Nothing fancy but great performance

We leased this car for 4 years and then got the 2006 model. The interior is nothing fancy, especially compared to our Honda Civic. Leg room in the back isn't great for an adult, but is adequate for a child. They have improved this slightly and upgraded the interior in the 2006 model, but it still doesn't give the feel of a luxury car. They seem to have gone the route of Volvo where the money goes into the car's performance, rather than design.

That being said, this car is a consistent performer - it has a sporty feel and excellent handling. It hugs the road and glides effortlessly over bumps. It handles amazingly in snow and rain, particularly with winter tires (in snow, of course). I often don't realize how bad the road conditions are until others complain about it since the Subaru performs so well.

Gas consumption isn't as good as an economy car, but isn't bad either. Maintenance was little to none, other than regular oil changes etc.

The fabric wasn't incredibly durable, particularly in the trunk. We had the wagon and often had the seats down to put stuff in the entire back, including 2 large dogs. This is a pretty tough test on the fabric and it did stand up, but I found it marked and stained easily and the tops of the back headrests became fuzzy from regular contact.

Overall, we were very happy with this car, particularly in terms of safety and performance. The AWD feature is great and we were impressed with the impact ratings. Subaru puts the same technology into their street cars as they do their rally cars which offers great safety benefits.

At the end of our lease, we upgraded to a 2006 of the same model, so you can say we're happy customers. The 2006 has many improvements and a sleeker design and we're even happier with it. Definitely recommended.