I LOVE this car

I Really do love this car. In fact let me start by saying I wasn't sure at first. but after the break in period, and I became more comfortable with the car I couldn't be happier. well I could. I wanted the 04 Turbo, but they weren't going to deal on those like they did the 03.

I have had the car for about 2 months now and have just passed the 3,000 mark. Well to start off I want to preface this review with this: this review will be limited to my buying experience and the likes and dislikes about the car. I am not going to go into technical specifications or stats. if you want that, there are hundreds of websites including www.subaru.com where you can go to check that stuff for your self.


I had been looking for a new car for about 2 months. not that it took me that long to decide, but I was also selling my old car for the down payment. I had the choice narrowed down to 4 contenders.
Pontiac Vibe
Mazda protégé 5
Subaru WRX
Subaru Forester
When I went to the Subaru dealer in Toledo, OH I test drove the WRX and was thoroughly impressed with the handling and power of this car! Next I drove the Forester, which from the outside, I wasn't sure if I liked as much. Once I got inside that all changed. The first thing I noticed is that there was a lot room in this car and, of course, the HUGE MOONROOF!!!. the layout inside the car was Spartan but organized. And one thing I immediately liked better than the WRX, was the cup holder. This is a small but important feature. The WRX cup holder seemed flimsy and I am sure that it would break in the first year of use.

Now I faced a dilemma. I liked the power and the looks of the WRX but I liked the interior and roominess of the Forester. The dealer, Scott, knew I was not ready to buy, so he suggested I wait a month or so, saying that the new Turbo Forester was due to be released soon. This seemed like a dream come true. The Power of the WRX with the Room of the Forester. He promised to call me as soon as one came in. Meanwhile I had to get my old car sold!

To cut to the chase, I drove the Turbo Forester and LOVED it. I also knew by this point, that I couldn't afford it. At this point, the numbers were telling me I needed to get either the Vibe or the Mazda. BTW I was leaning toward the Mazda.

Then it happened. I went on a mountain biking trip with about 8 people. One of the people who drove, a friend of a friend, had a 2001 Forester. I really liked her car. in fact, I started looking at the Forester as a serious contender again.

Call it Perfect timing:
I looked on the web and found that now Subaru was doing 72 month loans at 3.9%. and there was a $500 rebate on the XS.

I decided that this was the car for me. I made a list of the "must haves" for my Forester.

First and foremost was that huge moon roof. any new Forester I would even consider MUST have this. Next it must be manual transmission. Alloy Rims, and Power windows. Beyond that, it didn't really matter.

The Vehicle.

I have an 03 Forester XS premium edition. it has 5 speed manual, and the only options (other than the XS PREMIMUM package) are the rubber cargo mat and floor mats, cargo net, cargo cover, and rear spoiler.

Ok now the hard part. I need to rip on this car just to let any buyers beware, and let Subaru (they do read this right?) know what needs work.

Dislikes:

- I really wish I could have gotten the Turbo! Ok that shouldn't count, but I really wanted it.

- The Radio (6 disk changer) is horrible!
nothing is intuitive. The fast forward and the next song on CDs are very awkward to use and doesn't seem logical.
the thing doesn't have a clock!

- The dash area where the clock is located is taken up if you get the extra gauges. meaning you have a $26,000 car with no clock!!!! Just Stupid!

- You can not get a Turbo Forester with a Manual transmission AND a moon roof. What kind of STUPID marketing decision was this? What I have to choose between a 5 speed and a moon roof. that makes NO SENSE!!! Get your act together Subaru. I would gladly trade my car back in if this option becomes available.

- Armrests are cloth (on the doors). TRANSLATION: gets dirty easy and hard to clean.

- at speeds above 80 (no lectures please) the moon roof deflector that pops up when the moon roof is open, is pushed down by wind and the sound thumps so loud it hurts your ears. simple solution: 1. drive under 80mph 2. close moon roof on e-ways.

- I don't like that the doors do not have a frame at the top of the windows. The window just rolls up and connects to the frame of the car. the problem is that after a rain when your car is wet water pours off the roof into your car from the roof. soaked arm. this has never been a problem in any other car.

- for $25,000 MSRP you think they could have included a cigarette lighter? I do not smoke, but the fact that a brand new $25,000 car does not include one bothers me. Instead there is this little plastic mock lighter. cheap.

- No automatic headlight turn on? again what does $25,000 buy you these days? Even Ford Escorts have this!

- Speaking of electrical systems. When the key is out of the ignition NOTHING works. OK you wouldn't expect the radio to work. but the Headlights do not come on, the cigarette lighter outlet doesn't even work, not that there is even a cigarette lighter anyway. But you can't charge your cell phone in the little hidden compartment with the outlet while you are out of the car. Bogus!

- 2 words. Crush washers! What a dumb idea. I just changed my oil, and guess what? you need a special washer to put on the oil drain nut when you replace it. this must be replaced every time. Of course Subaru dealer is the only place locally to get them. So guess what. What do you think the local quickie oil changes places do? Answer: they just don't use it then try to torque the nut back on. if they don’t' strip the oil pan the first time, give it time, they will.

oh, by the way, when I went to my local Subaru dealer to get crush washers ($1.30 a piece) they didn't have any. So I had to wait over a week to do the oil change. Kind of my fault, should have had them sooner.

- Speaking of oil change. You have to remove a shield to get at the oil filter and drain nut. not a big deal, and I like the idea that the underside will probably remain clean. But the problem is that the way it is set up, it is almost impossible to remove the nut without soaking your hand with the oil as it falls out. Because you have to reach straight up because of the shield, you can't put your hand to the side and let the oil drip down.

One more thing. I bought the car in Columbus OH. And the dealer I dealt with told me not to worry about a break in. Said they don't need it because of the ECU chip. About 100 miles later I read in the manual that they recommend a 500 mile break in. I was mad. luckily I hadn't driven it hard anyway, but I would have babied it more if I had known that. Should have known better.

I think that's it.

Likes:

- I love the ride and handling. I didn't at first. I babied it for break in. Once over I was almost afraid to open her up. It felt like it shouldn't be done. Now I drive her like she wants to be driven. like all Subaru’s want to be driven. not beaten, but driven! Handles like it's on rails. I am almost looking forward to this winter to drive in snow.

- The looks have really won me over. as I said earlier, I didn't care for the Forester's appearance. But it has grown on me.

- Stopping power seems better than a lot of cars I’ve driven. This thing can stop. it does have 4 wheel disk brakes, I am not sure if this is the reason, but it seems like it could stop on a dime. You gotta love that.

- The car is SAFE. Loaded with safety features, and rated excellent in the crash tests AND rollover tests. Take that other "cute Utes."

- Full size spare tire. I know they did that because of the AWD and problems with different sized tires, i.e. doughnut, but it is a nice gesture.



I really can't stress enough that I LOVE this car. I only focused on the negatives to let you know what to expect. The little things. The things you don't notice until you have driven the car awhile. I am glad I bought this car and wouldn't trade it for the world, well maybe I’d trade it for a turbo version, but that's all! :)

Mike