Subaru Forester 2005 test drive - 2008 SUV

Impressions of the Subaru Forester Airbreak and Sti Version test drive

Technical characteristics of the Forester Airbreak car:
Length 4455 mm x width 1735 mm x height 1590 mm.
Wheel base: 2525 mm.
Dry weight of the machine: 1420 kg.
Drive: 4wd
Engine: 2-liter, with 4 cylinders of a horizontally opposite location, a gas distribution mechanism of the SOHC type, developed power 103 kW (140 hp) at 5600 rpm, the largest torque of 186 nm (19.0 kg/m/m (19.0 kg/m ) at 4400 rpm.
Transmission: 4-speed automatic gearbox
Cars from one lineup, but different on the go ...
Autumn is such a skilled artist. Look, at least how skillfully she uses sunlight to color the autumn foliage of trees. Looking at this landscape is a pleasure! The wind that wraps your cheeks is also not like that, it leaves after itself the moisture, as in the summer, namely, is cool. On such autumn days, you most often imagine yourself sitting in the sun under this breeze, in your hands you have a long novel, which you finally removed from the book shelf. Yes, even the aroma of a cup of coffee, which you inhale from time to time. And no one else and nothing, only you, more autumn heaven and your inner world. Where should this happen? Necessarily among the mountains, or at least on a hill where you are sure to drive a car like SUV. Why SUV, you ask? Because this place cannot be near the concrete highway. No, to achieve this imaginary point, you still need to ride on the primer. And she, as my imagination tells me, must be covered with either dew or rainwater. Or not, this is no longer rain, but on the roads there are still traces of a recent rain that has already ended, but deep extras remained on the ground. Yes, and concrete, she can also give surprises. For example, take and be littered with water streams with stones or branches of collapsing trees. No, a mountain road, it is all that one should look at both.
These are the thoughts wandered in my fascinated head, when suddenly from the editorial office they are offered to make a small test trip on a typical discharge car light Suv Subaru Forester. Yes, not just Forester, but his special modifications, which, as they turned out, are made from one dough, but are completely different. Well, then I have almost something that I had to drive myself out of town for fresh air by car SUV. Moreover, to make two dunces behind the wheel of Forester Airbreak, and then Forester Sti Version. So, there are two cars. But does this mean that this will lead to a change of mood, or at least to the appearance of various shades? Check this right here and now, and who will refuse it!?
The first -generation Subaru Forester debuted in 1997, and since then it immediately became considered a reliable partner on the road. He turned out to be so successfully tailored that he received almost the same assessment as the second generation of Legacy. It can even be argued that he opened a new niche in the market, where machines of increased cross -country ability of SUV are exhibited, which not only outside the city, but also in the city line and run equally well. In 2002, a second -generation Forester car appeared on the market, and then in 2005 it survived a very significant update, which was called low modernization, but in content it was large than small, so there is nothing left to call this event with a detailed small renewal of the model range . Outwardly, this was expressed in a change in the shape of the front lattice of the radiator, and the quality of the body decoration became noticeably higher. And, you know that when I saw the Forester car in its current form, I had the feeling that if you have assumed the floor, this model is undoubtedly a woman. Judge for yourself: both the chassis and chassis, of course, received their further development, but plus a 2-liter engine of new development, which has a simple, atmospheric inlet. Yes, the point is not even whether it is turbocharged or not, it is important that it is, although frisky, but at the same time has amazing smoothness.
Forester Airbreak, he is like an autumn wind ...
Early in the morning, with great regret and reluctance, I get out from under the blanket heated overnight, although the idea that I will go now and drink hot coffee is somewhat soothing me. But the main thing is not in coffee, the main thing is that the weather today is perfectly suitable for traveling out of town. My first partner should be the Forester Airbreak car.
I get to the appointed place. The first thing that caught my eye when I went to the car was the bumper that turned out to be enlarged in size, and most importantly, looked very spoke. I look at the roof, and I see aluminum overhead strips there. The middle strip of strips, door handles, a special shape of the nozzle on the final pipe of the silencer - all this is covered with silver, metal paint. Nearby is a car of the basic model Forester 2.0x, but compared to it, Airbreak seems more balanced and, I would even say, elegant. I open the door to the salon and look around. In the decoration of the salon, the mild fabric, the leather edging of the seats that cannot be called too much wrapping up the body, but it will also not be possible to fall apart, will also not be possible. The driver's seat has 8 types of adjustment, which allows it to give it such a configuration and a position that the driver needs. It is only worth sitting in this chair, stretching out a hand, as she will touch on the steering wheel in a leather braid already familiar from other models of Forester. The middle section of the front panel seems to be several simplified design, but on the other hand, under the feet of the front passenger there is a mesh pocket. In practical terms, everything is well thought out. Take at least a multifunctional cabinet that can be used to save products at low temperature. After all, whatever one may say, and in a long trip this kind of device will never be superfluous. I'm not talking about the spaciousness of the luggage compartment, this is a separate conversation.
