By Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

Finding that one ‘do-it-all’ car is tough. Pick a fun car, and it’ll have a tiny back seat and no trunk, while a more practical choice may offer no driving satisfaction whatsoever.

2003 Subaru Forester

Introduced in 1998, the Subaru Forester was never particularly athletic, but its Impreza-based underpinnings made it at least competent. Subaru gave the Forester a facelift in 2003, but there would be nothing new under the hood until 2004. That’s when this Subie got a turbocharged version of the company’s 2.5-litre boxer four-cylinder motor in the XT model. Finally, here was a practical small ‘ute that was also a blast to drive.

The redesigned ‘03 Forester kept its tall roofline, but like earlier models, its relatively low ground clearance and seating position kept the centre of gravity low and handling responsive without too much body roll in corners. (more…)