Great vehicle with just a few problems

I've been driving a used 1998 Subaru Forester with manual transmission for a few months now and have been extremely happy with its performance overall.

Actually, I DID have a problems with the car because the dealership I bought it from put too much oil in the engine. Other buyers shouldn't have to deal with this, but user beware: If you put too much oil in a Subaru it WILL cost you dearly. I did some research on the problem before taking it to a garage (immediately after purchasing) and found that most experts, even "Click and Clack," stated that too much oil wasn't that big of a problem in most cars. Well, too much oil in my Suburu Forester cost me over $1000 in repairs. Keep in mind that the dip stick is a little difficult to read, especially if the person changing the oil isn't used to it, so you'll need to check the oil level whenever you have your oil changed by someone different.

Before I get to the positives I'll finish with my complaints.

This is the first car I've owned that doesn't have a metal frame around the door windows. If you open your car door and hit something near the top you could possibly damage the window. I don't know why Subaru designed the car this way. Here it is one of the top rated mini SUVs and they trimmed this one corner. It's minor, I realize, but it's quite annoying nonetheless. It also causes water condensation between the glass and the rubber seals for some reason. If they didn't change this in later models they should have.

Another complaint I have, mostly a minor one, is the placement of some of the features, especially the cup holder. If you're using it you will lose access to some of the controls on your dash. I've read that they've definitely fixed this problem in later models.

Another complaint I have is that this car is extremely prone to fogged windows in the winter time. Not sure exactly why this happens, but even when I have the defrost on I still can barely see out through the two rear passenger windows. I've been told by another Forester owner that they have the same problem. In any case, I've never had this problem with another car.

As everyone probably already knows, the seats in a Forester, particularly in the back, aren't that comfortable. I don't have any complaints about the front seats, however.

I primarily use this vehicle for commuting and for moving items of various sizes. Before purchasing this car I was thinking of getting a Toyota Tacoma because I wanted something that I could move things around in. At the last minute I decided that it wasn't practical to have a truck and went with the Forester. Thus far, I haven't been disappointed. I've tied down a lightweight chair to the roof rack without a problem. I even loaded 7 foot bookcase in the back (which did hang out the back) without a hitch. I can't move a bed in this thing, but so far I've yet to pick anything up that I can't somehow move in my Forester. One of the reasons for this is that the Forester's rear door opens upward instead of outward to the left or right like other mini and regular size SUVs. The book shelf I moved, for example, would not have fit into the RAV4 or CRV. There's also a concern that rear doors which open to the side are more prone to wear because of the extra pressure/weight.

Please excuse my rant, but one of my chief complaints about those criticizing the Forester (and all the mini SUVs) is that they use this silly kind of machismo to belittle this vehicle for somehow being "weak" or "unmasculine." This is especially annoying given the fact that all the larger size SUVs are gas hogs and thus contribute further to air pollution and our demand for foreign oil. It's simply patriotic to drive a car with better gas mileage. And the Subaru Forester delivers this, especially for a mini-SUV. It has a far stronger engine (I know a Forester owner who uses it to tow her pop-up camper without a problem!) than the CRV and the RAV4 and still gets better mileage. The Forester might not look as sexy as those other cars, but it delivers a strong package for the money. Don't let the silly criticisms dissuade you from buying this car.

Some people might be curious to know that a few things have changed since the '98 model. Other than those already mentioned, later models did get a slight facelift. For example, the grill in the front went from black to chrome plastic making the Forester look a little "classier." They've also stopped using the rear "spoiler" on the rear window. (Actually, I don't know what it's called -- it's a length of plastic about three inches wide that extends along the entire top of the rear window.)

Another cosmetic difference between the '98 and newer models is that Subaru changed the color of the lights in the rear. Newer models come with just "white" (clear) which is used for backing up and turning (yellow bulbs underneath for the turn signals) and red for parking/braking. This sounds really minor, but visually the '98 just doesn't look as good with white, yellow and red.

The last difference that I'm aware of might be important to those who use the rear seat for passengers. The '98 model only has headrests (seat belts as well? not sure) for two passengers. Later models now have headrests and seat belts for three in the back. The extra headrest might sound minor, but it can be very important in an accident.

Speaking of accidents, the Forester is rated the top in its class for safety. Furthermore, it's considered one of the *least prone* SUVs for a rollover. Tell that to that next big SUV owner who brags about how tough their vehicle is. Truth is, most SUVs are simply NOT safe at high speeds because they all have too high a center of gravity. No such problem in the Subaru.

Add it all up and this makes for one excellent used vehicle.