Test Drive: 2011 Subaru Forester
cars, driving, car review, test drive Subaru, Subaru Forester, autos, automotive, automobiles, automaker, 2011 Subaru, test drive, all wheel drive,Design:
The 2011 Subaru Forester hasn’t really benefited from any major changes from last year’s model. Unlike the Impreza and Legacy models that seem to change their face as often as LA’s finest, the Forester has remained constant throughout the years -- and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As they say, if it’s not broke, why fix it?
And the Subaru Forester clearly isn’t broken. It’s a stable, utilitarian design inside and out. It’s more functional than fancy, but that’s OK. Subarus are meant to be functional and practical -- especially the Forester.
Inside, the Forester isn’t luxurious, but it is, once again, practical. There’s plenty of space in the front and back for all passengers. The visibility is great thanks to the large windows and the higher-than-a-sedan ride height. The seats are comfy and great for long country drives. It’s a generally pleasing vehicle inside and out.
Drive:
There are a plethora of models to choose from when it comes to the Subaru Forester. If you take the top of the line, the XT, you’ll get to have some fun with a turbo-powered Subie. However, for our particular tester we had the base 2.5-liter, horizontally opposed engine (what Subaru’s are known for) with less than impressive numbers for those who have performance in mind.
But then, this is not a performance-driven Subaru. For that, you can look to the Impreza WRX or the Impreza STI, Legacy SpecB or Forester XT. No, the Subaru Forester (as we had it) is utilitarian, and in that job description is excels.
The true beauty of a Subaru is under all the body work and paneling; it’s the AWD system. Every single Subaru, no matter what the model, offers a symmetrical all-wheel drive system that (in my opinion) far outweighs the competition on the road today. There’s something about a Subaru AWD that just feels better, more reliable and generally safer than any other system out there. There’s no fancy electronic gadgetry flipping power from wheel to wheel when needed, it’s all-wheel drive all the time. That’s it. And really, when you want an all-wheel drive vehicle that does what it’s supposed to (be all wheel drive) isn’t that what you really want?
Have an idea you want to see made into a WatchMojo video? Check out our suggest page and submit your idea.
Step up your quiz game by answering fun trivia questions! Love games with friends? Challenge friends and family in our leaderboard! Play Now!