Car Review: 2010 Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester is a compact SUV that seats five, offers good cargo capability and excellent foul weather capability. The Forester competes with the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, though the Forester offers better handling than those two, on dry pavement but especially on wet pavement, snow, ice or dirt. Subaru’s all-wheel-drive system, which comes standard, gives the Forester outstanding traction and capability in foul weather and it’s fully equipped with safety features.

Forester achieved the best-possible five-star rating in all government crash tests, and a four-star rating for resistance to rolling over. Forester has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Forester comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with single overhead cam rated at 170 horsepower. Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 20/26 mpg City/Highway with automatic transmission. The turbocharged Forester XT has twin cams and boasts 224 horsepower. The XT is more desirable because of its superior power, though it calls for Premium fuel and rates 19/24 mpg. Forester’s 16.9-gallon fuel tank can last about 400 miles on the highway.

Redesigned for the 2009 model year, the Forester features a wider track and longer wheelbase than before, a double wishbone rear suspension, more cargo space, more rear-seat legroom. There’s more ground clearance, a super tight steering radius with quicker steering, rear doors that swing open nearly 75 degrees, and more power for the base 2.5-liter engine.

The 2010 Forester 2.5X Premium comes with a 10-way power driver’s seat, and the optional navigation system now includes Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity.

Safety equipment includes two-stage frontal airbags, side-impact airbags in front, and airbag curtains; active front head restraints; LATCH child safety seat system; and a tire pressure monitor. All Forester models come with all-wheel drive, Vehicle Dynamics Control with four-wheel traction control and electronic limited slip differential, and anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (which adjusts front-to-rear brake balance as the car’s weight pitches forward under hard braking) and Brake Assist (which applies additional braking, based on how quickly the driver applies the pedal).

The Subaru Forester is a compact SUV similar in size to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Forester and RAV4 look similar when parked side by side. All of these are considered crossover vehicles with car-based chassis designed to offer good driving characteristics and good fuel economy. The Forester is slightly longer than the CR-V, slightly shorter than the RAV4. Forester is an inch narrower than the other two. It’s slightly taller than the CR-V, the RAV4 is the tallest. Forester XT is distinguished by a functional hood scoop. We like the five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels. From the rear, the XT has a twin chrome-tipped exhaust and a spoiler over the rear window. We found the Forester dazzling in its sure-footedness and comfortable ride, never once whimpering in the face of abuse. The suspension isn’t firm but offers relatively long travel. There’s 8.7 inches of ground clearance and good Yokohama Geolander tires with the 17-inch wheels. The Subaru Forester offers foul weather capability with its all-wheel-drive system and it excels on unpaved roads and in other less-than-perfect driving conditions. Forester is stable and rugged off road, while there are no harsh spots to the highway ride. Overall, the Forester compares favorably to the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and other compact SUVs.

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