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Yays:
- Excellent interior space – leg-room and storage
- Standard All-Wheel Drive
- Good MPG – 21 city, 27 hwy (25.5 mpg observed)
- Integrated GPS, stereo, and Bluetooth
- Extra large moonroof
Nays:
- Minimalist center console
- Cheap plastic interior and poor panel alignment
- Uninspired vehicle design
- Uncomfortable rear seating
Verdict: Not fancy or overly stylish, but it is rugged, reliable and versatile for many occasions
The Subaru Forester is one of Subaru’s best selling vehicles — a five-passenger mid-sized SUV that offers impressive interior and cargo space, good fuel economy, and standard AWD — making it a strong contender for active SUV shoppers and outdoor enthusiasts who are on a budget. Subaru is well known for building very practical cars, minimizing all the frills to give you an economical car that gets the job done. Period. As with its previous iterations, the current Subaru Forester is still a strong entry in the constantly growing mid-sized SUV segment and is comparable to its best-selling competitors from Honda and Toyota.
Driving Impressions
New for 2011 is a 2.5L engine with better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. Power, 170 horsepower, is the same as before, with maximum horsepower being attained at a slightly lower rpm; torque is up to 174 lb.-ft. at 4,100 rpm (vs. 170 @ 4,400 rpm). Fuel economy has also improved with the new engine getting 21 mpg city / 27 mpg highway.
Subaru has kept its popular two engine choices: our 2.5X model came with a 2.5L DOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve horizontally opposed Subaru Boxer© engine capable of 170 horsepower and 174 lbs.-ft. of torque. Moving up to the 2.5 XT model gets you a 2.5L turbocharged engine which has 30% more power compared to the non-turbo engine. For our 2.5X test vehicle, we found the automatic shifting a bit rough and unrefined at times, which led to some jerky accelerations. For those need-to-go-fast accelerations, beware, the Forester plodded along at its own tempo. Even the sport-model manual shifter did little to negate the Forester’s lack of vigor. But once at speed, the drive was smooth and quiet.
All Forester models come standard with symmetrical AWD, which is fully active and provides power to all four wheels simultaneously. Sadly, I wasn’t able to utilize the Forester’s ability to perform in unfavorable conditions. When tackling the twisty roads, the Forester tracked well and maneuvered with confidence through the corners. It was not so good at moving up steep inclines with its small engine, but once back into its comfort-zone on rolling to flat terrain, the Forester merrily moved along.
The Forester epitomizes the crossover vehicle class. We liked the Forester’s car-like driving character as opposed to piloting a big, clumsy SUV. The driver still gets a nice view of the road and good all-around visibility. In addition, the Forester has excellent ground clearance — a plus for those who often drive off the beaten path.
Build & Styling
The 2011 Forester, which was an all-new, third-generation model for 2009, doesn’t have any new exterior styling changes for 2011. The 2009 Forester brought a bolder, more SUV-like design and made a major leap in safety technology, comfort, refinement and driving dynamics. For 2011, standard features include a new audio system for the 2.5X Premium and 2.5XT Premium and a backup camera as part of the new audio system if you move up to the 2.5X/2.5XT Touring.
Subaru is good about outfitting the Forester with a host of safety features, including a full complement of front and side air bags, ABS brakes, electronic stability and traction controls, and the aforementioned symmetrical AWD. The Forester generally scores really well on safety and is a “2011 top safety pick” by the IIHS.
Interior Comfort and Ergonomics:
Subaru has a good grasp on both passenger comfort and utility with the third generation Forester. There is ample cargo space and utility, along with comfortable settings for the passengers. Two bikes and traveling gear can be easily packed into the car with the rear seats folded and still have enough space to bring home more goodies.
Cabin quality was similar to the competition with lots of robust plastic panels and rugged cloth upholstery. Aesthetically, it’s hard to get over the cheap plastic feel of the interior and in some areas the plastic pieces were not well aligned. The upholstery was comfortable, but bland.
