2.5-litre Subaru Forester AWD or 2.2-litre Hyundai Sante Fe eVGT 4x4

[hinDMaxsiado]

Good day gentlemen.

Just a brief, i'm planning now to acquire an SUV/ or a Crossover for my family.

i know you guys are more in the know when it comes to the intricate details of a fine SUV (like a Forester, or even perhaps like a Santa Fe) that's why i'm here soliciting advices from you. Besides, over the past years i have only personally owned two Isuzu DMax and a Crosswind. As a family, yes, we have a Monterosport by my in-laws, a Honda Civic, a Mitsubishi Adventure and a Kia Sorento. But i only get to drive these vehicles in some occasions though we just live right next to each other.

i know somehow that comparing a diesel-powertrain such like that of the Santa Fe's engine is apple-and-orange from a gasoline-fed Subaru. At this stage, i am "still" quite keen on having the Santa Fe eVGT after test-driving quite a number of them from friends and most recently, from Hyundai dealers on the newly-facelifted model. i'm really really impressed, specifically with its engine responsivesness and ride and overall maneouvreing manners. The Santa Fe 4x4 is priced at PhP 1.79M. It's a 7-seater car and pumps out 197 metric-hp and produces a strong diesel torque of 435 Nm from 1800 rpm to 2500 rpm.

BUT lately, what really got my attention as regards to the Forester AWD is that it is priced at PhP 1.75M, yet it pumps out a WHOPPING peak 230 metric-hp for its size!!!! It also makes a decent peak torque of 320 Nm. The 5-seater Forz must also weigh lesser than the Santa Fe. My thoughts are really now being swayed as reality bites (late 30's and with a growing family that i need to look after), i only get to personally own a 230-hp fine SUV perhaps once in my lifetime and to sum up it all, it's a Subaru, for what it's worth!!!!
....Unless of course, i aim for the astronomically-expensive 4.5-litre V8 Toyota Landcruiser LC200, which i really really like but doesn't have the money-to-go for it hehe.... Or, a 300 metric-hp Subaru Impreza WRX-STi for a car

Does Motor Image Philippines allow test-driving of their cars, just to allow a potential buyer a seat-of-pants feel of a certain unit?

Thanks for all your advices and time in doing so.

I trust guys that everything is well with you all, always.

Kind regards,


hinDMaxsiado

[renzo_d10]

Hello.

In my honest opinion, since you're already a family guy, the Santa Fe would be the best pick. Coming from several Isuzu's, you might feel the sudden change regarding the maintenance cost ( PMS, FUEL ! & other misc. ) of the Subaru.

Having driven a Forester, I can really attest that it's one beastly vehicle. The responsiveness is incomparable to other competitors on the same segment as where it is. The ride is quiet, the interior bits is great. Nothing fancy, at all. Everything's laid as simple as it can. The looks are bland, which hides the power from the general people who doesn't know how a Forester responses, etc.

Going back, I believe that your thirst for power can be already filled by the Fe. Again, from an Isuzu, who uses an old-school diesel, you would definitely notice the change in power as compared to coming from a CRDi Sorento to a CRDi Santa fe or whatever comparison for that matter.

Also to add, the legroom for the Forester on its backseat is a bit appalling since it's literally small. Well, I'm quite tall. If you're smaller than me you might just find it perfect, or since your kids might be the often backseat riders, they might find it perfect either. Especially if they have tiny legs. lol. Regarding its cargo space, it's bigger than what should be expected. That's all I can say.

In general, the Santa Fe would already suffice. The additional two seats might be a plus and the additional power, would might be again, just perfect for you. The Forester is more of a happy-go-lucky-guy's vehicle. Those who thirst for more. & more importantly, to those who have VERY VERY deep pockets. That statement itself gives you already a complex image on what should be expected during the PMS.

[niky]

The Forester is pretty darn quick... but the difference between 197 hp and 230 hp won't be that obvious until you get on the highway.

In the city, the Santa Fe's extra torque and extra gears make it just as lively as the lighter Forester. The Hyundai makes 430+ Nm of torque versus the Forester's 320 Nm, and it has six gears versus the Forester's four. In other words, you get all the power, all of the time. The Forester has a higher top speed and is better on the highway... and is a bit more nimble, but the Santa Fe is better in every other way.

[Si 06]

The Forester is fun to drive but is a gas guzzler(5-8kl/l city),has lousy brakes, and expensive parts(90k for 1 headlight assembly). It takes one and a half months for ordered parts to arrive. You still have time to change your dream SUV.

[Starex_Gold]

Ayaw mo ng Montero Sport GT-V?

[hinDMaxsiado]

Good day Renzo, Niky, Si 06, and Starex Gold.

Thanks a lot for all your replies mga sirs! Much is really appreciated!

