost alloy's Tirerack sells and they are a perfect OEM fit for the Forester (48mm offset).
17" Sport Tuning T5 Wheel Rim - Tirerack
17" Sport Tuning T5 Wheel Rim - Tirerack
Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Matrass what color is it? If it is Black, Dark Gray, or Silver I know of a set of wheel rims that will look spectacular on it. Sport Tuning T5's. They have black accent enamel on the spoke sides that really pops with black, gray or silver body color. I have these exact rims on my '09, they are among the lowest cost alloy's Tirerack sells and they are a perfect OEM fit for the Forester (48mm offset).
17" Sport Tuning T5 Wheel Rim - Tirerack
the one color is a light gray color while the 2010 is a dark gray color. the rims you have look nice, thanks for the heads up.
Matrass what color is it? If it is Black, Dark Gray, or Silver I know of a set of wheel rims that will look spectacular on it. Sport Tuning T5's. They have black accent enamel on the spoke sides that really pops with black, gray or silver body color. I have these exact rims on my '09, they are among the lowest cost alloy's Tirerack sells and they are a perfect OEM fit for the Forester (48mm offset).
17" Sport Tuning T5 Wheel Rim - Tirerack
the one color is a light gray color while the 2010 is a dark gray color. the rims you have look nice, thanks for the heads up.
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