2006 Subaru Forester Review

Specifications

An Influential Crossover SUV

In the fall of 1997 when Subaru delivered its first Forester, I doubt they had a true appreciation of the influence it would have in helping to establish the now tremendously popular crossover segment of vehicles. While the Toyota RAV4 came two years prior and Honda CR-V a year ahead, Subarus entry was more car-like than either.

The Forester grew out of a desire by Subaru to blend the attributes of a passenger car with those of an SUV. Subaru used its subcompact Impreza wagon as the root vehicle for the Forester. In its transformation, the Imprezas body was lengthened, widened and most noticeably heightened.

The roomy Forester continues to be powered by Subarus highly reliable 4-cylinder boxer engine, which feeds torque to all four wheels through the Japanese brands renowned all-wheel-drive technology.

Now in its eighth year, the widely popular and enduring Forester continues to win over the hearts and paychecks of many savvy buyers. Along the way Subaru has refined the little tough-guy SUV by improving performance and adding amenities, plus a facelift or two; the most recent of which applies to the 2006 model. A keen eye is needed to identify the Foresters subtly redesigned nose and restyled rear hatch and taillights. Lets just say the Foresters simplistic design and boxy shape has always been appealing and continues to be. Enough said.

Moving inside, the Foresters four-door wagon-style body doesnt elicit any audible “awes” in the way its big brother Tribeca does. The Foresters cabin is about as straightforward as a modern vehicle can be these days, especially in the base model on which this review is based. Sure, stepping up a rung or two on the trim-level ladder brings with it niceties such as premium audio with steering wheel mounted controls, leather upholstery, moonroof and heated power seats, but Subaru supplied an entry-level tester for this review, and I am grateful. Too often its the top-of-the-line models that are delivered to auto journalists by manufacturers keen to put forth their best offering, if you will. Unfortunately the “best offering” is not always representative of what the average buyer puts forth in the driveway.

Base model or not, I instantly felt at home in the drivers seat, while hardly experiencing sensory overload; trust me, unless you were under a rock or in jail throughout the 80s and 90s youve seen it all before. But dont allow familiarity to breed contempt, as the level of comfort and functionality within the Forester is superb. The high roofline translates into exceptional headroom throughout all five seating positions. Legroom is impressive up front, but can become precious in the rear when Daddy Long Legs is driving. Some give-and-take here is critical to achieve holistic wellness.

Subaru has done a good job of laying out the gauges and controls in the Forester. Everything was where I expected it. The tachometer and speedometer and other important analog gauges are large in size, easy to read and clustered in clear view directly ahead of the driver. The center stack in the 2.5X is nicely finished in matte silver and contains a basic three-dial HVAC system and audio head.

Audio head… who am I kidding? My base vehicle was equipped with something that resembled the typical stereo found in a 1980s Corolla. No the sound quality wasnt that inferior thanks to its four speakers, but the human-to-stereo interface was. Tiny preset buttons and a barely visible LCD screen made the unit more difficult to use when driving than a cell phone. Im over it now, but really, the Forester isnt a bargain basement econo-box; have a look at the competition Subaru, and youll get the picture.

Worthy of praise was the comfort of my testers cloth covered front seats. Although adjustments were of the Arm-strong type (un-powered), it was easy to attain the perfect driving position. To improve rear seat comfort for 2006, Subaru extended the rear seat cushion of the three-person bench by nearly 2.0 inches to increase thigh support behind the knees. Unfortunately the Forester is not equipped with rear-cabin air conditioning outlets to solidify Subarus commitment to rear seat comfort. The rear seatback is split 60/40. Both sides easily flip forward to increase cargo capacity from 32.0 cubic feet to 64.0 while producing a wide, unimpeded flat load floor. Adding to the expansive cargo hold is a useful collection of cubbyholes and small-item storage bins.

