2003 Subaru Forester; When old is new, again.(reintroduction of Hill Holder)(Brief Article)

When we recently checked out the next-generation Subaru Forester, the old phrase, ``Everything old is new again,'' came to mind. On this redesigned version of the popular Subaru crossover, some things are new, some things are the same and one thing, old, is new again.

Subaru is reintroducing Hill Holder on its manual transmission for the 2003 Forester. Once featured on its Imprezas and their predecessors in the '70s, '80s and '90s but not seen on a Subaru since 1997, Hill Holder helps you hold your own on hilly stops. After the brake and the clutch have both been fully engaged and the vehicle is stopped, you can release the brake pedal while maintaining the clutch, with no fear of rolling backward. It's like an automated handbrake that releases when you lift up on the clutch pedal.

Hill Holder made for easier launches in the hills outside of Birmingham, Alabama, where Subaru introduced the next-generation Forester to the press. The curving roads in the foothills of the Appalachians were fun to explore and easily maneuvered with the Forester's same old 165-hp 2.5-liter boxer engine. The excellent front sightlines, optimized by the use of the boxer engine, were appreciated on the many blind curves and cresting rises we encountered.

From the outside, few things on the Forester appear new. Exterior dimensions are virtually the same as on the previous model. Subaru believes it has had ingress and egress ``right sized'' all along on the Forester, and it has stayed true to those numbers. The new hydroformed front subframe adds stability to the chassis, as does the corrugated-style aluminum roof. Subaru has lightened each of the Forester models, saving up to 70 pounds on the ...