Used 2004 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
I traded mine in after 7 months!
I bought my Forrester on the recommendation of a family member. Big mistake. I had engine problems almost immediately. The front seats are painfully uncomfortable. The back seat is too small to adequately hold a rear- facing baby seat. In fact, just to get the seat to click in, I had to move the front seat up significantly. I traded mine in for a 2004 Honda Accord after only 7 months. Big disappointment.
Forester Base Model
I only put 1,000 miles on the car so far but I am satisfied with my purchase. For a long time I debated between the Forester, the Xterra, and the Element. I found the Forester to be the best for my buck. It is not a gas guzzler like the Xterra and it is not an experimental automobile like the Element. The ride is smooth and the ergonomics are well done if you are a person of average height and weight. If you are a larger creature you might want to look for a different automobile all together.
Fun!
This car is just plain fun to drive. even with the automatic,i'ts quick off the line, passes everything with ease and rolls effortlessly. Seems to have excellent handling characteristics on winding roads and feels much more stable (and powerful) than the Explorer it replaces and a heck of a lot cheaper than the Toureg I was considering. Not sure I'd want to take it off road much though but for a daily driver, it's excellent. Not nearly as quiet inside as I would prefer- seems like the higher end SUV's have a lot more sound deadening-still this is pretty minor at this price point.
Forester fun
Enjoyable car to drive. I feel safer on wet roads or in heavy rain, knowing the safe construction and AWD provides traction other frontwheel drive only vehicles don't give.
Forester shines
I went from a pickup truck to this little SUV. ALthough I miss the hauling capabilities of my pickup, this subie has been great. I have driven it on two long trips this summer and it has returned some great mileage for an AWD. I averaged 27 mpg on this last trip.