Subaru Forester – Subaru Makes a Good Forester Even Better

Subaru is one of the auto manufacturers in the country that is blessed with a loyal following. They fill a particular niche in the market and consistently do it very well. As time passes, market forces demand updating and changes to models within the vehicle lineup to remain competitive. This time, it’s the Forester’s turn for modernization.

Subaru considers the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue as competitors. Though these position themselves as scaled down trucky types of vehicles, the Forester is often viewed as a ruggedized wagon. In reality, other than the shape of the sheet metal, they are very similar. In fact, Subaru went to great lengths to convince us that the Forester is significantly more rugged than the others.

The new Forester looks very similar to past models. It is a totally new vehicle that has been improved in many important areas. The body which was strong is now even stronger. The vehicle is slightly larger but, with clever packaging, rear seat leg room has been increased by over 4 inches, which is huge in the car world. The cargo area also benefits from a large unobstructed shape that leans to the functional side of the road rather than the stylish side. 2nd row seats fold flat and even the front seat back will fold flat, delivering a very large and very configurable interior space. The 2nd row seats also recline now for improved comfort.

The new forester has a quieter interior and the trim has been upgraded. The gauges have been modernized and a tilt/telescope steering column is now included in the upscale XT model. On the steering wheel, you’ll find both audio and cruise control buttons. New this year is a navigation system with a very wide 7.1 inch screen as well as satellite radio.

There are 3 trim levels, the base X, the X L.L.Bean Edition and the XT with turbo. Foresters continue with their powerful and reliable flat 4-cylinder engines. The naturally aspirated 2.5 liter version produces 170 horsepower and the turbo version of the 2.5 delivers 224 horsepower. Though a 5-speed manual is available, for my money the automatics are the way to go. Subaru engineers have really built excellent road manners and handling into the Forester and the turbo models have terrific acceleration.

All Forester models come with Subaru’s renowned AWD all-wheel drive system. It is an always-on technology which makes the Forester a favorite among those who live in places with winter weather or in the mountains. The Forester is also amazingly rugged. Our press introduction took us over mountainous terrain on the rugged side of Catalina Island that no sane Forester owner would ever take their vehicle on. We gutted our way up steep, rough, rock strewn paths that couldn’t be really described as a “road” and the Forester just got it done. Very impressive!

Regardless of where you live, the Forester is just a great all-around vehicle. It drives and handles like a car, is very tough, lasts a long time, is reliable, is versatile, performs well and starts at just a bit under $20,000. As good as the past model was, the new one is better, adds stability control and side curtain air bags standard and is $1,200 less than the old one…go buy one.

2008 Subaru WRX

By Chris Jackson, www.car-data.com

I can’t help but feel for Subaru; the purveyor of entertaining all- wheel drive vehicles seemsto be forever locked in combat and disagreement with its sharpest critics–its own biggest fans.When the WRX got its first facelift in 2004, the Subaru loyalists hated it. When the design wasrevised again in 2006, they hated it even more. Subaru’s Forester and Tribeca have gone throughsimilar styling woes. Now, for 2008, the WRX is all-new, along with the Impreza lineup, and it’sgot a completely new look And guess what?

The Subaru faithful seem to hate it.

As with past revisions of the WRX, it’s a fair bet that the Subie people will come around soonenough. After all, the things that are good about the WRX haven’t changed; it still offersenthusiastic turbocharged performance and road-hugging all-wheel drive. There may even be a fewSubiephiles who (like me) actually prefer the WRX’ new, more grown-up look.

The new design is appealing, with a more finished look than the previous WRX whose hood scoopsand body kit had a tacked-on look. The redesigned car still has some aggression in its face, butthe more streamlined look makes the formerly obvious into the subtle. Grille and headlamps meldinto a single curved arc across the front of the car, and the front bumper and hood carry thedipped chin’s line back into the car’s body–which is larger, with a wheelbase stretched almostfour inches. It blends better with the subcompact herd, which will annoy the folks who liked thebrashness of the previous car. The ‘08 WRX borrows the curves of the Tribeca, a fact especiallyobvious in the new five-door model. No, Subaru doesn’t call it a “wagon” any more, though it’sessentially the same thing.

