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2009 Subaru Forester Performance Review

July 1, 2008

PERFORMANCE | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

handling ranks among the sportier SUVs in its class
Cars.com

XT models are by far the most fun
Popular Mechanics

why still just four speeds in the automatic?
Car and Driver

more of a carlike feel than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4
Road & Track

Most reviewers were pleased by the 2009 Subaru Forester’s light-touch handling and good acceleration with the manual transmission, but wondered why Subaru still plods along with a four-speed automatic.

Two engines are available in the Forester: a 170-horsepower four and a 224-hp version of the same 2.5-liter engine, Car and Driver notes. The base engine’s fine, they report, “but the turbo makes highway driving much more fun and merging into traffic less dramatic.” Popular Mechanics notes the turbo engine is the “very same motor Subaru installs in the high-performance [Subaru Impreza] WRX sedan and five-door hot rods.”

With the base engine comes a choice of a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. That automatic brought out objections across the board, from enthusiast magazines and consumer car sites alike. “Why still just four speeds in the automatic?” Car and Driver asks. It’s “a bit outdated” in a day of seven-speed automatic, Popular Mechanics agrees. The manual transmission has more fans: “the clutch has a light touch and long take-up,” Cars.com says.

In terms of fuel economy, the base version rates 20/26 mpg, while the turbo XT models turn in 19/24 mpg, the EPA’s fuel economy Web site confirms.

The 2009 Subaru Forester’s grippy handling earns its due from car-magazine testers and consumer reviewers alike, and its standard all-wheel drive makes the difference. Road & Track thinks it has “more of a carlike feel than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.” Motor Trend gets a little more poetic when it says the 2009 Subaru Forester “wafts you along like a glass of expensive champagne on butler-carried tray.” Cars.com chimes in with appreciation for how its “all-wheel-drive system delivers unflappable grip accelerating out of a turn.”

Conclusion

The 2009 Subaru Forester handles more like a car than the competition--but its automatic transmission could use an extra gear or two.

PERFORMANCE | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:handling ranks among the sportier SUVs in its classCars.comXT models are by far the most funPopular Mechanicswhy still just four speeds in the automatic?Car and Drivermore of a carlike feel than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4Road & Track Most reviewers were pleased by the 2009 Subaru Forester’s light-touch handling and good acceleration with the manual transmission, but wondered why Subaru still plods along with a four-speed automatic. Two engines are available in the Forester: a 170-horsepower four and a 224-hp version of the same 2.5-liter engine, Car and Driver notes. The base engine’s fine, they report, “but the turbo makes highway driving much more fun and merging into traffic less dramatic.” Popular Mechanics notes the turbo engine is the “very same motor Subaru installs in the high-performance [Subaru Impreza] WRX sedan and five-door hot rods.” With the base engine comes a choice of a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. That automatic brought out objections across the board, from enthusiast magazines and consumer car sites alike. “Why still just four speeds in the automatic?” Car and Driver asks. It’s “a bit outdated” in a day of seven-speed automatic, Popular Mechanics agrees. The manual transmission has more fans: “the clutch has a light touch and long take-up,” Cars.com says. In terms of fuel economy, the base version rates 20/26 mpg, while the turbo XT models turn in 19/24 mpg, the EPA’s fuel economy Web site confirms. The 2009 Subaru Forester’s grippy handling earns its due from car-magazine testers and consumer reviewers alike, and its standard all-wheel drive makes the difference. Road & Track thinks it has “more of a carlike feel than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.” Motor Trend gets a little more poetic when it says the 2009 Subaru Forester “wafts you along like a glass of expensive champagne on butler-carried tray.” Cars.com chimes in with appreciation for how its “all-wheel-drive system delivers unflappable grip accelerating out of a turn.” ConclusionThe 2009 Subaru Forester handles more like a car than the competition--but its automatic transmission could use an extra gear or two. 2009 SUBARU FORESTER STYLING | 7 out of 10 Cars.com: “boxy charm has been toned down” Automobile: “goes from mutant station wagon to mainstream compact crossover” Edmunds.com: “won't do much to tickle your excitement meter” Popular Mechanics: “most handsome and stylish ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The 2009 Dodge Journey crossover is in its first model year, and in its base form sports plenty of room, though its powertrain and interior quality leave much to be desired. Saturn’s Vue was new in 2008 and is the handsomest crossover in this group, and offers a big V-6 for plenty of power. Honda’s CR-V is the class leader in sales but was updated with a controversial front end recently. Toyota’s RAV4 is the only vehicle in this group to offer a third-row seat; it also can be ordered with a V-6 engine.

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See the Subaru Forester in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998

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