DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
We bought a 2017 Forester base model 2.5 primarily because it was still available with a stick shift. The comments about the fuel mapping is spot on about lack of power. The rev hang is several seconds and beyond annoy to the point of being almost dangerous IMO. It's so aggressive that if you let off the throttle with it in gear it will hold your speed during the hang like cruise control is still on.
We did not seriously consider the CVT but it's clear that Subaru has made the car in every way act like it has an automatic. Our is 90% Japanese content. Not sure if they have a different fuel map (which they do for WRXs with sticks), since I can't imagine drivers back in the motherland would tolerate the way it works.
The good side is we're averaging about 33 MPG so far in 7,000 miles and a recent trip between Ft Collins and Durango saw the MPG come ever so close to getting 36. We can drive 530 miles on a single 14.9 gallon fill up in theory (we've only gone ~400 at most). The MPG started going up significantly after the first oil change. Subie recommends 0W-20, which probably has something to do with it. I'm impressed with that and despite what the marketing material claim no automatic is going to touch that. The sticker for this car said 28 highway so the EPA MPG formula must really be jacked for sticks.
We did not seriously consider the CVT but it's clear that Subaru has made the car in every way act like it has an automatic. Our is 90% Japanese content. Not sure if they have a different fuel map (which they do for WRXs with sticks), since I can't imagine drivers back in the motherland would tolerate the way it works.
The good side is we're averaging about 33 MPG so far in 7,000 miles and a recent trip between Ft Collins and Durango saw the MPG come ever so close to getting 36. We can drive 530 miles on a single 14.9 gallon fill up in theory (we've only gone ~400 at most). The MPG started going up significantly after the first oil change. Subie recommends 0W-20, which probably has something to do with it. I'm impressed with that and despite what the marketing material claim no automatic is going to touch that. The sticker for this car said 28 highway so the EPA MPG formula must really be jacked for sticks.