During the week, our tester was mistaken for a BMW, a Ford Focus, a Honda and a Chrysler, somaybe Subaru’s new look will take some getting used to.

The interior is a delight. The instrument panel has a graceful dip in the center that flowsdown into the console. It’s not quite a twin-cockpit layout, but it is one of the classiestinteriors to be found on a car this size. The cloth seats are supportive enough for all-day drives. Orange-lit gauges and body-hugging seats are reminders that the WRX is a performance car.There’s room for four. The five-door’s stubby cargo area would benefit from cargo hooks, butthere’s nonetheless 44.4 cubic feet of space back there with the seats folded. Sharp eyes willnotice that Subaru’s trademark frameless windows are no longer; like the new Outback, the new WRXuses conventional framed doors. My only complaint? I found the GPS display and information centerto be somewhat confusing to use.

There are enough 250-horse compacts running around these days that the WRX’ 224 horsepowerdoesn’t have the “ohmigaw” impact that it used to. Still, a quick little car is a quick little car, and the WRX is undeniably that.

Although the horsepower rating has dropped slightly from last year’s 230 figure, there’s stillplenty to like about the performance. The 2.5 liter turbocharged boxer four- cylinder delivershealthy torque throughout the engine range, and when the turbo starts spinning the WRX moves likethe proverbial scalded cat. The seat of the pants meter says that the new WRX is just as quick asthe old one, and the peaky turbocharger’s performance is easy to harness. If you’re looking for amaximum- performance stormer you’re going to go for the STi version anyway– the WRX is acomfortable and flexible daily driver with exceptionally entertaining athletic ability.

Speaking of the STi, it’s got over 300 horsepower wrapped in a lightweight aluminum body, andit’ll be available later this year. As for the WRX, a five-speed manual transmission is standardequipment, with a four-speed automatic on the options list.

Thanks to Subaru’s nearly flawless all-wheel drive , driving on any surface is a breeze. Therally-bred WRX takes to slippery pavement and dirt roads like a fish to water. It’s not so bad onpavement either. The rear suspension has been upgraded to double wishbones for more precise rideand handling, and the longer wheelbase takes some of the chop out of freeway travel. VehicleDynamics Control is standard equipment, so when you call upon the four-wheel disc brakes to bringthings to a halt, it’s executed without drama even on uncertain surfaces.

So this boy-racer’s grown up somewhat. Not everybody’s happy with that, of course–it’s notunlike seeing your favorite party animal settling down to a nine-to-five job–but have no fear, theSubaru WRX still knows how to have fun. The new WRX is a well-executed package, and in time it’s afair bet that even the Subaru faithful who are upset over the new design will come to agree. WRXpricing starts at just over $24,000. Our well-equipped WRX featured satellite radio and anavigation system, and stickered for $29,758.

Specifications:

All specs are for the 2008 Subaru WRX.

Length: 173.8 in.

Width: 68.5 in.

Height: 58.1 in.

Wheelbase: 103.1 in.

Curb weight: 3142 lb.

Cargo space: 44.4 cu.ft. (all seats folded)

Base price: $24,350 Price as tested: $29,758

Engine: 2.5 liter DOHC boxer four-cylinder

Drivetrain: five-speed manual, all-wheel drive

Horsepower: 224 @ 5200

Torque: 226 @ 2800

Fuel capacity: 16.9 gal.

Est. mileage: 19/24

Subaru Forester – a grown up CUV without a critter in sight

by Jim Meachen www.car-data.com

Our first stop in the 2009 Subaru Forester was the liquor store.

No, we didn’t need a pint of gin to whip up a martini.

We needed boxes. And through the years we’ve found that the liquor store is a grand place tofind boxes just the right size for moving books, clothes and other small objects.

