Subaru Forester 2002 test drive - 2005 SUV
A child of evolution. Subaru Forester
There is one saying: the best is the enemy of the good. And especially successfully, it works in relation to cars. We ride ourselves, enjoy comfort, controllability and dynamics, when suddenly one day we find out that there is something much better. After trying, we are convinced: really, much better. It is more convenient, more comfortable, safer. And so until the next time, until someone again says that something much better has appeared ...Briefly about the main thing
Subaru Forester, the hero of our test today, appeared on the market in 1997. Then, first, a 2.0 -liter version of this half -dead - fifth lights, was reached on the Japanese, and then all other markets. Then, after some time, the gamma was supplemented by a sports version: with the same 2.0-liter engine, only equipped with a turbocharged. In this form, the car was produced until the fall of last year, when the updated version of the Subaru Forester - 2003 model year was presented to the consumer court. So, get acquainted ...
The appearance of the car was changed, at least so, slightly: new bumpers, lighting equipment, etc. That is, it turns out seems to be a light facelifting - a tightening of the face. But in fact, the modernization of Forester turned out to be more voluminous, and the changed appearance is only a slight part, visible to the eye. To begin with, the current Forester is significantly strengthened by the power structure of the body, and now it is better confronting lateral blows. Some body elements have been changed, and the list of standard equipment was replenished with several options related to active security tools. Changes in the cabin are more noticeable. In updated cars, the central console is made under aluminum, and very high quality. In general, the interior has not changed: the same convenient pseudo -sports seats, the same verified ergonomics.
As for the design, it has so far been left unchanged. In this regard, Forester already jumped up by most rival competitors, which, no doubt, should be considered primarily parquet SUVs. Although constructively a forester, it is translated into the Russian name Forester, it is almost identical to them: all -wheel drive, light supporting body, independent pendants of all wheels, moderate road clearance. Only in its long -standing tradition, as well as taking into account the richest rally experience, Subaru made its SUV completely different from how most competitors see it. Firstly, Forester turned out to be quite squat, it does not look like a five-door barn. And this means not only more profitable aerodynamics, but also low fuel consumption. Secondly, designers and designers deliberately abandoned pseudo-road accessories. There are no impressive Kengurin chipsters on the forester, nor a spare wheel hanging on the fifth door. In general, it seems that it is not an SUV ...
The same is inside: landing is as comfortable as in a car. You sit low enough so as not to get tired of constant fluctuations in the car. And at the same time you feel that the car is not a passenger: the landing is reclining, but at the same time somehow unusually high. It’s convenient to drive: the car is high, so you do not need to bend into three deaths. At the same time, the Forester height is much smaller than any SUV, which means that it is not necessary to jump into the car, wiping the thresholds with trousers.
I liked the steering wheel. Although here, unlike Impreza WRX, it is not at all Momo, the steering wheel is still very comfortable and stylish. Unless the diameter is slightly large. For such a driver, one could make less. The front seats are very good: they have excellent lateral support, while in shape they are far from close rally buckets. It is impossible to complain about ergonomics: everything is in its place, everything is at hand and in the field of view. Unless the radio unpleasantly surprised the magnetol with small and uncomfortable volume control buttons, they constantly need to aim in them.
An unusual style
What are Subaru famous for? First of all, of course, with their engines. Unique opposition engines are the pride of the company. His cylinders are horizontally, as in BMW motorcycles or Urals - an unusual, but at the same time a very convenient layout. Among its advantages, there are an unusually low center of gravity, located just somewhere on the cylinder location line, and the minimum height of the motor itself. In addition, such a motor itself is more compact that it allowed, as in the case of the Forester model, to increase the front suspension moves. Subaru also has a very interesting design. These cars, unlike other Japanese brands, could never be blamed for grayness. How do you like door glass without a framework?
