Way back in the prehistoric days of the crossover car era, the
Forester was one of the first vehicles to be forged from the primordial
soup that combined the DNA of a car with that of the SUV.
When
the elements cooled and the steam drifted away, the Forester stood
tallish and proud in the vanguard of the new crossover craze.
Others would follow in its tracks, but it was the Forester that showed them the way.
It
will come as no surprise that for 2009 the Forester has gotten bigger,
taller, and even fatter than the very first model that rolled out of
the Subaru's primordial soup.
Is it a giant station wagon, or a small SUV, and does it really matter to most new car buyers?
I
suspect what matters to Subaru is that the Forester is now in the same
price range and size category as to compete with such heavy weight
crossover sellers as Toyota's RAV4.
But before I get to the nitty-gritty details of the review here are some cheers and jeers from a week spent driving the car:
Cheers:
– Ginormous sunroof that lets the sunshine in as the good times roll.
– La-Z-Boy level of comfort and ride over spring time potholes in desperate need of repair.
– Trusted and true driving experience that only an old dog and good friend can bring to a relationship.
– User friendly ergonomics that are easy and straightforward to operate.
Jeers:
– 5 speed manual transmission that's about as fast, precise, and accurate as wooden spoon in wooden bowl of bear mush.
–
La-Z-Boy like slow motion acceleration that has you seriously
considering if you really need to pass that garbage truck after all.
–
Ginormous sunroof that seems to take an eternity to close, and for some
mysterious reason unknown to me stops on it own before it completely
shuts.
– Cup holders questionably located under the sliding arm rest that likes to decapitate any drink that's not in a 12 ounce can.
The nitty-gritty:
The Subaru Forester is one of those cars that over time will endear itself to you.
Not because it stands out in the latest crowd of crossovers.
And certainly not because it breaks any new styling or technology ground.
And
most certainly not because it is fast or even furious—you'll want to
get the Forester XT with that 2.5 turbo engine if speed and
acceleration is what you crave.
No,
what will make the Forester your best automotive friend is that it just
goes about its business in a confident and straightforward manner.
The
symmetrical all-wheel drive inspires confidence in any sort of weather
be it rain, snow, or sleet which means the Forester just feels solid,
secure, and highly reliable.
The car never screams about its intentions, but like a good friend it is always ready and willing to:
– help you move your all stuff to a new place,
– take you skiing or riding on those days when the roads are horrible and the slopes are incredible,
–
be there for you when you need it most to start like when you've stayed
up way to late, and you need to get to work way too early.
All
these attributes seem to be buried deep down in its genetic makeup. And
perhaps that's one of the best reasons for buying the car that was
first forged when the primordial crossover soup was still red hot.
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2009 Subaru Forester
Price as Tested: $24,064.
Engine, Transmission: 2.5 Liter Horizontally-opposed SOHC 5-Speed Maual
Horsepower: 170
PocketDyno Test Data
1/4 Mile: 17.49 second at 87.42 mph
0-60 mph: 9.64
Max Acceleration: 0.35 g's
EPA Fuel Economy Estimates
City: 20 mpg
Highway: 26 mpg
Combined: 22 mpg
As tested: 24.5 mpg
CO2 per year: 10,207 lbs
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