Subaru FORESTER RANGE
If You Want One Car That Does It All, Subarus Latest Forester Makes A Pretty Good Fist Of The Brief. Andy Enright Reports
The concept of a one-size-fits-all car certainly has a lot going for it. Imagine a vehicle that could corner like a hot hatch, thrash off road like a proper 4x4, have the space to easily carry a family and which had a badge that was steeped in competition heritage. The
Subaru Forester comes closer to that ideal than many realise and at prices which few would believe. The latest models have taken a promising formula and refined it still further.
Subaru are a very special car manufacturer who seem to operate on a whole lot of enthusiasm and gut feel without recourse to things like focus groups or customer clinics. As a result, many of their products seem touched by genius, whilst more than a handful down the years have had most of us scratching our heads in sheer dumbfounded disbelief. The Forester range is no exception. If it had a spare wheel hanging on the back and was festooned with bull bars and powered by a lusty turbodiesel engine, it would have been so much easier for us to get.
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It would have been Subarus low-slung take on a
Land Rover Freelander. Instead it came with a turbocharged engine from the Impreza and a healthy dose of attitude.
Audi and
Volvo swiftly jumped on the estate on stilts bandwagon but
Subaru, as we have intimated, play by their own set of rules. The current Forester (priced from £16,845) looks a little less cereal packet than the old car, the wheelarches neatly integrating into the slightly more voluptuous wings, the front end less resolutely craggy.
The body continues an evolutionary styling theme, despite being completely different. Up against the tape, the Forester is slightly shorter than its predecessor but a handy bit wider, especially when it comes to rear
seat accommodation.
"The development staff at Subaru are mad about cars."
If the body has come in for an extensive reworking, the same cant be said of the engines even though theres now a 2.5-litre range-topper to consider. There are two mainstream units to choose from, both flat fours in proper Subaru tradition. The one without the turbocharger manages 123bhp, while the one with has 174bhp.
A number of incremental changes such as exhaust gas recirculation and refettled piston rings on the normally aspirated model and hollow camshafts, lightweight valve gear on the turbo engine has meant smoother, more tractable and cleaner engines. The 2.5-litre engine is offered with the Forester XT and produces 210bhp with the aid of a turbocharger this is also a flat four boxer engine. Expect rapid acceleration getting you to 60mph in 6.
0 seconds and a 140mph top speed but buyers wanting more can upgrade to the 251bhp Prodrive Performance Pack model. With this car 0-60mph takes 5.5s. Weight saving seems to have become something of a preoccupation with the Forester and that also helps performance.
The bonnet, roof rails, sunroof frame and bumper beams are now fabricated from lightweight aluminium. Even the anti roll bars are now hollow tubes. The non-turbocharged cars are now referred to as X models, with the more powerful cars dubbed XT. Like the Impreza platform the Forester is based upon, all models have much to recommend them.
The X is agreeably lively, the chassis letting you know its capable of handling twice as much power with ease, yet its never a tedious steer. 60mph is 10,9 seconds away whilst the top speed of 112mph should be enough for most. It always feels up for fun, the characterful engine giving something back even when youre bumbling along in the traffic. The XT models are easily differentiated by Impreza WRX-style bonnet scoops.
They share plenty of their siblings manic exuberance, the 2.0-litre XT hitting 60mph in just 7.9 seconds. To be frank, it feels a good deal quicker, the sheer unlikeliness of this unprepossessing estate cars turn of pace prompting pedal to the metal progress.
It corners superbly too, flat and hard, all of a piece. Even with the added power of the 2.5-litre engine the chassis remains composed. Try to upset it and it behaves very tidily.
There aren't too many sports coupes that can hold a candle to the Forester when it comes to handling. Part of the reason why is that the development staff at Subaru are all mad about cars in the same way that possibly only
Porsche and
BMW M division employees are. They live, breathe, eat and sleep performance and the Forester is evidence of that trickle down effect. The emphasis is clearly on dynamic excellence.
This much is apparent when you get inside the Forester. Whilst its a marked improvement over the old car in terms of overall ambience, its still bereft of any notion of style or the conspicuous design many customers in this market sector crave. Jump from a
Nissan X-Trail into a Forester and youll think youve regressed a few years. Nevertheless, everything functions superbly, its comfortable and competitively equipped.
All Foresters are fitted with remote central locking, a Thatcham Category One alarm, a CD stereo, dual airbags, windscreen wiper de-icers and climate controlled air conditioning. Electric windows and mirrors, a tilt adjustable steering wheel and dual 12v power outlets are also fitted. The XT adds alloy wheels, cruise control, heated front seats and a gigantic electric sunroof. The 2.
5-litre XT features leather trim, sports seats and various other specification enhancements. You wont buy a Forester for all its gadgets however or for its luxury ambience. The key appeals are the 200mm of ground clearance and the promise of as much four-wheel driving ability as you can probably cope with. Compact and wieldy, its big on practicality, roomy, versatile and, if recent customer satisfaction surveys are to be believed, almost impeccably reliable.
Whichever Forester you select, the design features a lower centre of gravity than any of its full-time four-wheel drive rivals, yet it still offers that extra ground clearance - over say a Legacy - that could make all the difference on bumpy tracks. Subaru learned the value of this in the forests of Carlisle, the gravel of New Zealand and the snow and ice of Scandinavia. The unsung Subaru Forester has built up a minor cult following. Ask yourself if you need two cars.
Chances are the Forester could replace them both. Becoming a cult member never looked so appealing.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Subaru Forester range
PRICES: £16,845-£25,100 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 11-18
CO2 EMISSIONS: 204-250g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0] Max Speed 112mph/ 0-60mph 10.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0] (EC Urban) 24.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS, full-time 4wd
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4450/2006/1590mm
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