Subaru Forester 2010 Review

Subaru Forester 2.0D and 2.0D Premium

What we liked
>> Low NVH properties
>> Comfortable ride, on and off road
>> Reasonably priced and equipped

Not so much
>> Engine errs more on the side of frugal
>> Would almost certainly work better with an auto
>> Gear shift not the best in class

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
-- Diesel variant forges ahead
Subaru's Forester remains among the most popular SUVs in the Australian market. Selling 5709 cars within the VFACTS compact SUV segment it has been the sales leader for the year to date. The Subaru's nearest competitor, Toyota's RAV4, is sitting on 5364 sales for 2010.

Subaru and Toyota both have new variants reaching the market at around the same time and both are intended, naturally, to expand sales volumes and eclipse the other's appeal in this market sector. Toyota has introduced a front-wheel drive RAV4, but Subaru has approached the problem from a different direction offering a diesel engine for more range, extra towing capacity and a modicum of extra offroad ability.

The engine is the same boxer (horizontally-opposed) four-cylinder turbodiesel already launched in the larger Outback model. Marketed as the Forester 2.0D, the new variant joins an increasing number of diesels in the compact SUV segment, including Hyundai's ix35, Nissan's X-TRAIL, Mazda's CX-7, Suzuki's Grand Vitara and the Volkswagen Tiguan.

It's buyers in the SUV segments who will, through word-of-mouth, spread the diesel gospel to non-SUV owners. So the Forester 2.0D and the Outback with the same engine represent a diesel bridgehead for Subaru, but the Japanese manufacturer needs to pull the finger out and develop an automatic transmission to go with the compression-ignition engine.

With Mazda recently announcing that its next generation SKY-D diesel engine will arrive here with an automatic transmission, Subaru runs the risk of being left behind without a similar option.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
-- More kit to offset diesel price premium
Subaru has launched the Forester 2.0D in two levels of trim, starting at $35,990 (manufacturer's list price, excluding on-road costs and dealer pre-delivery charge) for the entry-level model. While it's based on the petrol Forester X, the entry-level Forester 2.0D also features self-levelling suspension, front fog lights, climate control, a leather gear knob, 16-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass and the diesel engine/six-speed manual drivetrain combo for the $5000 price premium.

In addition to the items noted above, this vehicle also comes equipped as standard with: DataDot theft protection, four-speaker MP3/iPod-compatible CD audio, remote central locking, cruise control, telescopic/tilt-adjustable steering, electric windows/mirrors, 60/40 split-fold rear seat and 12V auxiliary power outlets.

Over the base-grade variant, the Forester 2.0D Premium ($40,990) is fitted with: 17-inch alloy wheels, seven-speaker six-disc audio, leather trim, electric sunroof, eight-way electric driver's seat adjustment and HID headlights.

MECHANICAL

The diesel's torque figure exceeds the petrol engine's by 100Nm and the diesel boxer's power output is not far behind that of the spark-ignition unit. That torque peak of 350Nm arrives between 1800-2400rpm, but Subaru claims that as much as 340Nm is available from an engine speed of 1600rpm, which further boosts the car's driveability.

The diesel's torque principally contributes to the 1600kg towing capacity for the Forester 2.0D -- 200kg better than the towing capacity of the petrol Forester.

Peak power is 108kW, which the engine produces at 3600rpm. Combined-cycle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures are 6.4L/100km and 168g/km, respectively. To meet the Euro 5 emissions standard, the diesel boxer engine features common-rail turbo induction and a diesel particulate filter.

As well as being a boxer -- with the cylinders arranged in a horizontally opposed layout -- the engine is also unusual in that its bore and stroke dimensions are an exact match at 86.0x86.0mm. Diesels are usually long-stroke 'undersquare' designs, whereas horizontally-opposed engines (Subaru's in particular), are frequently oversquare designs, with a wider bore.

As with all Subarus sold in Australia, the Forester 2.0D has its engine mounted longitudinally ('North/South'), driving through the transmission to a centre differential transferring torque to the front and rear axles. The transmission in question is the same basic six-speed manual also fitted to the Outback with the same diesel engine.

