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By
EWAN KENNEDY
9 June 2008
Subaru Forester has long been popular with buyers looking for a
sensible car with lots of common sense features and high build
quality. Having recently celebrated its tenth birthday in
Australia, and moved into its third generation, Forester continues
to satisfy a lot of people.
Though
it’s classed as an SUV, and therefore regarded as slightly soft,
Forester continues to provide one of the big features loved by
true 4WD enthusiasts, that of a two-range transfer case. However,
this is only fitted to Foresters with a manual gearbox, Subaru
reasoning that the torque multiplication provided by the converter
in an automatic transmission gives all the lowdown grunt required.
As
well as the transfer case, the manual Forester we are currently
testing also has increased ground clearance over the previous
models. Indeed, at 220 mm, its clearance is greater than that of
many a dedicated 4WD vehicle.
Though
the body has monocoque construction, there's a rugged underfloor
strengthening system that gives close to ladder-frame strength.
But, there are relatively long overhangs, which affect ramp angles
and therefore limit off-roading in extreme areas.
The
rugged body construction has also led to the Subaru Forester
receiving the maximum 5-star rating when independently tested by
the Australian NCAP organisation. Subaru Australia has long placed
a strong emphasis on safety and the five-star rating applies to
all models as they are fitted with six airbags, including side
curtains.
Forester
is now rounder and more modern in its looks than the previous two
generations and carries some cues to the latest all-wheel-drive
wagon in the Subaru range, the Tribeca.
Inside
the latest Forester there's more space than ever before. The rear
seat is comfortable, for adults. Forester can make light work of a
family with a pair of teenage children on extended holiday trips.
Some
occupants may find the seating position slightly lower than they
had anticipated, but the upside of this is the amount of headroom
offered. You can certainly wear a hat inside this voluminous
wagon.
Power
comes from a 2.5-litre flat-four with a single-cam engine with
variable timing on the intake valves. With 126 kW and 229 Nm it
has good, though not really exciting performance. This engine is
also strong from relatively low revs and you can often take hills
in a higher gear than you may have anticipated.
We
felt the suspension was rather soft on the standard models,
causing some uncomfortable, though certainly not dangerous,
movement at times on harsh roads. But on good roads the ride
smooths right out and makes Forester most pleasant. This is
complemented by low levels of noise, vibration and harshness that
make this more car like than SUV like in the right conditions.
Subaru's
new Forester has a recommended retail price of $30,490 as an
‘X’ five-speed manual as tested, running up to $39,490 for an
XS premium automatic.
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Marque Publishing Company
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