First Drive: 2014 Subaru Forester

2014 Subaru Forester. Click image to enlarge

Originally published March 11, 2013

Review and photos by Jonathan Yarkony

Photo Gallery:
2014 Subaru Forester

Ucluelet, BC – What better place to introduce the 2014 Subaru Forester than on Vancouver Island, home to untold acres of pristine deciduous rainforest? While the Forester would be equally at ease in a mall parking lot, there is no question that it is capable of reaching those remote cabins in the woods, or a rocky beach with your whitewater kayak secured to your roof rack. But Subaru also has a bit of a (mature, in-denial) wild child in the Subaru Forester XT, and Highway 4 from Nanaimo to the west side of Vancouver Island proved to be an able companion on the winding, scenic route.

The event started with our arrival at Nanaimo airport, at which point we were immediately handed the key to one such Forester XT, with the route guidance set up to deliver us to a resort in Ucluelet on the side facing the Pacific (that’s the west side, right?). After being stifled at red light after red light, buried between canyons of trucks loaded with fresh cut logs (okay, so maybe those forests on Vancouver Island aren’t so pristine everywhere anymore), and numbed by the ease of use of the Forester itself, I could have taken a nap if I’d had a co-driver willing to take over. In fact, one journalist did manage to take a nap in the Forester during one portion of the drive, speaking well of its quiet interior and smooth ride.

2014 Subaru Forester. Click image to enlarge

After clearing Nanaimo however, the road did start to improve, and before reaching the midway point of that trip (Port Alberni), I had a chance to stop and take in some of the majestic old growth Douglas Firs at Cathedral Grove, part of MacMillan Provincial Park, some as old as 800 years. What does that have to do with the Forester? Umm… it’s a forest? Anyhow, tourist and coffee breaks completed, I darted back onto the road and once outside of Port Albernie, the road was now entirely free of traffic lights, traffic and beginning to be blessed with curves.

The newly redefined XT has exclusive suspension tuning, CVT programming, and styling in addition to the turbocharged 2.0L boxer-four, whereas the previous generation 2.5XT was just a straight engine upgrade and hood scoop. The hood scoop, alas, is no more. The new XT drops half a litre in displacement (from 2.5 to 2.0), but gains 26 hp and 32 lb-ft, largely courtesy of Subaru-developed direct injection (not to be confused with the Toyota-derived D4S system in use on the BRZ). Power totals amount to 250 hp at 5,600 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque from 2,000–4,800 rpm, and out on the road it is very civil for a small-displacement turbo under normal use, but with the potential to make it scream if you wind it up, an interesting dual character for a family-friendly crossover.

2014 Subaru Forester. Click image to enlarge

Believe it or not, another ally in the XT’s performance arsenal is its continuously variable transmission (CVT). While in and of itself, a CVT doesn’t put the driving experience at the forefront, Subaru’s XT models feature a high-torque CVT and SI-Drive, which allows you to drive in Normal CVT mode, upgrade to Sport mode, in which the CVT simulates six stepped ratios and increases use of higher engine speeds for sporty driving, or flat-out Sport# (Sport Sharp) mode, which offers eight ratios that the electronic brain will manage, and manage aggressively. In any mode, you can slot the shifter over and use paddle shifters to play around with ‘gear’ selection, or simply tap one of the paddles if you just want to temporarily grab a lower ratio – it will return to automatic mode after a brief period.

Normally I find little reason to use this feature in my daily routine, but on a road like this, the transitions from sweeping curves to long straights to steep climbs, sharp turns and blind off-camber drops simply begged for selection of the lowest gear possible, and I obliged. If it sounds a bit like a racetrack, well, you’re getting the right picture – this was easily more interesting to drive than many of Ontario’s small tracks, never mind roads around the GTA. For a while, I tried to keep up with a local (who happened to be in a competitive SUV) that obviously knew the road well, and it required flexing every one of the eight simulated ratios (okay, mainly two, three, and four), the sharper throttle response of S#, tapping into all 258 lb-ft of torque when climbing the steep inclines, and reaching peak horsepower on a couple longer straights. This engine can pull its weight and the Forester XT’s with absolute mastery, although if you’re towing anything substantial, it is tow rated only to 680 kg (in 2.5i or 2.0XT trim), a figure Subaru’s research finds fulfills most of its customers’ needs.

While the drive was a joy, and surprising for a practical family vehicle like this, it left me desperately wanting to return here in a BRZ, which would have eliminated the body lean inherent in a tall SUV like this (even with the sportier suspension and 18-inch wheels), and offered another level of connection through steering and chassis feedback. Even a WRX, with its numb, disconnected steering, but excellent balance, better power and lower weight would have been a revelation to hoon through these passes. After exorcising my urges to drive like Colin McRae, and realizing I was missing the chance to slow down and appreciate some of Canada’s finest vistas, and at sunset no less, I did just that: slowed down and enjoyed the view. While fun to push hard, this is not the Forester’s purpose, although if an SUV is on the menu, only a couple others would surpass it in this capacity (Tiguan R-Line, anyone?).

No, the purpose of this vehicle is to be the best balanced SUV (capability and practicality wise, not weight distribution) in a highly competitive segment and to offer the best value for those looking to go anywhere and do anything. Perhaps more than any other brand, Subaru owners live the lifestyle we see in the ads for every other SUV. Okay, maybe that is just blatant biased preconception on my part, but I definitely see a disproportionate number of kayaks, bikes and unidentifiable outdoorsy gear racked up on the tailgates and roofs of Subarus.

