Sorry if this is a noob sort of question, but ever since I got my wife a '99 Forester S, with 4 disk brakes, I've not been paying attention to these things.

But the XT looks interesting -- solving the power problem as it seems to -- and I'm dismayed to see it has rear drums, even the XTS.

Does anyone know what's up with this? All other Subaru models appear to still have 4 disks. Thanks, HPH

"But the XT looks interesting -- solving the power problem as it seems to -- and I'm dismayed to see it has rear drums, even the XTS. Does anyone know what's up with this? All other Subaru models appear to still have 4 disks. Thanks, HPH"

I don't know where you found this information, but it's incorrect. The X model is the only Forester with drum rear brakes. Both the XS and the XT have disks all around.

Thanks (and sorry for the delay -- I've been on the road since 7/3).

I'd swear that the Subaru site had drums on all Forester models when I posted the question (this is why I posted the question), but now I see that it's only on the X models. Either I had browser-brain-lock or they had a mistake that they've fixed.

Anyway, I'm much reassured and now am faced with persuading my wife that the hood scoop is something she can live with. HPH

"now am faced with persuading my wife that the hood scoop is something she can live with."

It looms large the first few times you climb into a front seat. After a week or two, it's much less noticeable. I now tend to think of my XT as the chunkly little kid who always got pushed around, so now he walks around with a chip on his shoulder. The scoop is the chip.

jb