Subaru Forester 2.5i-L 2013 review

Packing the Forester for a weekend away, we brought rope to attach surfboards to the roof. We paused and looked at the boot. Could we actually travel the motorway without the irritating flap of board bags rattling overhead?

A quick flip down of the back seats and the boards slid in beautifully, giving the Subaru Forester -- an instant win. And that's one of the keys to the Forester: it makes things easier than you imagine.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

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Driving up at $35,990, the 2.5i-litre petrol comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, full size spare, Subaru Intelligent Drive system, X-mode, symmetrical AWD, privacy glass, roof rails, rear spoiler, dual zone climate control, LCD screen, wheel-mounted audio control, 12-volt power jacks, Bluetooth, cruise control, rear view reverse camera, paddle gear shift, Auto Stop Start, ESC, ABS, EBD, TCS, and TCS LSD which sounds like something you shouldn’t be given, but stands for a very legal Limited Slip Device.

TECHNOLOGY

The 2.5-litre Lineartronic CVT Forester’s horizontally-opposed boxer engine produces 126kW@5,800 rpm and 235Nm@4,100 rpm. Official fuel combined is 8.1/100km. Our drive with a fully loaded vehicle on the motorway and in the city found 10.4 litres per/100km.

Designed to suit active families, the Forester can handle plenty of baggage (of the physical kind), and can reach 0-100km/hr in 9.9 seconds. 

DESIGN

Internally there is plenty of head and legroom, ample storage, and comfortable seating. Kids and adults have plenty of room in back and a good view of the road. The boot provides 422 litres of storage with seats raised, and a massive 1481 litres seats down - in which we were able to load two surfboards, snorkeling gear, body boards, and beach bags with room to spare. 

The dash is well organised with an LCD display, and wheel-mounted audio, Bluetooth, and cruise put plenty of control at your fingertips, including Subaru’s Intelligent Drive system.  

SAFETY

Seven SRS airbags, whiplash reduction seats, and Subaru’s Vehicle Dynamics Control System that includes ESC, ABS, EBD, TCS, TCS limited slip device and Brake Assist, achieves a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

If that’s not enough reassurance, or you’re just feeling neurotic, you can get the optional Subaru EyeSight, which acts as a driver assist system, using cameras to anticipate collisions, providing pre-collision braking and lane sway warnings.

DRIVING

Symmetrical AWD will get you through most road conditions, and for tougher tracks you can engage X-Mode for increased off-road capability. Ground clearance is 220mm. McPherson strut suspension up front and double wishbone rear suspension handle well off-road, but are a bit rigid on bitumen.

The driver seat sits high, giving a clear view of the road ahead. There are a few blind spots to the rear and sides, but the rear view reverse camera will help minimise those. The Forester has a lot going for it - it’s spacious, sturdy, capable, and did we mention spacious?

For some reason we didn’t fall madly in love with it, but we couldn’t fault it either, except...for Auto Stop Start. While switching the engine off at a long light can save fuel, and we’re all for that, the Forester is way too sensitive in what it considers a suitable time to switch off.

We paused at a roundabout - the engine switched off. We paused in traffic - the engine switched off. We stopped at a stop sign - you get the picture. 

The engine cut prematurely so often, that if it were a man it would book an appointment with its GP. Yes, it took the Forester just a fraction of a second to turn back on, but we couldn’t help but get annoyed at this overly sensitive feature, and wonder how fuel efficient it really is. Unfortunately the only saving grace of Auto Stop Start, is that it can be switched off.

Despite our issues with Auto Start Stop, the Forester is a capable vehicle that handles well on a wide range of roads.

VERDICT

With on and off-road capabilities, a stylish design, and plenty of space, the Subaru Forester is great for families, and the active individual.

Subaru Forester 2.5i-L
Price: from $35,990
Warranty: 3 years
Weight: 1528kg
Engine: 2.5-litre 4-cylinder, 126kW/235Nm
Transmission: 6-speed CVT, 4WD
Thirst: 8.1L/100Km (10.4 on test), CO2 187g/km
0-100Km/h: 9.9 seconds