Subaru Forester 2.5i-S 2016 Review

Subaru Forester 2.5i-S
Local Launch Review
Mount Gambier, SA

Between 2008 and 2011 the Subaru Forester enjoyed an unbroken run of success as the leading model in what was the VFACTS compact SUV segment. But then Mazda introduced its run-away best selling CX-5 – and the rules of the game changed.

Despite the Mazda's success, the Forester continues to sell steadily, but would pick up added sales with more production capacity available from the factory, says Subaru. The importer anticipates the bottleneck at the manufacturing plant will clear within the next couple of years as American Subaru production ramps up. In the meantime the Forester has earned itself an update to keep it at the forefront of buyer consideration.

For the launch of the new model range, which is already officially on sale, Subaru conducted a drive program through the Mount Gambier hinterland in South Australia.

While the drive programme for the Forester was fairly benign, the updated SUV did face drizzly weather and a brief run along muddy and grassy forestry tracks through the local pine plantations. The Forester barely put a foot wrong. Other than a brief case of understeer at low speeds – through one very sloppy corner – the Forester felt sure-footed in the conditions and could be pushed along at speeds and in conditions that would be more testing for many of its rivals.

As a bonus, the Forester's ride comfort struck the right balance. It was certainly more compliant than the updated Outback tested the day before, but it remained well damped for unexpected changes of direction (vertical as well as horizontal). Changes to glass and door sealing aimed at reducing NVH also contribute to the amenity of the Forester's cabin over loose surfaces.

The brake pedal felt firm underfoot, but was progressive and reasonably communicative. Steering was also tactile and responsive by the standards of peers in the Forester's market segment. Subaru's work on the suspension has left the Forester a very stable vehicle at the straight-ahead, encouraging drivers to punt it a bit harder on those friction-compromised sections of forestry track already mentioned.

The 2.5-litre petrol boxer in the Forester is not as leisurely as it feels in the larger and heavier Liberty which was also tested the day before. Unfortunately, despite changes to the Forester's CVT, it felt much like any other CVT, unlike the Liberty's CVT. The Liberty definitely emulates a 'stepped' automatic transmission in operation. By comparison the SUV quickly fell back to droning once the engine was working at full bore.

But it does provide respectable acceleration, holding near the redline. The engine is a little noisier at higher revs than the Liberty, betraying its market position and design parameters. Over the course of the drive program it posted a fuel consumption figure of 11.2L/100km, which would have been better if the car hadn't been constantly flogged from one corner to the next.

Shift paddles were the only means of changing the CVT's steps sequentially, which was fine. They provided rapid response to driver input, but without the 'gear changes' being unnecessarily aggressive or blunt. The Forester features Subaru's 'S/I Drive' modes, which adjusts power steering assistance and drivetrain operating parameters in two modes – Sport or Intelligent. The differences between the two modes is subtle, but the tacho does give the game away for the drivetrain. At a steady speed, changing from 'I' to 'S' will see an immediate increase in engine revs (albeit by only a hundred RPM or so). At that point the Forester is ready to deliver its power and torque sooner than when left in boring old 'I' mode. Steering is ever so slightly heavier too, but it's hard to pick at open-road speeds, where assistance is already at a low level, typically.

A smaller package than the Outback, the Forester was not isolated from road noise to the same degree, but against its similarly priced competitors it's certain to measure up when we conduct a comparison with the Forester participating.

The Forester's seats were a mild disappointment when other cars from Subaru's past have delivered well shaped and cossetting seats. While the Forester's front-seat cushioning is about right for comfort, they could do with more bolstering to hold the occupants in place better.

Aside from that, the Forester's driving position is commendable. The instruments are clear to read and informative, providing an unobstructed view through the rim and spokes of the steering wheel. Graphics for the instrumentation, as well as the separate trip computer display in the centre fascia and the infotainment display below it present in a high resolution format that's easy on the eye and is compatible with the cohesive style of the Forester's interior design.

Just like the Liberty, the Forester's multi-function wheel was blessed with a plethora of switchgear, which detracts from the overall ergonomic strengths of the design. But no doubt owners will quickly make the adjustment.

Fit and finish will meet most prospective buyers' expectations. In this level of trim the Forester tested came with two-tone upholstery offering a combination of satin-finish materials, textured plastics, piano-gloss black and chrome plating. The overall look is rich, for the most part, with just some hard plastics letting the whole presentation down slightly.

Considering the smaller footprint of the Forester, rear-seat accommodation is at least commensurate with the larger Outback's for headroom, even with the sunroof fitted. There's also real legroom available for adults in the rear of the Forester. The one shortcoming is its lack of adjustable vents to service passengers in the rear.

As with other Subaru models, the Forester comes with a full-size spare tyre fitted to an alloy wheel that matches the other four wheels. Boot space is large and there are finger-pull levers in each side of the luggage compartment to flip the 60:40 split-folding rear seats forward for additional luggage-carrying capacity.

But most of this will already be known to current Forester buyers. The big question for those folk will be whether it's worth trading up to the 2016 model? The answer to that surely depends on need and the financial wherewithal to make it happen.

Those two issues aside, however, the 2016 Forester, for its core engineering gains – the lower NVH levels, the straight-line stability, to name but two – represents a small but significant advance, without a doubt.

2016 Subaru Forester 2.5i-S pricing and specifications:
Price: $39,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 126kW/235Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 187g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2013

Also consider:
>> Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport (from $35,790 plus ORCs)
>> Nissan X-Trail ST-L (from $39,490 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota RAV4 GXL (from $36,990 plus ORCs)