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| Subaru Forester 2.0X Manual |
| Wednesday, 19 May 2010 15:57 |
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We have been trying out the latest version of the Subaru Forester; with a reworked body it looks totally different from the last incarnation, so much so that an existing Forester owner was virtually gasping at it appearance, in admiration we might add. Brought out in April of this year, the latest Forester is now nearer in size to the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V, this to offer SUV space plus agile handling. Based on the platform of the new Impreza, the Forester features a new multi link rear suspension, fuel saving electric power steering and for those boat owners who will tow their boat, self levelling rear suspension. As usual the Forester features symmetrical all-wheel drive, which is a boon on a slippery slipway. The normally excellent road holding is further enhanced by virtue of the already low engine being lowered still further by 10mm in the platform. The usual ‘boxer’ flat four engine has had some substantial revisions made to it which have resulted in stronger low and mid range pulling power, better flexibility and improved fuel economy together with lower exhaust emissions. The power output is now 150 PS but at a high 6,000rpm this is where the diesel will come into its own when it is introduced to the Forester later this year. The improvements have obviously helped to slake the beast’s thirst as on a run the computer was telling us that the Forester was achieving nearly 37 miles to each gallon - previously unheard of.
‘Our’ model had the five speed manual gearbox, which is equipped with a high and low range, so in effect you have ten forward gears at your disposal. The low range is always extremely useful when towing, especially on the slipway or slippery surfaces, and it also provides a little extra engine braking. The Forester’s All Wheel Drive on the manual models splits the power 50/50 front to rear. However, as soon as slip is detected, the centre differential with its viscous coupling distributes torque to the axle with the most grip. This happens in milliseconds. The Subaru is filled with safety features with curtain and side airbags together with driver and passenger airbags. So you will feel secure and safe knowing that if anything happens the safety gadgets will protect you and yours. We found that the gear lever was a little stiff now and again; mind you the car had only covered a few miles so this would presumably loosen up a little. The car towed well and without anything attached to the tow ball was reasonably powerful. It was comfortable on a 100 mile trip with most things that you would want; this was an entry model bear in mind. The air conditioning worked very well indeed, the radio sounded, to our ears anyway, good and all the essential things were to hand. Having owned a Subaru Legacy for many years we know how tough and reliable they are, and we would rather have reliability over glamour any time. Five cars at a similar price:
Five similar cars we might consider:
TECHY BIT Subaru Forester 2.0X Manual |
