I recently was looking for a Forester type vehicle and having had a Subaru
in the past felt confident I would end up with an Outback or Forester. After
all looking at specs for lots of vehicles the Outback, Forester, RAV4 and
Escape ended up on my shortlist. After spending time with each of these I
ended up purchasing the RAV4.

There were two main reasons I did not purchase the Forester in spite of
glowing reviews. The primary one is that IMO the quality of interior
materials was significantly downgraded as part of the redesign. To a lesser
extent the engine and drivetrain in the Subaru products is a couple of
generations behind Toyota. You are correct in your assessment of the 4 speed
auto. This is especially pertinent if you chose the normally aspirated
engine. If you chose the higher horsepower engine offered by Subaru there is
the added expense of turbo maintenance over the life of the vehicle and the
need for premium fuel. All of these vehicles are relatively heavy and while
170hp is certainly adequate for most situations passing at highway speeds in
a two lane uphill situation, for example in the Mountainous West where I
live, can become unnecessarily exciting. For this reason I wanted the higher
HP versions of the vehicles I was looking at.

If I had been able to feel comfortable with the base engine then I would
have chosen the Outback. I did not feel I could live with the quality of
materials and interior design in the Forester or Escape. Wanting the higher
horsepower engine burning 87 octane fuel I ended up with the RAV4.

The Forester is an excellent vehicle and would serve most owners well. That
being said Subaru has not invested in powertrain improvements the way much
of the competition has and it is beginning to show.

I hope this helps your decision making.