Driving Experience
Includes acceleration and handling
What Owners Say
"Just the other day I tried accelerating quickly and the car was very slow to respond. Handling is not as responsive as I would like. These problems may very well be age related. I have been told by my mechanic that I probably need new rear struts after I complained about noise from rear."
THOMAS K., IL (2003 Subaru Forester)"smooth driving, brisk handling and adequate acceleration"
GARY P., VA (2003 Subaru Forester)"Had to replace engine at 90,000 miles"
MARK B., MI (2003 Subaru Forester)"Very good handling through curves & turns, easy to see out, smooth manual transmission & nice hill-holder feature, does nothing wrong."
Anonymous, CA (2003 Subaru Forester)"The all wheel drive system provides a great deal of confidence on the long rural commute we use it for."
Anonymous, WI (2003 Subaru Forester)"With our Iowa snow, I feel secure driving and appreciate the heated windows."
LEONARD L., IA (2003 Subaru Forester)"Drives well with two people or 5 people and luggage. Drives well with freight."
FREDERICK B., NY (2003 Subaru Forester)"great handling"
Anonymous, NJ (2003 Subaru Forester)"Very good road grip, especially on tight turns. Very stable in bad weather."
ROBERT S., NJ (2003 Subaru Forester)"The Subaru Forester has excellent Outward Visibility."
SUSAN S., AL (2003 Subaru Forester)"safety"
Anonymous, MA (2003 Subaru Forester)"Fun to drive. My wife always says the car feels like it has suction cups on the wheels. Handles really well on corners."
DONALD W., CA (2003 Subaru Forester)"Excellent handling on highway - very stable"
Anonymous, CO (2003 Subaru Forester)"turns on a dime"
Anonymous, TX (2003 Subaru Forester)"cornering is nice, acceleration is poor. vision is really really good. I love how the roof doesn't slope at the back to make a 'look' over Function"
Anonymous, AB (2003 Subaru Forester)"Fun to drive. Great in the snow. Sporty for a small SUV."
ROBERT L., MD (2003 Subaru Forester)"Good traction on all road conditions"
BERT-CAROL P., ON (2003 Subaru Forester)"Very powerful almost to the point of too powerful for an old guy like me. The cruise control hits the gas so hard you feel the G-Force! Some people might like this. I still own a 1995 Honda Odyssey which has a cruise control that is much more refined (gentle acceleration)."
GEORGE D., PA (2003 Subaru Forester)"It's a great overall car. We moved 1700 miles from VA to Texas and I pulled a trailer close to 2000 pounds with few problems even over 12000 foot mountain passes. A great work car."
A K., TX (2003 Subaru Forester)"Great in the snow."
Anonymous, RI (2003 Subaru Forester)"The only game in town for winter weather driving."
Anonymous, OR (2003 Subaru Forester)"Tows our popup camper easily"
Thomas H., WV (2003 Subaru Forester)"Weekly I pull my 1700# bass boat and all is well."
Dennis E., KY (2003 Subaru Forester)"Excellent handling in emergency situations and also excellent handling in winter driving conditions."
Anonymous, NY (2003 Subaru Forester)"Good acceleration and handling. Great off road ability for small car. Inspires confidence and affection."
Joe S., GA (2003 Subaru Forester)"Even with 182000kms on the odometer the car still has very good accelation, and terrific handling in winter conditions."
Anonymous, QC (2003 Subaru Forester)"lackluster acceleration but decent handling."
Jennifer H., AB (2003 Subaru Forester)"pretty peppy for an older vehicle smooth turns"
Mary M., FL (2003 Subaru Forester)"All wheel drive has been effective and reliable"
Anonymous, MA (2003 Subaru Forester)"For a 15 yr old used car it accelerates quite well when it has to -- entering a high speed highway, for example. Overall, the car is responsive and drives well. The ride is not particularly comfortable and there is a constant "wind tunnel" noise that comes from both front side windows. It has, however, been overall reliable."
Sanda R., NH (2003 Subaru Forester)"Small enough to easily fit in garage. Powerful enough to pull my aluminium bass boat."
Anonymous, KY (2003 Subaru Forester)"It is fun to drive and handles well on our windy mountain roads."
Cindy G., CA (2003 Subaru Forester)"The car is 15 years old and it stillaccelerates and handles beautifully. I feel very safe in it."
Anonymous, NM (2003 Subaru Forester)"I use it mainly in the winter and the AWD system is very usefull."
Anonymous, AB (2003 Subaru Forester)"no major faults"
C J., GA (2003 Subaru Forester)"Amount of power never feels inadequate to me. The vehicle feels sure-footed and predictable."
David B., NC (2003 Subaru Forester)"Handling in winter is reassuring. Higher seating and window configuration gives better visibility."
Anonymous, PA (2003 Subaru Forester)"Good: Generally handles very well Good: Handles very well in snow and rain Good: Acceleration Good: Excellent 5 speed manual transmission NOTE: I have a 5 speed manual transmission which greatly enhances my control of the car (especially in rain or snow). I have driven my siater's Subaru Forester, which has an automatic transmission, and it does not handle as well as mine."
Anonymous, NY (2003 Subaru Forester)"But sluggish"
Anonymous, OR (2003 Subaru Forester)"Good handling on curves and especially in winter driving conditions."
Anonymous, NY (2003 Subaru Forester)
"It is very peppy for such a small engine. I think it is fun to drive and it takes me everywhere I want to go."
CYNTHIA G., CA (2003 Subaru Forester)