2003 Subaru Forester

Back in 1997, Subaru (known at the time for its tough little Outback station wagons) raised the roof with the first Forester. Subaru hoped to find at least 30,000 people who might like a vehicle that drove like a car—albeit a car—with the sure-footedness of all-wheel-drive and the utility and roominess of a compact SUV. Last year, 56,000 people bought Foresters, and now hundreds of thousands of us are driving crossover vehicles produced by virtually every automaker except Ferrari.

Exterior styling now features multi-reflector headlamps and pronounced fender flares with a long crease that runs from the front fenders through the door handles to accent the car's strong shoulders.

But while many automakers are just getting into production with car-based, crossover sport-utility vehicles, Subaru introduces the second generation of its Forester, the vehicle that actually started this whole craze. How is the second-generation Forester different from the first? It has been redesigned inside and out, with the goal for the interior being to move up a class to a more premium environment.


But this is not a mere makeover or even just a facelift for the Forester. Many significant changes aren't obvious, but they're improvements that Forester buyers will appreciate. For starters, the new body is 90 pounds lighter but as much as 30 percent stronger. Other notables are drivetrain and safety system enhancements, larger brakes and revised suspension, and even the return of Subaru's once-popular Hill Holder clutch.


(For those who may not remember, Subarus with manual transmissions had gearboxes that featured mechanical components that enabled a driver sitting on a hill to release the clutch pedal without rolling backward. Financial pressures forced Subaru to abandon the system for several years, but it's back on the 2003 Forester, now with updated technology that includes a pressure-holding valve as part of the hydraulic clutch.)


For 2003, the Forester comes in two versions: the 2.5 X and the 2.5 XS. X represents "crossover" and S stands for "sport." In the Forester's case, the S adds four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake distribution technology, alloy wheels, a viscous limited-slip differential and an upgraded interior with automatic climate controls, an in-dash six-CD changer, heated seats and other features. The 2.5 XS can be further upgraded with a large moonroof and leather seats.