Subaru Forester 2009

By Benjamin Cyr

Definitely SUV

Before the arrival of this brand new 2009 version, the Subaru Forester played in the margins, thus difficult to compare directly with the competition; it had more volume than a compact while retaining similar dimensions. Many outdoorsmen and woman took to the vehicle's versatility, the relatively high ground clearance and the symmetrical all-wheel drive system, yet all in compact format. For 2009, the Forester gains volume and weight making look like a real SUV. A handicap or a plus? Let' see the details

Road-test.com likes:

• Subaru's excellent symmetrical all-wheel drive system which makes for problem-free off road exploration;
• the new dimensions allow more loading capacity and a bigger interior;
• the quality of assembly and the high-grade materials, outside and inside;
• the option to buy a 224hp turbo compressed version which permits unheard of accelerations in an SUV;
• the very competitive starting price of $25,795

Road-test.com dislikes:

• an automatic transmission with only 4 speeds; this flew five years ago but not now;
• the atmospheric version's weak torque at low compression; matched with an automatic transmission, the 170 horses are struggling;
• the sluggish break pedal witch needs to be practically pounded to the floor before adequately breaking;
• the Forester has its work cut out by competing directly with the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V.