I have been driving this car for a little over a year now, and am very satisfied with its performance. It drives smoothly and offers good visibility. As a mother, space is critical, and the Forester delivers. There is plenty of space in the back for a full-size stroller, groceries, and anything else we need to transport. In addition to this, the height is perfect for frequent trips involving taking a heavy toddler in and out of a car seat. The safety restraints are also easily located and handled when having to move the car seat. The interior is easily cleaned, but has not been very resilient to wear and tear. For example, even when the car seat has been removed for several days, there are clear indents in the seat. The only mechanical issues we have had is having to replace the brakes once, but that is part of normal car use. In addition, the fuel economy is not great for a family on a budget, but it could also be worse. Overall, though, I am pleased with the car. It makes a very nice family car, and has proven to be very reliable to get to work, school, the playground, and anywhere else we need to go.

The 2002 Subaru Forester is a fairly reliable car and Subaru certainly matches the reliability of other major car manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda but it lacks a certain element of fashion and comfort that its competitors don't. It isn't a Land Rover or Jeep but one may question why so much of the interior is made of hard plastic. Like most cars over a decade old, it's lighter and accelerates faster than most new crossovers and one might even say the gas pedal is a little too sensitive. Overall it's a reliable car, great for traveling or winter weather conditions.