When looking at the all-wheel drive wagon market, there really is only one place to start, at Subaru. For over 30 years now, Subaru has been bringing AWD vehicles to the world's marketplace. In fact, you could say that they wrote the book on AWD vehicles.
Traditionally, wagons have proved popular with Canadian buyers as they tend to suit our northern lifestyle. Whether it's a young family who do not feel the need for a minivan, or the older buyer who likes to go antique hunting on the weekend, these versatile vehicles fill our requirement for "a little extra space".
Station wagons took a little knock-back years ago, what with the invention of the minivan, but times are changing. The baby-boomer icon works fine for larger families but younger parents are starting to see the minivan as a tad old fashioned. These parents of today want more than just transport. They want style, they want all wheel drive capabilities, and on top of that, they want reasonable performance.
I think it is time for them to take another look at the "original crossover vehicle", the tried and trusty station wagon, and especially the Subaru Forester 2.5XT, which I recently drove.
From the outside the Forester 2.5XT is one smart looking vehicle. For what is basically a station wagon design, it has a rather "sporty" look to it. The color coded bumpers and body-side claddings work well to dress up the basic shape and the stylish 17" aluminum wheels further enhance the side profile. Then, of course, there's the large air intake which protrudes from the hood. Taken straight from their WRX model, if that doesn't say performance, I don't know what does.
As Standard, the vehicle is fitted with a stylish and purposeful roof-rail system, a huge moonroof, and heated door mirrors in which are placed some very nice integrated LED turn signals. Another feature which I particularly liked was the heater elements built into the front and rear glass where the wipers blades park. That is a great idea for us Canadians and I'm surprised that other manufacturers haven't scrambled to put this on their northern offerings.
When stepping inside the Forester 2.5XT, the first thing you notice is the size. With its high roof height, the vehicle appears much larger than you would expect. This extra height also comes in handy in the rear, as the vehicle boasts a taller cargo area than many of its competitors.
My tester came fitted with some impressive leather seating as standard. I must say that having experienced the base Forester with cloth upholstery, I would be tempted into this model because of that alone. They appear to be of good quality leather and they certainly move this capable load carrier up a peg or two towards the luxury car level.
The layout of the dash is quite pleasing to the eyes, the controls have been well thought out and the instrument panel was easy to read. It also carries a rather pleasant sound system, has an aux input jack, and is pre-wired for SIRIUS® Satellite Radio.
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| (Photo: Kevin Corrigan, Auto123.com) |
Station wagons took a little knock-back years ago, what with the invention of the minivan, but times are changing. The baby-boomer icon works fine for larger families but younger parents are starting to see the minivan as a tad old fashioned. These parents of today want more than just transport. They want style, they want all wheel drive capabilities, and on top of that, they want reasonable performance.
I think it is time for them to take another look at the "original crossover vehicle", the tried and trusty station wagon, and especially the Subaru Forester 2.5XT, which I recently drove.
 |
| (Photo: Kevin Corrigan, Auto123.com) |
As Standard, the vehicle is fitted with a stylish and purposeful roof-rail system, a huge moonroof, and heated door mirrors in which are placed some very nice integrated LED turn signals. Another feature which I particularly liked was the heater elements built into the front and rear glass where the wipers blades park. That is a great idea for us Canadians and I'm surprised that other manufacturers haven't scrambled to put this on their northern offerings.
 |
| (Photo: Kevin Corrigan, Auto123.com) |
My tester came fitted with some impressive leather seating as standard. I must say that having experienced the base Forester with cloth upholstery, I would be tempted into this model because of that alone. They appear to be of good quality leather and they certainly move this capable load carrier up a peg or two towards the luxury car level.
The layout of the dash is quite pleasing to the eyes, the controls have been well thought out and the instrument panel was easy to read. It also carries a rather pleasant sound system, has an aux input jack, and is pre-wired for SIRIUS® Satellite Radio.