Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged Subaru
2009 Subaru Forester
01279 days
There’s no telling if Subaru knew it was onto something when it introduced the Forester in 1997. The tall-roofed, SUV-like all-wheel drive compact based on the Impreza platform as a strange bird at the time, but ten years later car-based vehicles with SUV capabilities are all the fashion. The “crossover” category is one of the most hotly contested in the market.
The Forester’s still a prime example of the breed, too. In response to a drastic increase in competition, the Forester is all-new for 2009, with a larger, more SUV-like design, a drastically modernized interior and a smoother ride. That’s all good stuff, but over the course of its existence the Forester has also developed something of a personality. Has Subaru managed to keep the do-anything spirit of the Forester intact?
The Forester’s new look is best described as inoffensive. No longer a boxy, high-topped station wagon, the Forester’s got sleek lines that are close in silhouette to the rest of the crossover crowd. Actually, that’s not completely true; it’s still a boxy, high-topped station wagon, but the new design is more streamlined and takes the corners off of the box. A Subaru family grille rides up front, with more angular headlights and a taller hood. At the rear, there are larger taillights and the fenders have a bulkier, more squared off look that works with the more angled greenhouse to give the Forester a more substantial look. In short, it’s gone somewhat bland. I lost the Forester in parking lots no fewer than three times, and I’m a lifelong car-spotter. Beyond the styling, the Forester’s got a 3.6-inch longer wheelbase for improved interior room, and rides on an all-new platform.
The interior is a vast improvement over Foresters past. The front seat cushions are too short, but everything else has been thoroughly upgraded. A more flowing “twin-cockpit” dash and console are accented with metallic, brushed aluminum-look trim and a high-mounted screen for the available navigation system. All Foresters are pre-wired for either XM or Sirius satellite radio, and the high-end audio system uses Audyssey MultEQ audio enhancement. The tall seating position offers great visibility, making the Forester easy to drive. Rear-seat hip and shoulder room have been increased, and one of the biggest sunroofs in the industry brings the sunlight to back-seat passengers. Like many Subarus, the Forester’s a cold-weather darling, with available heated seats, exterior mirrors and a windshield de-icer.
Front seat side airbags and side-curtain airbags are now standard equipment, and the Forester has a rollover sensor that tensions the seatbelts and deploys the head-curtain airbags.
As in Foresters past, power is modest. A 2.5 liter four-cylinder boxer engine provides 170 horsepower. Subaru’s i-Active Valve Lift System (AVLS) helps to broaden the torque curve, and a new dual exhaust reduces noise and backpressure. A 224-horse turbocharged version of the 2.5 is also available in the Forester XT. Tepid acceleration is a naturally-aspirated Forester trait. My tester required some patience when merging with traffic, and the Forester’s comfortable ride couldn’t always keep the blood pressure low enough to avoid making this annoying. A five-speed manual transmission is standard equipment; a four-speed automatic is also available. All-wheel drive is standard, of course–this wouldn’t be a Subaru otherwise.
What the Forester lacks in accelerative power it more than makes up for in drivability. The new chassis is nimble and responsive, with a much lighter feeling than the average sport-ute. MacPherson struts are used up front. At the rear, the new double wishbone rear suspension is mounted to a subframe for improved handling and improved cargo room. The Forester still has up to 8.9 inches of ground clearance as well, so it’s more able off-road than many larger vehicles. Subaru’s also lowered the center of gravity and widened the track to help inject a taste of the sporty WRX’s nimble handling into the new Forester, so this is an all-wheel drive vehicle that never feels ponderous or oversized. Vehicle Dynamics Control is standard equipment, and the stability and traction control gives the Forester a confident bearing on all surfaces. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard equipment as well.
The Forester’s gone from being a unique and distinctive vehicle to being one of the crowd. Whether you consider that progress or not, this is a multi-useful and durable vehicle. It’s also reasonably priced, with a starting MSRP of $22,495.
Specifications: All specs are for the 2009 Subaru Forester.
Length: 178.5 in.
Width: 70.1 in.
Height: 66.9 in.
Wheelbase: 103.0 in.
Curb weight: 3250 lb.
Cargo space (w/moonroof): 30.8 cu.ft. (seats up); 63.0 cu.ft. (seats folded)
Base price: $22,495
Price as tested: $25,011
Engine: 2.5 liter horizontally-opposed four-cylinder
Drivetrain: five-speed manual transmission, all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 170 @ 6000
Torque: 170 @ 4400
Fuel capacity: 16.9 gal.
