This car gives a lot of bang for the buck (which is not exactly cheap), goes in any weather, easy to maintain

A little small if you have a dog, lots of stuff to haul and three people

All-around "Stuff Hauler", reliable, sporty, fun to drive, not for those looking for luxury

I appreciate the overall size of the vehicle, not too big and not too small. As parkable as a small sedan. Great cargo space, seats fold flat. Nice amount of power as well esp. with the manual transmission.

I have long legs (35" inseam) and there simply isn't enough legroom - front OR rear. I bought this car because it had a smidge more front legroom than the Honda CRV. I'm embarrassed to carry rear passengers and will avoid it at all costs.

VERY POOR radio/CD unit quality. I added a mid power amp to power the OEM speakers and improved the sound quality by 100% - no telling what new speakers would do!
THE WORST cup holder I've ever seen. Beats nothing I suppose but there is only one front cupholder and it is positioned high up on the dashboard above the radio. Condensation drips directly into the CD slot! Hopefully they improved this in newer models.
CLUNKY MANUAL transmission. Nothing beats a Honda.
FIRESTONE DUELLER tires - are not stocked in this size at any Firestone. Even the dealer had to special order them. Even almost 2 years after I bought this car I still had the same problem. Thankfully, there is a full size spare to use while waiting for the tire to arrive. Next time I get a flat I'm buying a full set of better, more widely available tires.

I suppose I would recommend it for someone with shorter legs and short children. Consider it a tall station wagon with some quirks.

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Honda CRV test drove many times. Leg room was the deciding factor.

Gutsy 4 cylinder engine. Excellent head and legroom in the front. Product and safety reviews were a strong influence in buying this vehicle. Vehicle handling is okay, but would be so much better with if supplied with premium tires.

Rear leg room, poor OEM tires, subject to crosswinds. Heater and A/C efficiency are marginal for this size vehicle. Considerable wind and road noise.

Paid $600 over invoice for this vehicle which has most of the available options. Great pickup for this this size vehicle, but the interior could use a lot more refinement. Still Subaru builds a solid product that I've come to respect. Would recommend to anyone.

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Test drove Honda CRV, Suzuki Grand Vitara, no others were considered.

Just bought a 2001 L for $18,000. Sold our 2000 L with 32,000 miles on it for 16,000. Bought the new one for a $1000 less than the older one cost us a year ago. Can't find these cars used. Fun. Good power and sports car handling, despite oem tires, for our mountain curves. Tire such as the Pirelli P400 would make the handling even better. I can push this car and it responds. It is a driver's car. The ABS and all-wheel drive (not 4-wheel drive like the header on this page says) work superbly. My wife commutes and feels safe. My 20 y.o. son likes it. I am over 6 feet and have plenty of headroom. The car's stance and large windshield allow for excellent visibility with no blind spots. It is reasonably quiet. Car feels solid. Not a single problem with the 2000. Has full-sized spare tire and several handy storage places. Forceful fan and chilly a/c. I love driving this car.

ez to nitpik, but this car has little to gripe about. I could complain about a couple things but for a car I rate so highly, why bother?

Cashed out at $18,000. I can't believe people are paying ten grand more even for a loaded S. For the bucks this is one of the best cars on the road. Durable vehicle for single folks, responsive car for people who enjoy driving, economical for commuters, great utility for campers, couples or small families. If there is a "can't lose" for under $20,000 this is certainly it. This car is at the head of the class. The Foresters are the best cars my wife and I have owned.

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Test drove a Rav4. Found it to be slow, sloppy and noisy and for a higher price. Gimme a break! Why would anyone buy one? Honda no match either. Not even close. The CRV had that goofy swing out table and dumb spare tire arrangement. Forester seems to be in a class of its own. I would not hesitate recommending one. In fact, two friends have done so and another plans to.

Peppy w/ standard trans. Handles curves well, confident to drive around town due to shorter length than most SUV's. Feels and drives like a "car." Superb gas mileage (35MPG/highway). Fit and feel gives a quality impression. Great headroom and visability.

Rear legroom is insufficient if front seats are all the way back. While providing better acceleration, the standard transmission is very unrefined. You have to finesse the clutch to prevent "clunking" between gears and it bogs down of you slip the clutch in the least (plus, grinds slightly going into reverse most of the time).

This car is and deserves to be offered at under $20k. I paid right at 19k with 10 miles (no k) on the odometer. I do not recommend going much over $20k with options and bells and whistles. This vehicle comes standard with power windows, AC, stereo and feels well-made. Buy the base model, maybe upgrading to auto trans if you don't like wrestling with a sensitive clutch, and upgrade the sterero and remote door locks aftermarket for MUCH less than dealer cost. I've heard that the painted panels and bumpers on the S model scratch easily, anyway.
If you do feel like getting all the bells and whistles, which can exceed 25k, reaching towards $30k, consider spending a bit more and getting an
RX-300.
Expect a fun vehicle that is spirited, easy to drive, comfortable and basic and you'll be happy. Expect a luxury ride, a higher level of craftsmanship, great legroom, a quite cabin, and you'll be disappointed.