And here is another reason for pride - Symmetric4. This is the name of the Forester all -wheel drive transmission, borrowed with small changes in Impreza. The torque from the engine is distributed by the inter -shing differential between the two leading axes, and in the case of slipping of one of them, the differential is fully or partially blocked by Wyskoft. Moreover, unlike electronic systems, Wylskyoft works almost instantly and at the same time can completely block the interdose differential, without requiring any driver participation in this process. Everything happens automatically and imperceptibly for the driver. The time of the WISKOFTA is so small that it is almost impossible to feel the moment of blocking. For our climatic conditions, another differential lock was added to the base. The inter -long differential of the rear axle is also blocked with the help of viscousyft. Also independently and also very quickly. The car simply does not have the opportunity to burrow, beating with one wheel. Thus, in its capabilities, Subaru Forester is already approaching these SUVs. But at that moment, when you want to rush off the off -road, impressed with all this arsenal, I advise you to do the following: to go and just look at the car from the side. You see, the road clearance is not so impressive! And how do you like quite large overhangs - in front and behind? With this examination, it begins to seem that Forester is not an SUV at all, but so, a station wagon of increased cross -country ability ...
But this is only on the one hand, because when you start to get acquainted with Subaru Forester, it becomes more and more difficult to classify it. Yes, it is not like an ordinary SUV, and on this occasion it would seem to be excluded by this car of their SUV clan. But the presence on versions with the mechanical checkpoint of a demultipliter, speaking easier - lowering gear, instantly puts Forester on a step above all parquet SUVs and SUV. Why? Yes, because not one of them is extremely useful on the off -road trifles, in the sense of a number of lowering gears, has! It has neither the legendary BMW X5, nor the Mercedes ML, nor even the Land Rover Freelander, although the latter, given the genealogy, was simply obliged to have it.
Yes, why, - you say, - I need it, this transmission, lowering? I don’t go through the swamps, I’m not going to go to Camel Trophy either. And in real life it is unlikely to ever come in handy. And you will be fundamentally wrong. It is not for nothing that the models similar to Forester are sometimes called cars for outdoor activities. And what kind of rest, and even active, without traveling to nature? On the tractor rut, you, of course, will not go on your car, but you can get stuck not only there. Have you ever had, for example, to push the car from the beach, stuck on the hub in the sand? It was here that the lowering gear will come in handy: you turned it on and calmly leave it without gasing or setting up the clutch. It is also better to get out of snow captivity precisely on a reduced gear.
Gas to capacity!
Of course, Subaru with an opposition engine and without a turbocharged - this is a kind of not real Subaru. But Forester, even if he is not equipped with a turbine in this version, he tries to show you that he is real. Try to push the gas more strongly, the revolutions are up to four to five, and even better - to the red zone on the tachometer, turn on the first and throw the clutch. I can assure you, you will never forget this moment. Especially if at that moment the car was not on clean and dry asphalt, but on some snowy road. Something incredible happens: you understand that with such a provocative start, the car, especially on slippery coating, must definitely tear the wheels into the slip. But Forester, like a ballistic missile, breaks from a place, without wasting time on the useless rotation of the wheels of an idle. You don’t even need to play gas at the start: no matter how swiftly you start, there will be no slipping. Unless on the bare ice, but if you try, then the wheels are grinded a couple of times, but this disgrace will quickly stop: Symetric4 knows its job!
The Forester drives in deep snow is even more striking. Forget all your winter driving skills: just press the accelerator pedal, but stronger. Even if you drive a Forester into loose snow on the very thresholds and stop there, you can start only like this: gas to the floor! Sucked up like a monotive machine, Subaru still does not dig, so you can safely crush - twist the car in drifts, move out of the road and turn around where it is convenient, without fear of getting stuck in a snowdrift. We flew for an hour and a half on Borovoy, and never once gave the reason to doubt his off -road abilities. True, then, when they went out to smoke, I looked at the rubber, and to be honest, I felt uneasy: Forester was shod in summer tires. And not just summer, but in good asphalt tires - almost slick. I can imagine that the car would have done in the corresponding shoes - winter, and even studded.
