A Winter Driver's Dream

I bought my Forester in October of 2000. I am a winter driving coward who must drive 33 miles into the foothills of the West Virginia mountains to work. I had previously owned a Jeep Cherokee which saw me through most winter situations. Yet, I was still anxious and uncomfortable in a large vehicle on icy, snowy roads.
It was a Saturday afternoon in Morgantown when I had my first winter driving experience with my Subaru.I was due to leave work and head home. It had snowed 8-9 inches that day and no work crews had been out. To make matters worse the first layer of snow was packed down ice. It was time for the long drive north into Pennsylvania. As I cleaned off my car in the parking lot, all I could hear was the sound of spinning and skidding tires. I cried like a baby.I started out for home nevertheless and was really amazed! I did one minor fishtail in the entire trip and arrived home only 20 minutes later than normal. This is one amazing vehicle in the snow! I felt I should have been paid for snowplowing the roads. At work the next day, I heard horror stories of people leaving work at 6 or 7 pm and getting at 10 pm! (Some had a shorter trip than I did) I will never drive another car because of the way this all wheel drive vehicle handles in the snow, mud and rough terrain that I find myself in.
In addition, I have had few to no problems with my Subaru. Antilock brakes work very well to minimize slides. On icy roads, when applying brakes, even gently, the brake pedal will thump against my foot. This makes me a little uncomfortable, but it's effective nonetheless. This small SUV is low to the ground which makes me feel more secure and less rollover vulnerable. Power is great, more than sufficient to get me onto highways quickly when I need to. This 2000 model comes with a dashboard compass which is somewhat helpful with directions. My Subaru has heated seats, which is wonderful in the cold winter months or for a sore back after a long day at work!
Some say that there's a lack of leg room in this vehicle. My stepson is 6'2", has driven my vehicle a couple of times and feels cramped in the driver seat. My husband is 5"11" and does okay. So if you're over 6 foot tall this is probably not your vehicle. On the other hand, this 5'1" winter road coward loves her Subaru Forester!