We bought one of these new in 2002 (1st gen Forester S) with a 5-speed in white with the gray lower cladding. It was great until it wasn't. These cars were plagued with head gasket issues. We put 200K miles on it and sold it. My wife misses it quite a bit. Ours was in MUCH better shape than the one in this video when we sold it. I kept it as clean as possible inside and out, and the new owner was appreciative of that.
Whoever owns that, could have at least cleaned it up a little. The inside looks really gross. The rust outside is bad enough, at least could have made it look a little presentable.
Spark plugs on those N/A EJ25's are actually extremely easy. First and Second gen Foresters are some of the best cars in the history of well, cars. Reliable, simple, the right size, very capable, just overall really well done.
Yes,. Anyone with the SOHC EJ25, spark plug service is so much easier than those with DOHC. This fact still needs to be shared more. Why easier? SOHC spark plugs go in diagonally, not straight towards the body frame.
The Forester is quite the curious model. It came out and held on as a "wagon" type design when other manufacturers were doing crossovers. Then eventually, the Forester finally adopted a more "crossover" type design and then the other brands were then making their crossovers more "truck like".
I think it’s great that you review a car like this. And what’s really changed is now every car looks the same. This car looks cool now and way back then and the new ones just look like another RAV4.
I considered buying a Subaru Forester first gen back in 1998 in Australia, but ended up buying a Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 five door auto instead. It was on a ladder frame chassis and had selectable high and low range four wheel drive. Around town and on the highway you could run it in rear wheel drive. It served me well until it was written off in 2007 due to flooding in a severe weather event.
I absolutely love my 2001 Forester and my 2004 Forester. Mine are a bit nicer than the one you reviewed though. Would love to see a Forester XT review as well.
Subaru CVT's are among the best on the market. They reason why they get a bad rap is from countless people who don't service them when they are supposed to.
5:18 - I feel like this remark overlooks the attraction of these vs. the Impreza it's based upon. A Forester rear seat is substantially more spacious than in the Impreza Sport. The same is true for CR-V vs. Civic. Or RAV4 vs. Corolla. They weren't huge back seats, but they were more comfortable than their compact sedan counterparts, and that was a major reason stupid crossovers soared in popularity.
Bought one new, the standard model in Forrest Green, and we drove it for over a decade, my ex replaced it with 2014 Forester. Great cars no complaints got it over a Rav4 or CRV.
My mom had a white 1998 Forester L and kept it until repairs started getting far too expensive. Her 2015 Forester is so much worse in the snow, even with good snow tires. The electronics and CVT just can't match the low grip performance of the basic mechanical 1st gen (and 2nd gen) Forester. That car was really slow and guzzled gas but it was a superb winter car.
I drove a first gen Forester for a week as a rental car. My only complaint was the lack of passing power. I was driving around Northern AZ on a lot of 2 lane highways. I had to be super cautious passing slower traffic due to the lack of passing power.
That's what they all say That's if the said Subaru was repaired correctly with a competent mechanic and a pair of dual layer gaskets. But that's on paper anything can still happen@@nowiecoche
I had a 2002, and it was much the same car. I bought it used with @80,000 miles and the head gaskets were already done. I sold it to a friend with 200,000 and it still used no oil. I only got rid of it because of a long commute, and didn't want to put a lot of money into it. It is still on the road. Rust and head gaskets are what ultimately do these in.
I would love to hear your thoughts comparing the forester and outback of that time period. What are noticeable differences in terms of feel, practicality, etc. I’ve always been more an outback guy, but know many that have had multiple Foresters as their car of choice. I’m aware nowadays if you are taller a new Forester has more headroom than the outback
Every 2.5 will need timing belt, water pump ,and.head gaskets all at the same time 🎉 Zack you forgot to mention the back seats recline. And these were plauged with head gasket problems . I used to think i knew it all believe consumer reports and all dodge was bad subaru good. . Then my mom got a used 04 legacy and the jead gaslet went out a few years later. Now its a dead car. Looking at the paperwork now where does it mention the water pump being done. That car always shifted weird too. And i think the heater core was starting to go because if you didn't have the defrost on the wind shield would fog up. That right there almost totals the car i bet.
Depending on the model, a lot of Subarus have easily servicable AC evaporators and heater cores. A lot of them don't require the removal of the dash, just the glove box and a few other small panels behind it.
If someone’s taking the time out of their day to come check out your car the least you can do is give it a once over. That goes to all the sellers out there as well. Covid pricing made everyone lazy.
I'm sure it still won't pass the Big freaking bottle challenge but some did come with a cup holder center console instead of the armrest. I sacrifice my armrest and swap it just so I can hold bigger cups.. 4:53
I towed my project car from NM to TX with my 1999 forester. Engine would start to get worse fuel economy when it would run out of oil along the way. The engines and transmissions are bulletproof and easy to work on - was able to do the timing belt in my schools parking garage in an afternoon before security came to fuss at me. Had to sell it to pay for college, but i wish I still had it. Did some great off-roading in Colorado too. MPG on highway was trash for only 165hp with a 24mpg average.
