Welcome to the forum

That's a bit of a can of worms, regarding if the 2013-2016 are better than the 03-07 SG generation Foresters.
They have more technology, yes but also means more complex to fix - For example Eyesight or CVT - Which can't be rebuilt but simply replaced unless it's just a valve body issue.

Many of us prefer to keep the older generations going than move on to the newer versions. - Many owners of the newer generations do like them though - Definitely test drive one before committing though - Many complained about the seat comfort over longer journeys too - If that would apply to you

 

Extremely very biased and controversial topic. Many of us older generation owners will NOT part with them. I own a 2001. I see no reason to get rid of it. Why? Because it starts, it runs. Cheap and easy to maintain. There's no need to do de-carbon blasting needed by the new Direct Injection, there NO EGR that requires cleaning, spark plugs are easy to get to, etc....Technology? Hmm...new head unit fixes AA and Carplay. Do we need nanny technology to make us safer drivers? Maybe. Don't get me wrong, I used to own a 2014 ML 350 Bluetec with lane warning, blind spot warning and really like and enjoyed that tech. But IMHO it's not worth spending $30,000.....Bought the ML used so I never paid the $40,000 they asked for when new.

 

Go with a 2016. That is a generation that had improvements over the '13'14, '15 model.
I couldn't in my wildest moments go back to a 20+ year old car. I love the new technology with the wrapped in safety features.

 

thanks to everyone who has replied to my post - as a first time forum contributor I am excited to be able to tap into your experience. All your comments have been relevant and helpful.
Moving forward, I think the biggest issue for me is understanding the 4WD/AWD differences across the subaru (Forester/Outback) models. I'm not mechanically minded, but have some basic knowledge. What I love about my current 2003 model forester is that it is AWD and has a low range option - I think this gives me more control going up and down steep, rough terrain. The clearance is also good and I have added 65R all terrain tyres, which have made a huge difference. I'm worried that if I buy a later model (forester or outback), say 2016, that I wont have the same 4WD/AWD benefits (hight, low range etc...). I hope I'm making sense. Is anyone able to shed some light on this?

 

I think your biggest problem might be navigating the traction control and other "Safety Aids" while offroad that could potentially leave you stranded.

This is just one example of when the computer says no, pushing the pedal to the floor wont do anything

https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/2016-xt-wont-move-from-stopped-on-steep-offroad-sections-help.859167/

There must be a way to turn them off somehow?

Your 2003 is very............ Analogue - Where the driver makes the decision with no intrusion from any computers.

 

Subaru people are a slightly different breed. ... especially Foresters are engineered to not rock the boat too much so by definition it isn't strange to see 'Forester' owners wanting to keep their old ones going and going and going. The business model is certainly 'keep up with the times as best we can, but keep the faithful interested'. I don't think anyone is jumping ship from mainstream or premium auto makers to Subaru because of technology. That being said, I'd think going from an older model to a newer model with a CVT and all the 'standard' safety features is going to make you feel very disconnected from the driving experience. But what option do you have? I suppose it's just a thing everyone gets used to over time. No one thought automatic transmissions were going to catch on in the 1950's either.

 

Foresters built since 2009 are significantly larger than the earlier models like yours. If you want a bigger car than you are used to, a late model Forester should be fine. If you want a car of approximately the same size and weight as what you have been driving, you can do what I did and switch to a Crosstrek.