That being said, there seems to be a lot of people who like (or at least don't mind) "old-school". Great visibility - something most other vehicles have given up on. Practical interior. Good real-world mileage. Proven components. Lightweight (version you tested was ~ 3400 lbs). Real ground clearance. Extremely tight turning circle. And of course, the ultimate "old-school" feature - an honest-to-goodness manual tranny! But there's no reason those attributes couldn't be combined with a quieter engine, or a better quality interior.
Here's the thing:
This Forester is not "old" school. It's "cheap" school. It didn't feel old to me. It didn't feel 'generations' behind. It felt like an afterthought. Subaru makes great cars, mechanically. This Forester shares little with its previous Generation (for which Lady Noto drives a 2011 Forester XT with the 2.5L Turbocharged boxer (EJ255)). In using the new chassis/platform, Subaru went back to the drawing board. Many things found in the previous generation were lost on this one.
Things like great outward visibility and practical controls don't mean a car has to be boring or cheap. As JY quoted me saying (good memory, JY!), it's not the same Forester. It's slightly larger on the outside, but HUGE on the inside. It made the vehicle feel bigger. Our Forester (albeit in leather) is also a light grey interior, but it didn't feel quite as cheap. While Subaru updated the interior materials, somehow they just don't come together well.
Subaru focused on the upper trims, then cheapened out the Touring trim. The comparo article did mention that the trim provided may not have been the smartest, especially since for $5k more (and well-within the budget of its competition), you could get the XT model in Limited Guise ($39,876.15 incl freight, PDI, AC Tax, and dealer fees - something we all loathe).
That, however, is exactly what I found in 2011. The Touring Trim was abysmal, feeling as cheap and cost-cut as a USB cable purchased on eBay. You get what you pay for. Oddly, this is only true of the Forester: Brian would agree that the Limited trim was nice, but not 'required' in his Crosstrek (and my brother did buy the base, Touring trim). I testdrove a 2015 Legacy Touring, and for $23k (in the US), it was one helluva good deal and exhibited no feelings of cheapness.
many of their models lack refinement, and they have also lost their quirky styling. someone the other day was talking about the subaru legacy and how they have such a different look.... umm... no they don't. they look like a car. i'd go so far as to say it is the least interesting car in the mid sized segment...
While I think Subarus are still quirky, they now appear to be less refined than they used to be. Nicer materials to some degree, but not everywhere. ...and where the materials remain garbage, it sticks out more than it used to.
The bigger issue here is that generation of CVT (well, it's programming for the aggressive throttle - it is not exhibited with the 6MT or in the 2.0XT). For whatever reason, and I cannot fathom what it is, the aggressive throttle tip-in is awful. It's similar in the Impreza, but since power comes from the modest 2.0L FB20, it doesn't 'jump' quite like this one did.
...and it's not just a little jump. I squealed the tires frequently on the test drive from a stoplight. I never got used to it. I would never buy a car that has such a horrid oversight. The 2.0XT? Sure (not because of the power, but the smoothness of the CVT). I'm hoping that the CVT from the Legacy will make its way into the Forester, and that the material choices will be updated (along with the base radio, as we know will happen soon - it has in the Crosstrek and Impreza already).
As JY stated, I am Subie-slappy. I love the AWD system, the planted chassis, the reasonable economy, and the utility. ...but I'm no longer willing to overlook cost-cutting, and nor should any buyer. I loved the Forester in 2011, but this isn't that one. This one is half-a$sed as far as the interior is concerned.
In August, we will see a much better Forester (
Source), which I anticipate (unsourced) will get the powertrain update (same power, but smoother):
^^but we can clearly see that the Touring model will soldier on as the cheap-sh!t, cost-cut, stripper that nobody really wants (but is all that many can afford...at $35k!
). Load 'er up, and I love the Forester. Strip 'er down, and she's not worth the time that it took for myself, JY, or anyone else to write about it. Subaru can do better than this in base guise and it should.
A shame to do it (strip 'er down) to such a great mechanical car, too.