Est. mileage: 20/26
2008 Subaru WRX
01390 days
I can’t help but feel for Subaru; the purveyor of entertaining all-wheel drive vehicles seems to be forever locked in combat and disagreement with its sharpest critics–its own biggest fans. When the WRX got its first facelift in 2004, the Subaru loyalists hated it. When the design was revised again in 2006, they hated it even more. Subaru’s Forester and Tribeca have gone through similar styling woes. Now, for 2008, the WRX is all-new, along with the Impreza lineup, and it’s got a completely new look And guess what? The Subaru faithful seem to hate it.
As with past revisions of the WRX, it’s a fair bet that the Subie people will come around soon enough. After all, the things that are good about the WRX haven’t changed; it still offers enthusiastic turbocharged performance and road-hugging all-wheel drive. There may even be a few Subiephiles who (like me) actually prefer the WRX’ new, more grown-up look.
The new design is appealing, with a more finished look than the previous WRX whose hood scoops and body kit had a tacked-on look. The redesigned car still has some aggression in its face, but the more streamlined look makes the formerly obvious into the subtle. Grille and headlamps meld into a single curved arc across the front o fthe car, and the front bumper and hood carry the dipped chin’s line back into the car’s body–which is larger, with a wheelbase stretched almost four inches. It blends better with the subcompact herd, which will annoy the folks who liked the brashness of the previous car. The ’08 WRX borrows the curves of the Tribeca, a fact especially obvious in the new five-door model. No, Subaru doesn’t call it a “wagon” any more, though it’s essentially the same thing. During the week, our tester was mistaken for a BMW, a Ford Focus, a Honda and a Chrysler, so maybe Subaru’s new look will take some getting used to.
The interior is a delight. The instrument panel has a graceful dip in the center that flows down into the console. It’s not quite a twin-cockpit layout, but it is one of the classiest interiors to be found on a car this size. The cloth seats are supportive enough for all-day drives. Orange-lit gauges and body-hugging seats are reminders that the WRX is a performance car. There’s room for four. The five-door’s stubby cargo area would benefit from cargo hooks, but there’s nonetheless 44.4 cubic feet of space back there with the seats folded. Sharp eyes will notice that Subaru’s trademark frameless windows are no longer; like the new Outback, the new WRX uses conventional framed doors. My only complaint? I found the GPS display and information center to be somewhat confusing to use.
There are enough 250-horse compacts running around these days that the WRX’ 224 horsepower doesn’t have the “ohmigaw” impact that it used to. Still, a quick little car is a quick little car, and the WRX is undeniably that. Although the horsepower rating has dropped slightly from last year’s 230 figure, there’s still plenty to like about the performance. The 2.5 liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder delivers healthy torque throughout the engine range, and when the turbo starts spinning the WRX moves like the proverbial scalded cat. The seat of the pants meter says that the new WRX is just as quick as the old one, and the peaky turbocharger’s performance is easy to harness. If you’re looking for a maximum-performance stormer you’re going to go for the STi version anyway–the WRX is a comfortable and flexible daily driver with exceptionally entertaining athletic ability. Speaking of the STi, it’s got over 300 horsepower wrapped in a lightweight aluminum body, and it’ll be available later this year. As for the WRX, a five-speed manual transmission is standard equipment, with a four-speed automatic on the options list.
Thanks to Subaru’s nearly flawless all-wheel drive , driving on any surface is a breeze. The rally-bred WRX takes to slippery pavement and dirt roads like a fish to water. It’s not so bad on pavement either. The rear suspension has been upgraded to double wishbones for more precise ride and handling, and the longer wheelbase takes some of the chop out of freeway travel. Vehicle Dynamics Control is standard equipment, so when you call upon the four-wheel disc brakes to bring things to a halt, it’s executed without drama even on uncertain surfaces.
So this boy-racer’s grown up somewhat. Not everybody’s happy with that, of course–it’s not unlike seeing your favorite party animal settling down to a nine-to-five job–but have no fear, the Subaru WRX still knows how to have fun. The new WRX is a well-executed package, and in time it’s a fair bet that even the Subaru faithful who are upset over the new design will come to agree. WRX pricing starts at just over $24,000. Our well-equipped WRX featured satellite radio and a navigation system, and stickered for $29,758.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2008 Subaru WRX.
Length: 173.8 in.
Width: 68.5 in.
Height: 58.1 in.
Wheelbase: 103.1 in.
Curb weight: 3142 lb.
Cargo space: 44.4 cu.ft. (all seats folded)
Base price: $24,350
Price as tested: $29,758
Engine: 2.5 liter DOHC boxer four-cylinder
Drivetrain: five-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 224 @ 5200
Torque: 226 @ 2800
Fuel capacity: 16.9 gal.