Front wheels are suspended by MacPherson struts and steered by an electrically-assisted rack-and-pinion system. Brakes comprise ventilated discs at the front and solid discs at the rear, mounted to hub carriers suspended by a double-wishbone IRS system.

The Forester 2.0D is fitted as standard with Bridgestone Dueler 215/65 R16 tyres and the Forester 2.0D Premium moves up an inch in wheel size for the standard 225/55 R17 Yokohama Geolanders.

As you’d expect, the turbodiesel Forester is the same as the petrol in all main dimensions. Externally, the Forester measures 4560mm long, 1795mm wide and 1700mm high. Its wheelbase is 2615mm in length and the car turns through a 10.6m turning circle.

The cars' tare weight (without fluids) is 1520kg for the basic car and 1555kg for the Forester 2.0D Premium.

PACKAGING
-- Forester fit for four
Despite a wheelbase which is shorter than all four of its principal competitors (see below), the Forester is commodious for four adult passengers, with plenty of leg- and headroom, even in the Premium variant with its sunroof.

We didn't try the centre rear-seat position, but with a fold-out cupholder in the base, it doesn't look all that inviting. Experience in the car tells us it’s comfortable for a child. Some buyers will also appreciate the fact you can recline the second row for a more relaxed seating position.

Front seats are comfortable enough, but are flat in construction and lacked some under-thigh support and side bolstering. The seats didn't strike us as offering the same level of comfort as in Mazda's CX-7. Otherwise, there were no complaints about the driving position. Subaru provides an excellent view of the major instruments and there was abundant scope for adjusting seats, mirrors and steering wheel for optimum comfort.

The Forester provides better luggage space than some SUVs in the same segment, but it falls a long way short of the X-TRAIL and the Mitsubishi Outlander, which boast 603 litres and 589 litres respectively -- versus 450 for the Forester with the rear seat upright.

SAFETY
-- Clever design benefits crash safety
The diesel variant benefits from the Forester's five-star safety, as rated by crash-testing authority, ANCAP. According to ANCAP, the Forester is also a three-star-rated vehicle for pedestrian safety, which is not a bad number for any sort of higher-riding SUV.

In addition to steel construction based around materials of differing tensile strength to redirect impact energy around the car's occupants, the Forester is designed around what Subaru call a ring-shaped reinforcement system. Subaru has also optimised safety by designing the car with a field of vision that permits a one-metre tall object to be seen from the driver's seat within a range of one metre from the car's rear bumper -- and the car's rear frame structure is set at the same height as that of bumpers for typical passenger cars.

Through the Subaru's engine being horizontally opposed, the field of vision to the fore is also an improvement over conventional cars and the engine has been designed to be pushed down in the event of a frontal impact.

As standard, the Forester 2.0D features the following safety equipment: stability control, ABS/EBD, dual front airbags, side-impact airbags, curtain airbags, front seatbelt load-limiters/pre-tensioners, retracting pedals and active headrests.

COMPETITORS
-- Forester is the Goldilocks option?
The Forester 2.0D is a car that does a lot of things well (or 'just right' even) but there are competitors that can trump the Subaru in specific criteria. If any of these criteria are important to the buyer, they'll sway the purchasing decision away from the Forester.

When it's diesel power in a compact SUV package you want, there's a rapidly growing selection of models to choose from and most of them are in the same subset of softroaders. The one exception is the Suzuki Grand Vitara, which is a good vehicle in itself and well able to tackle serious offroad work, but its ancient French-sourced diesel and truck-like gearshift are shaded by the Subaru and the other three rivals.

As an aside, the Suzuki is in need of an engine as good as the one that powers the Nissan X-TRAIL and its Renault Koleos cousin -- an engine that will rev to 5000rpm and provide abundant torque with the option of a self-shifting transmission. The Nissan also provides some packaging advantages over the Subaru and is nearly as offroad-capable as the Suzuki.

However, the X-TRAIL is not as economical as the Subaru, which is the downside of the extra engine output. And for the purchase price, it's not a cheap option.