2.5 depending on generation is one of Subarus worst engines ever made. Not because it's actually bad, it's because the material used for the head gasket was made from graphite, meaning it's really weak. If the head gasket is replaced with a multi layered steel one, it will never need to be replaced in the first place and will be a decent daily driver. I can't speak for Subarus automatic transmissions though, the things I've heard about them haven't been good. Subaru holistically is another brand of car, alot of people crap on about them being unreliable because yes some of them are, particularly the ones with crap head gaskets but their not bad cars. Their major drawback is their engine design since it horizontal, it means that you will get gravitational wear of the piston rings overtime, which leads to complete failure earlier on then other cars. That's not to say they can't reach very high ks it just means that once you start burning oil, you probably haven't got a lot of time until the rings are gonna break apart completely. The main things that set Subarus apart from other cars is the kind of wobble exhaust note that some of them have, all of the models, particularly Imprezas handle incredibly well for what they are, due to the low centre of gravity of the engine. And lastly, the AWD system is absolutely phenomenal, you feel locked in and safe when you drive one, which I can't say the same for other cars that even have AWD as well.
This car hasn't seen a vacuum in 24 years.
Subareeww
We bought one of these new in 2002 (1st gen Forester S) with a 5-speed in white with the gray lower cladding. It was great until it wasn't. These cars were plagued with head gasket issues. We put 200K miles on it and sold it. My wife misses it quite a bit. Ours was in MUCH better shape than the one in this video when we sold it. I kept it as clean as possible inside and out, and the new owner was appreciative of that.
Whoever owns that, could have at least cleaned it up a little. The inside looks really gross. The rust outside is bad enough, at least could have made it look a little presentable.
even a damp cloth would have shown a little consideration to Zack
You must've missed the video specifically about dirty cars.
Spark plugs on those N/A EJ25's are actually extremely easy.
First and Second gen Foresters are some of the best cars in the history of well, cars. Reliable, simple, the right size, very capable, just overall really well done.
Yes,. Anyone with the SOHC EJ25, spark plug service is so much easier than those with DOHC. This fact still needs to be shared more.
Why easier? SOHC spark plugs go in diagonally, not straight towards the body frame.
Truth. I love my 1998 Forester! It's got over 280,000 miles on it and I trust it to drive me across the USA with no issues.
The Forester is quite the curious model. It came out and held on as a "wagon" type design when other manufacturers were doing crossovers. Then eventually, the Forester finally adopted a more "crossover" type design and then the other brands were then making their crossovers more "truck like".
I think it’s great that you review a car like this. And what’s really changed is now every car looks the same. This car looks cool now and way back then and the new ones just look like another RAV4.
I considered buying a Subaru Forester first gen back in 1998 in Australia, but ended up buying a Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 five door auto instead. It was on a ladder frame chassis and had selectable high and low range four wheel drive. Around town and on the highway you could run it in rear wheel drive. It served me well until it was written off in 2007 due to flooding in a severe weather event.
I absolutely love my 2001 Forester and my 2004 Forester. Mine are a bit nicer than the one you reviewed though.
Would love to see a Forester XT review as well.
The 2006 model was my first car. I loved it
Subaru CVT's are among the best on the market. They reason why they get a bad rap is from countless people who don't service them when they are supposed to.
@@Foxonian and who rebuilds them? CVt is an a answer to a problem nobody asked.
Watch a teardown video. They are huge bigger than a Dodge 727.
@@Dankcatvacsfuel efficency and less moving parts + cheaper.
5:18 - I feel like this remark overlooks the attraction of these vs. the Impreza it's based upon. A Forester rear seat is substantially more spacious than in the Impreza Sport. The same is true for CR-V vs. Civic. Or RAV4 vs. Corolla. They weren't huge back seats, but they were more comfortable than their compact sedan counterparts, and that was a major reason stupid crossovers soared in popularity.
A friend of mine has one of these. Heated, cloth seats should be universal.
Bought one new, the standard model in Forrest Green, and we drove it for over a decade, my ex replaced it with 2014 Forester. Great cars no complaints got it over a Rav4 or CRV.
Check engine light 😢😮
That comes standard on all Subaru's.
Don't worry the cel has little to do with the health of the engine
I'd bet real money it's for the cat. The CEL came on in ours at around 70K miles and was on until we sold it.
Cute! Still loving our 2015 Forester! Not sure why I never looked at them prior to that.
Which Metra station were you filming at?
I love old Foresters, Legacies and Outbacks from this era. No-nonsense and they just go.
Definitely better with the 5 speed
My mom had a white 1998 Forester L and kept it until repairs started getting far too expensive. Her 2015 Forester is so much worse in the snow, even with good snow tires. The electronics and CVT just can't match the low grip performance of the basic mechanical 1st gen (and 2nd gen) Forester.
That car was really slow and guzzled gas but it was a superb winter car.
Geez. Your super nice camera really shows off how gross the inside of this Forester is. The vehicle itself looks like its in ok shape though.
No mention of Subaru's successful Lesbian advertising campaign that has been studied at Universities in a 1st gen Forester video?
