Took my Subaru Forester for an Eco-Trip...

[elhigh]

My '98 Forester cracked 30mpg once, with my older son at the wheel on a longish trip to Middle Tennessee. It never did that well in day-to-day use, and usually averaged around 25-27mpg. I liked the car but it was pretty expensive to keep fed when I average around 20K miles per year.

I know subsequent generations of Fozzie got better fuel economy, though an '03 is essentially the same as my car with some relatively inconsequential updates and weight saving measures, nothing really noteworthy that would explain so much better fuel economy.

But averaging mostly 50 mph, that would do it. The 4EAT tranny drops into OD at around 44, and the slower you can go while holding that gear, the better - the phone booth-like aero profile punishes higher speeds.

If you're interested, you could consider installing the FWD fuse and seeing how it does under similar use with the rear end unpowered.