2010 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
I drove an Audi A6 so I was used to lots of amenities. I used edmunds.com to narrow my search to 5 medium SUVs. The trend in body styles seems to be lots of body in the back with a small window...looks good from the outside but feels claustrophobic inside and isn't helpful when you're trying to back up or merge onto a highway. That put the Rogue and Tucson lower on my list. I test drove the CR-V - nice. I left the RAV 4 till last - I expected to drive it home. But when I drove the Forester, I was impressed at how comfortable and spacious it was. The RAV 4 interior looks cheap by comparison. I bought the Subaru and drove it 2000 miles so far, including a trip to Canada. I still love it.
Wide wheel base = stability. Small turning radius. Convenient interior storage. Great visibility. Heated windshield, side mirrors, seats. Hidden storage area over the full-size spare tire, under a sturdy cargo pad. Spacious cargo area. High safety ratings. AWD. Large moon roof. No rattles here
Sluggish 4 spd - roars going uphill till it shifts gears. Cargo storage unit made out of Styrofoam? All in all I absolutely love it!