Faults:

Oil leak (wrong filter fitted, then over tightened).

Accelerator pedal for fly by wire stopped working on two occasions. The dealer took 5 days to find the problem.

The spare key won't continue to work for longer than a week, with a brand new battery and re-programmed correctly. Have given up with Subaru and them trying to fix it.

Paint is easily scratched.

General Comments:

The car is very comfortable, the 2.5 litre VVT Boxer engine is wonderful when driven with a bit of spirit, and the brakes are fantastic for a car of its class and size.

Now we get to the Automatic; it's reasonable (JUST) whilst driven around the suburbs, but if you try to drive it reasonably quick in standard mode, it's lost and very indecisive for the gear changes. SPORT mode somewhat gains it back some brownie points.

Its Manual mode is real winner though; quick changes and accurate response matches the boxer engine beautifully.

I wasn't a big fan of the car when first purchased because of the little problems it occurred in the warranty period. Thank goodness for warranties.

Faults:

Just service and drive, great reliability, no complaints noises or rattles to speak of.. Just replaced first set of tyres (normal wear)

General Comments:

Excellent 2.5 boxer engine with constant AWD, very smooth, powerful enough for a family wagon and averages about 9.0l/100km primarily around town use. Being a manual, it's also fun and very responsive to drive.

The handling with the standard AWD, and 17' wheels and tyres, is as good as any sports car, but has a very comfortable, controlled ride on any surface.

The interior is very well thought out with lots of room being a wagon, the finish and quality is all top level stuff, no rattles or failures to speak of. The front seats are very comfortable, even on a long trip, and offer lots of back support. Back seat comfortable enough for the two kids, and has a big boot.

Faults:

I have not had any problems with the car.

General Comments:

I'm very happy with the performance of the car, it handles like a dream, even on wet roads. Straight line performance is good from 0 - 100 km/h. About 6.0 seconds.

This car really shows its class on a mountain road, it grips the road very well and takes corners with speeds most cars would only dream of.

The car seems roomy, but the back seat is a little cramped for 3 adults. The seats are very comfortable and firm. The stereo system is excellent and is one of the best features of the car.

Fuel consumption is a little high in the city, but seems to be good on highway travel.

Overall, I found it to be better car then the BMW's and VW's I drove at a similar price range.