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Subaru Forester Diesel Road Test Report

Diesel

Heavily facelifted this year, the Forester has now caught up with the rest of the SUV crowd with the option of a diesel engine. The Japanese brand is boasting top fuel economy with the lowest insurance and CO2 emissions in its class, which is more than enough to make the Forester a serious contender to the raft of far less sensible soft-roaders on the market.

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Performance

Subaru has been a late bloomer on the diesel front – it only released its first oil-burner in February this year in the Legacy and the Outback – but it’s a worthy effort. The Forester isn’t likely to beat many things off the mark, but it’s beautifully smooth and has some poke – 258lb ft of torque available at just 1,800rpm means that it pulls exceptionally well mid-range. But let it drop below 1,500rpm and the turbo cuts out, leaving the Forester gutless and in desperate need of a downchange. Unlike most turbodiesels that offer oodles of low-down grunt and don’t need to be revved, the Forester benefits from a bit of a workout through the gears, which makes it a more involving drive.

Ride & Handling

Many SUVs are now refined enough to offer tight handling and a direct drive, but that isn’t the Forester’s forte. Despite the new multi-link rear suspension the big Subaru feels slightly wallowy and unsettled on poor roads. It might have four-wheel-drive, it feels as though it could easily let go during fast corners. But it would be unfair to expect the Subaru to handle like a sports car, as it’s one of the few off-roaders that will competently tackle hills and rough surfaces. It’s an old-fashioned, proper four-wheeler, with enough capability to make a Land Rover think twice.

Build Quality & Reliability

Glance across the Forester’s interior and you won’t get a sense of immense quality. For a car that starts at £20,295, it’s reasonable to expect a bit of soft-touch plastic on the dash, but instead it’s just cheap, scratchy materials. However, there is more than enough room inside and the spec is plentiful – the base 2.0D X gets luxuries like heated front seats, cruise control and climate control. Reliability isn’t likely to be an issue, as Subaru’s past efforts have resulted in highly dependable, rock-solid cars. There’s no doubt that it’s a hard-wearing thing, which will continue the Forester’s tough appeal for agricultural types.

Safety & Security

Being as rugged and bulky as it is, the Forester is just as appealing to farmers and off-road enthusiasts as it should be for safety conscious families. But it’s not just the Subaru’s girth that impresses – all Foresters boast driver, passenger side and curtain airbags as standard, so there’s plenty of cushion should you need it, and at no extra cost. Subaru has also gone to the trouble of redesigning the front subframe to improve its durability – the clever new structure now absorbs more impact energy in a crash, which means that those in the cabin are now much safer. The addition of four-wheel-drive also means that there’s bags of grip on rainy days, too.

Space & Practicality

Cast an eye across the interior and it becomes instantly obvious that the Forester has come on leaps and bounds from its forebear. It’s become quite a big car and, as a result, there’s oodles of room in the front and rear – and a commendable 450 litres of boot space. It has also matured from the hiked-up estate feel that abounded previous models. Top-end cars are also blessed with a vast glass sunroof which lets loads of light into the cabin and gives the illusion of extra space – these are available from the D XC model (£22,495) upwards.

Ownership & Value

On paper the diesel-engined Forester is a great choice. Not only does it boast the kind of burly off-road credentials that are seldom found outside the gates of Land Rover, but it also undercuts the majority of other SUVs on value for money. Insurance group nine, 44.8mpg and 167g/km of CO2 are a welcome set of figures for an off-roader. But the Subaru’s real drawback is that it doesn’t quite shine in any one area. It’s an extremely good all-rounder ¬– low price, durability and a good engine are all great reasons – among others – to invest in one, but with an asking price on the right side of £20,000, it should really offer something more. A more luxurious feel or a £2,000 lower asking price would do the trick, and turn into a five star car, but for now, it sits firmly in the middle.

Submitted: 30/10/2008 15:31:36

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