June 27 2008

Subaru’s new generation Forester has scored four and-a-half stars in a Drive Life road test published in today’s Sydney Morning Herald.

Motoring editor, Joshua Dowling writes: “It could be argued that Subaru started the compact soft roader trend almost 30 years ago.

“The latest version is larger in every dimension but Subaru has cleverly resisted the urge to make it too big.”

Scoring well on space, Dowling adds: “With the new model, Subaru has increased the distance between the front and rear wheels to create more room for all occupants. The result, incredibly, is a car with more space than the much larger Nissan X-Trail.”

On safety Dowling writes: “Most car makers use safety features to distinguish model grades but Subaru is among the few brands ensuring that safety is not an option…the level of protection a family gets is not determined by the budget.

“Steering is smooth and feels secure on all corners, also in part thanks to its permanent all-wheel-drive system.”

Naming the Forester X as his pick, Dowling concludes: “It has everything you need and it’s $1500 cheaper than the competition.

“One of my favourites for 2008…it’s good to drive, well built, sharply priced, economical and it has excellent safety credentials. And it’s just the right size for our times.”

For the full report, see Drive Life in today’s Sydney Morning Herald.