Typically subaru!. Review on Chevrolet Forester

Okay, I am making one point clear. this is a subaru and NOT a chevrolet as its called. I am outrageous at gm for renaming a subaru as a chevrolet. I have always loved subarus for their various aspects. and I am not a great fan of chevrolet. so I will refer to this car as a subaru. now straight to the point. this vehicle has been positioned as an suv for india and is in the so called 'luxury' segment. so it must have creature comforts of a car and practicality of an suv. we have seen many such cars like crv, x trail, santa fe and so on. but the subaru forester is a cross over with a difference. it benifits from the rich rallying heritage of the impreza on which it is based. it is one of my favorite cars and it is very interesting. it has subaru's patented all wheel drive tech which makes it a good off roader too. should one go for this car over other sedans in its segment?

the forester may not be stunner, but is stylish enough for me. the front is dominated by agressive headlamps which are multi reflector. the fog lamps are a welcome addition. the forester is not very tall, and is more like an estate than like an suv. this is the reason why it hasn't sold as well as other suvs. the alloys on the tyres are quite attractive. move over to the rear and it looks more estate than suv. I love the tail lamps on it. this is a subaru, and there is no doubt about the build quality. it is rock solid with superb quality and is fitted well with very less panel gaps. the subaru forester is not as confidence inspiring as say the crv, but is good enough. its build quality makes me believe that if it crashes headlong on a land cruiser, the land cruiser will crumble while the forester will remain solid in one piece.

the interior of the forester is very good with hi quality plastics and good finish. the front gets plenty of leg room. there is absolutely no shortage of space. the dash looks attractive and is very practical. the seats are only fabric which is a small setback. at this price, it is justified in expecting leather seats. no prob anyway. the rear seats are very comfortable and there is plenty of space too. there is enugh space for storage at the rear. cubby holes are abundant in the cabin. so on the whole, the interior of the forester has whetever you will expect in a car of its price and compares well with sedans in its segment. the good feel of the interior leaves a good impression too.

the engine runs on petrol and displaces close to 2000 cc. the power output is not the best of its kind with just 120 bhp, but that is sufficient. world over, you get a 2.5 liter turbo charged option which should have a lot of good power, but that won't make it to india definitely. the engine is one of the best of its kind and is very refined. its kerb weight is around 1.4 tonnes and that is on par with many sedans and is much lighter than other suvs. I believe this engine is rally bred and so performs well. acceleration is not savage, but is quite okay. it reaches 60 km/h in just above 5 seconds and touches hits the ton at less than 14 seconds. this is in league with many mid sized cars like the city, accent, and even the ikon 1.6. there is absolutely no sign of vibration at any level and it is pleasure to drive at all speeds. the top speed is very good at a little more than 180 km/h.

this is a cross over and is supposed to offer the good ride of suvs and good handling of sedans. the forester does this in an admireable way. no other vehicle in india has such a balance between the two. the potholes are non existent inside the cabin and ride is comfortable at all speeds. even if the road is lined with bumps and potholes, inside the car, it feels like driving on velvet. the handling is superb. it can challenge hairpin bends with ease and there isn't much signs of body roll. this good experience is not limited on the road, but also off it. it is a genuine off roader and can handle rough terrain well. the all wheel drive system of it helps in getting traction. wow, this vehicle really rocks!

the engine runs on petrol and also has the all wheel drive system. so with both of these combined, the fuel efficiency goes spiralling down. but one does expect this in suvs. on the city roads in the peak hours, it returns nothing more than 7 km/l and on the open roads, it improves considerably to over 10 km/l. in mixed conditions, it returns a below average 8.5 km/l. with petrol prices spiralling upwards and fuel efficiency spiralling downwards, the forester definitely is not cheap to run.

at a price tag of 13 lakh rupees for the forester, it cannot by any means be called expensive. if you are looking for a hardline suv experience, this vehicle is not for you. if you want just good looks, there are better alternatives. if you want flat out performance, there are smaller sedans for that. but if you want an acceptable combination of looks, comfort and most importantly if you just love to drive, the forester is unbeatable. the ride comfort is unparalelled by any car and the driving experience is unmatched. if these conditions suit you and you have enough cash to spare, go for it.

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