2016 Subaru Forester Reviews

The Forester has definitely been a winner for Subaru in Australia. Often the brand’s best-selling model year to year, the Forester’s magic is that it blurs the line between a conventional station wagon and the now ubiquitous SUV.In that process, the Forester has built up a huge following of devoted fans who can see the logic and practicality in the overall design.For 2013, Subaru gave us the fourth-gen Forester, or SJ model as it’s known internally.The same packaging remained as before, although the SJ model was a little longer, higher and had more wheelbase than the previous gen, but the new car was only 1mm wider, maintaining its appeal to inner-city dwellers who didn’t need or want a bigger Subaru (there was the Outback for that, anyway).The range kicked off with the 2.0i and 2.0i-L which used a 2.0-litre engine with 110kW and a six-speed manual transmission. The next step up the model ladder was to the 2.5i, 2.5i-L and the 2.5i-S, all of which were fitted with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 126kW and a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT).There was also a turbo-diesel option in this generation, dubbed 2.0D, 2.0D-L and 2.0D-S, which had a bit less power at 108kW and was six-speed manual only. Finally, there was the big talking point, the XT and XT Premium, which were fitted with a 2.0-litre, 177kW turbocharged petrol engine and a CVT.That all sounds pretty complex, but what it meant was that there were basically three trim levels and four drivelines from which to choose. And either way, you got that boxy but practical wagon body, slightly jacked-up suspension and Subaru’s trademark all-wheel drive.That changed a bit for the Series 2 version of the Forester SJ, with Subaru taking the opportunity to simplify the model range and sneak an uprated turbo-diesel engine on to the market. The simplification took the form of dumping the previous base models (2.0i, 2.0D and 2.5i).The diesel upgrade came with new technology and construction for better performance and efficiency, but it remained a manual-only proposition, blunting its market appeal somewhat.Finally, a Series 3 version of the SJ Forester arrived in 2016, with a slight facelift and some subtle changes to the interior. Revised damping rates and improved steering were also part of the upgrade.

Based on our experience, the best towing vehicle is either a full-size 4x4 ute or wagon with a turbo-diesel engine and automatic transmission.

Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the 2016 Subaru Forester tS with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Bill McKinnon road tests and reviews the Subaru Forester tS with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. The performance arm adds go-fast gear and Subaru fits an odd limited edition badge. When Subaru sprinkles some go-faster goodness on its mid-size Forester SUV, the result is usually impressive because it's such a

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Subaru Forester 2.5i-S with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Craig Jamieson road tests and reviews the Subuaru Forester 2.5i-S with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Richard Blackburn road tests and reviews the Subaru Forester 2.5i-S with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Marcus Craft road tests and reviews the Subaru Forester with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.