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It replaces our 2000 Lexus RX-300 (SUV), which was totalled 6 mo. after purchase. The Lexus is leaps and bounds better in almost all respects, but for 15 thousand less, I'll take my Subaru, thank you very much.

It sticks to the road like glue,almost impossible to skid it.I was unsure about the yokahoma overlander tires on this vehicle at first (being a michelin man) but after 40000miles in almost two years they are great.just about to replace with a new set of same as they will aquaplane a little when wet now they are worn.
Pick up is great,a lot peppier than a Outback that has the same engine but is heavier.Drives more like my VW Golf did in the seventies with much better road holding and higher speed and comfort on the freeways at 70 mph plus.
Get the S with the bigger 16 inch tyres it worth another $1000 bucks

The size and space in the rear seat is very tight for an adult or a large child or adolescent.Subaru would do better to give up 3- 4 inches of the rear compartment,which is already very small or make the vehicle a foot longer.

The price was a little high I thought compared to the competition but after two years I think it was worth it. It has took me through two midwest winters without problems and I am trying to decide now whether to trade for a larger SUV or keep my Subaru.
Only "mechanical" problem I had was weird one.It seems that one day I didnt tighten down the gas cap enough and then the engine warning light came on. I was close to the dealer who guessed what the problem was and reset the computer after turning the gas cap two clicks.Problem solved,apparently the gas system has to work under pressure or this warning will activate.
It is a great commuting Vehicle(23-25 mpg) especially in wet or snowy weather(love those heated seats and windshield package in the winter)It seems to have the legendary Subaru reliability and drives peppy ,and is easy to park. I have even carried 8ft 2 x 4's in it resting on the armrest up front and christmas trees on the roof rack.
Get the S model for the larger wheels though.

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It accelerates better than my freiends Honda CR-V as it has 165 horsepower and is lower to the ground so takes the curves better.It has more inside space than the Honda and Suzuki Vitare .
than the Honda and

Great power for a small engine. Handling (so far no winter teraveling) is also great. It is really fun to drive. The moon roof is huge and easily operated. Other controls are mostly easy to use. CD's load easily. Although the car is low, you do not fell too low while driving and ground clearance is good. Winshield is very big, no real blind spots.

The seats are not very adjustable or comfortable. For very tall people headroom may be an issue; although even with the moon roof system, I thought there was more than enough head room (I'm 5' 11") Leg room was very good up front, but the back seats, while conpfortable, do not allow a lot of stretching. The cup holders in the dash are useless if you need to access the atmospheric controls. The rear doors are not big enough. The standard stero sound is not very great. The littlr storage nooks in the back are barly usable. Some of the control icons look very similar and take a few trys to get right.

There are a lot of "add on's" that should be standard on the Premium model we got: luggage cover, cargo net, etc.

We paid just a little over invoice. Over priced? For not having a lot of the little extras it is sort of, but we paid for the quality, safety and the ride. We would recommend it.

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None

Excellent road manners, handling; great looks - slight tweaks to 2000 design paid off; great road visibility; gigantic moonroof; easy to drive. Safety results were the best of all small SUVs.

Rear seat knee-room cramped for adults; base factory speakers mediocre; flimsy and small cupholders.

In my mind, this is the best of the current "small" SUV's on the market. I've owned Subaru's for the past 9 years and their dependability is the best. The excellent drivability and safety results of this car makes it an wonderful choice for all drivers, especially children or wives.

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Researched RAV4 and CRV, and no comparison - Forester is tops of the 3.

Best record of small SUV's on crash tests. Subaru record of reliability. Smooth ride. User friendly layout of controls. Factory installed audio better than expected. Lower to the ground than most SUV's. Nice suspension, so far only tested on speed bumps. Great looks.

Auto transmission gear change not as smooth as my old Buick.

Love this car. Paid about $400 over invoice. Easy transaction at Albany (CA) dealership. Excellent torque on hills. Solid feel. This is my first new car since I bought a 1989 Mazda 323. Been driving my father's Buick Regal for the past 5 years. Buick is a silky luxury car. Forester is a whole new ballgame--stiffer suspension, but great on rough road, which is exactly why I bought it. Aside from great ride, record of reliability, crash test performance, this car looks great. It's a head turner. I researched this purchase for a year. Drove all the other small SUV's. Didn't want a station wagon, due to aesthetics. This car is definitely the best. I am confident now that I made the right decision.

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Buick Regal. Whole different category. Can't compare apples and oranges.

Only mini SUV to get Good rating on offset crash test, side impact airbags on premium model, HUGE power moonroof, excellent handeling and permanent all wheel drive

rear seat legroom

Paid $100 over invoice for 2001 S with premium package. This was my first car and I had a GREAT time buying it. Carmart Subaru's Rick Young was a pleasure to deal with-no hassals, no gimmics. Car is a joy to drive-smooth response, excellent handeling, huge cargo room for its size. Excellent car for the outdoors-we put a bike rack on top to carry our two bikes when we go camping. I did a lot of research before purchasing a Forester, and believe me, I have no regrets.

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Blows CRV and Rav 4 out of the water