2014 Subaru Forester Test Drive

On Sale Date: March 2013

Price: $22,820-$28,820

Competitors: Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Buick Encore, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sorento, Nissan Rogue, VW Tiguan

Powertrains: 2.5-liter H-4, 170 hp, 174 lb-ft; turbocharged 2.0-liter H-4, 250 hp, 258 lb-ft; six-speed manual (2.5-liter only), CVT; AWD

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 22-24/29-32 2.5-liter; 23/28 turbocharged 2.0-liter (manufacturer estimates)

What's New: The Forester is hardly gorgeous, but the wider, longer, and consequently roomier Forester is certainly a lot sleeker than its predecessor, yielding a quieter and nearly 12 percent more slippery shape. More important to most hardcore Subie buyers is the fact that the base motor gets bolted to either a new, crisp-shifting, six-speed gearbox, replacing the not-so-crisp five-speed, or a CVT that's much more efficient than the ancient four-speed automatic. This switch gets the most credit for a 5-highway-mpg gain on the Forester 2.5X.

For more context, consider that the new turbocharged XT model with 250 hp achieves the same fuel economy as the outgoing 170-hp 2.5X. And with a 0-to-60 time of 6.2 seconds, the XT is the fastest crossover in its class, hands down. That lovely 2.0-liter mill in the XT has direct injection and is based on the 200-hp BRZ engine, though here it's delightfully turbocharged, of course. The extra 50 hp helps move the Forester's nearly 900 pounds of additional heft. We should see this engine in the next-generation WRX as well.

Tech Tidbit: X-Mode is a clever take on typical off-road programming, and encompasses a lot more variables you'll engage on washboard dirt roads. First, the CVT holds a low gear ratio longer, essentially simulating first gear as long as the going is slow, and throttle tip-in is muted, enabling more nuanced control on our test drive along desert back roads outside Tucson, Ariz. Second, the default on-demand front/rear AWD power distribution is recalibrated to something closer to a simulation of a completely locked 4x4, and the traction control fights wheelspin more aggressively. Third, there's an auto hill-descent program that engages as long as the vehicle is in X-Mode.

Driving Character: The latest Forester is a better planted, more composed, and quieter vehicle for the complete range of duties that most Subaru buyers are looking for?fetching groceries in a snowstorm, or chasing that snowstorm to the nearest ski resort. And nobody in your neighborhood has to know that the XT model hides an intercooled, turbocharged monster under the hood, a beefed-up suspension, and stouter brakes. But chuck this Forester around some apexes and you'll be pleasantly relieved to find that just a little of the mad scientist behind the WRX and BRZ has crept into this oh-so-benign-looking family crossover, especially when attempting highway passing maneuvers. And its steering is well calibrated despite being electronically assisted, so path adjustments are simple and feedback is direct. Best of all, the chassis is a heck of a lot stiffer and free of even the slightest hint of rattles.

Just because the Forester can be driven hard doesn't make it darty. It's just that unlike far too many crossovers, the Forester gets more engaging, not more terrifying, when the road starts to curl up the shoulder of a mountain.

Favorite Detail: Subaru has a knack for thinking about and improving upon subtle details (it helps when you don't make a lot of models). The latest Forester's front doors have essentially no sill. You don't step up and out of the car, over a sort of transom. Removing the sill removes a place that collects dirt?and one that typically transfers it directly to your pant leg.

Driver's Grievance: The interior has all the style and panache of a chain-restaurant banquet space. This is Subaru's biggest weakness. Yes, the business-case thinking has worked to tremendous success (increased sales of 70,000 units over 2011), and the driving quarters for this vehicle has great sight lines, a comfortable seating position, and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel even on the base model. But for a car clearly reengineered with extraordinary zeal, there's not a single tell to let customers know there's something fun going on inside a Forester. Compared to a Mazda CX-5, a Ford Escape, or the Kia Sorento, that lack of sex appeal makes the Forester a tougher buying proposition.

Bottom Line: The 2014 Forester is pretty darned great by many metrics. It's one of very few crossovers you can take on a muddy two-track without trepidation. With 8.7 inches of ground clearance, as long as you're on some kind of actual road, the Forester will get you there and back in one piece. We also love the fact that you can still get one with a manual gearbox?although the new CVT makes that a less logical choice from a fuel-economy perspective.

This is also a really roomy rig, with nearly 42 inches of rear-seat legroom and better overall cargo volume than the Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4. It's arguably a more engaging drive than any of those, too; the Ford or the Mazda CX-5 are exceedingly close but neither has the Subaru's ground clearance. What might make a buyer hesitate to buy the Subie is a plain-vanilla cockpit and, in some markets, the lack of a higher-mileage 2WD option like the base CX-5.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/drives/2014-subaru-forester-test-drive?src=rss

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