Liquor boxes are big enough to hold a dozen books, but not so big that you can’t pick them up,sore back and all.

We were on a box scouting mission for Jim’s number two son and his family who would be moving ina week to cut their workday round-trip commute from more than 120 miles a day to a gas-saving 15miles. We also had direct orders from Jim’s wife.

We discovered that even though it was a weekend, the store was over run with empty cardboard andwe were invited to take as much as we wanted.

Enter the all-new Forester.

One of our favorite small sport utilities now more commonly known as crossovers, for more than adecade, the new Forester has grown slightly in size and sophistication with exterior styling thatis handsome and contemporary.

What makes the smaller crossover choices so attractive in this new era of high gas prices istheir utility combined with decent gas mileage. In the case of the new Forester, cargo capacitybehind the front seats is nearly 69 cubic feet and the standard four-cylinder boxer engine willtake that cargo from point A to point B for the frugal price of 26 miles to the gallon.

We were lucky in our case to be behind the wheel of the Subaru when we drove to the liquor storebecause we came away with around three dozen boxes. The moving family was very appreciative of thegift when we arrived at their house some 30 minutes later.

Fortunately there wasn’t as much drama this time as 10 years ago when we were using the first ofthree Forester iterations in another move, transporting small items from one old house to a newbrand new one Jim was building. (Why is it that the other partner in this driving tandem alwaysseems to be around to help do the schlepping?).

Jim had been plagued by an opossum in the garage that apparently enjoyed cat food.

What we hadn’t counted on was the toothy varmint climbing at some point into the Forester as itwas being loaded. We just barely avoided running into a ditch when, after about five miles, weturned to see the critter staring at us, teeth barred, from between the seats.

We arrived at our destination about 10 minutes later, sprang out of the vehicle and startedprodding the opossum to exit using a broom stick.

Perhaps he thought there was cat food hidden in one of the bins.

The Forester was unique back in those days, one of the early examples of the smallstation-wagon-like small SUV hatchback. Over the years the Forester has been a favorite of a lot ofpeople because of its relatively good fuel efficiency, easy-to-drive nature, standard all-wheeldrive, useable cargo hold and excellent reliability.

Subaru has made evolutionary changes over the years and the Forester remains true to itsoriginal concept.

Probably the biggest different between this Forester and the others is styling. The boxy wagonlook has been replaced with a more rounded contemporary style with a character line flowingdownward under the windows from the back to the front fender bulge. This is a good thing as theForester look was growing old among the new curvaceous generation of vehicles.

Thankfully, Subaru has not turned the Forester into something it was never meant to be a largerthree-row vehicle.

It still has two rows of seats and Subaru engineers have found space to increase second-rowlegroom by 4.3 inches creating a surprisingly comfortable living area for two adults or even threeacross for short treks.

Adding to the rear-seat comfort are doors that open nearly 90 degrees for easier entry and exit.

The driving experience is pleasant with a compliant ride. And we found handling to be morecar-like and less SUV-like than in most vehicles.

The dashboard layout is pleasing to the eye, but Subaru did not let form trump function. Theswitchgear is very intuitive and easy to use.

Subaru decided to leave the engine choices pretty much unchanged. The two 4-cylinder boxer-typepowerplants, one turbocharged for excellent performance, still match up well against thecompetition. And perhaps the decision to keep the status quo figured into Subaru’s ability to holdthe line and in fact decrease prices about $1,200 in base trim over 2008 models.

Our loaded L.L. Bean Edition was outfitted with the naturally aspired four producing 170horsepower and 170 foot-pounds of torque. We found it adequate even with four adults on board tohandle all chores including merging and passing.

The turbocharged version makes 224 horsepower and 226 foot-pounds of torque and rivals mostother crossovers in the segment for get-there-quick speed capable of 0-to-60 in 6.6 seconds. Forcomparison, the smaller engine has been measured at 9.9 seconds.