Of particular note, the integrated TomTom GPS/Stereo/Bluetooth system was a stand-out feature. The optional TomTom Navigation System has a removable 4.3-inch touch screen which can be used as a portable navigation device. The touch-screen was intuitive to operate, easy to switch between the GPS and radio, and presetting the radio or finding a destination was a breeze.
Bluetooth is now standard on all except the base Forester. Our experience with the Bluetooth was a little finicky and had issues picking up my phone. And the call sound quality was poor on both ends of the line. I found myself yelling at the caller just so I could be heard on the other side. That was really the only draw back of an otherwise well incorporated set of features
For the driver’s comfort, the 10-way adjustable power seat came with with a lot of space fore and aft. The front seat passenger has a seat with manual seat adjusters. Overall, the seating area was comfortable with lots of legs room for our testers on trips short or long.
At the other end of the spectrum, the backseat comfort was dismal. The seats were very rigid and upright. The headrests were like Roman pillars which are probably great for neck support in the event of an accident, but are pathetic for passenger comfort. There is no way anyone can fall asleep in the back seat in this car on long trips since there’s no way to settle into a comfortable position. Incredibly, airplane seats are more comfortable for resting than the Forester. I was extremely disappointed.
| Cargo Volume Compared | Behind 1st Row | Behind 2nd Row |
| 2011 Subaru Forester | 68.3 ft3 | 34.0 ft3 |
| 2011 Honda CR-V | 72.9 ft3 | 35.7 ft3 |
| 2011 Toyota RAV4 | 73.0 ft3 | 36.4 ft3 |
| 2011 Kia Sportage | 56.4 ft3 | 26.1 ft3 |
| 2011 GMC Terrain | 63.9 ft3 | 31.6 ft3 |
| 2011 Hyundai Tucson | 55.8 ft3 | 25.7 ft3 |
Value
For a car that’s under $30k, has good standard features, has Subaru’s excellent long-term reliability, all things considered, this car is a good deal. The Premium model comes with a navigation system, AM/FM radio, single CD hidden behind the navigation system screen, iPod/USB ports, Bluetooth is standard in all Foresters (except the base 2.5X), cruise control, power locks and doors, heated seats, panoramic moonroof, safety and airbags everywher. Even upping to the more upscale versions are still under $30k. It’s a no brainer – a great value at many trim levels that is a great functional and spacious utility SUV.
Sensible Value and Utility
Admittedly, I was pretty skeptical when given the opportunity to test drive the Subaru Forester. With some consumer reviewers dubbing it, “the best rental car they ever had,” I will admit to being a little less thrilled about the whole endeavor. Happily, the Forester left a good impression with its spry handling, ample cargo space and utility being top-notch compared to other cars in its class.
An obvious plus is all models come standard with all-wheel drive. And while the Forester isn’t meant to conquer serious off-road trails, its AWD and excellent ground clearance allow it to tackle nasty weather conditions with ease. The good fuel economy of this 4-cylinder engine, decent driving dynamics, and generous interior space put the Forester above par with vehicles in its class. It’s worth a test drive and a place on your consideration list.
| BUILD | INTERIOR | PERFORMANCE | HANDLING | STYLING | VALUE | OVERALL | |
| RATING | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.9/B- |
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A Green Machine?
Looking at the rear end, the Subaru Forester has the PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) badge prominently displayed on its tailgate. I had no clue what this meant, but through some quick research discovered that car companies are encouraged to produce vehicles with no direct air pollution emissions. Governmental agencies (like the California Air Resources Board) set and enforce emission standards for motor vehicles and rate cars according to their emission of smog-forming pollutants. The higher rated the car, the more green the car. For example, in California, the PZEV rating tells people that the Subaru Forester satisfies the standard for qualifying as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) plus has near zero evaporative emissions and has a 15-year/150,000-mile warranty on its emission control equipment. Meaning that Subaru guarantees for this 15-year/150,000 mile time frame, the Forester will have the same amount of emission as the day it was purchased. Why care? One can come up with many reasons, like helping save our planet from green-house gases, and such, but buyers can also qualify for incentives offered by local, state and federal agencies that provide benefits to car buyers purchasing clean vehicles.
