My tip would be the forester. I did exactly the same comparison 10 years back and the forester won hands down (then) because:
- The Boxer engine has low center of gravity - stability on the road.
- Forester had one of the best safety ratings.
- Higher clearance - Anyone who drives AWD / 4WD knows it's handy to have, particularly when driving in deep snow.
- The interior finish has better quality.
- Space and ergonomics are MUCH better - I crammed at least 4 20kg paraglider backpacks in the boot / trunk/area at the back of a vehicle for stuff/whatever you call it.
- Better mileage
- And
- And
- And...
I'd be interested to know how Subaru is doing these days... I bought a cooler Audi A4 here instead of the more practical VW Passat
Meant ESP (Electronic Stability control) and yes I know what Im writing here! Torque is only one of many factors affecting traction and after driving Subarus for the last 15 years (with no ESP) have never come close to loosing control in situations where I would otherwise with another vehicle.
We drive a CR-V now entering its 3rd year (bought as new from a Honda garage here) and I can safely say this is the best car we've owned so far. Its not as powerful as to tempt me to do stupid stuff, but its powerful enough to take a family of 4 in the Swiss Alps for our winter holiday. Boot is huge and useful, interior is much better than anything in this price range, at least when we made the decision to go with it). Mind you, its not a "real" AWD, but I actually tend to prefer this. Normally, the front wheels "pull" and the torque transfer to the back wheels happens when the front wheel start to lose grip. I've seen it blink a few times in the Swiss snow and subjectively speaking it works.
Paddy, assuming you're talking about buying a new Forester XT, you're looking at something like CHF 40-50,000, depending on specifications and accessories. XTs produce 240 PS from a 2.0 litre engine.
Would you consider a second-hand car? For that sort of money (especially if you're prepared to look over the border) you could get a Mercedes ML -- superb vehicles, indestructible interiors or so it seems, capacious boot, and very capable 4WDs. I have a 2005 model (W164, not the crappy first run W163) that's approaching 200,000 km now and still can't convince myself that it needs replacing.
Here's a 2-year-old ML 350 with 306 PS, 34,000 km and a year's warranty; this would cost around CHF 44,000, imported into CH.
I would consider a 2nd-hand, which is why the Evoque question arose ( This caught my eye). A forester XT is not a must-have, it's just a 2nd-hand XT came up on Autoscout in my price range . Germany is quite a trek for me; I'm really trying to stay within the Fribourg/Bern area.
Colour is not a problem for me. Comfort, safety, driveability, reliability, can I get my bike in/on it? That's what I'm looking for. Price-range is also a factor, obviously; I'm looking at 45k absolute tops
I like the ride height of SUVs and just feel vulnerable in anything smaller and lower. Also, with my chronic hip and back problems, acess is an issue. My wife prefers the elevated driving position too.