It was the money, mostly. I found myself moving upmarket from the $17,000 Ford Focus ZTW I was first considering to this $22,000 Forester XS. I doubt I could have snagged the XT for under $3000 more. Turbos are nice, but I've been there & done that. I would have been more tempted by a 2-liter turbo with less power but over-30 mpg ratings, but that's not offered. A VW-style turbodiesel would have been my first choice. But I find the stock Subaru 165-hp motor has plenty of guts. On paper, it about equals the SAAB 2.3 LPT, but altitude does take its toll.
Over the years, though, I've found there's such a thing as too much power. Put more than 200 hp in a 3000-lb car and you never get to work the engine very hard. A few seconds of full throttle and you're doing 100! I think it's more fun to drive a slow car fast, rather than a fast car slowly.
What's vital to me is having the other necessities of high-performance: a stiff chassis, strong brakes, and a good driver's seat, and the Subaru has all that. It's got good genes, and a frisky spirit that SAAB needs to get in touch with again. And don't discount the merits of all wheel drive-- you can lay on the power during a corner and the car just leaps forward like a cat, without disturbing the handling balance.
So far the most disappointing aspect of the Forester experience is its slim presence online. Although they're as common as fleas on a hound, Forester forums are few and seemingly have little to talk about (besides the thrills of driving an XT). VW Vortex has its myriad fashion issues and technical questions, saabnet has its encyclopedic accounts of epic repair woes, while subaruforester.com is dominated by a few jolly Australian off-road jockeys. Maybe it's not like a European car after all. Maybe the ownership experience is not to decorate it or recusitate it or brag about it, but just to drive it.

posted by 24.8.23...

• Sayonara, SAAB, John McMillin, Wed, 21 Apr 2004 21:51:43
  • Dead Speedo, Craig, Thu, 22 Apr 2004 21:37:36
  • Curious as to why you didn't get the XT?, NYSaab, Thu, 22 Apr 2004 10:48:48
    • Re: Curious as to why you didn't get the XT?, John McMillin, Thu, 22 Apr 2004 16:10:13 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Re: Sayonara, SAAB, Steve T., Thu, 22 Apr 2004 09:13:21
    • Re: Sayonara, SAAB, John McMillin, Fri, 23 Apr 2004 09:00:24
      • Re: Sayonara, SAAB, Saabjockey, Sat, 24 Apr 2004 14:07:31
  • Re: Interesting...., david, Thu, 22 Apr 2004 05:54:48
    • I think Subaru cable clutches go when they're, DickT , Thu, 22 Apr 2004 09:47:08

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