In article , "W. eWatson" wrote:
I guess there's no NG for auto repair, so ..

I bought my Forester in Sept. 2002, and apparently drove 42K without getting
new brakes. I then drove 22K before getting new breaks, and finally another
22K, when I now need new front brakes. I live in a foothill area of Calif.,
and drive up and down at least one 5-600' hill each day. I talked to a
mechanic today and he said that brake life is usually quite good at the start.

Driving *up* that hill is irrelevant. How you drive *down* it makes all the
difference: do you slow down only by stepping on the brakes? Or do you
shift the transmission to a lower gear too?