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.
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
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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.