I bought a 2015 Subaru Forester. Our test ride was on a smooth road. After buying the car, I noticed how bumpy the ride is on only slightly rough roads.
Also the paint has some cracks near the door edges. Does any one else have a 2015 Subaru Forester and noticed the bumpy ride.
The poor ride you may have to just live with until you trade it in.
After going for that ride and decided that you may want one for yourself, you should have let them do the paperwork…just to the point where they ask you to sign the contract.
Then say you’ll sign when you get back from a nice hour long ride. The last new truck I bought I took out and put 50 miles on it…came back to the dealer with a news paper and sat in the drivers seat for another hour, to be sure the seats were comfortable enough for my long trips that I sometimes take.
Some cars I drive feel comfortable for my short time in them, but go on a hour ride with the owner and they are like sitting in the bleachers watching the Packers play in Green Bay.
As far as the paint…you have a warranty…take it back and also mention the rough ride, they may have an answer for you.
Yosemite
@Lemans74–Have you checked the tire pressure?
When cars are shipped from the mfr to the dealership, they typically have their tires inflated to a very high pressure–perhaps as high as 50 psi.
“Dealer prep” is supposed to include reducing that pressure to the correct amount, but frequently they omit this step. A Chevy that I owned many years ago had a truck-like ride when I first picked it up, and–sure enough–it had over 50 psi in the tires. My current vehicle (a 2011 Outback) was delivered with over 40 psi in the tires. As soon as I brought the tire pressure down to the correct level, the vehicle had the smooth ride that Subarus are known for.
So…before you draw any conclusions about the ride quality of this vehicle, you need to check–and correct, if necessary–the tire pressure. If you don’t own a tire pressure gauge, you need to buy one, and you need to use it every few weeks, even though the vehicle has a Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
Also…if you drove a different vehicle than the one you bought when you did the test drive, it is possible that it was a different “trim line” than the one you bought. Different trim lines frequently have different size tires, and if your Forester has lower-profile tires than the one that you test-drove, that would explain at least part of the rougher ride.
And, as Yosemite mentioned, your warranty covers paint defects–if you get the car back to the dealership promptly, before they can claim that you damaged the paint.
If a different trim level of your car has smaller wheels with larger tires, you might be able to switch to those. If so, you can probably find someone who wants your current wheels, as many people want to go the opposite direction.
I’ve considered getting a 2014 or 2015 Forester for my parents and was fortunate to get one as a loaner when my Outback was in for service. I found the Forester’s ride was too rough for me and it made me take it off the list of options for my parents. It jostled me around much more than my Outback so I decided I’ll stick with the Outback if we choose a Subaru. I didn’t check the tire pressure and I’m sure the loaner was the base model, so maybe there are some upgrades that will smooth out the ride for you.
I bought a 2014 Legacy last year and the ride is quite rough on certain roads, but over the year, it has seemed to smooth out some. The tires are inflated to the correct pressure, this is one thing I am a little anal about.
My 2015 Forester does ride a little rough on certain roads but not so much that I can’t live with it. On most of the roads I encounter it’s fine and really not much different than my dad’s 2007 CRV on the same roads. My daily commute is on reasonably smooth city streets and the interstate.
Compared to other small SUVs, the Forester is one of the most highly regarded with the best ride. As a category though, they are nothing to right home about. I suggest you take a test drive in a RAV over those same roads, then go back to your Forrester a happier person. As far as the paint is concerned, you have a bumper to bumper warranty. Take it back to the dealer.
Good comments above. There’s no reason you couldn’t visit the dealership and ask to take a ride in another of the Foresters. Then at least you know if this is a problem only yours has, or they all have.
I can tell you there is a huge difference in ride quality between my Corolla sedan and my truck. After riding in the sedan, the truck feels sort of like a bucking horse by comparison if the road is rough.
I would like to know what the OP drove before the Forester. That could have some bearing on their perception .