Say the word ‘Subaru’ and the first thing that’ll pop into the mind of many is probably
images of Colin McRae and Richard Burns thundering down a gravelly forest track behind
the wheel of a rally-spec Impreza. in spite of all that it’s
actually this, the Forester, which is the most popular Subaru here in the UK. it's not a
million miles away from Impreza either, as it shares a platform – although not that
Impreza, of course. No-frills practicality and rugged reliability
are what buyers demand, but Subaru manages to wrap those hardy characteristics up into
an approachable, if not entirely glamorous, family SUV.
Function rather than form always tends to be what Subaru prioritises, but it did give the Forester
a mid-life facelift earlier this year with a reworked front grille and a new interior
to bring it closer into line with the rest of Subaru's cars.
Like its siblings, build quality is good but it can’t match some rivals in terms of upmarket
appeal. That’s unlikely to faze Subaru buyers though, and there’s no complaints about
the amount of kit either, with things like heated seats, cruise control and DAB radio
all as standard. Upgrading to this XC trim adds climate control
and a rear-view camera, while the seven-inch touchscreen is a vast improvement over the
previous version. You will have to upgrade to the range topping XC Premium to get sat-nav though
The seats are comfortable and visibility
is excellent, while it also comes full of all these thoughtful little touches like
mirrors placed specifically to reduce the front blind spot as well as extendable sun visors
This current version of the Forester also happens to be the largest so far, while the
floor has been slightly lowered to allow more room for your feet. Head room’s also decent thanks to
a tall roof, but while you can technically fit three adults here on the rear bench seat
they might find it a bit of a squeeze.
Come around the back and the boots got a low flat lid which
makes loading items really easy. With 505 litres of space puts it near the top of
its class. Like other Subarus, it’s also got these handy one-touch triggers to fold
down the rear seats, which increases maximum capacity to 1,564 litres.
I’m actually in the process of moving house this week and the Forester has
come in dead handy for carrying everything from cardboard boxes
to large sofas, despite the fact that the rear seats don’t fold totally flat.
Three engines are available with the Forester, a 2.0-litre boxer petrol and a more
powerful turbocharged version of the same engine, and as well as that theres also a 2.0-litre turbocharged
boxer diesel engine which is most likely to be the more popular engine here in the UK
It’s that 145bhp diesel we’ve got, one with a slightly notchy but solid six-speed manual
gearbox, though a CVT automatic option if you want it.
Although diesels aren’t usually known for their character, as things go this is a pretty interesting one.
For a start, it’s so torquey from the get go and pulls strongly and smoothly, all the
while purring out the back with that signature boxer rumble. 0-62mph takes 9.9 seconds with both gearboxes
while top speed clocks in at 117mph. With permanent four-wheel drive as standard of course
it also makes an excellent towing car, with a braked trailer weight limit of 2,000kgs
The rear suspension is also self-levelling which means you can fill the back up with really heavy items
and it won't go nose up. There’s plenty of traction on all surfaces
and on all conditions, although the car’s ride does suffer from a numb steering
feel and a jiggly ride, although to be honest that’s kind of expected in car with its ride height.
It’s hard to describe the Forester as fun, but I'll tell you what – it is capable. If you're the sort of person
who routinely spends their days trundling around the British countryside with a trailer
or horsebox in tow, then it's likely that the rugged capability of the car will by far outweigh
any trivial complaints like engagement or ride quality.
Prices for the Forester start from £25,495, while the range-topping Premium models costs
from £30,995. All models as standard also get five-year, 100,000-mile warranty
Fuel economy is often an issue with
Subaru vehicles though, with the Forester returns a claimed 49.6mpg with 150g/km of Co2.
In the week we’ve had it, it's returned up to 45mpg, which isn't
too far off the official figure, but many rivals will still have much cheaper running costs
It’s mightn't be particularly exciting or stylish,
but it’s able, sensible and just gets the job done: that’s pretty much the raison
d’etre of the Forester. It’s not concerned with looking pretty or coming with the latest
high-tech kit, and to be honest, it’s almost all the better for it.
It won't appeal to everybody but there's an earnestness to the Forester that’s hard
not to like, and the fact that Subaru has one of the most loyal customer bases full
of buyers who just keep coming back speaks volumes too.
But would the Subie’s no-nonsense attitude appeal to you, or do you prefer your creature
comforts? Let us know in the comments section below, and don’t forget to subscribe
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