Subaru Forester (1997 - 2003) 2.0 AWD 5d Auto (AWP) Owner Review

Startling value for money at under£4k s/h. You can't beat a Japanese car made in Japan. This this is the best year in my humble opinion, Subaru started to mess about too much after this. But you do need to find a good independent competent garage thought they big jobs like cambelts, since Subaru dealers are not cheap.

The alarm may suffer false triggers, and the tailgate catch needs to be well maintained and the "door open" contacts kept sweet

This vehicle is one of the last that a home mechanic can reasonably be expected to manage before the electronics got crazy in all vehicles. If you are willing to invest the time to get familiar with basic maintenance yourself, there is plenty of enthusiastic online help and YouTube support, and there are plenty of stories of cared-for foresters reaching 200000 miles and beyond.

Buy one if you get the chance!