2005 Subaru Forester XT AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 4A)
This is my first car, which I got for a steal, considering it has a shocking 192k miles. I was very weary about getting a car with that many miles, but it was the only Subaru available in my budget. Subarus have been in the family for years and I know they are reliable. Whoever had this car before took good care of it. Regular maintenance was done and I found nothing wrong. I've had her for a few weeks and she runs great. I plan on keeping her maintained enough to get another 100k miles. I love my Forester and now I'm making fun of my mother, who drives an Impreza sedan. My car is way cooler then hers.
I wanted a small SUV that handled well and didn't feel like driving a boat, had room for storage, and had a good view of the road (I'm 5'2"....I need to see). And of course, 4WD for the weather. Forester was the way to go. And of course, the bells and whistles are nice. Heated leather seats, heated windows, all that is icing on the cake.
The only drawback is the gas mileage. Right now I'm getting about 20-22MPG, and with the premium gas, it hurts to go to the pump. Another reason I want to keep her maintained. I do have to wonder why Subaru doesn't do away with the Turbo engine, and just but a 5 or 6 cylander engine in, to do away with the need for premium. Overall, it's a great, fun, practical car. And it comes in my favorite color. Not bad for my first car.