Overview & Reviews

Noting Forester fans' desire for more power, Subaru adds a turbocharged XT model to the lineup. The XT is essentially a loaded XS with a 210-hp engine replacing the 165-hp motor.

• Standard all-wheel drive, two engine choices, availability of upscale features, class-leading crash test scores.

• Price can be higher than most of the competition, tight on legroom in the backseat.

User Reviews:

Showing 31 through 40 of 161.00

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  Safe and Fun To Drive - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By Asa Packer - March 14 - 11:46 am

  2004 2.5X has been a good, but not great car. Great fun to drive, economical and very safe, but the engine sips coolant and theres a light, intermittent engine knock. Subaru dealers cant or wont diagnose either problem. Time will tell how long our Subaru lasts.

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  Nice but needs improvements - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By Sean D - February 24 - 12:20 pm

  Performance great, but 1st gear ratio too low; shift to 2nd is sometimes clumsy with best efforts. Clutch pedal range much too long. Outside styling is weird. Looks good in some lighting and some angles (e.g. rear), in others it looks pathetic. Wheels too small and stupid looking for top-of-the-line Forester. Suspension is too soft for performance. Seats and position are not comfortable for me. Seems the ergonomics are for shorter people. Gas mileage fair; seems to be the same whether driven hard or easy. Premium fuel is not a plus, but its a turbo. Ive driven the 07. Much improved appearance, nicer wheels, nicer interior design / features.

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  Forester XT - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By kbunting - February 2 - 2:00 am

  unbelievably fun to drive family car...not so big that it hogs up the road like some of its competitors.

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  Luv my Scoobie! - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By diane - January 14 - 12:03 am

  This little SUV with the Turbo will move when I need it to. Its so handy to haul items, easy to fold seats down, easy to remove the headrests. I love the auto climate control, great stereo. I have great control of car in adverse weather conditions - I feel SAFE driving this car. Doors feel solid when you shut them.

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  Why the XT is on 1 of 5 best Trucks 2004 - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By DeathRatel - December 21 - 2:00 am

  When the dealer pulled up w/ a XT I couldnt keep my smile down. I told him all you have to say is: 60 in 5.3!!! This is no simple grocery-getter this is a Mustang, Camaro, and yes Corvetter getter. The "wagon" is the ulimate "Sleeper". The ULTIMATE low-riding, SUV, AWD, MAD-POWER, space-for-all vehicle is at your nearby Subaru dealership. When you go test drive this monster in disguise, try, just try to keep your smile down!!! Happy Cruisin -Adam

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  Excellent Car - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By Excellent Car - December 8 - 5:23 pm

  After 10 years with my Hyundai excel 1994, having many problems I bought my forester in year 2003. I love this car. No problem. Its very comfortable. After 90,000 miles Im still in love with my Subaru. The 4WD is excellent.

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  Great little wagon - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By homer - October 9 - 7:40 pm

  I bought this car new in 2003 and have loved it ever since. I just payed it off and plan on keeping it until it dies. It handles great in the rain and snow. The only warranty work I had done was to replace the CD changer and rear view mirror. My only complaint is the very loud road noise. Its a great car that can definitely move when you want it to.

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  Plain and Simple Truth - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By juanmafxt - October 8 - 6:01 am

  This is the pioneer and last of the true sport crossovers. There are a lot of copycats nowadays, but this one is the real thing. Manual tranny, 4.44FD, AWD with 50/50 torque split, big STI engine 2.5L, factory turbo with low compression pistons, disc brakes, LSD and other good stuff. All parts from the WRX and STI fit into this vehicle since they share the platform. Tons of aftermarket parts and can be made to go very fast for very little. Great sleeper vehicle. This is not a car for nannies. If you intent is to buy a car and just put gas in it and forget everything else, this is not the car for you. Change PM parts and the car will reward you with a great bargain.

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  SUV or Race Car?? - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By forest law - September 27 - 2:00 am

  I went from an 02 WRX Wagon to this for the extra room and features. It has a nice soft ride, interior is nice and the performance if even better than the WRX. This car has Blazing acceleration! Just as fast as a Porsche Boxter S and a 350Z, believe it! There is no turbo lag like the WRX, it sppols right up and continues to pull all the way to redline. This is a mountain biker and skiers dream car. heated seats are nice too and the climate control system is well designed

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  Highly recommended - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By jbdc1 - September 23 - 7:13 am

  It does a terrific job of what it is designed to do. Weve had it 1 yr, for 11K mi, with no problems at all. Thats what I expect for a brand new $24K car, and performance is also exactly as I would expect from a small car and small engine. It has been great in the city and on highway trips, havent had a chance to go in the forest yet. Room for a dog and a baby, even on long trips, yet easy to drive and park anywhere. Took me a while to get used to some of the Subaru engineering, like automatic downshifting for engine braking on hills and the automatic climate control, but Ive learned to accept them as useful.