Review of Subaru Forester

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The Subaru Forester works superbly well on gravel, dirt and other types of unpaved roads, and performs swimmingly in rain, snow and icy conditions. The Forester is the perfect transport on logging trails in the Pacific Northwest, for example or for getting to a Michigan trout stream on a sandy two-track. Moreover, the Forester is excellent for inclement weather in just about any locale. Its variable all-wheel drive systems work better in driving snow on the Interstate than the typical dual-range four-wheel drive system in truck-based SUVs.

Consider this: Forester is much better than nearly any SUV that comes to mind for driving the way most people drive most of the time, that is, on paved roads, back and forth to work, to dinner and a movie, or collecting the kids at school. It rides better. It's more nimble and it gets better mileage. The Forester is also more pleasant, even more fun to drive, than just about any SUV. It will run circles around most of them. It handles more like a car and can be driven like a car. On an icy mountain road snaking along a bottomless precipice in a driving storm, we'd prefer to be in a Forester than in a truck-based SUV. The reason is that it stops and turns better.

The standard Forester engine delivers decent acceleration, to be sure. It can't match the exhilaration underfoot with the turbo, but plenty for merging onto a crowded freeway. Subaru's horizontally opposed engines share their design concept with Porsche's highly regarded boxer engines. The advantage is good power in a compact package, and a low block height that helps lower the center of mass in the car. Subaru has perfected this design. Subaru's four-cylinder engine isn't as smooth as some, but company engineers have done a good job insulating the Forester's interior from the vibration.

The five-speed manual transmission works well. The gear ratios deliver a good mix of acceleration and quiet cruising, even if the throws between gears are long. The Forester's shifter will neither delight the senses nor irritate to the point that it overwhelms what's good in the car. Subaru's Hill Holder clutch is a useful feature, particularly in San Francisco, Seattle and other hilly towns. It prevents the car from rolling backwards as the clutch pedal is released on a hill.

On the road, the Forester handles better than just about any reasonably priced SUV on the market, and far better than most. Its rack-and-pinion steering is more direct than that in a Ford Explorer or Chevy Trailblazer, and the Forester's turning circle is tight by SUV standards, making it easier to turn around. Its ride is firmer than a softly sprung sedan, with a bit of chop thanks to Forester fairly short wheelbase, but it's firm in a fashion we like.

The brakes are excellent. We experienced no apparent fade after three consecutive full-on stops from 65 mph, and Forester comes to a halt in short order.
Forester benefits from a tight, rigid unit-body. This stiffness sharpens reflexes and helps the suspension absorb road shock without allowing crash or vibration to disturb to the cabin. For 2006, Subaru enhanced this tight feeling by strengthening Forester's rear crossmember. At the same time the suspension was retuned, and the variable-assist, variable-ratio power steering was tweaked to further improve Forester's ride quality and response.

This is where we don't necessarily like the latest Forester's improvements, even if it largely comes down to taste. The new suspension settings seem to have moved Forester a bit closer to the SUV side of the crossover equation and further from the car side. The steering feels a hint more numb than before, and the Forester more reluctant to turn, with more lean in the body through a fast curve. None of it seriously detracts from the Forester's handling edge compared to a truck-based SUV, and many drivers will never notice. But if you're inclined to attack a winding road, even in your little SUV-car, you probably will notice.

The Forester's all-wheel-drive system varies in design and operation, depending on the trim level and transmission. Models with five-speed manuals use what Subaru calls Continuous All-Wheel Drive, in which a viscous-coupling center differential divides engine power 50/50 between the front and rear wheels, then shifts power one way or the other when the front or rear tires slip. Most Foresters with automatic transmissions use the Active All-Wheel Drive system, in which a center clutch delivers power where it's needed as determined by electronic sensors that measure wheelspin. The net effect is the same: Mud, rain or snow, the AWD helps ensure safe forward momentum and directional control by making best use of whatever traction is available. With tires suited to the task, you pretty much have to be a dunderhead to get the Forester stuck in anything short of axle-deep mud or packed snow that high-spots the frame. In short, weather isn't likely to stop a Forester.