Test Drive Subaru Forester since 2008 SUV

Top version Subaru Forester

The exciting meeting with the Subaru Forester S-Edition and the new generation of opposite motors left one feeling all this unfair! If you buy Subaru Forester, then only in the top version.


Believe me, it is not an appreciated gonor tired of roasted tacks and foreign test drives of automotive journalists on the contrary, it is quite a reasonable and sober judgment. Think yourself. Suppose you take the Nissan X-Trail with a two-liter engine. It slowly accelerates, rather rattles a little, but in general, not bad. It is even nice that this little fuel is eating quite a bit of fuel. In addition, she has regular funny roof flashlights. The same story and with Toyota RAV4, and with Honda CR-V: they are fine that with a big engine, which is small. The whole difference between the road and cheap version will be put in a second-different from scratch to hundreds and the premium of a premium leader as an upholstery of the seats. But try to compare the top Forester with budget, and you will plunge into two completely different world.


In Subaru, the main thing is not an appearance, but what inside

Check your finger
To begin with, the two-liter Subaru Forester has its own transmission, built on a symmetrical differential (dividing the moment strictly in half) with a blocking in the form of a whiskey. No electronics, a mechanical gearbox. There are three main shortcomings. First: it works by modern standards not quickly enough. Second: when overheating of the WISK MUFTA, it fails forever. Third: for more clear controllability and refinement, it is better to share the moment not in half, but partially in favor of the rear axle. I do not like? Pay off for automatic transmission and give up the WISK MUFTA and differential. The four -speed automatic box has built a multi -disc clowing controlled by electronics. She does not threaten overheating, she is much more reliable. But then lose a reduced gear, which is only in configuration with the manual transmission. And exchange quite normal acceleration to hundreds in 10.7 seconds per street at 12.4, with which it is the same as checking in the wild Moscow road flow all the same as checking with a finger, whether the water boiled. In other words, already at the stage of choice between two budget options, your brain will curl into a tube.


Forester in his element, there is not enough ax and baskets

Two galaxies
Premium comprehension today is Subaru Forester S-Ex. Actually, in order to meet her, we went to Belarus. She has a completely different transmission that has nothing to do with the budget. Not four steps in the automatic transmission, but five. The central differential is no longer symmetrical divides the moment in the proportion of 45:55 in favor of the rear axle and generally has a planetary design and is blocked by a multi -disc coupery, ensuring performance and better handling.

The extreme sets of Subaru Forester are also not the same as the parameters of geometric cross -country ability. The top one has a tangible road clearance of 225 mm, and the cheap is slightly more modest, 215. Do not forget about almost two times the scatter during acceleration. By design, patency, controllability and dynamics, these are two dissimilar galaxies.


S-series is also knightly pedaling linings, and Alcantara

Legend spoils
Why can't I enjoy a two -liter version? Because I can’t throw the word legend out of my head. This term spoils everything. There will never be such questions to other Japanese. They just make cars. And subaru ... they have to be responsible for their own claims. Although expressed for a long time and in another audience. In the top design of Subaru, indeed a thunderstorm of roads and fields, and in the budget, a trolley for products from a supermarket.


Motors were fundamentally updated for the first time since 1989. Who, except Subaru, can afford it?


The exciting meeting with the Subaru Forester S-Edition and the new generation of opposite motors left one feeling all this unfair!

On a test drive in Belarus, I traveled at the present Subaru Forester S-Edition. The Japanese came up with this car, reacting to the moons of long-standing true fans of the brand bored for arms with roadside pillars. She has 260 horsepower and 6.5 seconds of overclocking to hundreds. The rest for the gloss: large wheels, Alcantara on the seats and a bunch of speakers in the door. It is impossible to express clear complaints to such a set of options and characteristics.

Cheap and beautiful
Also, on the presentation we were told about the third generation of SUBARU engines. They are now more maintainable and economical. The Japanese first completely updated their horizontal-opposite units from the moment the second generation of motors in 1989 appeared. Impressive, right? However, for an ordinary consumer, this means less service costs and repairs plus moral satisfaction. Who is interesting? Lord from Subaru, you know what we miss? Give us a cheap, but passable and running version. Let her not have the upholstery on the seats and only one speaker. All that is needed is 250 mm clearance and overclocking up to 100 km / h not more than 10 seconds. You can not think only about rich scumbags. This is erased and unfair.


Acceleration at 6.5 seconds to a hundred privilege S-Edition

Caution, technical details
The main changes in the Subaru Forester 2011 model year first touched the engines.

The 2-liter engine has increased the stroke of the piston due to this, it was possible to increase the combustion efficiency and, appropriately, increased efficiency and torque in the range of small and medium speed of rotation of the engine crankshaft. But the 2.5-liter S-Edition machines are equipped with an imperza WRX engine, only deforced to 263 hp

Four-wheel drive is still a constant interstice differential based on the planetary transmission provides the redistribution of torque in the proportion of 45:55 in favor of the rear wheels. Of course, this value may vary depending on the conditions of movement. All models except S-Edition are equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission with gear shift mechanism in manual mode. As for the S-Edition, they are equipped with five-speed automatic transmission.

Author: Dmitry Leontyev, photo Subaru

 

Source: 4x4 magazine [November / 2011]