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Subaru Forester 2.0
SUVs (surface utility vehicles) are very popular the world over and they sell very well in the USA in particular. So everyone wants a piece of the pie. Subaru's Forester is their bid in the SUV market.
It's slightly smaller than the Honda CR-V and significantly bigger than the Toyota RAV-4, its major competitors. The design is pretty similar , and Subaru also put in all the nic-nacs that people like to have in this sort of vehicle, such as Ralley lights.
But nic-nacs don't make up for mistakes. Subaru states that the Forester is based on their 4-door sedan, the Impreza. And it is. But while it acts like a family car on the road (All SUVs do), it fails miserably as a surface vehicle. It is too low, and lacks the "Low" power gear that other SUVs such as Kia's Sprtage have. It is just not jeepy enough.
Not that the Forester doesn't have its plus side. It has an appealing cool look that seems important to SUV buyers, as it is a fashionable sector. And then there is the gearbox. There's nothing special about the 2 litre 122 hp engine attached to it, but the automatic gearbox is very good. It lets the car run in very high RPM and allows for a higher level of performance than most automatic gear cars. If you get the Forester, get the automatic version.
It isn't really that bad of a car, but the bottom line is that it fails to provide the substance for which it is designed - difficult terrain handling.Therefore, in spite of its safe and relaxed cruising on the road, the Forester gets the thumbs down.
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