Subaru Forester Compact SUV Review: Features & Used Car Pricing
Japanese car makers found the perfect sweet spot between the brute force of the sport utility vehicle and the functional manageability of the sedan. This fusion of these two classes gave birth to the compact SUV.
The likes of Nissan and Toyota have taken part in this segment, offering the X-Trail and the RAV4 respectively to the masses. Their compatriot Subaru, not to be left in the dust, came up with an equally impressive compact SUV; the Forester.
The Forester brings forth the spirit of Subaru, driving up the adrenaline with its loud engine and excellent off-road ability.
Let’s take a look at how the Forester encompasses the wild spirit of the Subaru.
Interior and Comfort
The Subaru Forester is a five seater and strives to offer as much comfort as possible to the occupants of the spacious interior.
To combat the stifling heat of the African off-road, Subaru provides a state of the art air conditioning system that ensures all areas of the cabin are at the optimum temperature.
While ensconced in this comfort, the occupants can keep themselves entertained on long journeys with the AM/FM/Weatherband radio with a single disc player in the standard trim. This is connected to four stereo speakers that aptly fill up the space with rich sound.
Back Seating Area
The rear seat is spacious enough to accommodate three passengers. The manufacturer carved out 40 inches of headroom, 54 inches of shoulder room and 33.7 inches for the legroom. In a move that is seen as small but welcome, Subaru introduced a movable armrest at the back.
Across all the trims, the rear seat folds along a 60:40 ratio. This is advantageous in a way that it increases the luggage compartment volume from 32 cubic feet to a maximum of 57.7 cubic feet.
Driver Seating Area
Subaru goes all out to ensure that the driver is in the best condition possible to focus on the road. This can be seen in the space the driver has to himself. For example, while the front headroom and shoulder room are identical to that at the rear, the legroom is larger, measuring 3.6 inches more.
The height of the driver’s seat is adjustable to ensure that the driver has a good view of the road ahead as well as the instruments. The seat is also bucket-shaped, ensuring comfort for the driver. This comfort is further enhanced by the heating provided to the seat – a very handy feature on those very cold mornings.
Features and Drivability
The Subaru Forester has a whole host of features that make it the off-road beast that it is. Standing out in particular among these is the power unit under the hood. With the iconic sound and performance, it is what makes the Forester a bona fide Subaru.
In the Forester, Subaru installed a 2.5 liter engine with 4 cylinders, each sporting 4 valves. This single overhead camshaft engine is mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. However, there is the option of a 4 speed automatic transmission.
As a standard, Subaru offers the engine as a naturally aspirated power unit. For those who want to eke out more horses from the power unit, there is a turbo charged version.
Practicality
The Japanese car maker provides a number of features that make operation of the Forester very practical.
The positioning of the driver’s seat in the car is akin to that of a sedan and not an SUV. What does this mean? It means that from the driver’s position, you are able to see more of the road directly in front of the car instead of just the hood.
The Forester also offers plenty of cargo space in the back for hauling luggage. If you are headed upcountry, the folded rear seats increase the area for storage. The roof rails also offer another spot for additional cargo.
The strength of the engine also gives this little SUV the ability to haul just over a ton of stuff behind it.
Drivability
From the 2006 model, Subaru made a change in the engine configuration. They introduced a boxer set-up and installed the i-Active Valve Lift System. What this does is control the way the valves open at different stages of driving.
For example, at low revs, the two intake valves open at different positions, creating a mixture of air and fuel to boost torque. At high revs, both valves open in the high position to let in the maximum amount of air and fuel to aid power output.
Apart from the power, the Subaru Forester has all-wheel drive system. This helps it to navigate the African terrain with the nimble ability of a gazelle.
This compact SUV also handles perfectly due to the redesign of the independent suspension at both the front and rear of the car. There is also a stabilizer bar at both ends which prevents rolling when negotiating corners.
Safety and Pricing
The safety features incorporated throughout the Forester are a testament of Subaru’s commitment to keep its customers safe and sound.
Safety
In the front row, the driver and front passenger are protected by dual stage front air bags in the event of a head-on collision. If the Forester sustains a hit from the side, there are side airbags as well to cushion the impact.
The Forester also has seatbelts to protect the occupants from secondary impacts resulting from inertia. At the rear, the seatbelts are attached to the car at three points, an improvement from previous models.
Subaru also installs anti-lock braking systems (ABS) as standard across all trims of the Forester.
Used Subaru Forester Price
You can find excellent deals for a used Subaru Forester by browsing the BE FORWARD catalog. The prices range from $600 to $15,000 for model years running from 2000 to 2012.
Subaru Forester Overall Opinion
The Subaru Forester is an excellent compact SUV, offering class-topping off-road capability. Its rugged looks house a spacious and comfortable interior. The air conditioning and bucket seats are perfect for providing comfort in the sweltering African conditions.
Subaru installed a more than capable power unit under the hood that gives the Forester the right amount of power to traverse the uneven terrain.
To this drivability and comfort, the Japanese car maker added a number of safety features to complete the Forester. The air bags, three-point seatbelts and ABS make this compact SUV the complete package.
