Subaru FORESTER X
Looking For A Compact 4x4 With More Of That Elusive X-Factor?
Subaru May Have Something To Interest You In The Forester X Range. By Andy Enright
Compact 4x4s have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years with several manufacturers now building some respectable metal. Trouble is, theres still something of a stigma attached to them. Cynics sneer at their lifestyle pretensions, denigrating them as Barbie Trucks or Salon Chariots. Subaru have deliberately steered clear of this sort of image with their Forester, a car that ploughs a resolutely rugged furrow.
The X model represents an unpretentious entry level to the Forester range.
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Its certainly an interesting concept, blending the practicality of an estate with the all-wheel drive utility of a true off-roader. Of course, the Forester is an exercise in compromise but
Subaru have managed this balance better than most. The Forester X is a model which doesnt get the column inches of its more powerful turbocharged XT siblings, but it nevertheless merits consideration. With better economy and a far lower asking price, the X model is a compelling value proposition.
Two variants are available, the basic X, priced at £16,845 or the rugged X All-Weather which retails at £19,145. Equipment levels are fairly generous, the standard car being fitted with twin airbags, headlamp washers, remote central locking, heated mirrors, electric windows all round and a CD-based stereo. Roof rails, metallic paint, a height adjustable drivers
seat and climate controlled air conditioning are also part of the Forester X package. Should you want a little extra, the All Weather pack adds side airbags, an electric sunroof, alloy wheels, cruise control, front fog lights, heated front seats and grey metallic bumpers with lower body cladding.
The bodywork is a good deal smoother than Foresters of the past, the wheelarches neatly integrating into the slightly more voluptuous wings, the front end less resolutely craggy. The body continues an evolutionary styling theme, despite every panel being different from the first generation model. 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 Forester X represents the most direct link to the sort of cars that established Subaru"
Although the metalwork has evolved significantly, the same cant be said of the 123bhp engine. A number of incremental changes such as exhaust gas recirculation and refettled piston rings have meant a smoother, more tractable and cleaner engine but its largely the same as before - which is no bad thing. 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. There aren't too many sports coupes that can hold a candle to the Forester when it comes to handling. So good is the Forester X in a set of corners that it does tend to make one yearn for the added power of an XT. Part of the reason for this has been Subarus constant quest to reduce weight. The bonnet, roof rails, sunroof frame and bumper beams are now fabricated from lightweight aluminium.
Even the anti roll bars are now hollow tubes. If the normally aspirated cars chassis is almost too competent, perhaps you can console yourself with the fact that youll return 33.2 mpg whereas your turbocharged colleague will be looking at a significantly bigger annual fuel bill. 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. It would have been Subarus low-slung take on a
Land Rover Freelander.
One area where the Forester still lags behind its more style-oriented rivals is in interior design. 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. 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 Forester X represents the most direct link to the sort of cars that established Subaru. No nonsense, unpretentious all wheel drive estates that were just as happy fording a stream or battling up a boggy trail as cruising in the outside lane of the M1 have always been the companys bread and butter. Many other small 4x4s can also claim to offer the best of both worlds but ask yourself this question. Where do they look most at home? If the answer is caked with mud on a Welsh hillside, the chances are youre a Forester customer.
If its laden with shopping bags on the single yellows outside Asda, then Subaru may not be able to help you.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Subaru Forester X
PRICES: £16,845-£19,145 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11
CO2 EMISSIONS: 204g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 112mph/ 0-60mph 10.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 24.4 (extra urban) 42.2 (combined) 33.2mpg
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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