Car has been very reliable and dependable.
Electric Aerial died and was replaced by dealer under warranty.
Tyres wear very quickly. Original tyres (Bridgestone Duelers) were very weak and proved useless on the unsealed roads I live on.
Rear plastics in boot rattle terribly.
Rear struts needed replacement. Expensive as are self adjusting and only available as a genuine part.
Has been a fantastic car and has never let us down. It is used every day for a 65 km round trip to work and back and has been driven from Hobart, Tasmania all the way to Queensland & back without missing a beat.
Seats are quite comfortable and the middle armrests on the front seats are good on longer journeys.
Cruise control works well.
Steering is excellent, very responsive through corners, and light when parking. Handling is excellent for such a tall car.
Performance is average until you rev it above 3,000 rpm, but this is not good enough for daily driving. I will get the turbocharged version next time.
There is only one dealer in Hobart (Performance Automobiles) and they have been very disappointing. They are overpriced and the service they provide is not up to standard. I now take the car to my local petrol station for servicing and repairs, and it has been fine.
I would recommend the Forester to anyone.
Have just sold the car in January after 265,000 km. Engine was starting to falter and had become even more underpowered. Had just replaced heavy duty clutch at a cost of over $600. Increases in fuel prices have also hit home with the forester only able to get around 450 km out of its 60 litre tank. Pretty pathetic for a 2.0 engine. Looked at replacing with a new Forester, but price increases of around $15000 since I bought mine new in 98 make it out of reach. Now proud owner of VW Golf Diesel!
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