Road Test: Subaru Forester X

Review by Feann Torr - 22/August/2008

As one of the original soft-roaders, arriving from Japan in 1997, the Subaru Forester could be seen as one of the elder statesmen of the compact 4WD genre.

Some might say it was fording rivers and conquering shopping malls when the Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail were just clay models...

But 10 years since it's arrival in the Australian marketplace and the Forester is facing tough times ahead as more and more enticing motors enter the lucrative compact AWD segment, vehicles such as the Volkswagen Tiguan.

In a genre that was once dominated by the Japanese, the Europeans are looking for a foothold, but with a new emphasis on safety and fuel efficiency, not to mention a more daring new look, the 2008 Subaru Forester isn't curling up into the foetal position and conceding defeat just yet.

As Subaru's best-selling model, the Forester is bigger, stronger, safer and a little more suave than before, and in addition to the adventurous outdoor set, the new car is also targeting the increasing number of buyers who view these types of vehicles as the new 'family' car.

But can the Subaru successfully fulfill two roles, as both the family transport and a rugged go-getting adventure vehicle? Let's find out:

There we were, in the Toolangi forest, inhaling the fresh morning air and enjoying a brief moment of silence. 

It had been raining for two days straight and some of the usually tame 4WD tracks we knew fairly well looked rather tricky - almost treacherous - and seemed strangely unfamiliar.

Testing the entry-level $30,490 Subaru Forester X, which is equipped with the 5-speed manual and dual-range transfer case as standard, we set about exploring the Forester's off-road limits. 

Squeeze the clutch in, whack the dual-range transfer case to low, and we discovered that the new Forester is a more competent off-roader than any of its predecessors, and arguably one of the most capable in its class at that.

As well as a bit more power and torque from the sturdy boxer engine, the Subaru Forester's wheelbase has increased by 90mm and the ride height (or ground clearance) has been increased as well.

The usual 200mm, which is what most compact 4WDs quote, has been upped to 220mm and is more than some larger sized 4WDs, and turns out to be quite useful in rutted and rain soaked hard-to-gauge conditions.

Managing to scrabble up some very slippery hillsides and flicking mud around like it was born to do so, the new Forester is not only capable off-road, but a lot of fun too. 

It's also very controllable on dirt roads and gravel tracks, the 4WD system working in tandem with vehicle dynamic control (Subaru speak for stability control) to keep you on the straight and narrow.

The dual-range transfer case is offered only with manual models, and is toggled via a secondary gear lever with two positions. The low range mode is good for tackling steep inclines/declines and though it's probably not going to be used by many drivers, it's reassuring to have it as an option.

The four-wheel drive system is based around a centre differential that apportions torque between the front and rear axles dependent on grip levels, and coupled with a viscous limited slip differential it is a sure-footed creature in all but the worst of conditions.

By sun-down we were quite impressed with what the Forester had achieved, caked in mud but with no major battle scars. It bottomed out once or twice, but nothing serious, and showed a tenacity when climbing hills, thanks in part to the boxer engine's solid mid-range power hit and dual-range transfer case.

It tackled slippery bush trails with more gumption that we were expecting and the extra 220mm of ground clearance gives the car greater scope to explore the great outdoors.

Subaru has imbued the Forester with a more adventurous spirit than before, and the only real impediments to its off-road expeditions is tyre choice, which is road biased.

Before we get to the on-road performance of the new Forester, I'd like to talk about the interior of the vehicle, because it's another of the car's best features.

Now, don't get too excited because some of the materials used and particularly the quality of the plastics are best described as average (but hard-wearing) so the tactile element isn't quite as profound as the aesthetic.

The 2009 model Subaru Forester is on the receiving end of what is probably the biggest overhaul the Japanese soft-roader has ever had, and for the most part it's great work.

While it appears as though a few of the more eccentric (but much-loved) storage areas have been scrapped, overall it's a much nicer and more spacious cabin in which to spend your driving time. 

As the Forester has grown in size, so has interior space and rear seat passengers will probably notice this first due to an increase in leg room by more than 10cm. Indeed, the jacked-up Subaru wagon has grown in every respect: it's taller by 110mm, longer by 75mm, and wider by 60mm.

Dimensions:
Length: 4560mm
Width: 1795mm
Height: 1700mm

Thankfully the roof-rails have been retained, which makes securing loads on the roof less of a hassle and it must be said that the view from the captain's seat is pretty trick. 

The centre console is well laid out with easy-to-use heater/air-con controls, a trendy-but-minimalistic CD stereo system with MP3 player AUX jack, and a simple trip computer mounted on top of the dash that displays external temperature, average fuel consumption and so on.

Similar to the Impreza setup, the steering wheel controls look good and are effective at working stereo and cruise controls, while the instrument cluster also has a spiffy design with an enlivening blue-on-black colour scheme to pep up your peepers.

The interior design is brought together by a silver motif that begins on the doors and flows horizontally into the dash board, above the glove box and into the centre console. It's not rocket science, but the design is original and gives the Forester a modern flavour few of its rivals can boast.