Unfortunately, the manual transmission option has been dropped from the turbocharged edition,and the only automatic transmission choice across the lineup is the carryover four-speed.

Two cases can be made for buying the smaller engine. There is nearly a $5,000 premium for theturbo in comparably equipped vehicles, and gas mileage suffers about two miles to the gallon.Additionally, the turbo calls for premium fuel while the standard engine runs at peak performanceon regular. Both performance and mileage would improve for both versions if a more moderntransmission were available.

Safety is a big issue for families and the Forester has earned the Insurance Institute forHighway Safety’s, “2008 Top Safety Pick” award. To win this honor, a vehicle must offer superioroverall crash protection among the vehicles in their class. We expect this 2009 model to be just asgood if not better when tested. The 2009 model has already received the top five-star rating in theFederal NCAP test ratings.

Our L.L. Bean Edition test vehicle came with navigation, the first-ever for Forester, as well asother goodies including power driver’s seat, automatic climate control, heated front seats andpower moonroof. The bottom line price was $28,445 including destination charge.

The Forester starts at $20,660 and rises to $30,655 for the turbocharged Limited edition withnavigation.

The Forester has always been one of our favorite small SUVs. We like it just as much now withits new styling, larger passenger compartment and excellent drivability.

And we were happy we didn’t drive this one with an opossum grinning at us from between the seats.

Subaru Impreza – Dressed to Impress

by Cindy Stagg www.car-data.com

Let me begin by saying that I did not test the WRX or the STI. I tested the plain Jane Impreza.However, this plain Jane isn’t as plain as you might expect. With its sleek new look, the Imprezais dressed to well, impress.

Chiseled lines up front give the newly redesigned compact an up-to-date, sophisticated look. Itested the hatchback model, which features two-toned clear and red rear light lenses. Sixteen-inchalloy wheels complete the more grown-up look.

Inside, the cabin featured a well-appointed combination of finishes, including a brushedmetallic trim and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. My test car featured a touch-screen navigationsystem, which wasn’t always intuitive. It took me a few tries just to figure out how to changebetween AM and FM radio. In fact, I never did figure out how to insert a CD – as pushing the ejectbutton did nothing. There are some A/V jacks located in the center storage console, but noauxiliary jack for an iPod or other MP3 player. Other than that minor annoyance, the interior iswell done. The front sport seats ride low, but still offer a good view around the car. I never feltlike I was sitting in the bottom of a cave. The cloth seats were also quite comfortable, and I wasable to easily find the position that fit me best. The rear cargo area is very roomy and even comeswith a rubber floor mat, perfect for hauling the occasional dirty cargo. At one point I had amonth’s worth of newspapers for the recycling center, a small ice chest, several bags of groceries,and my kids’ county fair entries all within the confines of the cargo area – with room to spare.

The new Impreza rides extremely well, especially compared to other compact cars, thanks to itsindependent suspension. Some outside noise does find its way into the cabin, but not so much thatit becomes overly noticeable.

Powered by a 2.5-liter engine mated to a 4-speed transmission with sport shift, the Impreza isan easy driver. The transmission did seem to work pretty hard when cruising both up and down hillson the freeway. I often found myself using the sport shift option just to get the RPMs down. Aroundtown, the Impreza offers a solid performance of maneuverability, comfort, and style. The Imprezahas an EPA fuel economy rating of 20/27 city/highway.

I really like the fact that Subaru has put a lot of focus into safety. Let’s face it. TheImpreza is a small car, and it’s important that small cars hold up well in crash tests. The Imprezahas five-star government safety ratings in both front and side crash tests and a four star ratingin rollover safety. Safety features include side curtain air bags and anti-lock brakes.

Let’s not forget the thing that makes a Subaru a Subaru – all-wheel drive. A little bit ofsure-footedness goes a long way.

Priced at just over $23,000 the new Impreza is impressive. A modern look, luxury features, andall-wheel drive make it the car that offers a little something for everyone.