It's the reputation. Subaru's in some areas (Seattle, Colorado, Minnesota, NE) are known to be reliable, fuel efficient, & have great AWD.
Thing is, there are better options. Camry/Accord, Rav4/CRV, or most Mazdas will be more reliable, & get better fuel economy. Here ( in Wisconsin) an Accord or Camry do perfectly well in the snow. Put on some snow tires for winter if you really need great traction during a snow storm, & you'll do better in the snow than a forester. You could get a Camry in AWD too if you really want & you'd have a better package than any Subaru for reliability, MPG, & traction.
