The All-New Subaru Forester Is True To Form: Comfy, Tough & Reliable

By Jeremy Taylor & Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby

1 day ago

Loved by horsey-types, a sixth-generation hybrid SUV has just galloped onto the market

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more

The All-New Subaru Forester Is True To Form: Comfy, Tough & Reliable

The Subaru Forester was arguably one of the first estates with proper off-road ability. Motoring editor Jeremy Taylor and Jessica-Talbot Ponsonby drive a dependable load-lugger.

Car Review: All-New Subaru Forester

JT-P — Name that tune: ‘You go out at night, eatin’ cars, you eat Cadillacs, Lincolns too, Mercurys and Subaru’.

JT — That’ll be Blondie classic ‘Rapture’, later covered by Erasure and Alicia Keys – but not as well, in my opinion. A brilliant example of how to shoehorn a tricky word like ‘Subaru’ into a lyric though.

Wasn’t the first Forester a bit of a statement car back in 1997 – the year Tony Blair became PM?

Well, according to Labour’s anthem at the time, things could only get better. However, while the Forester was exceptionally cool 28 years ago, the latest model is lacking some of that pizzazz.

The funky old original had a tall stance and a unique style of its own. The latest is, well, fairly unremarkable to the eye. Still, it does everything you might expect of a Subaru: go-anywhere ability, tons of load space and permanent all-wheel drive.

I think that’s the point. Most rivals, like the Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson, are offered in two-wheel drive form, too, satisfying folk who would never consider driving across a field but still want the rufty-tufty image of a 4×4. That inevitably waters down the image, while the Forester is a proper workhorse.

Good job, because it’s sluggish on tarmac. The Forester uses a 2.0-litre petrol unit mated to a mild-hybrid system. That helps economy and emissions but takes over 12 seconds to reach 60 mph. It’s not a plug-in hybrid either, and anyone planning to tow a horse box (towing capacity 1,870 kg) will give the engine a proper work out.

At least the automatic gearbox is smooth; it won’t yelp loudly when you hit the accelerator. Various safety systems have been added – some more annoying than others – with nip and tuck sculpting to both the front and rear ends, too.

And it still feels comfy, tough and reliable. In true Subaru fashion, a Forester also boasts a no-nonsense approach to getting things done – unlike the ostentatious Land Rover Defender, with all its accessorised bling.

Prices start from £39,995, which includes handy off-road feature Hill Descent Control, surround cameras and wireless phone charging. Pricier versions are available but the entry-level Limited version is a best buy.

And remember – a Subaru is for life! Well, quite often it is because owners are a particular type of person. Low-key, outdoorsy types who are no longer bothered about make a fashion statement.