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I just bought a 2004 model Chevrolet (Subaru) Forester. It is in great shape with no dents and only a few scratches on the body.
I have a few questions about the car:

• For the Forester, who is the best mechanic / service centre around in Delhi other than the official service centre?
  As my personal experience with them has not been very encouraging.
• I'm a bit confused about the high / lo driving system of the AWD. Which one should be used and when?

It is a great car to drive, btw.

First of all Congrats on the Forester, its a really nice car.

As for your first question, sorry but I have no idea.

And yea as far as the AWD system goes, you need to use the lo only when you are off road, or the terrain gets challenging, the rest of the times just stick with normal high. ( I don't know how many modes the Forester has, so I am presuming it has a high and lo mode only)

Congrats!
You are the proud owner of an SUV which was ( and still might be) the best driving vehicle in India when it was introduced in India some time back. I remember Autocar India coming out with a driving experience, from Bangalore to (possibly) Ooty through sinuous hill roads, which the Forester handled effortlessly.

One reason as to why it did not sell well was because of its 'image' of not being a macho SUV and the fact that most Indian buyers were unaware of its fine driving dynamics.

This was one vehicle that I lusted after but did not have the cash then. Sadly it has been retired by GM. You are correct - there is nothing Chevrolet in it - its a true Subaru with its boxer engine and AWD.

If there are any owners here, I am sure they will be able to help you.

Regards and enjoy a fine fine vehicle.

P.S. : Entry/egress in the Forester is easy by considering the hipline of passengers, so says Subaru

Congratulations.
So what's the price?

Also, please refer to the owner manual as 4WD/AWD can be spoiled due to incorrect use.

Congrats on buying the Foretser.
It should always be driven in 'high' expect perhaps climbing a steep hill, or towing.

Thanks for your input guys.
Its a shame that the owner lost the manual.
I bought it for 4.75

What about a good mechanic/service centre in Delhi?

performance auto, Noida. He owns one, very well kept!

For GM, Regent at Mohan Coop Industrial area Mathura Road is good, they have another workshop at Okhla. Metro motors at Africa avenue/Vasant Kunj is avoidable. Triumph motors at Wazirabad industrial area is also good not sure though whether they are still an authorized GM service provider.

Apex, at Gurgaon is supposed to be the best of all (GM HO is also in Gurgaon). Never tried them however due to the distance involved.

That car has a great engine.

congrats on your Buy,price is really cool.

Can we have some pictures of the car now :)

You could purchase the Haynes Manual from UK (via ebay or book selling site) and have it shipped.
No import duties on books.

Congrats on the buy.
I too would suggest Performance Auto, Noida. Mr Raj Kapoor owns one himself for the past many years that i know of and I can surely say he puts the vehicle through whats it was built do. He would be the best guy in NCR whom I would trust if I had one myself.
If interest PM me I would send you his contact details.
Cheers

Congrats on the car. The Forester is a bit of an acquired taste :)

Engage low ratio *only* when you need that kind of torque delivery. Say, climbing up a very steep hill, pulling a car out of trouble and so on.

Hi,

I know of some one has owned a forester for some time , feel free to PM me i wil put you across the person.

The concerned person as far as i know is THE authority on Forester"s as he has driven one for 1.5lac+ kms . :D

Congratulations on the purchase of a really nice car. The Forester is a very capable car with one of the best AWD systems and an excellent suspension.

Bad news is that spare parts availability in India is almost non-existent. You will be lucky to be able to get an air filter from the dealer. I had to wait one month and pay Rs. 70,000 for the front windshield.

Finding an independent mechanic who has done work on a Forester will be difficult since the Forester is a very rare car.

Your best bet is to post any issues that you encounter on TBHP and try to get advice and help from other Forester owners. If you have a specific question about the owner's manual, I can look it up for you, or post a scan of the relevant page.

Regarding the High/Low range: Just leave it in High and use low if you want your fuel average to drop to 4 kmpl :D.

The 2.0 liter NA boxer motor as a pronounced flat spot just after idle that would make off-roading, mudding, heavy snow situations very difficult without the low range.

lovely. you appear to be a bit of an aficionado of the "out-of-ordinary"!
I loved the Forester as a concept but never had the money to indulge the fantasy at the time when it was available. Unfortunately it is now discontinued. Would have liked it even better if it had been available in Diesel though!:)

All the best with the rare acquisition. I hope it gives you good times with peace of mind - but do try and keep an escape hatch open just in case - on account of parts and service availability!

Its an AWD so leave the selector in H mode most times. If you get into a slushy bit or something of the kind during the monsoon then you might need to use L mode. H mode will serve you perfectly for all normal daily usage if driving in city and /or highway.