All-around good vehicle

Subaru's Forester has a reputation as a favorite car of people with kids and pets. It's also high on the popularity list with women.

The numbers back that up. Women account for 50.4 percent of Forester sales, 68 percent of the car's buyers have children, and 66 percent have pets.

Given that data, you might think the Forester would attract fairly young buyers, but the average age is 53, four years older than the average age for all Subaru owners.

There's another thing about Forester drivers: Many of them live in the Northeast. In fact, New York and New England accounted for 26 percent of Subaru's United States sales last year.

A lot of people chuckled when Subaru created this car, but the company got the formula right on the first try: Sport utility tough and car easy.

Subaru's basic design, keeping the engine and all-wheel drive train low, made for decent handling. And the large windows provided great visibility.

The latest generation Forester, introduced as a 2006 model, branches out with six different models for 2007. Our test model, the Sports 2.5 X, was one step up from the base 2.5 X. Normally, manufacturers send out test cars that are top-of-the-line loaded. Having a base model is a welcome change, since it's closer to what most people will actually buy.

Two features of note that our version offered over the base model were an automatic climate control and an auxiliary jack to plug an iPod or other MP3 player into the sound system.

Sadly, you've got to move up yet one more level -- to the Premium Package edition -- to get some features New Englanders would likely prefer: rear disc brakes, side mirrors with integrated turn-signal indicators, illuminated ignition switch, power driver's seat, and the vital heated seats, heated outside mirrors, and heated windshield wiper pads. Given all that, I'd definitely opt for this model, which adds $2,000 to the Sports 2.5 X's $21,665 base price.

More than a decade ago I bought into the theory that a Subaru -- any Subaru -- is a great all-weather New England car. Other makers have made their vehicles more winter-friendly, but Subaru has carved out a loyal niche, earned through its vehicles' capability and reliability.

The Forester has what Subaru calls a "hill holder system" on manual transmission models. It simplifies the hill start, a maneuver that was a rite of passage for generations of driver education students. The owner's manual said the system would hold the car in place when starting out in first gear after both the brake and clutch pedals were depressed.

To test it, we backed down a boat ramp alongside the semi-frozen Merrimack River, took the right foot off the brake and, voila -- the car didn't roll back even when we hesitated a count before engaging the clutch.

Of course, one of the first lessons a new Forester driver learns is that the pedals are small and big feet have to be careful not to hit brake and clutch at the same time.

The manual transmission was smooth, though the engine had some sort of deceleration valve that kept the revs up and made the engine a bit "buzzy" when we backed off the accelerator to shift. To make a smooth gear change, you have to go through the clutch-gas-shift sequence slowly, almost deliberately. Handling was middle-of-the-road.

Still, Forester interiors have come a long way. This model had a three-tone black, slate, and medium gray treatment that was up to contemporary standards with the white-on-black gauges complementing the color scheme. Reading lights (airplane style) were controlled by large, easy to find and use rocker switches. The now-traditional shallow storage area on the top of the dashboard is nice for narrow items -- MP3 players, cell phones, transponders, and key cards.

The Forester should make a lot of people's lists as an all-around capable vehicle. Older buyers, especially, know a good deal when they drive one.

THE BASICS
Base price/as tested: $21,895/ $23,135
Fuel economy: 22 city/29 highway (EPA estimates)

THE EARLY LINE
Subaru markets the Forester as a wagon, but you can consider it an SUV as well. It's earned a niche market.

THE SPECIFICS
Drivetrain: All-wheel drive
Seating: 5
Horsepower: 173
Torque: 166 lb.-ft.
Length: 176.6 inches
Wheelbase: 99.4 inches
Height: 62.6 inches
Width: 68.3 inches
Curb weight: 3,140 pounds

THE SKINNY
Nice touch: The center armrest has the dreaded "sliding" feature -- something you might fear will break or slide constantly during braking or acceleration. But this one flips over, becoming a double-cupholder for a rear-seat passenger
Annoyance: The cold weather features I'd want -- heated seats and wiper pads -- are offered in a premium package.
Watch for: This car to stay the same for the next few years.