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July 14, 2010
    2010 Subaru Forester 2.5X PZEV. Click image to enlarge |
None of that makes the Forester unpleasant to drive; it just doesn’t make it very exciting. If you do most of your driving around town, you’ll appreciate the relaxed throttle and brake (though the brake pedal is a little spongy) responses, a nice alternative to the touchy pedals in the RAV4. The Forester’s steering is light, too, so it’s a cinch to swing around in tight parking situations. Get out on the highway and you’ll notice the tire/road and wind noise that makes it into the cabin, but it’s not awful. You could turn up the stereo, but it sounds terrible; if there wasn’t something worth listening to on the radio, I’d sooner turn it off and listen to the car.
The Forester’s small size helps in parking lots, too – it’s shorter front to back than a RAV4 and narrower, too. The downside, naturally, is less interior space than in the Toyota and many of its other competitors. It feels narrow inside and rear-seat legroom is only average, owing to the car’s tidy 2,615 mm (102.9 in) wheelbase. Legroom up front is limited by the car’s front-to-back engine and transmission arrangement, which eats into the front footwells. Headroom, though, is terrific front and back. The cargo area, though it too is on the small side for the class, is a good shape thanks to the upright tailgate. We fitted two bikes (side-by-side, seats and front wheels removed) and a third person in the back seat, with the larger half of the 60/40 split rear seat folded. The seat folds nearly flat, and without the need to flip the bottom cushion out of the way.
If the Forester sounds like it’s too small to be competitive, remember that there are practically two classes within this one segment: the Forester and models like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Ford Escape make up the smaller end of the group, while cars like the Toyota RAV4 and the might-as-well-be mid-sized Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain are among the larger of the bunch.
   2010 Subaru Forester 2.5X PZEV. Click image to enlarge |
Trim-wise, the Forester’s interior is a nice enough place to be. My tester had the grey/black two-tone interior, which is more interesting to look at than the all-black found in combination with colours other than the Camellia Red paint of my test car. All the dash surfaces are hard plastic, but that’s not uncommon in the mid-$20,000 crossover set. I’d take more padding on the centre and door armrests, which wouldn’t be kind to elbows in long-haul driving. And while the 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat in my tester was comfortable, my wife didn’t like the concave backrest of hers, which doesn’t get a lumbar adjustment like the driver’s chair does. Other ergonomic complaints include the radio’s too-small volume/tuning knobs.
Forester pricing starts at $25,995 in base 2.5X form with a manual transmission; the PZEV is positioned a step up from that, priced at $28,095. Chalk the extra cost up to the included automatic transmission, 16-inch aluminum wheels (in place of 16-inch steelies), a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and the cost of the extra emissions control items. My tester was also fitted with the Outdoor Package, a new, no-cost option for 2010 2.5X and PZEV models that bundles roof rail crossbars, a trailer hitch, cargo tray with protective mat, retractable cargo area cover and rear bumper step pad. (Subaru Canada says the Outdoor Package will soon be standard equipment and replace the 2.5X designation and a different Sport-Tech model will replace the Forester Touring.)
The Forester comes standard with winter-friendly stuff like heated seats and exterior mirrors, and as expected in this group, six airbags, stability/traction control and anti-lock brakes are all standard.
The Forester is a well-executed vehicle, and while its 2009 redesign addressed the old version’s tight interior and breadbox styling, what it needs now is an updated transmission. The 2010 Legacy/Outback use a CVT with the same engine as my Forester had, and while I prefer traditional automatics to one of those, I think even the variable transmission might help bring up-to-date a vehicle that already does most things right.
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Pricing: 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5X PZEV
Click here for options, dealer invoice prices and factory incentives
Specifications
Competitors
Crash test results
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Related posts:
- New Subaru Forester PZEV shown in Montreal
- What’s New: 2010 Subaru Forester
- Subaru Canada announces pricing for 2010 Forester
- Subaru offers new Forester Outdoor Packages
- Subaru announces prices for new PZEV models
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