Subaru Forester

Our verdict

Apart from the fact there’s no diesel (yet), the Subaru Forester is very fit for purpose. Much nicer to drive than the usual soft-roader crowd, and the distinctly low-key styling means it’s unlikely to get the anti-4x4s frothing at the mouth.

Comfort

The ride's nice and smooth and the flat-four purrs softly unless you're really wringing it out. We also like the ample space, the good view out, and the split-reclining rear seat.

Performance

Here's the rub. The Forester's 2.0-litre petrol engine sounds great and revs sweetly, but simply doesn't have the guts to let you make much use of the fine handling. It lacks torque. We can't imagine how it'd struggle if towing a heavy trailer. Oh and avoid at all costs the awful four-speed autobox option.

Cool

Soft-roaders aren't cool, but because of its sincerity and the fact it invented the genre, we'll cut this one a little slack.

Quality

It will never break. But the interior doesn't feel very premium at all. There are too many hard plastics and mis-matched colours and grains.

Handling

Far better than the SUV norm. You can enjoy lots of reassuring traction out of tight slippery bends, and good balance through the faster ones. There's some body roll but it doesn't upset the applecart.

Practicality

It's space-efficient and has a biggish, boxy boot. The rear suspension is self-levelling so you can carry heavy cargo without mucking up the road manners. It'll go anywhere and comes with a proper low-ratio transfer box for towing out of a tight spot. It gets heated seats and windscreen as standard. This is a well thought-out package.

Running costs

Because it's petrol-only you'll be shelling out on fuel and CO2-related tax if it's a company car. But otherwise, no great financial worries.