Topic: Comparison Test: 2017 Compact SUVs Part 1 – $35,000

[Fobroader]

How did the Subaru "fail" that test?? All 4 wheels spun and it went up the hill.

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[Niklasky]

So where is part 2 of this comparison test ? Isn't it due today ?

[NormT]

How did the Subaru "fail" that test?? All 4 wheels spun and it went up the hill.

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It wasn't until they unwound steering well did the Subaru move.  Looks power couldn't be sent to the wheels with traction in this simple test the others passed.

[JacobBlack]

So where is part 2 of this comparison test ? Isn't it due today ?

Yep, will be live shortly after midday.

[Niklasky]

So where is part 2 of this comparison test ? Isn't it due today ?

Yep, will be live shortly after midday.

Thanks ! Can't wait to read this !

[whaddaiknow]

No. It's opinion. I didn't see enough of a difference in overall quality to make up for the god awful HMI setup in Mazdas.

I've mailed you some bifocals.

I found absolutely NOTHING in the Mazda interior that would wow me or say it was a class above the Subaru. Nothing at all. The HMI plain SUCKS. The switchgear in the Subaru is very high quality, there is feel and precision that you don't get in every mainstream car, and the touch surfaces do not scream "cheap".
The Forester isn't without fault, though. The infotainment system is easy to use (unlike the Mazda HMI) but so hopelessly out of date, it could be one reason to ditch it once the lease is up.

[Noto]

How did the Subaru "fail" that test?? All 4 wheels spun and it went up the hill.

It wasn't until they unwound steering well did the Subaru move.  Looks power couldn't be sent to the wheels with traction in this simple test the others passed.

The 2.5L models have this odd hair-pin throttle, wherein a massive surge of power is sent down to the wheels in order to make the car seem faster than it is.  For city driving, the Forester, much like how Mazda became known as "peppy" with the Mazda 3, feels quick.

Notice how the wheel had to be turned the whole way to the right for the uphill test?  This is a specific 'flaw' of Subaru's traction control system that has been exploited by other manufacturers in highlighting how Subaru perhaps isn't the "bestest" in terms of AWD.  Do the same test with all wheels pointed straight (as most people would normally be starting up on a hill, and you'll see a very different result.  Also, Subaru has X-mode in the Forester, which is designed to limit that very situation depicted.

All of these CUVs are fine in Canadian winters on-road.  I like the Subaru not for its "ERMAGAWD, THIS THING CAN CLIMB TREES!", but because its chassis is predictable and communicative.  You know where the car will be going at all times - a feat that cannot be shown in such a static test.

So where is part 2 of this comparison test ? Isn't it due today ?

Yep, will be live shortly after midday.

[PlanB]

Subaru is one of the most reliable brands out there.

And I don't like salad.

  Pretty sure everyone wants a Subaru (self included) but everyone who's owned one has had to spend $1000's in head gasket replacements...it's either reliable, or it's not. 

I'm pretty sure (not certain) that you're exaggerating because, well because 'internet'.  But at the same time, you're comment is simply reinforcing a fallacy out there that comes from a small percentage of vocal owners who've had issues.  By and large the brand overall is quite reliable and I've owned a few of them  with ZERO issues.  My Impreza is approaching 10 years of ownership with no issues and we recently bought pretty much the exact model Forester in the article and have had a great experience so far as well.   

I'm not denying models have had issues in the past (show me a brand that hasn't had issues) - but please tell me why Subaru has increased global (and NA) sales every single year for almost a decade if they're making an 'unreliable' product? 

[johngenx]

The last Subaru infotainment center I saw had a screen resolution only slight worse than...

[NormT]

The hair-pin throttle is the result of advancing timing to the safest maximum without regard to smooth power delivery. I've ecu tuned my wife's GMC Terrain 2.4l to advance timing everywhere except peak torque and limited torque management so that when you wack the throttle from a stop it is bouncing your head off the headrest but do the same while already rolling and it is relatively flat. I just can't advance the timing anymore on 87 octane. Just a nature of getting the most from timing.

One thing I did find was I was able to advance the timing quite a bit from peak torque up to peak horsepower.  This power increase has worked good with a full load and bikes mounted on the back going up a hill in New Mexico at 6,000 feet going around a Kia Sport age 2.4l in the process.

[Noto]

[Solstice2006]

Yes, I know this. However, it's a solid effort considering the outgoing CX-5 was one of the loudest in its segment.

Last October, I had a CX-5 for a whole day as a rental while daily driving the Forester (exactly as tested in the article). I had high expectations for the Mazda but I was happy to be back in the Forester.
1) I never thought that visibility could play such an important role and now I actually consider it a safety feature. I just feel at ease in the Subie because I can easily see around me. Not so much in the Mazda.
2) The Mazda interior, both ergonomically and visually, underwhelmed me.

2017 Forester, once warmed up, is very quiet.

The driver seat comfort in the Forester, OTOH, could be much better as I find the seat bottom too short and seat height too high for my liking, even though I have learned to live with it eventually. Guess, it is an inevitable compromise in a compact CUV with decent cargo space.

Almost 19,000km on the Forester in 9 months.

How can you compare the 2016.5 Mazda CX-5 to a 2017 Subaru Forester?   There are several upgrades and updates to the 2017 CX-5.  Especially the interior. 

[Fobroader]

The last Subaru infotainment center I saw had a screen resolution only slight worse than...

[EV-Light]

Subaru's new NAV system: