This article is chock full…
This article is chock full of misrepresentations. I live in Colorado and have 2020 Forester Base and haven't missed any of the features you are talking about. I have make friends with Subarus and they all say they never met XMode and most never use it. I've done just fine without it in all sorts of snow. I prefer the Low mode in mine. Simple and effective, and you can turn off traction control with one button if that's a problem. The 17" wheels are better for comfort and off-road performance than 18", or esp. 19", and the outer diameter is almost the same. Plus the lower profile tires cost more to replace. I have never needed fog lights in 4 years of driving in Colorado. The manual seat is quicker and simpler to adjust than the power seat. And some of the features you say are missing from the Base trim are also missing on the Sport trim. Finally, less useless gadgets to break is a huge plus on the base model. The Base has everything I need and more. That said, my next Forester will probably be a Premium so I can indulge in heated seats, a single screen instead of dual screens, and a sunroof that I'll just ignore most of the time.