Another satisfied customer

The fact that we own a Subaru Outback and a Subaru Forester probably indicates that we like Subarus! The 2000 Forester L is the newest of our Subarus.

For a while we considered getting a 4WD SUV, but the low gas mileage was a concern. Additionally, almost all of the intended driving for the vehicle was on roads (albeit in snow/ice). For this purpose, the Forester really stands out due to the AWD and the 23-27mpg that it achieves. This is really more like a station wagon molded somewhat into an SUV shape. It's relatively small, so it can sometimes even fit in spaces for compact cars (the Outback wagon is actually a few inches longer, although not as tall). So far the car has only been driven about 5000 miles, so we have no real data in terms of reliability, but there have been no problems so far.

Another reviewer had problems with the remote keyless entry, but we have had no problems unlocking all the doors with our remote.

Pro's:
-Handles very well with a surprisingly small turn radius
-Lots of pockets and compartments to put things, e.g. there is a little space that fits a six-pack under the rear
-Little extras like the power outlet in the back
-Gets good power and acceleration from the 2.5L engine, 0-60 in just under 10 seconds
-Not real roomy in the back, but enough to fit the kids and dogs
-Our Forester actually came with a full-size spare tire
-These cars retain their value very well, we searched for used Foresters and the prices on used Foresters were not much lower than new ones


Con's:

-Cup holder blocks the temperature controls
-Rear seats are not too comfy
-Not as much ground clearance as other SUV's (but no rollover warning)
-Our particular Forester has a rather sensitive accelerator; just a little push and you're zooming. We've had to learn to be a bit more gentle in accelerating
-Factory stereo sounds mediocre. I recommend you get the tweeter upgrade or ask to listen to the difference, the tweeter package helps a lot if you like to listen to music!

Overall we have been very happy with the Forester and recommend it to anyone that is interested in an SUV and AWD handling, but is not interested in the low mileage of other SUV's and will be doing driving primarily on roads.