Faults:

The only problem I've had was a flat tyre. Apart from that, it hasn't missed a beat in the 6 months I've had it.

General Comments:

As a 17 year old boy looking for a car, I had expected to find myself in a Celica or Impreza, or something cool and sporty. Instead, I ended up in a SUV, and wasn't particularly excited about it. But in the last few months, I've started to love this car.

It corners better than any other car I've driven. Same chassis as an Impreza, an excellent all-wheel-drive system; I've thrown it into some fast and sharp corners, and it's never let go. A little tall, and the suspension is a bit soft, so any real sports car will obviously beat it, but beautiful handling, with nice, light steering.

Very practical interior, with huge cargo capacity with the rear seats folded down. I've thrown two mountain bikes in the back, without taking the wheels off, quite easily. Also, more compartments than you've ever seen in a car.

The only thing about the car I don't like is the 2.0L engine - it's really too small for the size of the car. If you have the option, go for the turbo version. I know I'll be putting a turbo on mine as soon as I'm off my P plates. There is virtually no headroom for overtaking, sitting on 3k revs in 5th at 100kmph.

Petrol consumption is quite high too, mainly thanks to the all wheel drive, but the amount of revs needed to get the car moving doesn't help either - another problem that would be fixed with a turbo.

Faults:

Car has been very reliable and dependable.

Electric Aerial died and was replaced by dealer under warranty.

Tyres wear very quickly. Original tyres (Bridgestone Duelers) were very weak and proved useless on the unsealed roads I live on.

Rear plastics in boot rattle terribly.

Rear struts needed replacement. Expensive as are self adjusting and only available as a genuine part.

General Comments:

Has been a fantastic car and has never let us down. It is used every day for a 65 km round trip to work and back and has been driven from Hobart, Tasmania all the way to Queensland & back without missing a beat.

Seats are quite comfortable and the middle armrests on the front seats are good on longer journeys.

Cruise control works well.

Steering is excellent, very responsive through corners, and light when parking. Handling is excellent for such a tall car.

Performance is average until you rev it above 3,000 rpm, but this is not good enough for daily driving. I will get the turbocharged version next time.

There is only one dealer in Hobart (Performance Automobiles) and they have been very disappointing. They are overpriced and the service they provide is not up to standard. I now take the car to my local petrol station for servicing and repairs, and it has been fine.

I would recommend the Forester to anyone.