Subaru Forester 2020. No longer a cult car?

Ten years ago, the Subaru Forester was one of the most popular cars in recent times, the object of desire for many drivers. What is it now and why is it becoming less and less common on many roads.

Time passed, and Forester changed little in appearance and remained very ascetic inside. But the latest generation, although it has not changed the exterior (it can be distinguished from the previous one only by the rear lights), has changed a lot inside. Now this is a normal Japanese car. Not the pinnacle of modern design, but at the level of competitors.

Of the engines in our market, only aspirated 2.0 and 2.5 liters remained. More than 185 horsepower. It accelerates to hundreds in 9.5 seconds, which is not bad. Although the versions with turbocharged engines were noticeably faster.

On the other hand, aspirated engines are more reliable, although they are also very demanding on the quality of fuel and oil. And it is better to service them more often than the manufacturer recommends and than the competitors’ owners do. Then the engines will serve for a long time.

Subaru is distinguished by excellent handling, which is achieved by a low center of gravity and the symmetry of the car. This is the merit of boxer engines. The current Forester is no exception, the car steers very nicely. You can’t call the dynamics crazy, but you get pleasure from taxiing at any speed, within the limits of traffic rules.

Slightly frustrating non-alternative variator. No matter how they try to make it look like a classic machine gun, the difference is felt. Subaru ‘s absolute plus compared to its competitors is the spaciousness in the cabin and trunk.

Ground clearance is 22 centimeters, but due to the large front overhang, patency is limited. And the rear overhang is also not small.

What do we end up with? A car that, in terms of its characteristics, can compete with most models on the market. But the price of the Forester will be higher due to the Japanese assembly and the need to pay customs duties. If we compare the maximum configuration, then in comparison with competitors, you will have to pay 300 thousand conditional units or even more. The maximum equipment Subaru Forester 2020, which I had on the test, costs almost 3 million conditional units.

This is a lot, given that the Forester has flaws, and competitors offer interesting options that Subaru does not have. For example, the top -end Mazda CX-5 can be bought with a more powerful engine and a projection of instrument readings on the windshield. Moreover, it will cost significantly less. And this is just one example. Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan, Mitsubishi Outlander and other competitors also have advantages over Subaru. Everyone has their own.

If you are interested in details about the Forester, watch the new video on my YouTube channel “Self-portrait". As usual, I talk about the car in detail, but at the same time, the timing of the video is short, since there is no “water” in it:

Source