The little SUV that does
The Forester first poked its head out of Fuji Heavy Industries in 1998. This was one year after the arrival of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Although the Suzuki Sidekick / Chevrolet Tracker had already been around for quite a while, the birth of these compact SUVs spawned the creation of a new segment. This category of vehicles quickly became a favourite of those looking for an alternative to station wagons, minivans and larger SUVs. Over the next few years, other car makers landed in the war zone with heavy hitters like the Mazda Tribute, Ford Escape and most recently, the Nissan X-Trail.
Subaru is a manufacturer that is often overlooked. It offers some of the most versatile go-anywhere vehicles that most other makers can not even compete with. Recently, General Motors sold off its interests in Subaru to Toyota. Perhaps this will be the creation of a new era for this company. Their history is steeped in innovation and the last 15 years are covered in WRC podium finishes. Subaru has a reputation for longevity and robustness and that has not changed. Subaru is ac
tually the only builder that includes Symmetrical AWD on all their vehicles.
The price range for the Forester begins at $27,995. The tested Forester X retails for that exact amount. A chart topping Forester XT Limited automatic reaches $39,895.
Styling
The Subaru Forester has always been regarded as a good looking truck. Its proportions are right, and the styling is reminiscent of a shrunken tough truck. In 2003, Subaru wisely revised both ends with a new grill and lights. For 2006, they repeated the manoeuvre although with much less success. As a side note, Subaru has now created a corporate grill for their line of new vehicles much like other manufactures have. The idea behind the new fascia is that it resembles a plane and hints back to Subaru's aviation past. The new B9 Tribeca was the first to receive the new front end. The redesigned Impreza was to be next. Somehow, the Forester slipped between the production and design cracks. If one thing is certain, the 2006 looks like it could have been introduced in
2003. This is because the 2003-05 looks more polished and thought out than my tester. Otherwise, the rest of the truck is nearly identical to what we first saw in 1998.
The cabin of the Forester is refreshingly simple and easy to comprehend.Only the single-din radio, with its small buttons, can pose as a minor inconvenience. Some of the materials are of the less expensive kind, however Subaru masterfully hides this fact with an interesting play with their textures. Fit and finish is generally quite good. The seats are snug and hold their occupants well in place. Interior volume is ideal for four adult passengers and will suffice for five occupants for a short period of time. Cargo volume is generous considering the Forester's outer dimensions.
Technical
The Forester, like all Subarus except for the B9 Tribeca, carries two versions of the company's versatile flat 4-cylinder 2.5L engine. The first is normally aspirated and churns out 173 hp at 6 000 rpm and 166 lb/ft of torque at 4 400 rpm. The other, by default, is turbocharged and pleases with 230 hp at 5 600 rpm and 235 lb/ft of torque at 3 600 rpm. Transmission choices reside between a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. All Subarus, including the Forester, are equipped with the
excellent Symmetrical AWD system. It is constantly monitoring the road conditions to ensure that the wheels with the most traction are always receiving sufficient power. Only the base Forester X sports front disc and rear drum brakes. All others get 4-wheel disc brakes. Suspension is fully independent. Both the XS and XT receive rear locking differentials.
On the road
The Forester is beginning to show some of its age. The fact that it is based on the previous generation Impreza may be the cause of the few rattles that I heard over the week however it hampers little of its performance abilities. It is still rather nimble and tossable and good fun to drive. Behind the wheel, I felt nearly invincible: no amount of rain or snow, bad roads, off road, highway or city environments can stop this little tank. The suspension has wheel travel for sale, comfort and control are assured. The only shortcoming is a fair amount of body roll in curves.
The old flat-4 is purely and simply great. It has mounds of low-end torque and will willingly pull to the redline. One of my favourite modern engine
noises, Subaru's horizontally opposed 4-pot is right up there with VW's VR6 and Ford's 281 ci found in the Mustang GT. Rowing through the 5 cogs of the transmission is child's play. The throws are decently placed although the clutch pedal is a little heavy.
The brake pedal is spongy and kind of annoying. It requires much pressure for the callipers to come into contact with the discs. I found the feel of the Forester Turbo's pedal to be the same. The difference though was that braking distances were shorter and response, more confidence inspiring. Steering is short on precision and feels over assisted.
Safety
The Forester has standard dual front and side air bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution (no EBD with X) and seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the truck 5 out of 5 stars (a perfect result) for both frontal and lateral impacts for all occupant positions. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has rated it a "Best Pick" in its category.
Conclusion
This type of vehicle is preferred by active people with a small family and gear to lug around. Since 1998, the Forester has been one of the best choices reliability and ability wise in its segment. Its only real shortcoming for the buying public is its exterior size. Where the CR-V and RAV4 have grown considerably, the Forester has remained smaller and more compact. The only other obstacle is the engine's well noted fuel consumption. I averaged almost 12L / 100 km during my test drive.
