What's the difference?
The world was ready for an Aston Martin SUV. Yes, by the time the Aston Martin DBX debuted Bentley had given birth to the Bentayga, Lamborghini had sired the Urus and even Rolls Royce had realised its Cullinan.
Still, the arrival of another ‘super SUV’ is always a bit exciting. Would it be a true Aston Martin, how would it compare to its rivals and is it even a good SUV?
Well, that's what I wanted to know about Aston Martin's DBX anyway, and I found out, along with everything else you should know: from its performance to practicality in this review.
The sixth-generation of Subaru’s Forester has landed and while the new hybrid versions constitute the biggest news of this batch, the petrol-only variants should not be ignored.
The five-seat mid-size SUV has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder 'boxer' engine, Subaru’s well-regarded 'symmetrical all-wheel drive' system and some new changes inside and out.
So, does the top-spec Touring offer the best value-for-money in the petrol Forester line-up?
Read on.
As with all Aston Martins the DBX is a seriously beautiful car with that high-end exotic but restrained exterior styling for which the brand is known. As with all Astons, too, the busy interior design may put some minimalism fans off and those high-placed shifting buttons pose a functionality problem.
As an SUV the DBX is spacious and practical. You could use this daily as a family car. I did and found it easy to adapt to.
The driving experience left me disappointed. I didn’t feel the same close connection with the DBX while driving that I have had with other super SUVs, such as the Lamborghini Urus and more affordable models offered by Porsche and Mercedes-AMG.
But then, you see those other cars everywhere, unlike the DBX which is a rare and beautiful creature, despite the flaws.
The MY26 Subaru Forester packs plenty of punch in terms of standard features, a roomy and functional interior and overall driveability. Sure, it’s not the most exciting vehicle to drive on- or off-road but to get stuck on that is to miss the point entirely. This is a decent all-rounder with a solid background and an AWD system that long ago set the gold standard for vehicles of this type.
In a tough mid-size SUV market segment aimed more at those intent on driving through car parks rather than adventuring through national parks, the Forester offers greater versatility than most and should not be ignored.