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4x4x so much more. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

4x4x so much more
The bread and butter was a range of four-wheel drive saloons and estates aimed at country folk and people who dared to be a little different. The Forester continues this tradition.

   



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Before Subaru stumbled upon the huge success of the WRC winning Legacy and perhaps more importantly the Impreza, the Japanese company sold a variety of niche products such as the SVX and XT coupes, while the bread and butter was a range of four-wheel drive saloons and estates aimed at country folk and people who dared to be a little different. The Forester continues this tradition.

The Forester is based on Impreza underpinnings, but the looks don't really give this away. Jacked up suspension for improved ground clearance and a tall body conceal its roots in what is a rather odd looking package; not pretty by any means but individual, purposeful and functional, the Forester looks like a robust workhorse.

This means that you get a pleasant surprise when you get in and drive. The Forester drives really well, and not at all as the agricultural appearance may suggest. Those Impreza underpinnings pay huge dividends in this respect. To be fair there is as much body roll as that tippy toe stance suggests, but you get used to it very quickly.

You also get used to the familiar boxer throb emanating from under that big duct on the bonnet. This particular Forester packs a 2.5-litre turbo four boasting 208bhp that propels it at a fairly comical rate: 0-60mph in six seconds and 140mph are not very typical off roader figures. The dominant force is the torque though, allowing for effortless overtaking and plenty of in-gear surge. Needless to say it's likely to be a great towing vehicle as well with a braked towing limit of 2 tonnes. The only down side is the engine's thirst which can be fairly severe when you work the car hard, and the high CO2 figure may eliminate it from many people's list of potential company cars.

In some ways it's a shame that there is so much turbo boosted pace, as it almost pervades over the Forester's other strengths. You can get so swept up on the wave of torque that you fail to notice how well the car rides and handles. Body roll aside, the relatively soft suspension pays dividends as it irons out road surface irregularities admirably. It steers accurately, corners with alacrity and can be a genuinely fun car to drive. In summary, it goes, steers, handles and stops well.

The interior is comfortable and roomy with all the space one would expect in a car of this ilk, but it is a little drab. Only the aluminium effect of the centre console adds any brightness, which is a shame. Compare this to the distinctive interior of the Mitsubishi Outlander and you can't help but feel that Subaru could, and should, have done better. Even allowing for the Forester's rough and tumble role in life the interior isn't good enough for a £25k car. However, equipment levels are generous with climate control, satnav, leather upholstery and a quality CD player as well as the full complement of electrics and airbags.

For me it is a much better car than the Freelander, but misses out on the cool factor that the junior Landie enjoys. Part of this is down to the looks I suppose and the Barley Mow image doesn't help, but to Subaru fans and loyalists the Forester has all the marque's traditional virtues. It's good enough to win new converts to the brand as well; it deserves to in our opinion. The weak links could be the looks and the interior quality, which is a real shame as they're superficial aspects, and should be easy for Subaru to address at some point. Maybe then the Forester will become a more familiar sight on our roads and people will look more than skin deep and discover the depths of the talents beneath.

Dave Jenkins - 28 May 2005



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2004 Subaru Forester specifications: (2.5 XT)
Price: £24,950 on-the-road.
0-60mph: 6.0 seconds
Top speed: 140mph
Combined economy: 11.0mpg
Emissions: 261g/km
Kerb weight: 1460kg

2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.



2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 






 

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