2009 Sport/Utility Of The Year: Subaru Forester
Some judges also dinged the Subaru for its "parts-bin interior" and lack of style. Others pegged this simplicity as back-to-basics goodness. "After some of the other complex, flight-deck instrument panels (like the aptly named Pilot's), the Subaru's simple and easy-to-use controls are a welcome break. VW easily trumps the Subaru for visual pizzazz, though the Forester works better," comments St. Antoine. In other words, quiet, comprehensive competence.
No, our selection of the Subaru Forester as Motor Trend's 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year is not a reaction to prices at the pump, but a renewed appreciation for the value of the dollar and a thoughtfully designed, well-executed vehicle. At a time when our nation is paying the piper for poor investments and past excesses, the Forester brings to mind many of the humble values that made this country great: thrift, resourcefulness, doing more with less.
St. Antoine sums it up best, "It takes only a few miles to begin to appreciate the Forester's many virtues. It does everything most SUV buyers need-with more off-road capability than they'll likely use-yet remains friendly and carlike in its character. In many ways, the Forester represents the new SUV paradigm; it's the right vehicle for the times."
Stump Puller: A New Boxer Diesel
In addition to the Forester's two gasoline-fueled powerplants, by 2010, U.S. models may also sport a new boxer diesel recently released in the European market. The world's first production boxer diesel, the turbocharged, DOHC, 2.0-liter four makes 145 horses at 3600 rpm but a mighty 258 pound-feet of torque at 1800 rpm. Standard and only transmission is a six-speed manual newly developed for the diesel (Subaru doesn't have an auto able to handle the diesel's torque and says developing a new tranny is unlikely). The Forester 2.0D's estimated EPA city/highway fuel efficiency checks in at an amazing 34/41 mpg. Towing capacity climbs to a lofty 4400 pounds. Price: about $2800 more than the turbo gas four. Want to see the Forester 2.0D stateside? Send Subaru your thumbs-up now.
- Arthur St. Antoine
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