Yes, I am considering the Forester. I know you and RQ tow with turbo
versions, but I would look ONLY at the normally aspirated models
because I don't want to pay for the premium octane fuel required for
the turbo models.

There is a fellow pilot at Truckee (elev. 5,900') who tows his Genesis
2 in a Cobra fiberglass top trailer using a normally aspirated Subaru
Forrester. I'm not sure of the vehicle's year but its the generation
before the current one, maybe a 2003. He has towed it from sea level
and over the Sierra Nevadas without complaints or incident. So I
wuold imagine that a Forrester will be more than enough tow vehicle at
your elevation. He also likes the car's AWD capability as he lives in
the Sierras where it snows heavily during the winters. As an aside,
not all AWD systems are equal. Most systems favor FWD and do not
engage the rear wheels unitl slippage is detected in the front
wheels. Subarus have several versions of AWD depending upon the model
but they have continuous AWD in common, always sending power to all
four wheels. To see how Subaru AWD compares to the competion see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyLgYskj-oc and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7dVF...elated&search=