How is the 2005 Subaru Forester XT (Auto)

[godwhomismike]

I have someone in my family that wants to spend about $30 - $35K on a new SUV. I been researching out all of them and curious - how is the 2005 Subaru Forester XT w/Premium Package? The person is overweight, so getting in and out and room in the passagner seat would be an important issue to them. I figured all the techno features would be dumb for them, since they wouldn't be able to figure them out, it might be something worth while for them to look at. How is the snow traction? How is the ride quality? Gas mileage? etc etc. btw... is it true that the Forster XT has very underrated hp and torque? - Mike

[AreEyeSeeKay]

My wife's car is an '04 Forester XT auto, I'll have a go at your questions. First, I guess you already know that the XT can be for much less then $30 right? Plus, If they aren't enthusiasts the XS or new LL bean should be OK. In the 30 to 35 price range you should probably be looking at the Pilot or Highlander which are both fine cars with alot more room then the Forester. The auto is a four speed, and it tends to exagerate the turbo lag a bit when you are trying to squirt through traffic. Personally, I don't like automatics, so it may more critical then average person. In normal driving the engine feels like it has ample tourqe. The stock yokohamas aren't well respected by the XT owners (much like the RE92s), but I thought snow traction last winter was excellent last winter. Since it has heated seats, heated mirrors, and front wiper defrosters, its almost a pleasure to drive it in the snow. Of course, in the dry, the tires howl around off-ramps. Body roll also kills any pretense that this might be a sports car. Ride quality is good, although there is a bit of noise coming from the rear over harsh surfaces, as compared to a sedan with a seperate trunk. Gas milage is not great. My wife gets 17-20 around town. The best we ever got was 23 when I used it to commute one week. The front seats are very comfortable, visibility is excellent, and it had the highest possible crash test ratings. The back seat would be tight if you were driving around four 5'10"+ adults, but for kids its fine. Step-in height is perfect, and in traffic, you aren't dwarfed by SUVs or towering over cars. Bottom line is that my wife loves it, it was our first Subaru, and it made me happy enough to go out and buy the legacy.

[3.7L H6]

looking for pics of the gold XT please. :D