Canadian

Hi to all the members of this forum. I'm new here. We're considering buying a 1999 Forester. We took it for a drive, and it drives quite nicely, but there's a lot we don't know about this vehicle. First of all, there's 161,000kms on the engine -- I guess that's about 80,000 miles. I've never driven a car with such high mileage, and I'm wondering just how long these engines are good for. Also, I haven't driven all AWD before -- only rear, 2, and 4 wheel drives. When the Forester corners, it seems to really grab the road -- in other words, I don't have to accelerate as much around the corners as I have had to in other vehicles. Can anyone tell me how AWD should feel when you drive it? The car does feel like I have to "handle" the steering a little more than a front wheel drive. The car just had a wheel alignment, and it seems pretty straight on the road. It's got Michelen tires -- I think that's good -- any thoughts? How about the tensioner and the belt? How often do these have to be changed? The engine light came on when we were testing it. The dealership immediately took the car into the shop and changed an oxygen sensor, which resulted in the engine light going off. No other codes came up. Any advice or information would be very much appreciated. Also, what kind of oil do members here use. If we get the vehicle, we're going to have it serviced before it leaves the shop, so I'm wondering about dino versus synthetic. Thanks!