I certainly would be suspicious of any vehicle that had spent a lot of time diriving on the beaches. I used to work for Nissan Motor Corp. and we had the "privilege" of supplying pickups and Pathfinders to the Los Angeles County lifeguard service who treated tham terribly.
When one would reach its mileage limit for replacement (usually 9,000 miles) it would immediately be shipped to the used car auction for sale. They would not sell them to employees or dealers. Every place on those vehicle where a grain of sand could get it was usually full of sand - enine, transmissions, front and rear differentials. I saw a couple that had been torn down for inspection and they were full of sand.
Beware of cars driven in sand...
I haven't owned a Forester, but have driven one both on and off road
>(a friend in Colo. has one). I'm now on my second OBW (2001 and 2003,
>just got it last night!). The Outback is not an SUV in any sense of
>the word. It's a nice mid-size wagon with above-average ground
>clearance and AWD. I don't really see the Forester as an SUV, either,
>but it does a bit better than the OBW. My friend has had his Forester
>on some surprisingly difficult trails and it made it fine. Our OBW did
>great this year in the deep snow we got in NE USA. My other car is a
>1991 Isuzu Trooper, and apart from a bit more clearance (on the
>Trooper) they both did great in the snow.
>
>Concerning your point about driving north on the beach in the Outer
>Banks to Virginia, there is a fence at the NC/VA border that keeps you
>from doing this easily. There is a way to get around it, as some Outer
>Banks folks actually commute to work in VA this way. I doubt they
>would let you do it if a hurricane was threatening. I've driven our
>Trooper on the beach north of Corrola (I used to live in Virginia
>Beach) and have seen both Foresters and Outbacks, but I think the
>Forester would probably do better unless you stuck to the
>below-high-tide line to get the firm sand. Be sure to reduce your tire
>pressure a lot if you try to drive on the sand; it helps a lot.
>
>> "ddd" wrote:
>>
>> > I was on the beach with my Forester last week on the Outer Banks of NC
>> > ( Cape Hatteras). Didn't see one Outback but did see many a Forester. >>
>> That's reassuring news... we vacation at the Outer Banks every year, and go
>> again Sunday. Once had to evacuate because of a hurricane, and hated the
>> refugee-congested main evacuation routes. I understand 4WD (perhaps Subaru
>> AWD?) might allow us to drive north on the beach until we can cross back
>> into Virginia and avoid the congested westerly route off the Banks. In
>> years past I often saw clueless minivans (!) bog down in the sand as soon
>> as they left the paved road.