2005 Subaru Forester 2.5XS L.L.Bean Edition review from North America

Absolutely nothing. Just a flat tire a few weeks after I bought it, due to some punk taking a knife to it. He won't be doing it again -- but that's another story altogether. ;)

Brilliant! Just brilliant! The people at Subaru, that is! This car has been amazing from every perspective.

Maintenance: I personally do all of the maintenance on this vehicle, and from a mechanic's perspective, it is wonderful. I've been running Mobil1 5W30 Synthetic oil and a Wix filter for the engine oil (I change every 10,000 miles), and Mobil1 Synthetic products for all my other fluids. I'm also using a K&N lifetime air filter. After nearly 93,000 miles in almost two years, I can say that it's paid off. The engine still runs great (One might even say that it does better than it did when new) and revs happily to the redline. I replaced the stock Yokohama tires (which had some odd treadwear) at 82k miles with a set of Goodyear Eagle RS-A's. The brake pads are still original, with 50% left in them (ummm, WOW!). So from a mechanical standpoint, this car is amazing. Just follow the maintenace schedule, and it will outlast you. Now let's look at the interior quality...

Overall, it's great, the leather seats (LLBean edition) are comfy, and hold you well through those winding country roads and city freeway ramps. Rear legroom is great, I'm 5'11" and still fit well in the back. All the interior materials are of excellent quality -- better than my dad's BMW! I love the autodimming mirror, along with the heated seats and heated exterior mirrors. The sound system is beautiful, better than my Bose in my house. Also, you can fit more in the back than you think, even when the seats aren't folded down.

How does it drive? Like it's glued to the road. I've never seen anything like it. While the ride is somewhat rough (due to the fact that it runs on the Impreza frame/chassis) it really helps the handling. The engine has plenty of power, and gobs of torque; suprising for it not being the turbo model. I live in a rural area on a farm, and sometimes use it to go pick up feed. I've loaded over 1200 pounds into the back of it, and the suspension still won't squat! Must be that auto-leveling feature. At night the highbeams are great, better than any other vehicle that I've owned (Chevy's, VW's, Toyota's, you name it). In the rain and mud (don't get much snow here) the AWD helps out a lot, I've never had it lose traction or hydroplane, not even at highway speeds.

So if you're looking for a great car, buy one of these. You won't regret it. I certainly haven't.