Updated: 15 January 2002: My next car will definitely be a Subaru. This car has not given me a moment of trouble. She handles beautifully on ice and snow, and deals pretty well with mud and muck.

(Original review: November 1999)
I love this vehicle.

We bought our Forester (99 model) in April 1999 and immediately put it to the test. We drove it from Washington DC to New Jersey, then to Iowa, then through Arkansas, finally ending up in West Texas. All the Forester requires from us is regular oil changes! It's a small station wagon (don't let the SUV title fool you... it's smaller than many cars), but it can hold quite a lot. We can fit two kids, two dogs, and lots of luggage in there. It would be nice if the back was just a foot longer, but I wouldn't trade it for a larger car. There are nifty little storage pockets in the back: you can even use the (full-sized) spare tire as a soda cooler! I recommend the cargo compartment cover for the back, but the plastic cargo floor protector is annoying. Things slide all over the back.

Our interior is beige cloth, and with two kids, that bothered me at first, but stains come up quite easily with a damp towel. (Almost three years later, the upholstery still looks very good.)

Before we bought the Forester, I was reluctant to buy a car, because I was used to driving a Subaru micro-mini van. I was nervous about the long noses most cars seem to have, but the Forester's nose-length is not intimidating at all. It's very easy to handle in traffic. Since it's a standard, it's also fun to drive.

I trust this Forester and I would definitely buy another one! We're about to put it to another test, another cross-country drive, this time in the middle of winter.

Negatives: some 99 Foresters have a problem with the brakes' master cylinder. It is covered by the warranty and if you're buying a new one now, it should be taken care of already.

Also, the Forester can tow, but it's not recommended, so this is not the vehicle to buy if you'll be towing anything for long periods of time. (Since I wrote this, we acquired a 16-foot fishing boat. The Subaru does a great job towing the boat 10 hours at a time, though the gas mileage does drop down to about 20 mpg if we're also running the air conditioner. Typical highway gas mileage is 30 mpg, city is 27-28 mpg.)

If you have more than two kids in car seats, a bigger car would be better for you, also. It seats three in the back, but if all three were my own kids, I wouldn't do it: it would be fine for an occasional guest, but very cramped for daily driving.

If you're used to luxury cars, the seats might be uncomfortable for you... this is my first new car, so I find it very comfortable.