Hatfield Subaru

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Driving Impressions

If you're thinking of entering the Baja 1000 in the unmodified crossover class, a Subaru Forester would be the way to go (but don't stop at any Way Points). We spent half a day driving over steep and rutted dirt roads on Catalina Island, and the Forester was dazzling in its sure-footedness and comfortable ride, never once whimpering in the face of abuse. It's a good combination: the new suspension that isn't exactly firm but includes more travel to the shocks, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and good all-season Yokohama tires with the 17-inch wheels. We had a similar drive in the Volvo XC70 Cross Country last year, and the Forester wins, if only on account of the tires.

The stability control is programmed to allow the tires to spin a bit, under acceleration, so the throttle won't cut out on dirt roads. We tackled an awe-inspiring steep rutty hill, foot to the floor to climb the final 100 yards, and the Forester made it. A Honda CRV was there for comparison, and it couldn't come close.

There's a huge difference in torque between the two available engines, especially felt on the freeway, where the 2.5X works to keep up, despite the fact that the normally aspirated SOHC engine has been refined to deliver more low and mid-range torque than before. Now it's 170 pound-feet at 4400 rpm. The four-speed automatic transmission and the 170-horsepower 2.5X is a weak combination; running with the flow of traffic into LA on an extremely slight upgrade, ours needed to frequently kick down. It kicked down a lot in other places, too, including offroad on Catalina. A five-speed automatic transmission seems called for. Or a five-speed manual.

The turbo delivers 226 pound-feet at 2800 rpm and 224 horsepower.

The five-speed manual shifter feels soft, has a longish throw, and raises the NVH level in the cabin, but we'd still choose it over the automatic with the non-turbocharged engine. A nice touch on models with the standard five-speed manual transmission is Incline Start Assist, an upgrade for 2009 over what was previously called Hill Holder. If the car is stopped on a hill, when you pull out in first gear, the brake stays applied for one second after you take your foot off the pedal, allowing time to accelerate smoothly.

The Forester is rated to tow 2400 pounds. Maybe so, but it will struggle without the boost of the turbo, whose torque comes lower and lasts longer.

The Forester engine is mounted 0.4 inch lower for 2009, and every fraction counts toward lowering the center of gravity. Because the engine is designed for safety to be pushed back under the car in a head-on crash, this four-tenths of an inch counts more.

The new rear suspension does a good job. It allows a rear frame height to be the same as a sedan, but ground clearance is unaffected. Driving behind a Forester, you can see it working away under there, like the knees of a mogul skier. The highway ride is comfortable, with no harsh spots.

The rack-and-pinion steering in the XT has been upgraded to provide an even tighter steering radius, always good for parking and maneuvering. But the Forester isn't about cornering; here, the suspension feels its softness, and compromises for comfort. But, curiously, not offroad.

The double wishbone with subframe design was taken from the WRX, and the basic engine too, but if you want a sporty WRX influence in your Subaru CUV, you have to look at the Outback or Legacy. That's because the XT uses the four-speed automatic too. It's not saddled with the kickdowns of the 2.5X, and the shifts are sharp and smooth, but the SportShift mode that allegedly allows manual shifts only allows some of them.

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