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While not ugly, the Forester's boxy shape is a case of "form follows function."
(Photo by Neil Dunlop)
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The Forester's large greenhouse and boxy shape make for a roomy, airy cabin. We also like the earthy tones of its quality interior materials.
(Photo by Neil Dunlop)
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The Forester's cargo area is a delight with a huge opening, good tie-downs, a 12-volt powerpoint, rubber tray and low liftover height.
(Photo by Neil Dunlop)
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Road Test: Follow-Up Test
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Follow-Up Test: 2002 Subaru Forester S
Something Sweet for Your Yogurt
By
Neil Dunlop
Date posted: 04-03-2002
If the Subaru Outback has an L.L. Bean Edition, there should be a Birkenstock
edition of the Forester.
We recently tested a 2002 Subaru Forester S in the Pacific Northwest and noticed
a distinctive clientele seemed to be attracted to the Forester. Though our method
could hardly be called scientific, we based our conclusions on what we saw on
the roof racks of both Subarus. The Outback seemed to have more downhill skis,
snowboards and mountain bikes, while we observed more Foresters carrying cross-country
skis, kayaks and touring bicycles.
Had we delved deeper, we might have found that Outback owners read Explore
magazine and Forester owners read Mother Jones.
It only makes sense that the Forester should attract a more earthy buyer than
its more dashing stable mate. It always seemed odd that Subaru sold two models
that were so similar in size, performance and price, but now it makes sense. The
automaker identified two distinct buyers in the compact SUV market — the
flashy sportsperson and the levelheaded outdoorsy type — and created a vehicle
for each.
OK, we know we're generalizing here, but the Forester makes sense if you're looking
for sensible, effective, dependable, safe transportation with some luxury features
but don't care much about looks.
The Forester's boxy shape is decidedly frumpy next to the sleeker, sportier Outback.
It's a case of form following function. That is, the Forester's boxy shape is
a result of its spacious, airy cabin. You couldn't have the Forester's great visibility
and abundance of headroom, legroom and shoulder room without its large greenhouse.
The shape also allows for an ample cargo space with four good tie-downs; a pair
of deep, recessed storage bins; a 12-volt powerpoint; and a full-size spare hidden
in the floor. (While we're on the subject, we also like the rubber cargo tray,
the way the rear hatch lifts well out of the way and the low lift-over height.)
The generous cabin space also provides room for numerous storage bins and cubbies
that might not fit in a sleeker design. There are 11 storage bins in the front
alone, some are flock-lined and five have latched lids.
The Forester is a pleasant place to be due to its sturdy and user-friendly switchgear.
We find the climate control system easy to operate, but we don't like the fact
that it's blocked when the front cupholder is in use. We do like the earthy beige
and brown tones and the quality of the interior materials — they add to our
image of the Forester as a more yogurt than eggs benedict vehicle.
But even the practical crowd likes some berries in its yogurt. And the Forester's
got lots of standard sweets, such as dual front airbags; power locks, windows
and mirrors; cruise control; air conditioning; and an outside digital thermometer.
We tested the Forester S model, which adds even more goodies, including a limited-slip
rear differential, four-wheel disc brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry,
in-dash six-disc CD changer, and heated front seats and mirrors. Our test vehicle
also had the optional Premium package ($1,700) that includes body-color bumpers
and mirrors, gold-accent alloy wheels, front side-impact airbags, leather upholstery,
plus a huge sunroof that nearly opens over the rear passengers. The optional ($183)
auto-dimming rear-view mirror with built-in compass was also included.
All this makes the Forester's spacious cabin a pleasant place to be.
A downside to the roomy interior, however, is the way it resonates sound from
the buzzy four-cylinder engine and road noise from the rather small 215/60R16
mud and snow tires. This brings up another issue we have with the Forester. Though
it (and all Subarus) has a reputation for rock-solid reliability, we think it
feels tinny. The door "clanks" instead of "clunks" when it's shut, and any uneven
road surface is conveyed by the unibody construction and reverberates through
the cabin. In the Forester's case, it may just be a matter of adding sound and
vibration damping material to the body.
The Forester makes the most of its 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder
engine, managing to squeeze out 165 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. The
four-speed automatic transmission hesitates a little on downshifts and is sometimes
too abrupt on upshifts, but it does a good job of working in concert with the
relatively small engine to produce decent acceleration on city streets and during
merging and passing on the highway. You do get the aforementioned noise intrusion
into the cabin, which reflects the buzzy efforts of the drivetrain, but the trade-off
for making do with a smaller powerplant is good fuel economy — the Forester
has a 22 mpg city/27 highway rating with the automatic.
These fuel numbers compare well to other four-wheel-drive four-cylinder compact
sport-utes like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, which all have nearly
identical EPA figures (22 city/25 hwy; 22 city/26 hwy; 23 city/27 hwy respectively).
However, with the exception of the 160-horsepower CR-V, they all have substantially
fewer ponies. The Escape makes just 126 hp, and the RAV4 makes 148 hp.
The Forester is also competitive in terms of safety. It received four stars out
of five in frontal crash safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
for both the driver and passenger sides. The Forester was also awarded five stars
for side impact crashes to the front and four stars for side-impacts to the rear
seats.
The Forester's front side-impact airbags (standard in the Premium package for
the S model) and three-point seatbelts for all five seating positions, no doubt,
help its crash safety performance. Additionally, the Subaru's daytime running
lights, four-wheel ABS and full-time AWD system add an unquantifiable degree of
accident-avoidance ability, as well.
The Forester's engine speed-controlled variable power assist rack-and-pinion steering
is immediate and precise, but it feels a little too light, and it doesn't communicate
much road feel. We like to feel a connection to the road through the steering
wheel but the system insulates us too much from that visceral feel, like we're
wearing mittens. On the other hand, the Forester's four-wheel independent suspension
does a good job of letting us feel the road through the seat of our pants while
also smoothing out the rougher spots so we know what the road feels like but it's
not irritating.
While we wouldn't call the Forester fun or nimble, that's OK, because it's not
the vehicle's mission. Instead, this Subaru is just good, solid transportation
for pragmatic people.
Also, for the especially pragmatic, the early part of 2002 may be the best time
to pick up a 2002 Forester at a good price. Subaru unveiled an all-new Forester
at the 2002 Chicago Auto
Show that will be sold as a 2003 model. So, you will probably be able to get
an '02 model at a bargain while dealerships clear space for the new '03s.
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