Subaru Forester (US) review

With either the hybrid or the standard Forester, the Subaru’s on-road behavior is civil and dutiful. Sure, 180hp coming out of its 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine doesn’t exactly sound like much, but it’s completely serviceable for what it’s meant to do.

It’s only when you attempt to treat it like its sporty brethren where it disappoints. There are and have been fun Subarus to drive, this just isn’t one of them. That independent suspension and boxy power unit is meant to facilitate efficiency and utility on and off the road. The CVT should’ve been enough of a tip-off, but we digress.

How efficient is it, anyhow?

It varies, even though they’re all mostly set up the same, with the hybrid being the obvious exception. That one nets 35mpg combined while the standard Forester scores 29mpg. The Sport trim will get you 28mpg and the Wilderness 26mpg, which you can chalk up to mainly the differences between wheel size and tires.

Can it off-road?

With the exception of the BRZ, it’s expected to have some capabilities beyond the beaten path by virtue of it being a Subaru. So yes, it very much can.

The symmetrical all-wheel drive is there to make sure the Forester doesn’t put a foot wrong and it’s actually been revised for this model to be quicker with its center diff lock-up and reduce wheel spin on slippery surfaces. Standard Foresters have 8.7 inches of ground clearance, with the Wilderness upping that to 9.3.

Off-road drive program X-Mode will be the brains behind the operation, ensuring the Subaru delivers power to the ground optimally. Toss in standard hill descent assist and you’ve got a rough-and-tumble adventure-ready SUV, though hopefully without too much ‘tumble’.