2004 Subaru Forester XS 2.5L from North America

Summary:

Best and safest all-around SUV available

Faults:

The driver's rear view door mirror is loose, but can be fixed easily at the first oil change.

With 1500 miles on it, the engine is just now breaking in.

Steering seems a bit stiff, but will hopefully loosen up.

Rear seat head rests block some vision when using rear view mirror.

Cruise lags a bit on setting, but accelerate button works well.

General Comments:

This car handles with extreme ease. It takes curves at fast speeds with little G force.

The sunroof is awesome. Makes me feel as if I'm in a much bigger car.

Lots of little nifty gadgets like plastic bag hooks in the cargo compartment.

Cruises quietly and smoothly at 80 miles per hour on the highway.

2.5 litre engine is peppy and fuel efficient.

Front seat is comfortable even for bigger people.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 18th November, 2004

2004 Subaru Forester LX from North America

Summary:

Well-built and a pleasure to drive

Faults:

Nothing, but I have only 4200 miles on it.

General Comments:

The car is peppy and responsive.

It has great accident avoidance abilities.

The suspension is rock-solid and tough as nails. I drove it over a curve at 25 MPH and hardly noticed it.

The headroom is phenomenal.

The availability and use of space is generally good.

Leg room for the driver is restricted and driver's seat comfort is marginal.

Fuel economy at 22-24 in my town and country driving situation is less than I would expect for a 4 cylinder.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 27th August, 2004

21st Oct 2004, 06:13

Thanks for the imformative update on car..

5th Aug 2005, 13:16

Shouldn't there be a happy face instead of a "50/50" face? Just curious...

2004 Subaru Forester XT 2.5 from North America

Summary:

Ugly rocket

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with this pocket rocket.

Driver's seat seem to be off center with the steering wheel.

General Comments:

Rear end is shapely, but the front end looks like a toad.

Goes like stink, and that is before the turbo kicks in. Then, hang on. Launch speeds.

Beaucoup de headroom (I'm over 6 ft).

Traction in wet and snow is fantastic.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th July, 2004

2004 Subaru Forester X All weather pack 2.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Great value for money

Faults:

So far, nothing at all.

The car looks and drives very nicely in the short time I have owned it (1 week).

I researched this site to choose my new car.

General Comments:

The engine is very tight, but I expect it to loosen up in the next month or so.

This should improve fuel consumption which came out at 25 MPG for the first tank full.

The car is well equipped with boys toys, including heated seats and category one alarm.

The only slight disappointment is the drivers seat does not go as far back as I would like, but I'll get used to it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th April, 2004

26th May 2004, 12:21

As the original writer I can now report on the Foresters progress.

Fuel consumption has slowly improved from the first tank-full.

Now averaging 28 MPG with 33 on a long run.

The car had its first service last week with no faults to report to the dealer.

The dealer has said they will honor the three years servicing deal so I'm very happy about that.

The car is a joy to drive and I look forward to driving to work and back.

The only problem on the horizon is the sunroof seemed to malfunction tonight, it refused to close properly, bouncing back to half open. I eventually managed to close it. Will ask the dealer about it tomorrow.

2004 Subaru Forester XT 2.5 from North America

Summary:

A well designed pocket rocket SUV

General Comments:

Subaru's marketing and engineering Dept's finally got their act together.

This little SUV is quick off the line and has reasonably good handling and ride comfort. The brakes feel a bit spongy, but stop the car if you step on them. The turbos water cooled design eliminates the concerns over cooking the oil. It comes with most of the options one would want. The heated mirrors and wipers really come in handy in snow and ice. The vehicle was really designed for snow country.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd March, 2004