I think that a woman who is used to using cosmetics and watches her appearance will understand me - the upper glass hatch is not quite what I would like to have over myself in the summer. But now, after all, autumn, and this is a completely different matter. No wonder after all it is said that the female heart is especially sensitive when the autumn is in the yard. Therefore, now, on the contrary, it is so nice to feel the warm sun's rays on your face, which penetrate through this glass, making a spacious, in general, the salon is even lighter. Sometimes I raise my head to see the floating clouds on me, which were a lot of traveling in the sky. But when a sunlight broke out between them suddenly, I immediately felt it, I didn’t even have to lift my head. Moreover, the hatch is made of such glass that the ultraviolet does not miss, so there was nothing to worry about in this regard.
The car is easily controlled, it pleases
During the time, while the new generation Forester is produced and this is not a year and a half - I do not tire of repeating that the driver's seat in this car is made so wonderful that you can sit in it for an arbitrarily long time, and you will remain awake, not knowing fatigue . Just turn your steering wheel and press the pedals! Interesting, but there are many drivers who hate SUV category cars. What explains this dislike? Yes, of course, there are certain difficulties in management due to the fact that the dimensions of the body are not quite accurately determined from the driver's place. What else? It is necessary to sit too high, and it seems that the car is not entirely stable, and, therefore, the driver will be forced to control every effect at the wheel. I think that these moments can really dump anyone from the SUV category. The only thing is that such negative points during the tests of the Forester Airbreak model were not marked by me. Moreover, I believe that saying that the SUV car seems unstable is generally inappropriate in this case, because how Forester Airbreak opposed the roll in the bends was just wonderful.
For some time now, all those women who had not had the experience of driving SUV cars had previously, but very, very much would like to get it, I recommend starting with a machine that is the most simple to drive, and as one of these models I invariably call Forester. Meanwhile, it should be noted that my recommendation is due to the three main features of this car, which I define as a layout of the minimum sufficient height. First of all, the body of the car is, as it were, stretch strictly in a straight line. Although the minimum clearance of cars continues to be an impressive 205 mm. And finally, since the driver’s place is located quite high, the driver sees the road at a corner that is advantageous to himself, so the front edge of the hood is visible, as in the palm of his hand. And not only the edge of the hood, but also the end points of the body on the left and right. And in the end, this gives a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthe width of the car in any situation, and even more clear than when you are sitting at the wheel of a compact class car. In addition, we should not forget that the smallest turning radius of Forester is 5.4 meters, which is comparable to the radius of the rotation of the middle class sedan. It would seem that with such data to park the car, or even more so, to unfold in a narrow passage for the driver of the mortal flour. But in reality it turned out that everything was not so scary, and it is precisely due to the fact that the dimensions of the machine are visually very easy to determine. As for the equipment of the Forester Airbreak car, which I would draw your attention to, this is, first of all, an on -board navigator with a built -in hard drive. Then, this is the front glass that does not miss ultraviolet or infrared rays. Plus, the air conditioner, which is equipped not only with the air purification filter, but also the system of its anti -allergic treatment. And finally, the sheathing of the ceiling of the cabin is saturated with a special composition, which allows fight unpleasant odors. Is this, I would say, the fresh layout of the cabin does not make control of this machine more pleasant? I think yes. At least if a woman sits behind the wheel, then let the car shake it better than an unpleasant odor inside.
I measure everything in my female way, but meanwhile I am sure that the running characteristics of this car will not disappoint and the man, no matter how finish it is. Still, after all, a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine with a horizontally opposite arrangement of 4 cylinders, one upper distribution shaft of the upper location and 16 valves, yes, stand! It is enough to recall that thanks to this design, it becomes possible to make the center of gravity significantly lower. And if so, then the combination of the opposition engine is an AWD all -wheel drive system, which requires the most accurate balancing, gives an excellent effect. And then the driver should not experience the closest unity with a controlled car and enjoy driving.
 
