2009 SUBARU FORESTER width

8-6Driving tips
On-pavement and off-road driving
WARNING
. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wear-
ing a seat belt. You the driver and
all your passengers should fas-
ten the seatbelts before starting
to drive in order to minimize the
chance of serious injury or death.
. Do not make sharp turns and
quick maneuvers unless abso-
lutely unavoidable. Such actions
are dangerous as you may lose
control, possibly resulting in a
rollover which could cause death
or serious injury.
. Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden brak-
ing or under other similar condi-tions.
. Whenever strong crosswinds are
present, slow down sufficiently
to maintain control of your vehi-
cle. Remember that your vehicle, with its higher profile and center
of gravity, is more likely to be
affected by crosswinds than or-
dinary passenger cars.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive vehicle could easily
lead to a serious accident.
Your vehicle is classified as a utility
vehicle. Utility vehicles feature a higher
ground clearance which enables them to
be used for wide applications including off-
road driving. But please keep in mind that
your vehicle is neither a conventional off-
road vehicle nor an all-terrain vehicle. A
higher center of gravity in relation to the
tread width as compared with ordinary
passenger cars makes vehicles of this
type more likely to roll over. In reality, utility
vehicles have a significantly higher roll-
over rate than other types of vehicles. The
high ground clearance of this vehicle is a
real advantage, giving you a better view of
the road and allowing you to anticipate
problems earlier. However, remember that
your utility vehicle is not designed for high-
speed cornering comparable to ordinary
passenger cars and that your vehicle
could roll over if you make a sharp turn
at high speed. If you do take your SUBARU off-road, certain common sense
precautions such as the following should
be taken: .
Make certain that you and all of your
passengers are wearing seatbelts.. Carry some emergency equipment,
such as a towing rope or chain, a shovel,
wheel blocks, first aid kit and cell phone or
citizens band radio. . Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary risks by driving in dangerous areas or
over rough terrain. . Slow down and employ extra caution at
all times. When driving off-road, you will
not have the benefit of marked traffic
lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and
the like. . Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead, drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. A vehicle can much
more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or
down slopes that are too steep. . Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, espe-
cially at higher speeds.. Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the
wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive
with your fingers and thumbs on the
outside of the rim. . If driving through water, such as when

12-2Specifications
Specifications
These specifications are subject to change without notice. &Dimensions
in (mm)
Item 2.5-liter non-turbo 2.5-liter turbo
2.5X 2.5X Premium 2.5X Touring 2.5X
LLBean 2.5X
Limited 2.5XT2.5XT
Limited
Drive system AWD
Transmission type AT MT AT MT AT MT AT AT AT AT
Overall length 179.5 (4,560)
Overall width 70.1 (1,780)
Overall height without roof rail 65.9 (1,675)
with roof rail 66.9 (1,700)
Wheel base 103.0 (2,615)
Tread Front 60.2 (1,530)
Rear 60.2 (1,530)
Ground clearance*
18.7 (220) 8.9 (225)
*1: Measured with vehicle empty
AT: Automatic transmission
MT: Manual transmission

13-2Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
For U.S.A.
The following information has been
compiled according to Code of
Federal Regulations “Title 49, Part
575 ”. Tire information &
Tire labeling
Many markings (e.g. Tire size, Tire
Identification Number or TIN) are
placed on the sidewall of a tire by
tire manufacturers. These markings
can provide you with useful infor-
mation on the tire. ! Tire size
Your vehicle comes equipped with
P-Metric tire size. It is important to
understand the sizing system in
selecting the proper tire for your
vehicles. Here is a brief review of
the tire sizing system with a break-
down of its individual elements. ! P Metric
With the P-Metric system, Section
Width is measured in millimeters.
To convert millimeters into inches,
divide by 25.4. The Aspect Ratio
(Section Height divided by Section
Width) helps provide more dimen-
sional information about the tiresize. Example:
(1) P = Certain tire type used on
light duty vehicles such as passen-
ger cars
(2) Section Width in millimeters
(3) Aspect Ratio (= section height 7
section width).
(4) R = Radial Construction
(5) Rim diameter in inches ! Load and Speed Rating Descrip- tions
The load and speed rating descrip-
tions will appear following the size designation.
They provide two important facts
about the tire. First, the number
designation is its load index. Sec-
ond, the letter designation indicates
the tire ’s speed rating.

13-12Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
able cargo and luggage load capa-
city is 650 lbs. (1,400 750 (5 6
150) = 650 lbs)
5. Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your ve-hicle. Uniform tire quality grading standards
This information indicates the rela-
tive performance of passenger car
tires in the area of treadwear,
traction, and temperature resis-
tance. This is to aid the consumer
in making an informed choice in the
purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall be-
tween tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Tem-
perature A
The quality grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on passen-
ger cars. However, they do not
apply to deep tread, winter type
snow tires, space-saver or tempor-
ary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 12 inches
or less, or to some limited produc-
tion tires.
All passenger car tires must con-form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades. &
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1-
1/2) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate. & Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire ’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spe-