02-17-2007, 12:08 PM
Just bought a 98 after months of research. The 98-00 are the same essentially. The big thing to look out for on this first generation of Foresters is the head gasket. It's a common problem and an expensive repair if you don't have a reliable independent mechanic or the ability to do it yourself. Also, check for bad cv joints. On a test drive, do lots of full right and left turns, both in forward and reverse. Listen carefully to the front end to see if you hear any mechanical rubbing sound. Don't go very fast. Other than that, don't let mileage concern you. They'll eclipse 200k with no problem. The sweet spot on Foresters IMHO is the 01-03, or the second generation. They got all the crash tests right with that model. The current generation is ugly, but my favorite would be a '04 turbo. Some day 