Mazda's CX-7, with a 2.2-litre engine, has a displacement advantage over the other vehicles, which shows up in power and torque figures. It also shows up at the pump, the Mazda using more fuel in combined-cycle tests -- but it is also the longest and heaviest of the five vehicles concerned. In fact, it is 200kg heavier than the next nearest competitor and something like 300kg heavier than the flagship Forester Premium.

While the Forester seems capable enough for light-duty offroading, the CX-7 does also -- and is a bit more fun to drive. Like the X-TRAIL, the Mazda is not only costlier at the pump, it's also significantly more expensive to purchase as well.

Hyundai's ix35 is shorter than the Subaru, but slightly wider. It develops significantly more power and torque than the Forester -- and feels like it in a straight line. As is the case with the Mazda, the downside of the added engine output is heavier fuel use in combined-cycle testing.

By way of compensation though, the mid-range ix35 Elite can be specified with diesel engine and automatic transmission for less than the price of the basic Forester 2.0D, which can only be ordered with a manual transmission.

In this company, the Hyundai is probably the one vehicle that can match or better the Subaru on price and standard equipment, but the Hyundai is also noisier and lacks the accommodation of the Forester.

If you can afford to come up in price a little -- and luggage capacity and offroading are of less consequence -- you might also consider the Volkswagen Tiguan 103 TDI. Or wait for its twin under the skin -- Skoda's upcoming Yeti.

ON THE ROAD
-- A diesel for petrol punters
From a cold start, the Forester's diesel powerplant is noisy, but the NVH improves considerably after a few minutes. Once warm, the engine is quieter than the R Series engine in Hyundai's ix35, that being one car we've driven recently and can directly compare.

While Subaru is pushing the line that the diesel boxer pumps out handy levels of torque from as low as 1600rpm, the engine has a peaky character to it -- due in part, we have no doubt, to its 'square' bore and stroke dimensions.

But it's not an outright sporty diesel like the Renault engine in the X-TRAIL and it lacks the punchiness of the R-Series powerplant in the ix35 -- although it's a relatively easy engine to get to know if you've just stepped out of a petrol-engined car.

Fuel consumed over the course of the drive program was 7.4L/100km with some lengthy stretches of offroading. With a mix of open-road and through-town driving, the Forester's fuel consumption fell to 6.6L/100km. That might work out to be very slightly more economical than Mazda's CX-7 Diesel.

But any difference in fuel consumption between the two doesn't justify what some will feel is anaemic performance from the Subaru. Taken one step further, Hyundai's recently released ix35 offers that stronger straightline performance already mentioned -- AND an auto box.

That's something that struck us about the Forester with the diesel engine: it might be a significantly better vehicle with an automatic transmission. In many of these small diesel-powered SUVs, an auto box frequently irons out some of an engine's shortcomings. The turbo can stay on boost during gearchanges for example, and the engine won't run out of revs as the tyres run out of traction -- because the driver can shift up without lifting the right foot.

Suspension-wise, the Forester's ride felt better than its handling. While the Subaru is slower to respond to steering input -- and feedback through the wheel is certainly not up there with the likes of Volkswagen's Tiguan -- the car's dynamics do improve at open-road speeds.

On dirt, the Forester will step out at the rear on a trailing throttle, but the stability control nips that in the bud quick smart. This reviewer recalls being able to throw the tail out in a diesel X-TRAIL with an auto transmission. It's harder to achieve the same effect in the Forester, even with its manual transmission and stronger engine braking.

Speaking of the transmission, the shift quality lacks a certain something. It's slow and vague to use, with not much 'meat' in the clutch take-up to help things along. At least the shift action is light enough though, and drivers will quickly adjust to the shifter's quirks.

The six-speed box is specified with a low-ratio first gear, which endeavours to overcome the lack of dual-range transfer (as per the petrol manual) -- thus easing offroad ascents or launching the Forester 2.0D from a standing start.

Tyre noise is fairly low in the Premium model across coarse-grade bitumen. In the base-grade model with 16-inch alloys and Bridgestone Duelers, however, the ride was a smidge better again and tyre noise seemed to be lower still.

In every other respect, the diesel Forester is much like its petrol sibling. For that reason, buyers will be drawn to the Forester 2.0D -- with the added incentives diesel has to offer.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi