Posts Tagged ‘Forester’

2011 Subaru Forester Touring

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Review and photos by
Jil McIntosh, Autos.ca

Every now and again, I end up in a vehicle that really doesn’t stand up and holler to me in any regard, and yet, the entire package turns out to be a genuinely nice vehicle that I’m actually sorry to have to return to the company. That turned out to be the case with the 2011 Subaru Forester.

2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring

2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring

I’ve always been keen on this practical-sized SUV, and for 2011, Subaru has made a few important changes, including an all-new engine, gently-revised styling, and on my Touring trim line tester, new wheels and upgraded audio system. Pricing starts at $25,995 for the 2.5X with five-speed manual transmission, and tops out with the naturally-aspirated 2.5X Limited at $32,995, and a turbocharged 2.5XT Limited at $34,595. My tester, the 2.5X Touring with four-speed automatic transmission, was tagged at $29,795.

The new engine is the naturally-aspirated one, found in all but the turbocharged 2.5XT Limited trim line. The 2.5-litre horizontally-opposed four-cylinder has the same displacement as the powerplant used in the 2010 model, and Subaru says it’s the first complete engine redesign in 21 years, following the second-generation boxer engine introduced in the first Legacy models in 1989. (more…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Gallery, Reviews | No Comments »

2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, Autos.ca

In the compact crossover set, the manual transmission plays hard to get. Many of the big names, like the CR-V, RAV4, Rogue and CX-7, come only with automatics. The ones that can be bought with a stick, such as the Tucson, Sportage and Ford Escape, force compromises on the buyers, such as limiting the availability of a manual transmission to models with front-wheel drive, in a class where many shoppers place a high priority on all-wheelers.

2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring

2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring

This is where the Subaru Forester is a unique choice among its compact crossover competitors: it comes standard with all-wheel drive (naturally) and can be fitted with a manual gearbox: gearheads rejoice!

The Forester, of course, is also unique in its competitive set for Subaru’s dedication to horizontally-opposed (or boxer) engines, and for 2011, the Forester gets a new version of the company’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder. The changes aren’t revolutionary. The only mechanical update that might interest the casual consumer is a move to a chain-driven twin-cam valvetrain, in place of last year’s belt-driven single-cam set-up, a change that eliminates the need to replace a timing belt every 100,000 km or so. (more…)

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Gallery, Reviews | No Comments »

2003-2008 Subaru Forester

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

By Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

Finding that one ‘do-it-all’ car is tough. Pick a fun car, and it’ll have a tiny back seat and no trunk, while a more practical choice may offer no driving satisfaction whatsoever.

2003 Subaru Forester

2003 Subaru Forester

Introduced in 1998, the Subaru Forester was never particularly athletic, but its Impreza-based underpinnings made it at least competent. Subaru gave the Forester a facelift in 2003, but there would be nothing new under the hood until 2004. That’s when this Subie got a turbocharged version of the company’s 2.5-litre boxer four-cylinder motor in the XT model. Finally, here was a practical small ‘ute that was also a blast to drive.

The redesigned ‘03 Forester kept its tall roofline, but like earlier models, its relatively low ground clearance and seating position kept the centre of gravity low and handling responsive without too much body roll in corners. (more…)

Tags: , ,
Posted in Gallery, Used Cars | Comments Off