2001 Subaru Forester review from North America

Purchased this high-end model 2001 Forester 'NEW' in October 2000.

Body, fit and finish are excellent.

The rest of it ~ Passenger front legroom is poor and cramped. My old 64 Volkswagen bug had more space front and back than this luxury model Subaru Forester.

First problem encountered was the weird odd offset position of the gas pedal. To operate the vehicle, the driver needs to position the foot slightly angled to left. Within a few minutes time, the ankle gets cramped. My wife, who is a 5' 6" Asian woman, myself and others who've driven this car all suffer the same problem. Cruise control is the only remedy on trips longer than about 30-minutes duration. This is NOT a "road car" and is an ordeal for a vacation trip unless driven my deformed midgets.

Windshields are a big problem for this car. The smallest pebble or bump cracks and destroys the Subaru branded windshield. It's as if the glass itself is not tempered correctly or at all. Right now, we are on our fourth (4th) windshield, which have averaged out to one replacement per year owned. According to auto glass companies, the only windshield available for this car is the Subaru brand made somewhere in the third world where they probably don't even own windshields.

Climate control, defrost and vent system are POOR. Window fogging especially in the spring and fall seasons is another nuisance. Best to shut off the defrost and carry a rag to swipe clear the window interiors.

Now we come to the electrical problems. Headlight wiring harnesses overhead and the insulation melts causing short circuits. Dash lights and instruments go on and off mysteriously. Had a Subaru dealer check out this car at various times. After numerous visits and hundreds of dollars worth of diagnostics, nothing has been fixed and the electrics seem to be getting even quirkier. Wife left early this morning at dawn with no working headlights again. Only the rear and brake lights are now functioning.

Lots more defects include leaking windows, power door locks that malfunction, power windows that stick in the down position and have to be lifted manually, flimsy cargo strap anchors that are just symbolic and break off with first use. There's more, but I'm tired of typing...

Handles very well.

Engine seems reliable, but for a 4-cylinder it drinks gasoline like a wino swills down cheap Thunderbolt wine