Subaru Forester test drive since 2008 SUV

Subaru Forester 2.5 Turbo

Most modern crossovers are designed for ladies. And Subaru Forester 2.5 Turbo to cause children's delight from active driving. The test Forester was kicked out directly from the window. He was rubbed like a safe handle and even the tires glittered from cosmetics and looked like black oily skin.
 
But the future of this car has already been determined. After I give it back, he will pass through the hands of three dozen journalists. Having jumped along the suburban paths, it will receive 56 holes in the weak and fragmented plastic protection of the crankcase. Having stooped in the forests, it will paint its body with half a hundred scratches on metallic. And his cast discs from holes in the asphalt are covered with a dozen chips. Then it will be written off and sold with a discounted random passerby, who had long dreamed of Subaru, but did not have the opportunity to save money for a new copy.
In the meantime, he is mine, and for three days in a row I torment the gas pedal, without experiencing any fatigue from driving, without making snob remarks about the decoration, but only using a rare case to pilot this joyful apparatus. I press the Sport button, and this makes you forget about the turbo and the primitive four -speed machine: Subaru bullets like a reactive one.
 
There are very few crossovers, after the test drive of which there is no doubt. But Forester is just that. With it you get almost all car pleasures and pay a reasonable price for them. Porsche Cayenne GTS accelerates to hundreds in 6.5 seconds. Subaru inferior to him 1.4 seconds, but at the same time it gives out as much childhood delight as there is no premium-class SUV in stock. However, it is one hundred thousand dollars cheaper. Given this benefit, you can not skimp on good rugs, a hatch and a flavor for an ashtray What else does a real motorist need? There is one nuance that makes the Forester driver not very hard in corners on uneven asphalt, but more on that later ...
Electronics is naughty
When the main idea of \u200b\u200bthis test has already been expressed, you can delve into details. The editors visited Forester in a top execution. With a 2.5 liter engine, a turbine, an automatic box and a steamed skin with a steering wheel. More recently, in the spring, a European test drive of this model took place (see 4x4 Club No. 52008). However, European roads are far from our realities, and off -road even more so. By tradition, we arrange a real check after coming to the Russian market.
The energy intensity of the suspension and the work of the anti -boom electronics are the most significant domestic criteria. If they are failed, there is nothing to do the crossover in our country.
The energy intensity turned out to be worthy of both bedridden and rural roads with pits and stones. Subaru passed them easily and comfortable. It is a pity, not everything is so good in terms of the algorithm of electronic assistants. With diagonal hanging, it is not enough to burn the pedal at all, enjoying the effect. We have to play with gas, and sometimes quite inventive then releasing, then pressing on an eternity. I'm afraid in deep snow this will result in an unequal battle with the elements.
Matter: Subaru Forester
 


 
Make protection yourself
Returning from the suburban route, I again plunged into the gambling dynamics that Forester gives. Elastic steering wheel, informative brakes, excellent landing is sports, but comfortable and the same nuance that I spoke about at the beginning. Trying to please everyone, Subaru dismissed the suspension and this chassis connected with a engine of 230 liters. With. In a straight line and on a good coating, this design is remarkable, and the exchange rate stability and handling are good, but it is worth it to turn on the wheels in turn, as the ass is already thrown and almost throws off the trajectory. However, the brand fans know the answer: if you want to drive a buy Impreza.
Other shortcomings were found on the lift. It turned out that there are unprotected and low-proof units that can suffer at off-road: front and rear gearboxes, engine crankcases and boxes. A regular plastic shield is exclusively from dust and dirt. Hence the recommendation: soft soils are desirable as an off-road, to move along stones and logs only in a quiet move, do not jump along the hill. For extreme, it remains to fence a tuning fence. It will reduce the road clearance, but on the turbocation the clearance is as many as 225 mm, it is not a sin to cut.
 
Subaru's geometric cross -country ability is carefully hidden by the manufacturer. Neither the corners of the entrance/congress, nor the depths of the overcame ford by Brod will unveil anything like this. By eye I can say that its geometry is approximately at the level of Mitsubishi Outlander XL. Worse than Toyot RAV4, and better than Mazda CX-7.
Everything is visible
A little about practicality. The volume of the trunk of 450 liters seems small, but let's not forget that it hides a full -fledged spare wheel. But there are enough space for passengers. How Subaru boasts, the space of 965 mm for the legs of the rear passengers is the highest value in this class of cars. Given that the framework of car classes has recently been very blurred, some exaggeration is seen in the position of Subaru.
 
The last thing you want to praise Forester for is visibility. The company's engineers specially lowered the edge of the luggage compartment so that the driver could see the child in a meter standing right behind the door. They probably forgot about parking
 
At a price of 923,600 rubles for a naked two-liter apparatus with a manual transmission and 1,303,600 rubles for a top version that has been on our test, it will be good competition in its segment. True, we recently found out that not only the engine, but more on that, another time, disappointed more than more.

Author: Dmitry Leontyev, photo Victoria Ilyinskaya
 
 
 

 

A source: Magazine 4x4 [November /2008]