You can't beat the feeling of driving a true All Wheel Drive in the snow and ice, or on a gravel or mountain road. Lots of auto makers claim to make AWD SUVs now, but do your research and know the difference in control and stability with a Subaru (or Audi for that matter.) Its a little heavy on fuel consumption compared to a sedan, but the roominess and higher ride makes it more fun to drive and feel solid on road trips. It's stylish interior still gets comments and after 10 years, friends still marvel that its not a new vehicle because the interior surfaces show little to no wear and the styling is still very current.
The main criticism of this model was that its a little under-powered compared to similar SUVs. I'm sometimes an aggressive driver and can't think of when someone has actually out powered me off the line with another car in this class. And in the winter no one does - due to the traction of the full time AWD. I've towed trailers with no complaint as well. So the accusation is technically correct - some others have a little more torque - but in practice who cares?