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The Forester. Brings up visions of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood and the sheriff. Well, watch out for the sheriff when you drive this sweetheart around. It goes.
Subaru, a division of Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan, has been building all-wheel-drive vehicles for many years, the most recent addition to their line being the Forester. All Subaru cars are powered by a unique flat 4-cylinder engine. The Impreza, which is available in an Outback configuration has a 2.2 liter engine, the Legacy, which also is available as an Outback, has a 2.5 liter 165 hp engine, as does the Forester. All of these have Subaru's unique and well tested all-wheel-drive system.
At first glance the Forester is a sport utility vehicle. Or is it a sporty wagon? No matter, with its standard roof rack and a few SUV add-ons it looks like a thoroughbred off-road vehicle. Although it has the Legacy driveline, it is based on the shorter Impreza chassis, and therefore doesn’t quite have the rear seat leg room of the Legacy.
I had the opportunity to test three other sport utility vehicles in the same week that I tested the Forester, so comparisons can be made. The Mercedes ML320 was the king of the hill with an ultra smooth V-6 engine, five-speed automatic transmission, plenty of power, and that solid Mercedes feel. Fuel consumption isn’t too bad at 17/20 city/highway mpg, however you will pay about 20 percent more for the required premium gas.
The Mercury Mountaineer was plush inside, had plenty of power with the venerable Ford 302 cubic inch V-8, but for an enthusiastic driver felt big and somewhat clunky on the road. It’s fuel consumption is horrifying at 14/18 city/highway mpg. The two-wheel-drive version of the new Isuzu Rodeo (same as the Honda Passport) was fun to drive with its new twin overhead cam V-6 and standard five-speed transmission. The four-wheel drive version felt heavier and less lively. Fuel consumption was 16/19 city/highway.
Driving the Forester after driving these was a revelation. The Forester was lively and fun, with no roll over feeling on sharp turns. It’s solidity made it feel more like the Mercedes than the others. It is smaller and lighter (3,000 versus 4,000 pounds) than the others, and returns much better fuel consumption at 21/27 city/highway mpg.
Others in this smaller SUV class are the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. The Forester has more power than the Honda and is smoother and quieter than the RAV4 on the freeway. All three of these, however, are well built, likely to be long life, reliable SUVs.
The base Forester series comes with all-wheel-drive, air, fog lights, luggage rack, tilt steering wheel, power windows, dual air bags, five-speed manual transmission and of course four cup holders. All for $18,695. You can only get it in glacier white over gray, with gray cloth upholstery.
1998 Subaru Forester
The next level, the Forester L adds anti-lock brakes, bumper cover, cargo tray, power door locks, floor mats, and mudguards for a retail price of $19,995. This one you can get in black diamond pearl, acadia green, canyon red pearl, or glacier white.
The top of the line Forester S adds four wheel disc brakes, power mirrors, 16-inch alloy wheels, and cruise control, for a retail price of $22,195.
Options are extensive for all of these models. Leather upholstery is available for $1,295, a sweet shifting four-speed automatic transmission for $800, remote keyless entry with security system for $350, two premium sound packages for $795 and $995, the latter with CD changer, two outdoor packages for $669 and $879. The latter package includes a side underguard bar, a brush guard, a differential protector in case you get carried away off road, and the neatest gauge pack with a compass, an outside temperature display, altitude and barometric pressure displays.
A special filtration filter for asthma and allergy sufferers costs $85, dual power outlets $88, woodgrain trim $182, rear cargo net $41, lift-out cargo bin $115, and for dog lovers, a dog guard/compartment divider for $140. In addition to all this is a plethora of roof attachments for skis, bikes, kayaks, roof carriers, and a trailer hitch, with a maximum towing limit of 2,000 pounds, for which you must have electric trailer brakes.
Hood deflectors, a rear window dust deflector and a 12-volt igloo cooler/warmer, a car cover and a car cover bag are available. Whew, this thing is option heaven. However, when you see all of these extras on the Forester, it really looks "off-road mean," like it can climb anything.
If you want a high quality, reasonably priced, fun to drive, modestly sized SUV that will go off road or negotiate snow and ice, this could be the one.
Motoring since 1952, Austin Lynas has owned 54 cars and at one time raced mini-sedans in England. An aerospace engineer, he was instrumental in developing the anti-skid systems used in British military aircraft that preceded today’s ABS systems. Lynas can be reached by e-mail at osten@aol.com.
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