😂
I drove a first gen Forester for a week as a rental car. My only complaint was the lack of passing power. I was driving around Northern AZ on a lot of 2 lane highways. I had to be super cautious passing slower traffic due to the lack of passing power.
LAck of passing power?😅 Try a 92 1.8 😅
If you can go from 100 kmph to 120 in less than 8 seconds it's fine.
Is the 2.5 in theses generations in Subaru (impreza blob, Hawkeye, bugeye and forester first and second gen) blow head gaskets?
Yes. Once properly serviced, it's solid.
That's what they all say
That's if the said Subaru was repaired correctly with a competent mechanic and a pair of dual layer gaskets.
But that's on paper anything can still happen@@nowiecoche
Yes, but at this point most on the used market I’d say have already had that service done.
I had a 2002, and it was much the same car. I bought it used with @80,000 miles and the head gaskets were already done. I sold it to a friend with 200,000 and it still used no oil. I only got rid of it because of a long commute, and didn't want to put a lot of money into it. It is still on the road. Rust and head gaskets are what ultimately do these in.
I would love to hear your thoughts comparing the forester and outback of that time period. What are noticeable differences in terms of feel, practicality, etc. I’ve always been more an outback guy, but know many that have had multiple Foresters as their car of choice. I’m aware nowadays if you are taller a new Forester has more headroom than the outback
Every 2.5 will need timing belt, water pump ,and.head gaskets all at the same time 🎉
Zack you forgot to mention the back seats recline.
And these were plauged with head gasket problems .
I used to think i knew it all believe consumer reports and all dodge was bad subaru good. .
Then my mom got a used 04 legacy and the jead gaslet went out a few years later. Now its a dead car.
Looking at the paperwork now where does it mention the water pump being done.
That car always shifted weird too. And i think the heater core was starting to go because if you didn't have the defrost on the wind shield would fog up.
That right there almost totals the car i bet.
Depending on the model, a lot of Subarus have easily servicable AC evaporators and heater cores. A lot of them don't require the removal of the dash, just the glove box and a few other small panels behind it.
On the Toyota Corolla, they only offered heated wipers & heated steering wheel in Canada and not in the United States
4:37 - This is what I envision when thinking of Subaru owners. 🤷♂️
If someone’s taking the time out of their day to come check out your car the least you can do is give it a once over. That goes to all the sellers out there as well. Covid pricing made everyone lazy.
Had a girlfriend whose parents had one, it was a neat car
I had one of these and blew a head gasket at 215k and totaled it. Great car though while I had it.
My brothers $420 2000 outback lasted longer than that but got hit by a delirious person sideswiped head on. Still original head gasket.
The lesbo-mobille
"That just means they like what I like "
It is so beautiful 😍 😊
I'm sure it still won't pass the Big freaking bottle challenge but some did come with a cup holder center console instead of the armrest. I sacrifice my armrest and swap it just so I can hold bigger cups.. 4:53
Head gaskets 😢
I want one
I towed my project car from NM to TX with my 1999 forester. Engine would start to get worse fuel economy when it would run out of oil along the way. The engines and transmissions are bulletproof and easy to work on - was able to do the timing belt in my schools parking garage in an afternoon before security came to fuss at me. Had to sell it to pay for college, but i wish I still had it. Did some great off-roading in Colorado too. MPG on highway was trash for only 165hp with a 24mpg average.
Zack, The boxiness of Subarus appeals to me greatly but the Boxer engines don't appeal at all. 😉
Cool 😀
hope your inoculations were up to date before sitting in that germ factory
Zack, these had the head gasket issues.
Trans shifted like a bowl of jello too
@@Dankcatvacs it was a Jatco 4 speed, go figure.
2.5 depending on generation is one of Subarus worst engines ever made. Not because it's actually bad, it's because the material used for the head gasket was made from graphite, meaning it's really weak.
If the head gasket is replaced with a multi layered steel one, it will never need to be replaced in the first place and will be a decent daily driver. I can't speak for Subarus automatic transmissions though, the things I've heard about them haven't been good.
Subaru holistically is another brand of car, alot of people crap on about them being unreliable because yes some of them are, particularly the ones with crap head gaskets but their not bad cars. Their major drawback is their engine design since it horizontal, it means that you will get gravitational wear of the piston rings overtime, which leads to complete failure earlier on then other cars. That's not to say they can't reach very high ks it just means that once you start burning oil, you probably haven't got a lot of time until the rings are gonna break apart completely.
The main things that set Subarus apart from other cars is the kind of wobble exhaust note that some of them have, all of the models, particularly Imprezas handle incredibly well for what they are, due to the low centre of gravity of the engine. And lastly, the AWD system is absolutely phenomenal, you feel locked in and safe when you drive one, which I can't say the same for other cars that even have AWD as well.
If you wanna reshoot the video with a less gross car you can borrow mine lol only has 70k miles with every option. 😅
1 ene 2001
Manual seats are good... heated seats... what kind of garage wants all that junk? That is why cars have sucked since then...
Believe it or not, most consumers sadly. That’s why trucks shot up in price, too.
03:48 BIG FRIGGIN BOTTLE FAIL!!!