bresier in From page 32 AM/FM /cassette system with an in-dash, six-disc CD player, a new two-tone exterior, new grey seat fabric, variable inter- mittent windshield wipers, a new feather-wrapped steering, wheel, shift knob and hand- brake lever and redesigned alloy wheels. Top-of-the-line Forester S Limited models for $35,195 (up from $33,995) add new woodgrain trim, power Moon- roof with a larger opening, gold-trimmed 16 inch alloy wheels, a rear wind deflector, and new monotone paint. As before, leather upholstery is standard on the Limited model. Additional standard satery features now include a three- point seatbelt and adjustable head restraint for the centre rear passenger, height- adjustable seatbelts tor out- board rear passengers, and new rear child seat anchors. Driving impressions For an SUV, the Forester has a very low step-in height and easy entry to the front and rear seats. Even so, there’s still 190 mm (7.5 in.) of ground clearance. Inside, there's plen- ty of front and rear headroom and adequate hip and shoulder room for four adult passen- gers. Rear legroom is just ade- quate depending on the posi- ton of the front seats. Split, reclining rear seats are a nice touch, allowing, sear passen- gers to relax on long drives. However, claustrophobics might be upset that the rear wirdows will wind down only half-way. Like all Subarus, the Forester’s interior is well-fin- ’ ished with controls well-placed and instruments easy to read. The driving position is very comfortable and the new front sport seats offer extra lateral ‘support. Storage areas are numer: ous; there's a bi-level centre storage bin and armrest, coin- tray, a covered storage com- partment in the front and rear armrests and a covered storage bin on the top of the dash. There are also two storage _— bins in the rear fender wells .. and additional hidden storage compartments underneath the cargo floor near the full-size spare tire. ; With the split rear seats up, there is 32 cu. ft of cargo space, more than twice that of an Impreza sedan. With both rear seats folded down, there is - 66 cubic feet of cargo space. The rear liftgate lifts up from bumper level and is high enough to stand under and includes electric defroster, washer, and intermittent wiper. The cargo area has a folding privacy cover to keep valuables out of sight. With 165 horsepower, the Forester has more standard horsepower than other vehicles in its class. Its 0 to 100 km/h time of nine seconds is almost three seconds faster than the Honda CR-V. This makes the Forester rather sporty, particu- larly as its handling is also at the top of its class. Apart from being heavier and a litde more top-heavy than an Impreza, the Forester performs very much fike a car. Its compact size and excell ounw ard ‘Bibility make it'casy to manoeuvre in traffic, and back inte parking spots. That new third rear head restraint does restrict rear visibility a bit — better to remove it when Not in use. On dry pavement, the full- time all-wheel-drive system is st ar- basically transparent to the dri- ver. But in winter when travel- ling on snow, ice or slush, the AWD offers increased traction, stability, and peace of mind. For increased traction, a limit- ed slip rear differential is avail- able on $ and S$ Limited mad- Friday. October 27. 2000 — North Shore News - 33 DBRT FEA BIR OAT LOT DET els. A five-speed manual trans- Mission is standard and a four- speed automatic transmission is optional. [ tested the auto- Matic transmission, which per- formed well in both city and highway environments. Fuel NEWS photo Paul McGrath WITH the rear seats up, there is 32 cu. ft. of cargo space, more than twice that of an impreza sedan. With both rear seats folded down, cargo space more than doubles. F dort: ; Pata For Outstanding a Dealership consumption of 10.8 1/100 km (26 01.p.g.} in the city and 7.417100 km (38 m.p.g.) on the highway is also very good The Forester is perhaps the mos car-like SUV of all the compact SUVs, with beiter- than-average handling and Cds ynpact SUVs performance. It could use a litde more interior room, par- ticularly in the rear seat, but otherwise the Forester offers a good compromise between the utility and traction of an AWD SUV and the comfort and handling of a car. a : SUSAN J. WEEKS Specialty Subaru is pleased to announce that Susan Weeks has joined our sales team. Susan has consider- able Subaru sales experience to help you with every aspect of the car buying experience. Susan would like to welcome ail of her past and present customers to stop by, visit and see alt the new and used vehicles Specialty Motors has in stock. "Shop & Compare the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder ' The most t powerful » VE. ye he 2061 Xterra features: @ 33 tre V6 engine- © Air conditioning °6 speaker amvim/cd stereo system ey 15" steel wheels © 4-wheel anti-lock braking system o Limited: -slip rear differential. 50/50 split and fold-down rear seat © ‘Tubular roof rack with removable gear basket and airfoil Tonneau cover 10 tle down hooks < First aid kit © Stadium style seating | \ aid Performance in 1999 \heesthee* JREGENCY NISSAN 985-9308 These are limied time offers: 46-mo lezse applies to 200% Patniindsar XE (SCLGS1 AA0Q), Downpayment or equivalent trede $6,242. Requved at signing $7,106. Tota! obtigation $20,596. Leases are OAC, PATHFINDER “TOYOTA GRAND CHEROKEE’ XE 4RUNNERSRS » 2000 $38,910 © 189 hp ~ optional optional - standard © * 2001 $35,672" . 250hp - standard -~ $39,625 . 195hp | “standard _ Standard . “standard “FORD ; ~ EXPLORER xis 2000 $35,395 - 160hp* - standard’ * standard © standard. standard ‘LAREDO 2000 = standard |: :Standard 700 Marine Drive nf North Vancouver “*& Wwwiemegencyauto.ctih ‘DRIVEN. close ended, inctuda destination and daiivary chatges. Based on 24,000 km a year for all 2001 Pathtinder only. Offer apples to 2007 Xterra (BCLG51 AAGO): Selling price includes deshnation and delivery. Taxes. insurance, licenses and acquisition fees #2 extra. Dealers ar Cheiokee erste bse fo set individual Prices. Competitive rosuirs detssmined on 2001 Pathtinder wah $-speed transmission, 2000 Toyota 4Runner SRS , 2000 Fors Explorer xLS. Convenience. Groyp package with S-spaed tgns- MERI ES ap ap, ho ye erste pnb LITE: note