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2009 Subaru Forester Quality Review

July 1, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

not as quiet as a Honda CR-V
Cars.com

a vehicle so versatile it's just sick
Jalopnik

rear seat has far more legroom
Edmunds.com

much quieter inside
Road & Track

If you like silver plastic, your day has come
Cars.com

The 2009 Subaru Forester has a tighter, more expensive feel and more usable interior room than before, according to road tests from around the Web.

Cars.com points out the upgraded finishes in the cabin, calling the interior quality “good, if occasionally inconsistent...If you like silver plastic, your day has come.” But they complain about the “large floor hump [that] crowds foot room,” while “the CR-V and RAV4 have virtually flat floors.”

When it comes to interior room, the Forester’s been stretched in a pleasing direction. “Front-seat passengers enjoy plenty of leg- and headroom,” Edmunds.com reports, while “the rear seat has far more legroom as well, and the doors open to nearly 75 degrees.” Popular Mechanics disagrees with that number, saying that “the rear doors finally open a full 90 degrees.” They also point out that a redesigned rear suspension “allows for a flatter cargo area” that can haul 4,590 granola bars--something TheCarConnection.com’s editors witnessed in person at a recent press event. “A side benefit from that new rear suspension is a smoother, more controlled ride,” Car and Driver adds.

One of the least obvious details brings the biggest benefits. The 2009 Subaru Forester’s side windows have been, until now, frameless. Road & Track observes that the 2009 Subaru Forester is “much quieter inside, thanks in part to door windows that now have their own outer frames.” Cars.com says, “It's not as quiet as a Honda CR-V, but it's a distinct improvement over the previous Forester,” while Automobile agrees that “the car seems a lot quieter on the freeway.”

Conclusion

More refined and less noisy at speed, the 2009 Subaru Forester’s also added a lot of useful space in the rear seat and the cargo area.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:not as quiet as a Honda CR-VCars.coma vehicle so versatile it's just sickJalopnikrear seat has far more legroomEdmunds.commuch quieter insideRoad & TrackIf you like silver plastic, your day has comeCars.com The 2009 Subaru Forester has a tighter, more expensive feel and more usable interior room than before, according to road tests from around the Web. Cars.com points out the upgraded finishes in the cabin, calling the interior quality “good, if occasionally inconsistent...If you like silver plastic, your day has come.” But they complain about the “large floor hump [that] crowds foot room,” while “the CR-V and RAV4 have virtually flat floors.” When it comes to interior room, the Forester’s been stretched in a pleasing direction. “Front-seat passengers enjoy plenty of leg- and headroom,” Edmunds.com reports, while “the rear seat has far more legroom as well, and the doors open to nearly 75 degrees.” Popular Mechanics disagrees with that number, saying that “the rear doors finally open a full 90 degrees.” They also point out that a redesigned rear suspension “allows for a flatter cargo area” that can haul 4,590 granola bars--something TheCarConnection.com’s editors witnessed in person at a recent press event. “A side benefit from that new rear suspension is a smoother, more controlled ride,” Car and Driver adds. One of the least obvious details brings the biggest benefits. The 2009 Subaru Forester’s side windows have been, until now, frameless. Road & Track observes that the 2009 Subaru Forester is “much quieter inside, thanks in part to door windows that now have their own outer frames.” Cars.com says, “It's not as quiet as a Honda CR-V, but it's a distinct improvement over the previous Forester,” while Automobile agrees that “the car seems a lot quieter on the freeway.” ConclusionMore refined and less noisy at speed, the 2009 Subaru Forester’s also added a lot of useful space in the rear seat and the cargo area. 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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