New here, I bought a brand new 2019 Subaru Forester Sport (please don't hate ☹️ ) before finding the Scotty Kilmer channel.
I have 26k miles on it so far. It runs great with zero issues, knock on wood. I love the AWD and yes, some of the safety features because of the road trips we go on for my daughter’s travel team. Also, back then, Consumer Reports highly recommended the Subaru Forester. If I had subbed to the Scotty Kilmer channel at the time, I would not have bought it and gotten a Toyota or a Honda. I am the proud owner of a 20-year-old Toyota Tacoma SR5 Double Cab 4x4 that runs as good as the day I got it. Lesson learned.
All this to say, the one major feature that I despise with the passion of a thousand burning suns is the Auto Start/Stop feature in the Sports package. I despised having to manually disable it every time I fired the car up.
After much research I found the Autostop Eliminator at https://www.autostopeliminator.com/
Installation was shockingly easy. Plug and play into part of the wiring harness under the driver's seat in my case. It has worked like a dream so far. I have had no issues. Once you start the car and press the button to disable the Auto Start/Stop feature of your car the device remembers the setting and the next time you start your car the Auto Start/Stop function will be automatically disabled. You can turn this off at anytime and also just unplug the device and remove it.
What are opinions on these devices?
Yes, I know this device is not cheap, $99.00, but my sanity is worth every penny. 😎
P.S. Bonus question, what do folks think of Consumer Reports vehicle recommendations?
Subaru’s aren’t half bad. Are you have any trouble with yours?
Like what Yaser said, I’m not down to mess to much with the computer with aftermarket devices.
CR should stand for Corporate Reports, not Consumer Reports.
I don't understand all the consternation about the auto start/stop feature. If all you have to do to disable it is press a button, life is good. Why spend $100 on a gizmo when you can do it for nothing? You've already figured out how to open a door, sit down, start the car and drive it, why can't you just make it part of your routine to push the auto start/stop button to off too?
I would prefer not to mess with computer stuff on the car with aftermarket devices, but it is just me.
About the CR recommendations, I really do not trust them, they talk about reliability of new cars, how come they can predict a reliability of a brand new car? Also, I noticed they recommended so many Audis, BMWs, Fiats, ... which is a red flag.
I wouldn't plug in a device to disable it as I did what @Doc said when I had cars that have the system: make it a habit like turning a key. I really don't like interfering with anything electrical in modern cars. The device is changing a signal going to the ECM. Who knows how that may affect something else? Not saying it isn't safe, just that I would personally pass.
As for Consumer Reports, well, if they told me the sky was blue I would still go outside and check. I don't believe them at all, or any other "our ratings are up for sale to the highest bidder" magazine.
Take Consumer Reports with a grain of salt and that publication should never be a reason you pick a certain car:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zT5UYP06crs
CR isn't as horrible a resource as everyone puts it you just have to take everything with a grain of salt...
The Subaru Forester isn't a bad SUV in fact they are very good not as good as a Toyota Highlander but definitely above average.
Also, they clearly say the Fiat 500 is the least reliable car and Toyota/Lexus/Scion is the most reliable car brand, Mazda is pushing the top list, Honda is a great brand but has issues with oil dilution and newer transmission designs etc. you just have to see everything in context. Much better than JD Power or something like that. You just shouldn't trust their rankings and be like Subaru is better than Honda or Audi is better than Toyota etc. etc. they are just giving you a basic idea. Plus, think of it, someone who is subscribes to CR cares about car reliability, so their Audi may be very reliable as they don't drive it much and take very good care of it.
By "lesson learned," you say you have no issues, and Subarus are very well made vehicles aside from their CVT which generally does last a good 100k miles. Subaru has also been improving a lot.
Many members have ranked Subaru as the second best car brand after 1.Toyota/Honda 2.Mazda/Subaru
In fact, you might as well take everything with a grain of salt. Don't hate, but even Scotty. Everything is different per context.
Just like the example I gave, CR might rank Porsche very high, and that may be the truth. If you buy a brand new Porshce, take great care of it, and drive it 2000 miles a year, it might be more reliable than your Honda which you drive 20k miles a year and has a DCT and turbo engine, both having issues.
You don’t need to down vote because you don’t agree with someone’s comments. Just tell your ideas.
And talking about reliability for a brand new car, regardless of the brand, is something that anybody knows is non-sense.
I'm also gonna chime in & say it's not a good idea to install ANYTHING into a modern vehicle without fully understanding how it works, WHY it works, & what are the consequences if it breaks down while plugged in. Is it worth the risk to your 20-30 thousand dollar investment when it goes awry (& electronics WILL break down when you least expect it. Planned Obsolescence!)
I have a push button start/stop in my Mustang (keyless ignition/Proximity Fob), but there's also OTHER buttons I have to push inside the cab once I start the motor: the air conditioning vent in the Summer, the heater floor vent in the Winter, the radio on/off....the car is made of buttons!! Buttons, buttons everywhere so what's just one MORE button to press after you start the car? AND it's free to press a button that's already there!
By the way...never, EVER trust a new product that just recently hit the markets. "Snake Oil" sales people will sell you the moon & make you believe that you're saving the planet....just so they can make a dollar! The only product that works are the ones that are tried...tested...& proven over time. Nothing more!
You have to take Consumer Reports, KBB, Edmonds and others with a BUCKET of salt. They will tell you that older British cars are reliable, Harley Davidson stands behind its warranty and Dr. Fauci has been telling us the truth this entire time. NOT!