I'm a Subaru convert for life

I bought my Forester L new in 2002. I'd been rear-ended at a stoplight and my Saturn totaled two years before. In too much of a hurry to get a replacement vehicle, I stupidly bought a Chevy Cavalier. Within six months, I knew I had to get something else (I have to explain, I keep cars forever - I bought my first vehicle new in 1979, and only sold it in 2000). I started researching, and settled on the Forester as the vehicle I wanted.

I actually test-drove the Forester in July of 2001, then went home to think about it and do a little more research (I'm not an impulse buyer). In July of 2002, I realized I couldn't stand the Cavalier one second more, and bought the Forester. I have never regretted it for one second.

The reasons I purchased the Forester:

- Subaru's reputation for long-lasting, reliable vehicles
- Standard equipment on the base model included everything I wanted
- The size was ideal for my needs
- Very peppy for a vehicle that gets such good mileage
- AWD is a nice safety feature
- Very solidly constructed
- Excellent safety ratings

All of those have proven themselves to be true in the nearly 3 years I've owned the vehicle. It's a lot more fun to drive than you might think from its rather stolid exterior - it's based on the Impreza chassis, which is one of the world's best rally cars. The brakes are excellent; it has one of the shortest stopping distances in cars this size.

My clutch started acting flaky at about 25K. It was intermittent, so I didn't pay much attention until about 30K, at which time the "juddering" became unavoidably annoying. I mentioned it to the dealer when I had the car in for an oil change, and apparently it's a known problem; many of the clutches weren't installed quite right. They replaced the clutch on warranty without the least fuss on my part.

The only cons the vehicle has are fairly minor annoyances. There's not really enough legroom for a driver over six feet tall (my husband's 6'2"). This isn't a major concern to me, as I'm 5'2". The headroom is excellent. The interval wipers only have one speed, which is too fast (I'm in the Pacific NW, and we get a lot of misty drizzle that needs a slow interval wiper). The paint job's a bit subpar; I have several little bubbles on my paint that make it look like a Ford paint job. The air conditioning seems a bit too much of a load on the base-model's engine; it labors noticeably when you turn the AC on. The front cup-holders are in an awful spot and are quite flimsy.

The things I really love about this vehicle: the handling, of course. It has great pickup (I have the 5-speed manual). Excellent braking. I like the firmness of the seats. It's exactly the right size for my needs. The standard roof rack is very sturdy and useful. Visibility is wonderful, the best I've had in any vehicle this size. The profusion of little convenience features, like cubbyholes and lights and DC plug-ins in various spots, is so amazingly convenient, I don't think I could ever adapt to a vehicle without them again. One of the biggest pluses is the gas mileage; I actually get much better than manufacturer predictions. I average close to 30 mpg under normal circumstances (but oddly, using the fog lights cuts mileage noticeably). The full-size spare is a nice extra, and the under-cargo-area storage of it is a beautiful bit of design.

The Subaru has the best cruise control I've ever seen for a manual transmission, too. It's far more sophisticated than just "pick a speed and stay there" - you can tap the lever to slow down or speed up momentarily, or give it a longer tap to increase or decrease your speed in 5mph intervals. It works fantastically well, and saves a TON in fuel costs if you use it consistently when conditions permit.

I took the Forester on a long road trip last year, on twisty mountain roads with some challenging climbs up steep passes. This is the only car I've liked BETTER after a long road trip; it performed flawlessly.

Barring accident, I have every intention of keeping this vehicle for 20 years, as I did with my first one. I see no reason why I shouldn't be happy with it for that long.

It's turned me into a rally racing fan, too, because of the Impreza-type handling. I'll admit to having WRX STi lust now, but I'd probably just get tickets if I traded my Forester in for one.