The Subaru Forester is a pleasure to drive and deserves a better looking outer shell.
Good stuff:
Symmetrical AWD
2.5L H-4
Not so good stuff:
Thirst for fuel
Brakes
Competitors:
Honda CR-V
Nissan X-Trail
Toyota RAV4
Mazda Tribute / Ford Escape
Chevrolet Equinox / Pontiac Torrent
 |
Subaru is a manufacturer that is often overlooked. It offers some of the most versatile go-anywhere vehicles that most other makers can not even compete with. Recently, General Motors sold off its interests in Subaru to Toyota. Perhaps this will be the creation of a new era for this company. Their history is steeped in innovation and the last 15 years are covered in WRC podium finishes. Subaru has a reputation for longevity and robustness and that has not changed. Subaru is ac
tually the only builder that includes Symmetrical AWD on all their vehicles.The price range for the Forester begins at $27,995. The tested Forester X retails for that exact amount. A chart topping Forester XT Limited automatic reaches $39,895.
Styling
The Subaru Forester has always been regarded as a good looking truck. Its proportions are right, and the styling is reminiscent of a shrunken tough truck. In 2003, Subaru wisely revised both ends with a new grill and lights. For 2006, they repeated the manoeuvre although with much less success. As a side note, Subaru has now created a corporate grill for their line of new vehicles much like other manufactures have. The idea behind the new fascia is that it resembles a plane and hints back to Subaru's aviation past. The new B9 Tribeca was the first to receive the new front end. The redesigned Impreza was to be next. Somehow, the Forester slipped between the production and design cracks. If one thing is certain, the 2006 looks like it could have been introduced in
2003. This is because the 2003-05 looks more polished and thought out than my tester. Otherwise, the rest of the truck is nearly identical to what we first saw in 1998. The cabin of the Forester is refreshingly simple and easy to comprehend.Only the single-din radio, with its small buttons, can pose as a minor inconvenience. Some of the materials are of the less expensive kind, however Subaru masterfully hides this fact with an interesting play with their textures. Fit and finish is generally quite good. The seats are snug and hold their occupants well in place. Interior volume is ideal for four adult passengers and will suffice for five occupants for a short period of time. Cargo volume is generous considering the Forester's outer dimensions.
Technical
The Forester, like all Subarus except for the B9 Tribeca, carries two versions of the company's versatile flat 4-cylinder 2.5L engine. The first is normally aspirated and churns out 173 hp at 6 000 rpm and 166 lb/ft of torque at 4 400 rpm. The other, by default, is turbocharged and pleases with 230 hp at 5 600 rpm and 235 lb/ft of torque at 3 600 rpm. Transmission choices reside between a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. All Subarus, including the Forester, are equipped with the
 |
On the road
The Forester is beginning to show some of its age. The fact that it is based on the previous generation Impreza may be the cause of the few rattles that I heard over the week however it hampers little of its performance abilities. It is still rather nimble and tossable and good fun to drive. Behind the wheel, I felt nearly invincible: no amount of rain or snow, bad roads, off road, highway or city environments can stop this little tank. The suspension has wheel travel for sale, comfort and control are assured. The only shortcoming is a fair amount of body roll in curves.
The old flat-4 is purely and simply great. It has mounds of low-end torque and will willingly pull to the redline. One of my favourite modern engine
 |
The brake pedal is spongy and kind of annoying. It requires much pressure for the callipers to come into contact with the discs. I found the feel of the Forester Turbo's pedal to be the same. The difference though was that braking distances were shorter and response, more confidence inspiring. Steering is short on precision and feels over assisted.
Safety
The Forester has standard dual front and side air bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution (no EBD with X) and seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the truck 5 out of 5 stars (a perfect result) for both frontal and lateral impacts for all occupant positions. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has rated it a "Best Pick" in its category.
 |
Conclusion
This type of vehicle is preferred by active people with a small family and gear to lug around. Since 1998, the Forester has been one of the best choices reliability and ability wise in its segment. Its only real shortcoming for the buying public is its exterior size. Where the CR-V and RAV4 have grown considerably, the Forester has remained smaller and more compact. The only other obstacle is the engine's well noted fuel consumption. I averaged almost 12L / 100 km during my test drive.
The Subaru Forester is a pleasure to drive and deserves a better looking outer shell.
Good stuff:
 |
Symmetrical AWD
2.5L H-4
Not so good stuff:
Thirst for fuel
Brakes
Competitors:
Honda CR-V
Nissan X-Trail
Toyota RAV4
Mazda Tribute / Ford Escape
Chevrolet Equinox / Pontiac Torrent
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