Subaru Forester 2.5 XT Review: X or XT factor?

The four speeder is an aging thing. It isn’t the fastest gear swapping device around. In some circumstances it can’t decide between the first and second when the 2 litre X is pushed hard. Not such a problem with the 2.5XT though, as gear selection becomes less critical due to the power increase.

Its rack-and-pinion steering wheel is delightfully direct and as quick as any normal car might be. Any other SUV pales in comparison to the fact. The Forester's turning radius is also, delightfully small, or at least smaller than lots of SUVs.

Perhaps what surprised me most about the Forester is the brakes. Although not exceptionally a disc breaker, there was not a single trace of fade after three full-on stops done one after the other, each from speed of 100km/h.

By the way, you’ll be interested to know that we got the 2 litre to that same speed in 12 seconds. The 2.5 turbo on the other hand, averaged a little under 9 with a trusty little stopwatch, three passengers and a sack of potatoes to go.

Consider this. The Forester can be driven on paved roads, back and forth to work, to dinner and a movie, or collecting the kids at school. It would do circles round most SUVs, and in addition, you drive it like a car more than anything else.

Also, on any given (rainy) day, I’d prefer to be in one of these than in a truck-based SUV, simply because this car was made from a rigid “unit body”. This is unlike that of a full, off road like SUV that has its body sitting on a ladder frame.

This “ladder” setup allows the owner to swap the outer bodyshell of his/her offroader, but in the real world, how many of us actually do this? Besides, a normal, car like construction affords greater body stiffness and generally sharpens the vehicle’s reflexes.

This also helps the suspension’s ability to absorb road shock, while excluding crashs or vibrations from the cabin. The 2007’s rear crossmember has also been strengthened for greater safety/handling characteristics.

The Forester tows up to 1500 kilos, has an amazingly good reliability record since its introduction eight years ago, and comes with a high level of standard safety equipment.

In short, you get SUV capability, fuel-efficiency, on-road performance and versatility that's tough to beat.

I find it a whole lot more practical than a typical SUV if you fancy prowling the urban jungle, or simply find solace in this car when it comes to treacherous weather on the highway, so until someone comes up with a better plan for one of these cool hybrids, I’ll bet my stakes on this car for now.

Credits: Amery Reuben