should I buy a 2009 Forester from owner who lugs engine?

[KLSchmitz]

So I'm back in the Subaru fold after buying my mother's 2005 Legacy
Outback this summer (nice car, but a little underpowered with the AT).
I'm very close to buying a friend's 2009 Forester X, 5-speed. I know
from riding with her that she shifts all the way into 4th gear by 35
mph. In other words, she's lugging the engine. Is this a safe car to
buy given that it has 19,000 miles?

My god, what is it with people who do this, shift into 4th gear before
barely moving?

 

[David Ryeburn]

So I'm back in the Subaru fold after buying my mother's 2005 Legacy
Outback this summer (nice car, but a little underpowered with the AT).
I'm very close to buying a friend's 2009 Forester X, 5-speed. I know
from riding with her that she shifts all the way into 4th gear by 35
mph. In other words, she's lugging the engine. Is this a safe car to
buy given that it has 19,000 miles?

My god, what is it with people who do this, shift into 4th gear before
barely moving?

I drove my first (1988) Subaru 246,000 km before giving it to a
daughter. She and her husband put about another 100,000 km on it before
giving it to my other daughter, who, with her husband, got it up to
409,000 km before giving it to a friend before they went to Eritrea for
two years. (The friend crashed it into a tree so I don't know how much
longer it would have lasted.)

My second (1997) Subaru I got up to 307,000 km before giving it to my
second daughter. She and her husband have it up in the high 300s by now.

My third (2007) Subaru only has about 70,000 km on it and is just
getting broken in.

All of these cars, at least while I had them, got shifted to fourth gear
a little below 50 km/h provided the terrain was flat and I wasn't in a
hurry. I don't think speed at which one shifts is the only thing; load
conditions are important too. When life is easy for the Subaru, shifting
into fourth gear just below 30 mi/h isn't going to hurt it and will
definitely save some gasoline. Now doing it with the pedal floored, or
going uphill, is another story.

David

 

[weelliott]

So I'm back in the Subaru fold after buying my mother's 2005 Legacy
Outback this summer (nice car, but a little underpowered with the AT).
I'm very close to buying a friend's 2009 Forester X, 5-speed.  I know
from riding with her that she shifts all the way into 4th gear by 35
mph.  In other words, she's lugging the engine.  Is this a safe car to
buy given that it has 19,000 miles?

My god, what is it with people who do this, shift into 4th gear before
barely moving?

In my 98 legacy I am usually in fifth by 40 unless I am accelerating
briskly. Fourth gear I think is good for 19 mph per thousand RPM in my
car, and I'd think it would be comparable in the 09 forester. Newer
cars might have taller gearing, but also likely have a 6 speed, so
fourth is probablya bout the same. But since the boxer makes enough
torque down low I don't think it is lugging the engine to have it
spinning at 2k RPM or so. I actually think that is normal.

I had a 95 legacy that I drove this way for years. In fact I'd usually
have it floored while accelerating keepign the revs between 2k and 3k,
which led to normal amounts of acceleration. I sold it at 249k miles
and it wasn't burning oil or showing any signs of engine wear.

So I'd say don't worry about it. The risks are accelerated bearing
wear and melting a piston. The knock sensor in a modern car will
prevent the second, and the first never showed up in my 249k mile car,
and probably wouldn't have had enough time to have any significant
damage in a car that is only two years old at the maximum.

 

[Hachiroku]

So I'm back in the Subaru fold after buying my mother's 2005 Legacy
Outback this summer (nice car, but a little underpowered with the AT).
I'm very close to buying a friend's 2009 Forester X, 5-speed. I know
from riding with her that she shifts all the way into 4th gear by 35
mph. In other words, she's lugging the engine. Is this a safe car to
buy given that it has 19,000 miles?

My god, what is it with people who do this, shift into 4th gear before
barely moving?

Hmmm...I've shifted ALL my cars into 4th around 35 MPH. I never considered
it 'lugging', I've never had a major engine or trans problem, and I've had
two cars over 240,000 miles on the original clutches...

 

[Hachiroku]

When life is easy for the Subaru, shifting
into fourth gear just below 30 mi/h isn't going to hurt it and will
definitely save some gasoline. Now doing it with the pedal floored

You're supposed to take your foot OFF the gas?!?!?