ok.after how many months of researching..and alot of it thanks to all of you tskot members who are really so informative and generous of your time and opinions...i have finally narrowed down my choices between ford escape and subaru forester.some thing that i am considering though:

1. fuel consumption(i mostly drive just within the city)..want an suv just for the floods....so ground clearance and practicality on gas consumption is a must
2.reliability(i don't know much about cars and i need one that will not break down easily)
3. i know compared to toyota or honda, spareparts for these two brands are much more expensive. but which one is more expensive than the other?ford or subaru? how aout the after sales service?

thanks so much in advance! will really appreciate your valuable opinions...