Subaru forester
The Forester now comes with Subaru�s excellent boxer diesel engine. It�s smooth, powerful and torquey � ideal for towing.But the horsey types have been made to wait. Subaru launched the Forester back in April, but has watched buyers digress to Kugas, X-Trails, RAV4s and Freelanders. All of which had diesel power. Now, Subaru hope to win back their loyal customers with an oil-burner of their own.
It�s a bloody good one too, and well worth the wait. We�re familiar with Subaru boxers in petrol form, but this is a first in diesel guise. We�ve driven it in the Legacy, and liked it. Don�t expect the usual turbodiesel traits though; the boxer has less lag and, appropriately, a more instant punch. It likes to rev too, so you can hold on to gears longer. It even sounds quite interesting. It�s a diesel with soul.
But improving on the old Forester doesn�t necessarily mean it is good enough. Engine aside, there�s little to compliment. The interior trim is from an Impreza, and feels a bit cheap (you�d be disappointed if you�d forked out �25,495 for the top-spec version).
And, at speed, the ride is horribly choppy. Taking a series of bumps feels like bouncing off a springboard, only to land on a bouncy castle. You just can�t get this thing to settle down, without killing speed. Seems the engineers did a fine job on the engine, but forgot all about the damping. Which is surprising, considering the suspension is a posh, multi-link affair.
None of which will matter to Forester buyers. They�ll be more interested in its four-wheel-drive and rugged durability. No pretentions, no fuss, no drama. In fact, the Forester is slightly dull � for once, a lifestyle SUV that doesn�t bang on about being a lifestyle SUV.
The boxer diesel makes it into the Impreza later this year too. With any luck, that should provide an altogether more exciting form of horsepower.
