A bigger, likable AWD buggy
Forester’s grown up since its 1997 debut
In 1997, Subaru gave us the square, little Forester. Four doors. Useful hatch. All-wheel drive. I remember trying to figure out where it fit in the automotive spectrum. Tall wagon? Small sport-utility?
The Forester had mesh-covered fog lamps. So I took it off-roading.
My conclusion? A versatile and likable buggy, though not much of an off-roader.
Wheelbases, like waistbands, tend to expand over time.
Sixteen years later, the 2014 Forester is a lot bigger than that debut model — and a lot easier to categorize. A tall car that looks like a truck today is called a crossover, and the fourth-generation Forester is parked squarely in the centre of the “compact” crossover segment. Or maybe roundly. With tapered roofline, arched wheel openings and assorted bulges, this Forester bears little resemblance to its boxy forebear.
There are some angles to the grille, some squint to the headlamps, to give some road presence. From most views, though, the theme is generic tulip bulb — especially in the beige skin (Burnished Bronze Metallic, to Subaru) of my test Forester.
That’s OK. Who could be offended by a tulip?
Rounded lines have another benefit. Like contoured seams on jeans, they tend to flatter the fuller figure. In this case, that means reducing the visual weight of a taller hood — to better protect pedestrians in a collision — and a raised and stretched cabin.
Back-seat dimensions get the biggest boost. Floor space for secondrow occupants is up by several shoe sizes, while cargo space with the back seatbacks folded — they now drop flat to the floor — approaches an impressive 75 cubic feet. That’s just five cubic feet shy of all-seats-folded capacity in Hyundai’s threerow Santa Fe XL.
Stowage space with seats raised, already a respectable 33.5 cu ft in the last series, increases only slightly for 2014. But the rear liftgate is bigger, meaning less of a bottleneck when you load in that new 60-inch flat screen.
In Subaru tradition, even the base $25,995 Forester has the all-wheeldrive system that buyers in snowy places value for winter traction and security. But that model’s odd mix of other standard features — heated seats but steel rims, for example — means you’re unlikely to find it on a dealer lot.
My $29,795 test example, then, was essentially the entry-level version, which helps explain its contractor-grade carpeting and hardplastic door panels. The dash, however, was formed of more pliable stuff, and the patterned cloth covering the seats was durable-looking and agreeable to the touch.
Controls follow the standard pattern: big tachometer and speedometer bracketing a digital display for fuel level and other readings; audio and cruise control buttons lining the steering wheel (the latter not quite as handy as Subaru’s customary lowe-rright stalk for cruise control); paddles sprouting from the steering column to allow “manual” shifts of the automatic transmission that in this case is a continuously variable unit.
The sole departure from this clear organization is a centre-pod screen that beams out cartoonish graphics describing fuel consumption rates, function of the stability control system and so on. Bone up on its 48-page section in the owner handbook and you can even program in reminders of birthdays and anniversaries.
Subaru, to be fair, is not the only automaker to think such technology is required for the video-game set. And should you find one of those base Foresters, note that it will be blessedly free of this unfortunate option (birthday reminders notwithstanding).
Despite its dimensional gains, the 2014 Forester is no heavier than its predecessor, a result, says Subaru, of lighter, stronger steel in its structure that also helped it earn four- and five-star scores in all crash-test categories.
Holding the line on weight is good for fuel economy — I recorded 9.2 L/100 km in my one-week test, matching the Forester’s U.S. city rating. It perks up performance, too.
The 170-horsepower four-cylinder engine — its “flat,” or horizontally opposed configuration is another Subaru hallmark — pulls steadily, helped by a transmission that feels more directly connected than the average CVT. You aren’t pushed back in your seat, but check the speedometer reading and you might be surprised.
Handling, too, is deceptive. At lower speeds the suspension feels a bit rubbery — comfortable enough for running errands, but suggesting the Forester might become downright floppy at higher speeds. Drive more emphatically, however, and responses are fluid and sure. Subaru sure knows its AWD chassis dynamics.
Those seeking more kick will turn to the 250-hp Forester 2.0 XT with twin-scroll turbocharger and available six-speed manual transmission, starting at $32,495. But most people in the market for a crossover should find the 2.5i fun enough to scoot around in. True to its roots, the bigger Forester remains a likable buggy, still distinctively a Subaru, but now offering more of the versatility that is the segment’s biggest draw.
And as an off-roader? Can’t say. Didn’t try.
OVERVIEW
Pros: Zippy, lots of interior space Cons: Blobby looks Value for money: Good
What I would change: The cartoon
dash display