The Subaru Forrester is a great automobile.  It is fuel efficient and has all the safety features available.  The ride is smooth and quiet.  The car holds up and just has normal maintenance schedules.  AWD makes it easy to get around in snow and drenching rain.  The interior is very comfortable and roomy enough for 5. Cargo bay in the back is larger then car trunks, and with the seats folded down there's plenty of room for large items. 

 One negative is the tires.  Be prepared to put new tires on very early in the ownership.  The brand they used in 2004 were inferior to the car.