Drive in Cuba
Honestly, having left half a day at Subaru Forester, I really did not understand what kind of car it is. Rides, in the sense of comfort and handling, like a sharpened car: minimal rolls, good dynamics, sensitive steering, etc. But when you go to a slightly crossed area, you instantly forget about its passenger essence: you rush like an SUV. True, you need to be more careful with the choice of trajectory, since deep pits are not for Forester. But the usual soil road, even completely blurred by rain or covered with snow, is what you need! You won’t believe it, but even the most calm driver will not be able to go slowly, the unbeaten Subaru Forester suspension simply provokes to ride quickly and without a special choice of road, like on the rally. But inside it is somehow unnaturally comfortable and calm. Here it is, a rally school. If we talk about the competitors of Subaru Forester, then the only one, in fact, is the representative of the same brand - the LEGASE OUTBACK model. All other all -wheel drive models, no matter, cars or parquet, simply cannot compete with Forester on equal terms. The former are too tender, the second, no matter how they praised them, still too off-road ...
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Subaru car tuning is a topic for a separate conversation. In the Japanese market, probably, there was not a single company left that would not offer one or two set for Subaru tuning. External tuning, motor, many accessories - if desired, your Subaru can be individualized so much that it will be hardly recognized at the proprietary service station. True, it is worth noting: almost all tuners work exclusively with one, the maximum with two models of this brand. In the first place, of course, the legendary Impreza WRX. It doesn’t matter what generation you have a model and for which market it was released - you can easily find tuning parts for it in any specialized catalog. Still quite often tuned Legasy. For her, several body kit options can always be found. But Forester may arise. And not even with the search for components, but rather with the definition of tuning. What will your forester will eventually become: a real GT with spoilers and sliks or a sort of off -road sports car, with increased road clearance and toothy tires? Although, if you do not make changes to the appearance, Forester tuning can be started with small, namely with the engine. A turbocharged version of Forester, which has 177 hp in the database, can become especially grateful in this regard. The simplest chip tuning, the cost of which falls every day, will increase power to 200, or even more horses. Another way: installing a boost controller - this device controls the operation of the bypass valve of the turbine. The boost controller allows you to regulate the pressure of the air entering the cylinders, and this is instantly. Suppose you go all day on standard 177 horses, and in the evening, on a street-reaching, pressing several buttons of a boost controller, raise the power threshold-220-220 hp. In this case, not the limit. In the same way, on a long trip, you can reduce working pressure: 140-150 horses are enough on the highway. The only thing: you can do such things only on a backing car, because one sabotage under the hood of a new car instantly deprives you of the right to its warranty service.
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Subaru Forester, created on the platform of the Impreza golf class model, showed himself well on crash tests. An authoritative jury gave him a good assessment: four stars. And the fact that Forester’s almost passenger design is compared with much larger and high parking lots, only gives him a head start: in the lateral crash test, Subaru feels much more confident than most of them. Such a high rating was obtained due to the package of the model by means of active and passive safety. The basic version of the XN, for example, is equipped with frontal airbags for the driver and front passenger, ABS and seat seat belts. The updated model, by the way, differs from the previous primarily improved salon protection: the body structure has been changed, and Forester now holds a side blow better. The so -called active head restraints have been installed: when hitting the headrest, the passenger is slightly approaching the head of the passenger so that injuries can be avoided. More expensive versions of Forester, including the XQ we tested, are better equipped: they already have side airbags. The turbocharged version is equipped with disc brakes on all wheels (front - ventilated), while the atmospheric is equipped with drum rear brakes. The EBD brake distribution system is also a prerogative of a turbocharged car.
Opinion Ag:
A unique car is an opposition motor, all -wheel drive, an unusual appearance. It is controlled as a good GTI and at the same time confidently feels off -road.
+ Great all -wheel drive transmission
+ Excellent handling
+ Amazing stability on a slippery road
+ Spacious salon
- Small radio control buttons
- A harsh suspension
- noise at high speed