Though nothing to write home about, the seats are quite comfy with a hard-wearing but "weird" cloth finish, according to my notes. 

I've got to say that I do miss the fold-down arm rests from the first-generation Forester though... The centre bin acts as a quasi arm rest, but it's a bit low and not as comfy.

Loading and unloading cargo from the boot is supposed to be easier than before, but I really couldn't tell the difference. 

The boot has 450 litres of cargo space (1610 litres with the rear seats folded down) and is a bit wider than previous models, so there is now scope to fit that extra-wide LCD TV in the boot - or a mountain bike if you prefer doing, rather than watching.

The improvements Subaru has made to the Forester's interior are impressive: more room for people, more room for cargo, pleasant new styling, and fairly good sound isolation too.

Subaru makes a lot of noise about the safety credentials of its cars, and with six airbags and vehicle dynamics control (VDC) standard across the range, not to mention full-time four-wheel drive, the Forester ticks a lot of boxes.

Even the independent ANCAP group agrees - it awarded the Forester a maximum 5-star safety rating, and one of the highest pedestrian safety ratings (3-stars) in its class.

Another boon is that it's an easy car to live with, thanks to the responsive power steering, intuitive controls, and good outward vision.

The view from the drivers seat is very clear because the front and rear windscreens are rather wide and the pillars aren't too thick, plus the increased ride height improve your view of the road too.

Subaru claims that the new model maintains the rear vision standard of past Foresters, so that a "one metre tall object positioned one metre away from the rear bumper can be seen by the driver when reversing". 

As a daily driver the Subaru Forester excels, but something has changed in the way it sits on the road. Perhaps it's the increase in the cars size, maybe the extended wheelbase or extra ride height, but it drives less like a car and more like a 4WD. 

Personally I didn't mind this slightly changing of the guard as the ride quality seems to have improved and is better able soften ruts in the road, but long-time Forester owners may want to take note.

While the Soobies evolving character suits general driving duties quite well, it has taken a slight dip in the dynamics stakes. Instead of carving through a corner it feels more like it floats around the corner, but there is always the turbocharged XT models if you're after something with better handling.

In traffic and around town it's a pretty good vehicle, with a handy turning circle of just 10.4 metres, kerb to kerb, which helps when performing tight parking manoeuvres.

It's got a smooth ride ensuring that every crack, bump and rut in the road isn't transmitted into the cabin, though I reckon the 4-speed automatic would probably be a better choice if the majority of your driving is commuting and stop-start traffic.

Subaru's Forester accelerates cleanly and fairly quickly, with a claimed 0-100km/h time and top speed of 10.4 seconds and 184km/h respectively.

The engine exhibits good torque low in the rev range and it'll pull cleanly without bogging down too much - from as low as 2000rpm in the first few gears - but the 16-valve motor's sweet spot is at around 4000rpm. 

There are times when the engine's 126kW of power and 229Nm of torque feel a bit underdone, which is most likely due to the 1475kg kerb weight. When overtaking for instance, you have to rev the engine pretty hard to build up enough steam, especially if the driver you're trying to overtake decides to speed up...

The 5-speed manual works well, but feels a bit flimsy. Granted, it's a smooth little shifter and the dual-range transfer case is a nice bonus, but it's as though Subaru hasn't bothered tweaking the shift quality in 10-years, keeping its soft and spongy feel.

Towing wise, this particular Forester can drag around a trailer weighing up to 750kg, and a braked trailer of up to 1400kg.

On the freeway the manual Forester can be quite frugal, the engine ticking over at around 2400rpm @ 100km/h in 5th gear, and our final fuel consumption figures were fairly close, if a little higher, than Subaru's claimed 9.3L/100km.

The hill-holder clutch returns for active duty and is a handy little feature that makes hill starts a bit easier, and also means you don't have to engage the hand-brake. Speaking of brakes, the new Forester has pretty good anchors, 295 and 286mm discs front and rear. 

Compared to the previous model Forester, the 2009 model has better deceleration. Subaru claims the distance needed to slow from 100km/h has dropped from 48 to 41 metres, and though we can't vouch for these numbers, the brakes do feel quite strong, with good bite when you sink the foot.

Overall: 4/5

Subaru's new Forester is an intelligently crafted vehicle, rugged enough to appeal to the adventurous white-water rafting and mounting biking set, butpractical enough to appeal to family buyers too.

On Saturdays it's happy doing the shopping, taking the kids to sport and ferrying furniture between dwellings, while on Sundays the Forester revels in getting off the beaten track, and proved to be a much better mud slinger than we expected.

Subaru's latest generation Forester fulfills the dual roles of family transport and weekend warrior successfully, but it's also a well-appointed and good-looking mode of personal transport, with class leading levels of safety.

The compact 4WD segment is overflowing with choices, but the Forester sits at the top of the tree. Despite competition from every direction, the Forester's status as one of the best compact 4WDs on the market remains intact.