Does your family like to get dirty? Do you live on a mountain? Or in Ithaca, New York? If you answered yes to any of these questions, check out the Forester—the hiking boot of the crossover class. Its cavernous cargo hold will swallow a jillion Pampers, and its rally-bred AWD will pull you through snow, dirt, or deluge. But if you're looking for luxury, you won't find it here: It's loud, rattly, and monastic on the inside.
Wired Helluva deal. Enough headroom for Herman Munster. Though sparse compared with the BMW or Infiniti, its interior is a nice upgrade from its predecessor. AWD, stiff suspension, and low-mounted engine help it corner nicely.
Tired Engine is noisier than your screaming hippie kids. Plasticky seats. Some owners report that the paint scratches easily. Even the base model's 4-cylinder gets crappy gas mileage: We averaged around 18.