Now, forgive me if it sounds like I drank some of the Subaru kool-aid served up on the event, but Forester Project General Manager Takuji Dai targeted four key areas of improvement for this generation: enhance strength of product by improving safety, technology, AWD system, and user friendliness; improve on weak points like fuel economy, outdated transmission, and rear seat space; offer high end options like power tailgate, premium audio, and advanced infotainment interface; apply direct injection to the 2.0L turbo for better power and fuel efficiency. Check, check, check, check.

2014 Subaru Forester. Click image to enlarge

I think we’ve established that direct injection offers impressive power, and its fuel consumption rating is 8.9 L/100 km city and 7.2 highway, but not if you drive like I was. On this brief route, I saw over 12. Most impressive about this DI turbo is that it beats the base manual-transmission 2.5L horizontally opposed four-cylinder for highway fuel economy and almost matches it in city driving. The naturally aspirated 2.5L makes 170 hp at 5,600 rpm and 174 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm, within range of key competitors like the CR-V, RAV4 and CX-5.

The base 2.5L feels easily as strong as the CR-V because of its superior torque, and not far off the CX-5’s new SkyActiv 2.5. The six-speed manual transmission is available in similarly limited fashion to the CX-5, with only the base engine in 2.5i and Touring Package trims. It is a functional shifter, though I had a couple ‘moments’ trying to get into second gear, and the clutch is light and easy enough to modulate. But for efficiency, the CVT is the way to go, because even if it is a bit whiney, it drops the fuel consumption estimates from 9.5/7.0 with the manual to 8.3/6.2, and does not feel inadequate getting the Forester up to speed. The 2.5 with CVT is on par with many FWD compact SUVs in efficiency and performance, and beats most other AWD SUVs in this segment, an impressive role reversal for a brand that often lagged far behind others in fuel consumption because of its commitment to AWD.

2014 Subaru Forester. Click image to enlarge

If you are dubious about the fuel consumption benefits of Subaru’s CVT, in our recent Mini-SUV Comparison Test, the CVT-equipped Subaru XV Crosstrek bested five other extra small crossovers by a wide margin despite being larger and heavier than some and featuring permanent AWD to some of the others’ part-timers.

Even without the trick SI-Drive’s stepped ratios, the CVT is everything an automatic needs to be in this segment: smooth, responsive and unobtrusive.

The CVT is also a minimum requirement for Subaru’s new X-Mode with hill descent control. X-Mode is a selectable function that essentially simulates low-range gearing. Throttle response is reduced for greater control, AWD clutch pressure is increased to better control speed differential between front and rear axles, lower transmission ratios are maintained and the torque converter will not lock up. Subaru’s VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control, Subaru-speak for stability control) plays its part as well, braking a spinning wheel in order to keep torque flowing to the wheel on the opposite side, and controlling all braking functions to ensure a steady crawl with its hill descent control function. X-Mode will operate at speeds up to 40 km/h, then it will automatically shut off and revert to Subaru’s standard AWD.

2014 Subaru Forester. Click image to enlarge

Subaru took over an abandoned golf course development with some light trails, a steep descent, and a set of rollers on a mild incline to demonstrate the functions of X-Mode and the Forester’s overall capability. Subaru is aiming for best-in-class off-road ability, which probably won’t be hard to claim from the other soft-roaders in segment. Although there will be some people that appreciate the ruggedness of this SUV and its 220 mm of ground clearance, most owners would likely be satisfied with steady all-wheel drive to counter inclement weather or far milder routes to the cottage, and you won’t soon mistake this for a Wrangler or Xterra. This was quite a departure from its boxy AWD wagon roots of the first two generations of Forester, but the third generation proved this to be a successful formula, and this fourth generation is simply building on that success.

But for those that care, yes, this is a capable off-roader. Consumers definitely like this direction as Subaru saw double the sales in Canada (and about 50 percent growth globally) of third-generation Foresters compared to previous generations. While this fourth generation is nowhere near the dramatic departure, it is full of incremental improvements in engineering and packaging. The body is stiffer, the interior is larger (the back seat in particular more spacious) without a significant increase in dimensions, and the interior quality and refinement are greatly improved.

2014 Subaru Forester. Click image to enlarge

In all the ways that see daily use, the Forester offers many improvements, riding comfortably and quietly with high quality interior materials while maintaining its signature excellent outward visibility and improving access to the rear seats by adjusting the door opening. It also looks upmarket with options like a power tailgate, back-up camera, Eyesight preventive safety suite, 440-watt eight-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo (What? A good stereo in a Subaru? About time…), and a fully integrated infotainment system with navigation – though this interface still needs some user interface improvements.

Subaru doesn’t rely on trendy styling or heavy discounts to move inventory, they simply build a well conceived, quality product, and maybe trot out some funny commercials. I don’t know if the Sumo wrestlers or the split personality city/country guy will return, but Subaru hinted they had something in store.

Like so many vehicles in this segment, there isn’t much in the way of spectacular or awe-inspiring performance or design in the 2014 Subaru Forester. However, it shows a mastery of the compact crossover with competitive interior space, quality and functionality, a range of performance and convenience options, and now fuel consumption that should match or come close to anything in the segment while maintaining its leadership and reputation of offering the best AWD system. This is a great vehicle for real life, the daily grind, and any adventures you can find along the way or well off the beaten path.