2007 Subaru Forester

Welcome to the Driving Range with Dave Jordan - Your Auto Guide to the South Shore of Nova Scotia. All you need to know about Nova Scotia's South Shore Auto scene.

This week, Dave Jordan checks out the 2007 Subaru Forester:

With Atlantic Canada in the full throes of winter and drivers cautiously travelling our roadways, it's nice to know that, if you own a Subaru, you have an added measure of security via their exceptional symmetrical full-time all-wheel-drive system. Basically the "symmetry" is attained by aligning all drivetrain components close to the centre point of the vehicle, resulting in heightened stability and better weight distribution than many other AWD layouts. Additionally, the horizontally opposed boxer engine sits low in the engine compartment, providing a lower centre of gravity, benefiting handling and stability. The subject of this week's test, Subaru's Forester, is equipped with this finely honed AWD system that shares its DNA with Subaru's FIA World Rally Championship car. All Subarus come standard with this excellent AWD system, setting this manufacturer apart from its competitors who offer only a small number of models with propulsion directed to all four wheels. Thanks to O'Regan's Subaru for the opportunity to drive a Forester 2.5X with the Columbia trim package.

Subaru markets the Forester as a small SUV, and it certainly has the look of one; I liken it more to a car when it comes to driving dynamics and comfort. Cruising along in my Newport Blue Forester, I was surrounded by a sporty looking, well-laid-out interior. The prominent medium grey metallic centre console is logically designed with all controls easy to decipher and operate. The adjustable driver's seat, which has very good lateral support, a usable headrest and a nice firm heated cushion, feels just right and, coupled with the thickly padded three-spoke tilt wheel, allows for quite a comfortable, toasty warm driving position. If you want to let a little sunshine in, the massive glass moonroof can be opened clear to the back of the rear seats. Interior colours and textures are well chosen and first rate with fit and finish on the higher end of the scale. The high roof design will suit those of above-average height with rear leg and shoulder room plentiful as well. The utility quotient is quite high in this Subaru, with 869 litres of cargo space under normal conditions and a cavernous 1,629 litres with both components of the 60/40 rear seats folded. There's a useful under-floor storage compartment back there as well.

My Forester had a four-speed automatic mated to the normally aspirated SOHC 2.5-litre engine. This gearbox shifts seamlessly and makes good use of the engine's 173 HP and 166 lb. ft. of torque. Even more power is available with the 2.5L DOHC turbocharged four-cylinder that pumps out an impressive 224 HP and 226 lb. ft. of torque. You have to purchase the higher-end Forester 2.5 XT version to experience this more potent engine, however. Subaru's automatic transmission has an electronically controlled multi-plate transfer (MPT) clutch that monitors wheel rotation speed to optimize traction and vehicle control. In most driving conditions, the MPT splits torque 60/40 (front/rear) for more predictable handling. In poor driving conditions or under hard acceleration, the MPT clutch can vary the torque split-up to 50/50 for maximum traction and stability. The MPT feature is unique to the automatic transmission, where the available five-speed manual makes do with a constant 50/50 balance of power. Additionally, all manual-transmission-equipped vehicles get the nifty Hill Holder system that prevents your Subaru from rolling backwards when advancing after stopping on an incline. Handling of the twisty bits is commendable in this tallish vehicle, with suspension damping and rebound exceptionally well calibrated. Any way you slice it, having traction at all four wheels all of the time enhances stability, safety and control.

The exterior of the Forester is little changed in general design from the original version of the model. Modest adjustments have been the name of the game here, with subtle modifications to front and rear fascias and better integration of the fenders and wheel arches being the most notable improvements over the previous generation's look. Even though the Forester is SUV-like in appearance, viewing it beside the Legacy Outback wagon, you'll notice their overall height is almost identical. The Forester on its own, however, appears to be a much taller vehicle. Such is the deception designers and engineers can create.

As you would expect, safety is paramount in the design features of all Subarus, with their AWD system a testament to that philosophy. Four-wheel discs with four-channel ABS and EBD come standard on all models, as do dual front and side airbags. Passive safety is enhanced by a ring-shaped reinforcement cage that envelops the entire passenger cabin to dissipate impact energy regardless of the direction from which it originates. This 360-degree barrier has made the Forester the only compact SUV to earn the highest possible rating in three different crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

AWD vehicles don't come cheap, but you can get yourself into a base Forester with the aforementioned safety features plus AC, cruise, heated outside power mirrors, fog lights, roof racks and more for just under $27,000. My Columbia edition had all of the above plus heated seats, a moonroof, mud guards, aluminum wheels, cargo area protective rubber mat and tonneau cover for an additional two grand. Prices go up from there right to the full-zoot XT, which comes with leather, auto climate control, power seats, a better sound system (SIRIUS satellite pre-wired), larger aluminum wheels and Xenon headlights, to name but a few additional goodies. This can all be yours for around $37,800.

Car and Driver has voted the Forester their Best Small SUV for the past three years running — an impressive achievement considering the competition. If you want the ultimate in all-wheel safety and a decent all-around versatile ride, the Forester might be for you. Winter be damned!

Dave's Auto Archive – "SUBARU" is a Japanese word meaning "unite," as well as a term identifying a cluster of six stars, which the Greeks called the Pleiades. In 1953, five Japanese companies merged to form Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. The new corporation adopted the "Subaru" cluster of stars as the official logo for its line of automobiles.