Forest Fire

October 8, 2005

ENGINE New 2.5-litre turbocharged boxer engine pumps out 230bhp. It delivers a healthy slug of torque, too, and is very smooth and eager to rev

INTERIOR Facelifted model’s interior benefits from better materials. There are steering wheel mounted controls for the integrated stereo, too

SUNROOF The 2.5-litre Forester also boasts a plus-sized sunroof. It slides opens virtually all the way, too, and makes the cabin feel light and airy

The bigger engine is a gem and it’s nice to know that Subaru has sorted the Forester’s ride quality. The refreshed interior is very welcome, too, although some switches lack the feel-good factor.

One other thing that needs improvement are the tyres. Their so-so performance mask the Forester’s true dynamic abilities.

The Forester should be easy to live with in terms of day-to-day driving, especially to drivers who want an SUV of some kind, but don’t like the tall driving position of a typical SUV. Furthermore, apart from the generous equipment list, there aren’t that many cars with similar horsepower in this price range, which, overall, makes the Forester a lot car for the money.

NEED TO KNOW

SUBARU FORESTER 2.5XT
ENGINE TYPE 2,457cc 16V horizontally-opposed turbocharged 4
MAX POWER 230bhp at 5,600rpm
MAX TORQUE 320Nm at 3,600rpm
GEARBOX 4-speed automatic
TOP SPEED 214km/h
0-100 KM/H 7.6 seconds
PRICE $92,000 with COE
WARRANTY 3 years / 60,000km
CONTACT Motor Image Enterprise
TELEPHONE 6473-0333

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