Est. mileage: 19/24
2008 Subaru Outback
01390 days
Back in the day, the family car was expected to do everything–it wasn’t uncommon to see mattresses or furniture strapped to the roofs of sedans, or sports cars struggling through the snow in the dead of winter. In the new millennium, however, we’ve got an automotive landscape that’s diversified and specialized, and there’s a car, truck or SUV suited for just about every task you could imagine.
So where does that leave the old-fashioned do-all? Well, as it turns out, that’s a class of car that’s evolved along with everything else. In the Thirties, the ubiquitous Ford Model A was the car that could do just about anything. In 2008, cars like the Subaru Outback continue to fill that role. Freshened for 2008, the Outback is a road car, an off-road vehicle, a family sedan, and a cargo carrier. It’s even reasonably fun to drive, within its limits. For 2008, it gets a comprehensive round of updates to its styling, powertrain, suspension and interior.
Visually, the Outback hasn’t changed much. It sports a wedgy profile and tapered, boatlike prow that take some of the stodginess out of the station-wagon silhouette. The Outback’s face has been tweaked front and rear with a larger grille and newly stretched headlights. Overall the car’s familiar look has been smoothed and subtly modernized. Fans of the odd-duck Outback sedan will be disappointed to hear that the high-riding AWD four-door has been discontinued for 2008.
Much work has been done with the interior. The instrument panel is all new, with a fresh layout that borrows a bit from sports sedans. Black trim figures heavily into it, but a lighter lower section keeps the interior from resembling a cave. The available navigation system is nicely integrated into the dash front and center, and easy-to-read electroluminescent gauges are now used across the board. Subaru has made the Ouback’s interior look less cheap over the years, but there are a few subtle downmarket flaws still, like the action on the glovebox. Shorter passengers complained (loudly) that the leather seats were uncomfortably hard and poorly shaped, though taller folks didn’t seem to mind. The heated seats were a welcome option on twenty-degree Michigan winter nights. The available cargo area spill-mat is also handy. Like most sport-utes, the Outback is available with a wide range of dealer-installed accessories aimed at making cargo loading and hauling easier.
The 2.5 liter flat-four engine makes pleasant noises and 170 horsepower, but the four-speed autobox requires a firm stomp at times to wake it up. Merging in the four-cylinder Outback is an annoying and daunting process if you catch the transmission sleeping out of the powerband, a situation that we found ourselves in more than once. Power is otherwise adequate; freeway cruising is comfortably relaxed. Drivers who want more than “adequate” can step up to the Outback 2.5 XT Limited with its 243-horse turbocharged four-cylinder, or to the Outback 3.0 R L.L. Bean which is equipped with a 245-horsepower six-cylinder. Subaru’s standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is unstoppable on snow, and in fact the Outback practically begged for drifts to plow through. The XT Limited and L.L. Bean Outbacks, Subaru’s SI-Drive system is also available, offering three-mode engine response that can be tuned to different road characteristics.
In any flavor, the Outback is a nasty-road champion, and enjoys hammering along at stupid speeds over cracked pavement, gravel and even the beat-up stretch of road that I use to evaluate the suspensions of my test trucks, floating and drifting through puddles but always in control. The suspension is independent at all four corners, and it’s got excellent balance and feel thanks to a low center of gravity. You wouldn’t know it from the driver’s seat, but the Outback rides high, with up to 8.4 inches of ground clearance. The Outback’s even got some limited off-road ability, thanks to its high-riding stane and the all-wheel drive’s sure-footedness. It’s got wood trim inside and a neat, luxurious interior, but the Outback begs to be used hard. Standard anti-lock brakes ensure that the fun doesn’t get out of hand.
All said, there isn’t much you can’t do with an Outback. Hauling the family, carrying groceries, making road trips and even banging along unfinished roads to get to a remote fishing spot, this car can do it all. Opt for the turbocharged Outback XT and it’s even got a hint of the performance that makes Subaru’s Impreza STi a favorite of driving enthusiasts. Pricing is reasonable as well; my test car was an Outback Limited and light on options, with only satellite radio and a convenience group that added cargo nets and an auto-dimming mirror, and it stickered for $29,312.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2008 Subaru Outback.
Length: 189.0 in.
Width: 69.7 in.
Height: 61.6 in.
Wheelbase: 105.1 in.
Curb weight: 3395 lb.
Cargo space: 33.5 cu.ft. (seats up); 65.4 cu.ft. (seats folded)
Base price: $27,695
Engine: 2.5 liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 170 @ 6000
Torque: 170 @ 4400
Fuel capacity: 16.9 gal.
Est. mileage: 20/26