 
Albeit cool, but not rude (Sti Version)
Returning to the parking lot, from where my trial arrival began, and barely taking a breath, I immediately was driving another representative of the Subaru Forester model range - the STI VERSION car. The abbreviation of the STI, by the way, is formed in the initial letters of the phrase Subaru Technica International, that is, the name of the special department, which is entrusted with the mission of the training of Subaru brand for international competitions, including the world rally championship (WRC). Recently, the Subaru brand has become quite respected all over the world, there are many sports achievements behind it, and their number continues to multiply. What, whatever, can serve as the most convincing evidence of the technical viability of STI engineers!? Possessing a truly unique technology, STI takes the usual mass model of the car and, making various manipulations above it, brings it to sports perfection. It is this circumstance that causes the rather high authority of cars decorated with the abbreviation of the STI among lovers to manage in an active manner. Reviewed machines from the Impreza lineup have achieved especially very popular, which for such drivers have become a kind of standard.
And here I am while driving a car, which, although not from the glorious series Impreza, but, nevertheless, still performed by STI. It should be reserved right away that, having examined this car outside, I did not find in it something that could impress me. In front and back, on the left and right on the back, large letters of STI are flaunted, the look also fixes the presence of an air intake on the hood. This means that there is an intercooler under the hood. That is, the machine is equipped with a turbocharger engine. Salpers of brakes from Brembo are peeled out of the wheels of the wheels, this, you need to notice, immediately sets the driver in a certain, high-speed way. Yes, he sets up, but not to such a limit as to lose his head and fly forward, without analyzing the road. On the other hand, since this is a car from the category of SUV, then such an external restraint is even to her face.
Nothing, but inside everything is done according to the laws of the genre. What I mean? Yes, the fact that if I had been placed in the cabin of the car, figuratively speaking, blindly, I would never have thought that I was sitting in a car like SUV. And this is because everything in the cabin is done, as in an ordinary sports car - and no signs of SUV! The steering wheel, the handle of the transmission control lever, the manual brake - all this is trimmed with genuine leather. The black color prevails, against which the red-cherry logo of the STI is especially impressive. It is only worth seeing all this, you immediately feel that a considerable energy is hidden inside this machine, which can much. Meanwhile, I sit down comfortably in my bucket -shaped chair, whose headrest is performed at the same time with the back. The seats are covered with rough material so that the body does not slip. As soon as I found the desired pose, I immediately had the feeling that my body was in my head in the hard grip of side calipers. Okay, I examine the dashboard located in front of me. A large tachometer flaunts in the middle, on the right is the speedometer dial, which has a breakdown up to 240 km/h. Everything is painted black, although the middle part of the front panel is processed in such a way that its black surface is distinguished by a matte tint, that is, it does not shine. It can be seen that the designers tried in every possible way to cause a subjective sense of quality among the driver and passengers, and they need to admit, this was possible.
As soon as I got into the car, I immediately paid attention to the fact that from the driver’s place the road opens up to me in a completely different angle than when I was driving the Forester Airbreak. Just heaven and earth! Meanwhile, I began to try the stiffness of the pedal, after which I decided to squeeze the clutch in order to still move. Yes, I forgot to say that the pedals have aluminum pads, as in a real sports salon. Then I take the gear lever of the 6-speed manual. The lever is quite short, it feels that verified movements are required for successful management. As for the clutch pedal, it should be noted that it turned out to be too heavy, not at all for the female leg. So at the time of switching, I urgently had to retrain into a man.
Under the hood, I have a 2.5 liter engine with a turbocharger, which is equipped with a gas distribution mechanism with automatically changed phases and the value of the opening of the AVCS system, and, in addition, is equipped with an electronic throttle control unit. These devices together allowed him to reach the high -speed characteristics that were previously unprecedented on Forester cars. Is it a joke, 195 kilowatts (265 hp) power and 195 Newton/meter (38.5 kg/m) torque. It goes without saying that such potential makes itself felt at the very early stage of movement, when the machine is just beginning to gain speed. However, the most clearly the difference between the Forester STI Version machine and other light class SUV cars appeared when I began to climb the mountain, moving along a general purpose road. The difference, of course, is in favor of Subaru Sti Version. In addition, it immediately becomes noticeable that the car has a large supply of stability, which is due to a number of factors. This is, first of all, a 35 mm reduced by the height of the machine against the base model, then, an enhanced wheel suspension, protected from transverse displacement, skillfully selected shock absorbers and front transverse beam. Such stability is not at all characteristic of SUV category machines. The ability to overcome one turn after another can light the ability without a bitch and a bitch and bring to a state of delight of any driver who knows a lot about cars. In those moments when the engine had already betrayed all 6,000 revolutions per minute, and it seems to be nowhere to take it, I still did not believe that I could not overcome the crisis that had already come and I will not force the motor to explode again. So, apparently, a melody of sounds erupted from the silencer was vigorous and encouraging. The car body is functional (after all, this is Sport Utility Vehicle), ”I thought,“ and you go, so the car is well controlled. ” And the designers did not obviously offended the cross -country cost of off -road!. So, he is an all -terrain vehicle and an athlete. So, in the framework of SUV, in the traditional sense of the word, the STI Version machine is clearly crowded.
Until now, autumn trips to the city, refreshing and blowing coolness, were associated with me with a Forester Airbreak type, spacious and leisurely. But, apparently, there is another option, more sharp and exciting (STI version). Well, in the first and second case, it turned out to be quite an autumn charge of vigor!
Technical characteristics of the Forester STI VERSION:
Length 4455 mm x width 1735 mm x height 1550 mm.
Wheel base: 2525 mm.
Machine weight: 1500 kg.
Drive: 4wd
Engine: 2.5-liter, with 4 cylinders of a horizontally opposite location, a gas distribution mechanism of the DOHC type, developed capacity of 195 KW (265 hp) at 5600 rpm, the largest torque 378 NM (38.5 kg/m/m (38.5 kg/m (38.5 kg/m ) at 3600 rpm.
Transmission: 6-speed manual gearbox
Basic price: 3 million 150 thousand yen
 
 

A source: CarView.co.jp