What's the difference?
Subaru is synonymous with bringing effective – and popular – all-wheel drive wagons to market. And its Forester has done pretty well in the past as a comfortable and capable dirt-road tourer, more than appropriately equipped to tackle low-intensity off-roading.
But has the company now tipped too far in the direction of style over substance? Has the Forester lost its way as a bona fide campsite conveyance?
Read on.
It’s exciting news that Subaru has released a hybrid version of its popular mid-size SUV, the Forester. With such a solid foundation, adding a hybrid option can only be a step forward, with the main benefits being fuel savings and lower carbon emissions.
Not all hybrids are created equal however, so it’s best to assess each car to make sure it matches your expectations.
The Forester Hybrid S costs around $3000 more than a regular Forester, and this is the top-of-the-range car, so it comes in at $45,990, before on road costs.
It’s in a category with the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V but if you’re comparing hybrids, you’ll be looking closely at the Toyota RAV4, too.
Here’s how it performed over seven days for this week’s family review.
The Forester is nice to drive, rather easy to live with and it’s not hard on the eyes. Subarus are reliably sound, which is why you see a lot of them around, on city streets, in suburbia and on plenty of gravel tracks on the way to campsites. Bonus: there are plenty of outdoors-friendly accessories available, such as kayak or bike carriers, cargo barriers and luggage pods.
While not the most exciting SUV around, the comfortable and capable Forester is supremely well-built for purpose, if your purpose is to tackle light-duty off-roading, mostly on well-maintained gravel and dirt roads.
The Subaru Forester Hybrid S is a great family car - even without the hybrid engine, you get a quality vehicle. If you’re looking for something that gives a nod to a hybrid but going electric still scares you, this could be right up your alley. Personally I would like to see more of the electric motor in use but at least Subaru's headed in the right direction.
It has a good amount of interior space, boot space and the driving acumen we’ve come to expect from Subaru. It has great safety and the technology is good for 2020.
I gave it a family rating of 7.6 out of 10, taking points off because I think you can do more with a hybrid. My children gave it an 8.0. Show them a blue car and they love it.