With all things said as to the advantages of the Santa Fe in many aspects, i guess there's only one way now to find out the other car ---- the vaunted Subaru; test-drive one 2.5-litre XT to get 1st-hand feel, silipin ang makina, look under the chassis, see the interiors, and entertain whatever the sales agent has to say, as part of the package

Above all else guys, thanks a lot.

Trust that everything is well with all, always.

P.S.

Starex Gold ----
....Sir, gusto ko bumait pero di ko magawa, gusto ko bumait pero di ko magawa. You know very well how i "really dislike" that SUV ahihi....

Mitsubishi Montero Sudden Acceleration Accidents

[Starex_Gold]

Hehehehehehe ikaw talaga

Kung practicality ang gusto mo, Santa Fe na yan brader.

Mabilis na rin naman ang Santa Fe, mas mabilis lang ang FXT.

[looks2008]

You win either way. Pero mukang sa xt ka papunta based on your thirst. Hehe.

[Si 06]

hinDMaxiado I am not a Subaru hater because I still keep 3 STI's but had to let go of the Forester for practical reasons. You might want to buy a diesel SUV and install the Race Chip as an option. I installed the Race Chip in my Forester replacement today and I couldn't be happier.

[hinDMaxsiado]

Hehehehehehe ikaw talaga

Kung practicality ang gusto mo, Santa Fe na yan brader.

Mabilis na rin naman ang Santa Fe, mas mabilis lang ang FXT.

Sir Starex_Gold,

Mistulang naguguluhan ako sa wordings mo sir na "mas mabilis nga lang" haha!!!!

My personal opinion on these ***y Subaru's is that although they are mainstream cars, they seem to be more of a BOUTIQUE-TYPE of specialised cars where of course you can only expect TOPNOTCH exhilirating performances out of them. i mean, who doesn't like them?!? Hehe....

Nothwithstanding what all of the advices here point to a fact that the running cost on the Forester will be a lot higher, one thing that is infectiously distracting me from the practical side of things, however, is that paper-spec 230 horses from that ultra-well balanced box-type engine, at parang masarap uling maging binata sir ahoho!

Kind regards.

[hinDMaxsiado]

hinDMaxiado I am not a Subaru hater because I still keep 3 STI's but had to let go of the Forester for practical reasons. You might want to buy a diesel SUV and install the Race Chip as an option. I installed the Race Chip in my Forester replacement today and I couldn't be happier.

Oh my sir!!!! You're the man!

What was your running cost sir on the Forester? Any indicative cost you may provide would help me sort things out better.

i have quite a lot of sources anyhow as to how much the Santa Fe's running cost is....

Thanks for your time sir.

Kind regards.

[Si 06]

I do not have a running cost of the Forester but to give you an idea. I live in Tagaytay which does not have a steady supply of Blaze which the car likes so everytime I use the car I fill up. The Forester XT comsumes more fuel than the STI. The usual change oil is not expensive like P300 for the oil filter + oil of your choice(syempre full synthetic) but would you pay 90k for 1 headlight when you bump yes I said bump not crash because you will need to replace the assembly for merely cracking the plastic lense. There is no way you can change the lense only. Service at MI is not impressive I have my Subaru's done at a tuner shop in Pasong Tamo ext. Scratches and dings are a common thing when having the car serviced at the dealership but what terrifies me are the loose nuts and bolts when the car is running 200kph. The STI is a different addiction which is hard or impossible to lick

[niky]

I've always felt that the stock Forester is under-braked and under-damped for the power. Not that the Santa Fe has the best suspension either (a bit soft for my tastes), but it's not marketed as a sporty vehicle.

I actually like the suspension of the Kia Sorento. Good ride over bumps, but it has some killer anti-roll bars, which make it more stable in turns. But the 4x4 diesel Sorento is much more expensive than the comparable Santa Fe. Oh... and the Sorento's interior is fantastic in comparison.

Santa Fes and Sorentos are not difficult to chip-tune... they've done a few with the dpchip, the unichip and reflashes. This bumps your power up to near stock Forester levels.

Of course, you can give a Forester over 350 hp on the stock block (though the transmission starts slipping beyond this, supposedly)... but it's probably better to buy a secondhand Fozzie to do these antics...

[renzo_d10]

Uh, Niky, what's more practical when it comes to modding? The previous Forester STi or the current XT ? Practical in the sense of having a more widespread aftermarket add-ons available which produces a greater amount of power.

[hinDMaxsiado]

Good day Sir Si 06.

HUWAAAW, sobrang mahal pala ng headlight naman na yan, PhP90k for one complete assembly.... tsk, tsk, tsk. Hikbi si misis niyan sir tiyak haha! ....Mukhang mag-DMaxsiado nalang ako sir ah ahoho....

