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Subaru Forester

SMOOTH OPERATOR

The current much improved Forester (priced from £17,995) looks a little less cereal packet than the old car. The rising waistline and broader front end have given it more of a generic compact 4x4 stance. In fact it’s fully 110mm taller than the outgoing model, 45mm wider and with another 90mm grafted into the wheelbase. This quite significant enlargement takes the Forester out of its old niche and punts it headlong into the midst of cars like the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V, the Land Rover Freelander and the Nissan X-TRAIL, cars that have been refining their talents for quite some years.

This then, is a larger car than its predecessor, featuring a 90mm longer wheelbase and tracks widened by 35mm at the front and 45mm at the rear. It’s also rides far better (thanks to a sophisticated multi-link, double wishbone rear suspension that’s compact enough to increase luggage space) and rolls less (because the position of the boxer engine has been dropped by 10 mm, lowering the centre of gravity). There’s a clever fuel-saving electric power steering system, a rear anti-roll bar for better handling on the road and 10mm more ground clearance from the self-levelling suspension for more capability off it.

Inside, there’s a better quality interior but you still won’t buy a Forester for its luxury ambience. The key appeals are the extra ground clearance and the promise of as much four-wheel driving ability as you can probably cope with. Compact and wieldy, it’s 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.

Introduction

Can’t make up your mind between a rugged 4x4 & something more car-like? Subaru’s latest Forester is for you. June Neary tries it

A closer look

To be honest, I expected Subaru’s Forester to be much more rugged than it is - but then the name caused me to jump to conclusions. This is not a car for lumberjacks, more for ramblers and picnickers. That said, after an enjoyable weekend visit to the coast, my family and I decided that the all wheel drive Forester had a good deal going for it.

Practicality

It has been said that this car is Subaru’s response to compact ‘sports utility’ 4x4s like Land Rover’s Freelander, Honda’s CR-V and Toyota’s RAV4, but for buyers who want something more car-like. After all, the majority of us only head for the hills at weekends, leaving five days of the week at least when we’re driving in towns, sitting in traffic jams or pounding along motorways to the next appointment.

What impressed me most about the latest Forester was the attention to detail in the finishing. There are umpteen handy storage spaces inside, ideal for busy families everywhere. My husband found the tie-down points in the boot area really handy, too. There’s also an invaluable cover, which just pulls across to hide any valuables you have to leave in the car.

Although you’re not as high off the ground as in a ‘real’ off-roader, the Forester is loftier than Subaru’s other four-wheel drive cars which makes driving that bit easier. The seats are reached via an easy sideways shuffle and are extremely comfortable. I appreciated the fold-down armrest when I wasn’t driving, but it got in the way a bit when it was my turn to take the wheel.

We picked up my sister and her husband on the way to the sea and they squeezed into the back with a seven-year-old, manageable for a short hop but the rear seat is really only designed for two, our only mildly negative observation about the car’s practicalities.

Behind the scenes

Subaru, of course, have made their name in producing rally-proven cars. The Forester is based heavily on the mechanicals and suspension of the mid-sized Impreza, the car that has earned Subaru so much World Rally Championship success, and it’s great fun to drive.

The engine I tried, however, is a 150PS 16-valve, 2.0-litre four-cylinder taken from the non-turbo Impreza, yet it still offers brisk performance. Zero to sixty takes just under eleven seconds, with a top speed that we refrained from reaching of 114mph. The car’s high-speed stability was for me surprisingly good, given its extra ground clearance compared with traditional family estates.

Value

The current much improved Forester (priced from £17,995) looks a little less cereal packet than the old car. The rising waistline and broader front end have given it more of a generic compact 4x4 stance. In fact it’s fully 110mm taller than the outgoing model, 45mm wider and with another 90mm grafted into the wheelbase. This quite significant enlargement takes the Forester out of its old niche and punts it headlong into the midst of cars like the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V, the Land Rover Freelander and the Nissan X-TRAIL, cars that have been refining their talents for quite some years.

This then, is a larger car than its predecessor, featuring a 90mm longer wheelbase and tracks widened by 35mm at the front and 45mm at the rear. It’s also rides far better (thanks to a sophisticated multi-link, double wishbone rear suspension that’s compact enough to increase luggage space) and rolls less (because the position of the boxer engine has been dropped by 10 mm, lowering the centre of gravity). There’s a clever fuel-saving electric power steering system, a rear anti-roll bar for better handling on the road and 10mm more ground clearance from the self-levelling suspension for more capability off it.

Inside, there’s a better quality interior but you still won’t buy a Forester for its luxury ambience. The key appeals are the extra ground clearance and the promise of as much four-wheel driving ability as you can probably cope with. Compact and wieldy, it’s 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.

Summary

For sheer family practicality the Forester, in my book, would be hard to beat. It might not win hands down on price but that rugged feel could well be the deciding factor. So, if you fancy one, don’t hold back.


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