Car: Subaru Forester
Type: Mini-SUV
Engine: 4-cylinder
Transmission: Automatic
Drive: All-Wheel-Drive (AWD)

I recently purchased a slightly used 2001 Subaru Forester at a local dealer (Carr Subaru in Beaverton, Oregon). My review will be broken into four sections: Selection, Pros, Cons, and Conclusion.

Selection

Before we bought our Forester, we drove the mini-SUV competition (Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Kia Sportage, Hyundi Sante Fe, and Chevy Tracker). The only other mini-SUVs that we might have purchased were the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4. Both of these choices were reliable and performed well.

Why did we get the Subaru Forester over the Honda and Toyota? The Subaru was laid out better, had more space, more powerful (for the same fuel economy) handled better, and was given much higher safety marks in Consumer Reports.

Pros:

1) Engine - This car has a great engine. After you drive it, you will not believe that it is only a 4-cylinder engine. I definitely feels like a mid-range V-6. The fuel economy of the engine is almost the same as the less powerful competition.

2) AWD - The all-wheel-drive system of the Subaru works great in the rainy Pacific Northwest. This was definitely a selling point with us. It works well on snow and rain.

3) Performance - The Forester may be in the mini-SUV category, but it drives more like a car. The handling is by far the best of any mini-SUV. A stable vehicle is a safer vehicle.

4) Extras - The mid-range package (L-class), is very well equipped (almost as good as the high end S-class package.

Cons:

1) Subaru - The dealership where we purchased the Forester (Carr Subaru in Beaverton, Oregon) is AWFUL. They are rude, unprofessional, and attempt to back out of their legal and warranty obligations. I know that most dealerships are relatively the same, but this one is BAD TO THE CORE! I have even contacted Subaru America (corporate), and they never acted to correct the problem. Customer service is an ALIEN concept to these people. AVOID CARR SUBARU AT ALL COSTS.

2) Minor Problems - Our Forester has a few small problems that I think are indicative of most 2001 Foresters. The gas door will not stay closed (we saw this same problem on five other "used" 2001 model at the dealership). A few other odds and ends are broken or damaged (so much for the dealership's 150 point inspection). The brakes make funny sounds and the gas sloushes around when you stop.


Conclusion:

I love this car, but I HATE Subaru. They do not back their product or conduct appropriate quality control of their dealerships. I would recommend that you buy either a brand new Subaru or a used one from a private party.

The car has some minor problems, but is still an overall great vehicle.
Amount Paid (US$): 18500
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: Forester L - Auto, AC, PD, PL,