My choice! I'd like some feedback on how your wife likes it so far.
We only have 4K miles on it thus far, I Love IT! The ONLY thing that I really kinda don’t like is the PAX/Front Side Seat is kinda not real comfortable. The “Boxer” Engine is REAL neat.
I’m a Sube fan, have a 2007 2.5 GT Limited turbo Legacy wagon, would love to have a BRZ coupe but finances do not permit. They’re “hot” right now too, and I refuse to pay full price let alone AMV, so if I get one it’ll be down the road, maybe even used.
The normally aspirated Forester with five speed auto is good for around 28 mpg highway, they may have put the CVT (continuously variable transmission) into it by now, which should boost mpg into low thirties, it did in the 2.5 Outback at least. I like shifting gears, even if my knees don’t allow a clutch anymore, but I’ve rented cars with CVT and you don’t really notice it after the first day. It just spools up and goes, no gears to shift.
A Forester is a fine, practical, reliable vehicle with good reliability and resale. It’s the best small AWD car-based SUV imho. Most vehicle reliability and resale value sites bear that opinion out.