Subaru Forester

Robert Barry drives the Forester 2.5i-Sport and finds it sits perfectly in the middle of the range.

In the June issue of Company Vehicle we drove the base model Forester 2.5i automatic, ande we commented that it was a big improvement over the previous generation car in terms of the quality of the interior plastics, interior upholstery and allround specification.

The one caveat was that all the fourcylinder boxer petrol engines in the new Forester range, bar the high-performance turbocharged XT, are all carried over from the previous generation.

While these delightfully harmonic engines provide the Forester with a lower centre of gravity for better weight distribution and handling, their improved environmental performance and fuel efficiency ratings are still bettered by competitors’ conventional four- cylinder engines.

Bluetooth telephony, automatic stop/ start function, seven airbags, dual climate control air conditioning, 17 inch steel wheels, a rear spoiler, and a multifunction display with reversing camera, are all standard features on Forester 2.5i models.

The burnished bronze metallic Forester 2.5i-Sport (which graces this page) adds to that base model specification with 17 inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, privacy glass, a leather covered steering wheel and gear shift selector and most importantly the Subaru Intelligent Drive system ( SI-Drive) which adds an intelligent and sport mode function to the Lineartronic transmission.

Thanks to the Sport mode function the Lineartronic CVT does ameliorate the lack of low end torque that boxer engines are renowned for, its output is smooth and strong when accelerating, but again just as in the base model we never got near the claimed fuel economy of 8.1L/100km.

Switching the transmission back into Intelligent mode certainly reduces the responsive of the engine and gearbox, which in turn is meant to improve fuel economy and even out the driver’s acceleration pattern. But again even with this function 10L/100km was the best we could achieve, and we tried several long motorway runs to achieve this.

Subaru has also fitted paddle gear shift to the 2.5i-Sport which allows a driver to manually override the CVT by holding lower gears for cornering or engine braking downhill, but for the majority of our test drive we left the car in automatic mode as it performed adequately enough.

The biggest selling point of the new generation Forester has to be its larger cabin space, and especially in the back seat, taller occupants are well catered for with plenty of knee and head room. Additionally, the privacy glass found in the 2.5i-Sport keeps occupants cooler on sunny days and protects cargo in the rear compartment from prying eyes.

On the road the 2.5i-Sport still feels lithe and sporty despite its much larger presence, and the 220mm ground clearance, body roll through brisk cornering is minimal, and the ride quality is comfortable over all ground surfaces.

Noise, vibration and harshness has been greatly reduced over the previous generation which makes the 2.5i-Sport a very pleasant companion for long distance travel, which makes it an ideal choice for fleet drivers in New Zealand’s challenging environment.