Going back to the use of 100-octane Petron Blaze on the Forester is good, definitely, but i think sir it's not a must. I've looked into the Forz spec sheet, c/o Motor Image Phils. website, and saw that it only carries a compression ratio of 8.4 : 1.
Motor Image, Philippines - Subaru - Showroom > Forester > Data Sheet: Specifications

Just happen to come from a dirtbike background where i have bikes running at compression ratios of low 7.2 : 1 (Yamaha DT125) and at high 9.2 : 1 to 11.0 : 1 (Yamaha YZ250, which is equipped with a powervalve mechanism explaining why the range in compression ratios). In the lower compression ratio DT125, the minimum fuel requirement is 87-octane while for the YZ250 is 95-octane and above to prevent it from "pinging" especially when under load. With the Forz at compression ratio of 8.4 : 1, i think we'd be safe enough at say 95-octane gasolines available anywhere.... But this is only my opinion sir as an "outsider looking-in", coming from a person who hasn't owned a Subaru hehe

Using those gear and tire specs provided in the link, i've made an estimate as to how much engine radial speed (assuming 100% mechanical efficiency, without taking into account drag effects etc) the Forester could be running at its published top speed of 207 kilometre per hour.



We can somehow see here that in between gears, the Forz really pulls hard along the rev range (napakalakas nitong humila pala sir, as imagined!), and it only needs about 4640 rpm to reach in 4th-gear the topspeed of 207 kph, way below the redline of 6700 rpm, and below the 5200 rpm where the Forester reaches its peak power of 230 metric-hp. HUWAAW sir, kayang-kaya kahit 4-gear tranny's lang pala ito! Sakali man may 5th-gear pa ito, baka hindi na rin gaano magamit sa lakas ng pulling-power nito sa apat na gears na mistulang parang pang-overdrive nalang ang 5th-gear haha! ....But frankly, i really do not know the reason behind why it only has 4 gears, apart from the fact Subaru's are ultra highly-engineered cars for performance....
....In between the auto-gear shift, the low rpm's namely 2574 rpm, 3003 rpm, and 3220 rpm are almost within the peak torque range of the Forester at 320 Nm at 2800 rpm.

Hope to find a complete spec of the Santa Fe eVGT to make a speed-rpm comparo, and then i decide which one to get sir. i only have the power (197 metric-hp at 3800 rpm) and torque rating and the tire information on the Fe, but i can't find the gear ratios.

Kind regards.

[renzo_d10]

Ang alam ko the Forester runs okay on 95 octane, better on 97 and best on 100.

If you have a powerful car such as the Forester which costs 1.7M++ siguro hindi ka na magtitipid pa for its fuel that is advantageous naman sayo since using such high octane fuel can unleash or maximize the power that the Forester has.

[hinDMaxsiado]

Mga sirs, maraming-maraming salamat sa mga advices. Much is appreciated.

Nakita ko na rin mga sirs ang complete gear-ratio specs ng Santa Fe R eVGT auto-tranny, c/o Hyundai Australia website ---- Santa Fe Specifications & Range - Hyundai Motor Company Australia

Naka-estimate na rin sirs ng malamang na takbo at engine rpm nito base sa published top speed of 190 kilometres per hour.

Masiadong suwabe manakbo pala ang Santa Fe dahil na rin yata sa 6th-speed gear box nito. Parang mga short-shifting ang makikita in between gear-shift. At 190 kph mga sir, ang estimated engine radial speed ay 3392 rpm. Di hamak na sobrang tipid pala nito sa consumo ng diesel kumpara sa estimated 4258 rpm na kailanganin ng Forester 2.5 XT para tumakbo din ng 190 kph. Di hamak din na mas sobrang tulin nitong Fe kumpara sa aking DMaxsiado wahehehe ....Nasa 3500 rpm na ako sa DMax, 165 kph lang ang kayang takbuhin.



Trust that everything is well with you all always, and have a great weekend.

Kind regards.

hinDMaxsiado

[Starex_Gold]

They published a top speed of 190km/h for Santa Fe kasi yun lang din ang speed load ng tires.

But I already tried doing a flat 200km/h. Someone from SFCP even tried 215km/h.

[Si 06]

hinDMaxiado the Forester will run on premium gas no doubt but a turbo charged 8.4:1 ratio under boost will need better fuel to avoid detonation similarly to one that has a 11.0:1 ratio NA. The demo car will not run on different fuels for you to test. The whole scenario might change if the FXT came at least with a 6sp AT instead of the old 4sp.
For the "feeling binata" aspect get 1 STI and it will keep you feeling younger longer.
It is still your money therefore your call

[hinDMaxsiado]

HUWAAAAW naman Sir Starex_Gold, kaya sa yo ako eh!!!!

215 kph!!!!
.... Hay, ayaw ko na ng Santa Fe! Okat-okat na akow!