118 wheelsmag.com.au
BOXY, YES, BUT BRILLIANT IN PARTS THAT REALLY COUNT
Subaru Forester 2.5i-L
SCORE4
TH
/ 10
7.5
ALMOST three years ago to the month, Subaru’s
unassuming and underrated Forester 2.5i-L emerged
from the corner stalls to claim victory in our 2014
medium SUV Megatest. Dressed down in work-a-day
threads, the Forester wowed us with its consummate
all-round ability and its rather charming personality.
Little has changed in 2017, and for the most part,
that’s a good thing. Subaru has since upgraded the
multimedia system and added the odd flicker of visual
sparkle, yet this deeply pragmatic vehicle continues
to fly in the face of all that glitters. The Forester is
simply about mucking in and getting on with it.
It continues to set the medium SUV benchmark
for ride comfort and all-round vision. Indeed, the
Forester’s super-low cowl and beltline deliver a
panoramic vista, while its superb ride is so far ahead
of the next cushiest (the Escape), it’s in a league of its
own. As rivals bumped, thumped, jostled and jiggled,
the supple Subaru devoured everything beneath it
with impervious control and unwavering calm.
If we had to pin-point a weakness, it’s the Forester’s
middling level of tyre hum and wind rustle. But
given that this is essentially a box on wheels pushing
through air – almost as tall as it is wide – it’s more
about sensing their presence than their offensiveness.
The benefit of the Subaru’s upright stature is highly
effective passenger space. Decent front seats (with
tilt-adjustable headrests) combine with an eminently
supportive rear bench that, while lacking backrest-
angle adjustment, gets all the fundamentals right to
provide an airy, elevated environment. Despite its
relatively short wheelbase, the upright Subaru provides
plenty of room for most body types, and terrific entry
and egress through wide-opening rear doors for parenty
or elderly types. Its 422-litre boot is relatively small,
however, in part owing to the full-size spare beneath.
Continuing the Forester’s theme of effortless
operation is its drivetrain. A 2.5-litre flat-four engineand CVT transmission combination may seem deeply
underwhelming, but the reality is a responsive, refined
performer that ties with the turbocharged Tiguan for
80-120km/h class honours (6.8sec).
With a dedicated ‘M’ position (for ‘manual’) in
its shift gate, and seven stepped ratios accessed via
steering-wheel paddles, the Forester offers similarly
effective engine braking to the RAV4. Yet unlike the
Toyota, the Subaru accelerates without faux ratio
steps limiting the effectiveness of its performance.
With standard all-wheel drive, the Forester also has no
problem putting its powertrain to good use, regardless
of the surface.
In typical Subaru fashion, the Forester’s dynamics
are quite low-key, communicating enough feedback
to achieve easy-to-place cornering fluency, yet always
with more chassis poise than tyre grip.
It rolls quite a bit, but it’s chuckable and confidence-
inspiring, rewarding driver commitment with amusing
handling (providing you don’t mind some howl from
its all-season tyres running quite low recommended
pressures). And if you want the peace-of-mind of
Subaru’s comprehensive ‘Eyesight’ safety aids, add
$4000 to the 2.5i-L’s competitive $33,240 list price,
which delivers a package with a breadth of ability that
sits right at the top of this competitor set.
So why has the humble Forrie slipped from grace?
Blame the ageing process. Up against the razzle-dazzle
of the new CX-5 and the slick proficiency of the
Tiguan, the four-year-old Forester simply has neither
the wow factor or quite the refinement to eyeball its
fiercest rivals. And alongside the superb-handling
Escape, the Forester’s more subdued abilities just
edge it back a notch.
But what a deeply admirable thing the Forester is. If
you champion function over form and lament the loss
of great ride quality in modern cars, then welcome to
Subaru country, where the weather’s always fine. NP$33,240
Engine
2498cc flat 4, dohc, 16v
Power
126kW @ 5800rpm
Torque
235Nm @ 4100rpm
Transmission
CVT automatic
Dimensions
(L/W/H/W-B)
4610/1795/1735/2640mm
Weight
1568kg
Cargo capacity
422 litres
Tyres
Yokohama Geolander G91F
225/60R17 99H
Fuel consumption
11.8L /10 0km (tested)
0-60km/h
4.6sec
0-100km/h
9.9sec
0-400m
17.1sec @ 133.6km/h
30-70km/h
3.8sec
80-120km/h
6.8sec
100km /h-0
40.4m
3yr resale
54%+ Superb ride and vision;
strong powertrain; AWD- Average refinement; styling
SPECS