2000 Forrester with boxer engine

I own a 1999 Forester S, which is the loaded model. (Leather seats, tinted windows, high-end stereo with 6-CD changer, the works.) So, basically the same thing you're looking at. I'm a Subaru lover and this is my fourth, so take what I say with a proper grain of salt, but here's what I know and have experienced with my Forester.

The serious head gasket issues were with the 1997 through midyear 1999 4 cylinder 2.5L boxer engines. My Forester is late model year 1999, and therefore has the same second-generation 2.5L boxer engine as the 2000 Forester you're looking at. There have been some reports of much more minor issues with the head gaskets than existed with the first-generation engines. If the vehicle has received the Subaru-recommended maintenance, however, which includes an engine sealant, chances are very good that the gaskets will last as long as the engine does. At least, that is according to my Subaru-specialist mechanic, Steve Courtice of Suby Specialities in Monrovia, California. (Los Angeles area.)

My 1999 is actually considerably "younger" than your friend's 2000 -- I bought it last year with only 44K miles on it. (Big company's executive pool car, didn't get used much.) I had Steve give it a *very* thorough checkout, however, and also ran it through one of those complete engine diagnostic places as well. There was no discernable wear on the engine and none of the signs of impending head gasket trouble that would usually show on a car of this age despite the mileage.

Since last May, the passenger side window control has decided to quit raising the widow, although the window goes down fine, and up just fine when the driver-side controls are used. It had been in a minor fender-bender before we bought it and the front passenger suspension had been repaired improperly; Steve fixed that. One CV joint shoe had torn, probably in the same accident, and he also repaired that. Finally, there were some ball-bearing issues with the rear wheels that the dealer fixed before I bought the car, known issues with 1997-200 Foresters and Outbacks. At 130K miles, your friend's Forester will have had this repaired, and once repaired, the issue goes away permanently.

Nothing else, no matter how minor, has gone wrong with the car in the past year.

It has, however, acquired a number of scratches in the paint from avid offroading, and about 25K miles on the odometer. It also acquired a good, solid off-road skid plate beneath the engine a few weeks after we bought it, and has needed that -- we are of the "drive 'em hard, maintain them well" school. ;) My husband and I have driven this car on freeways, on city streets, on twisty mountain roads (a lot of those), on dirt roads, and up jeep tracks in various National Forests. At this point, I'm confident I have the measure of this car.

The Forester is a joy to drive. It handles off-road conditions I'd hesitate to expose many 4WD trucks to with ease; that critical two inches of extra clearance combined with an engine designed to sit just above the axles makes a huge difference. The boxer engine is low and flat, meaning that despite being an SUV the Forester actually has a lower center of gravity than most passenger cars. You feel this as excellent handling and stability, especially when turning on steep hills where rollover is otherwise common.

It isn't a race or rally car, but I find its accleration quite acceptable, more than I need to merge on an LA freeway or maneuver in traffic. A sports car driver would probably find it tame and slow, but a sports car driver who wanted a Subaru would be looking at a WRX or turbo model.

It gets decent gas mileage -- about ~17-20 MPG in tough off-road conditions, ~20-21 MPG in stop-and-go city driving, and ~25 MPG on the highway at an average of 70 MPH with the air conditioning on. The front seat has lots of legroom; the rear seat is adequate for all but very tall adults unless someone has the front seat *all* the way back. (A friend's 6"2" nephew found it slightly cramped sitting behind my 6" husband, but not behind me.)

I would recommend caution with any car with 130,000 miles on it, and a bit of added caution with a Subaru. Most Subaru owners drive them in places that owners of less capable cars don't -- that's why we own them. If you have an unskilled driver on a bad road or off-road, they can easily do damage to the suspension, steering system, oil or transmission pans. If they then don't get these problems fixed quickly, they can do much worse and more expensive damage.

So especially with a car with this much mileage on it, take it to a test-only engine diagnostic center and pay the $100-$150 for a complete check. In addition, take it to a good Subaru-specialist mechanic, preferably an independent one since unlike the dealer they'll have no reason to try to convince you to buy a new car instead. ;)

But if everything checks out, and a check of the Kelly blue book indicates that your friend's price is reasonable, don't let the mileage worry you. Subarus last a long time. If it has been maintained properly, that Forester probably has a good 70K miles left on it, maybe considerably more, before you'd need to rebuild the engine or transmission. Subaru builds tough cars.

It was the first model year of a major design change, and has headgasket issues.

Has the head gasket been replaced yet? Last timing belt change was done when? When has the last transmission service been done? Cooling system flush/fill? What's teh coolant in the overflow bottle look like?

Nope. Outback adnd Forester shared the same engine in 2000 and years after at least.

I find it rather anemic in teh pickup department, but I like my Outback overall.

If you can mentally budget $1500-$2k for a rebuild of the head if/when the head gasket lets go, go for it.

Brakes and rotors all around on the car cost around $700. I can't recall waht a new catalytic converter cost.

The struts are pretty friggin expensive too. Mine has 122k on it and these are the areas that have needed attention on my car. Last year was a rather expensive calendar year for maintenance on my car -- I think it set me back around $4k total, but I'm hoping it's good for a long time now.

-- Todd H.