2003 Subaru Forester consumer reviews

My 2003 Forester has 39,500 miles and has been carefully maintained. However, now I find that the head gaskets are going and that this has been an ongoing problem with this engine in previous years. The internet is rife with sites devoted to Subaru owners with the same problem. I wish I could say that this has been a dependable car but this repair is evidence otherwise.

The Subaru Forester is not only highly rated by consumer magazines as one of the best small SUVs available, it's a great value for the money. The Forester 2.5 XS has a great variety of features; both fun and safety. When the weather calls for it, you can open the very large sunroof, power down the windows and feel as though you're in a convertible - that's how open this car is. Lots of windows for clear viewing all around, leather seats, 6 CD changer with great sound and too much more to mention. An all around terrific car that holds it's value over time and has one of the best ratings on reliability.

We currently own a 99 Forester and have been very satisified with it. It has been very reliable and maintenance costs have been low. This 03 model has an much larger feel than our 99 and the interior is much nicer (maybe more modern is a better way of saying it). The alloy wheels on this one make the car look much sportier. We love the size because we spend most of our time in the city and its great to be able to park and still open your doors. We are trying to decide whether to purchase a newer one to have the additional warranty coverage, but my wife says why spend the extra money since we never used the warranty on our current Forester.

This car has a very solid feel and feels very sure footed. It handles really well. The car is clean and seem to have been well taken care of. I really like the air conditioning system because it is so easy to adjust. The doors open wide so the car is easy to get in and out of.

Totally reliable car. Love the heated seats and improved cup holder design. Highly recommend some of the optional accessories --- floor mat and organizer for the hatch area.

We love our Forester, which we bought barely used in 2003 with 2500 miles on it. The car now has 33,000 trouble-free miles on the clock. We most appreciate the Forester's utility and features. The boxy rear end swallows up an amazing amount of cargo, especially with the back seats folded down. And for a vehicle in this price range, there are a lot of amenities, including heated seats, heated mirrors and wipers, 6-CD changer with cassette and power windows/locks and alarm. Gas mileage is great -- routinely 30 MPG on highway trips, and 24 or so in the city. Only a couple of complaints: The LED lights that indicate the climate control settings are hard to see in bright sunlight. And the climate control system is a little wonky -- if you set it to a fixed temperature, like 70 degrees in the winter, the AC will kick on whenever the cabin temp exceeds that. It would be better if the system were a little smoother in transition, rather than blasting cold air, only to have the heat kick back on a couple minutes later.