New Subaru owner

[marathoner]

Hello All,

We just got a 2002 Forester and love it! It has approximately 53000 miles on it. I wanted to know if anyone know of a good mechanic in Houston for my Forester. The dealership is pricey. We just got our brakes (front/rear) replaced and rotors resurfaced and it cost us $420 (this is with tax). Is this approximately the mileage you get to when you change brake pads? I've never owned a AWD so I'm not comfortable yet doing some maintenance except maybe an oil change. The boxer engine is really new to me.

Thanks for your input!

Kim

PS...I wanted to know if anyone would share how much it cost to fix or maintain what on a Forester (either at dealership or private repair company)