The nuts and bolts of any road test are… well… the nuts and bolts and how well they all perform together. The Forester is powered by two versions of the same 2.5-liter (153 cu in) horizontally opposed engine, with SOHC heads, 16-valves, and 4-cylinders. In base form this mill spins out 173-horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 166 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm. Upgrade your Forester order sheet to the top line 2.5XT and an intercooled turbocharger joins the engine, which also gains a couple of additional overhead cams to become a DOHC, 16-valve boxer pumping out 230-horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 235 pound-feet of twist at 3,600 rpm.

Seat time in the 2.5XT is forthcoming, for now though its the base engine of which I speak when I say, “I wish the little devil had more punch.” But what I wish for and what most owners really need in the way of Forester power are two distinctly different subjects. For the most part, 173-horsepower effortlessly scoots the compact SUV about town and country, with low-end torque that feels adequate for the vehicles mass.

This isnt the most refined four-banger on todays market. It was a little noisier than expected, especially when pushed to the max. The gusto it produces is fed through either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission. Again, a scan of the competitors wont reveal many four-speed autoboxes among the group, making the Foresters transmission a bit dated and less effective than the many five-speed or greater automatics permeating the field. Nevertheless, shifts were smooth and well placed.

Rather than a manual-mode feature, Forester users must rely on a gated shift plate to guide their selections when manually shifting the autobox - something I prefer to an electronic manual-mode anyway. Off-road purists will decry the lack of low-range gearing in the venerable Forester, but if serious off-roading is part of the plan prospective purchasers ought to look to a Jeep Liberty, Kia Sorento, Nissan Xterra or Suzuki Grand Vitara to fulfill their compact SUV needs.

Although my base model Forester was equipped with antilock front disc brakes and drum-style antilock rear brakes, it cast-off speed suitably well while exercising good dynamic control, despite a mushy-feeling pedal and significant nosedive. Moving up to either XS or XT trim will place antilock disc brakes at all four-corners of the Forester. Why Subaru hasnt made the superior disc/disc arrangement, which includes Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD), standard across the board mystifies and perturbs me. Again, many less expensive vehicles are so equipped. If you really must, compromise elsewhere Subaru, brakes are far too important to skimp on.

Subaru has included a long-travel, four-wheel independent suspension, which improves traction on uneven terrain by keeping the wheels in closer contact with the ground. Overall, the Forester does a good job of handling rough surfaces with a ride thats slightly more stout than that in a typical passenger car, but not at all truck-like. Also un-truck-like is the Foresters admirable agility and lively handling characteristics, which again makes it more passenger car than SUV in nature.

Subarus Symmetrical, full-time all-wheel drive system powers all four wheels under most circumstances. Many light duty SUVs and crossover vehicles only direct power rearward when the front wheels begin slipping. In addition to supplying superior traction, Subaru claims that its Symmetrical engineering lowers the vehicles center of gravity by keeping the drivetrains mass low in the chassis resulting in improved handling and vehicular stability. I cant say that the effect jumped out at me during my time with the Forester, but I am certain the principle is sound.

The real proof in the Subaru pudding is its ease of operation and driveability. Motorists wanting the virtues of a not-so-large SUV without the accompanying SUV encumbrances would be well advised to closely examine a Forester. It offers a higher driving position than conventional passenger cars, great interior versatility along with Subarus notable all-wheel drive technology. Every Forester is equipped with external roof rails, multiple 12-volt outlets, interior tie-down hooks and cargo bay gear bars.

Also worth mentioning is the generous dollop of standard content included in the base Forester, such as dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags, front seat side-impact airbags, power windows/mirrors, keyless entry, air conditioning, cruise control, AM/FM weather band CD audio, and fog lights. 

The entry-level Forester is the 2.5X I tested, followed by the 2.5X L.L. Bean edition. The top of the U.S. line is the turbocharged 2.5XT Limited. In addition to body-colored bumpers and side cladding, luxuries such as leather upholstery, automatic climate-control, premium audio and cross members for the roof rails form part of the various trim-level increments. Subaru also offers an impressive array of dealer installed accessories to aid in transporting bikes, kayaks, ski equipment and the like either in or on the Forester.

The Forester 2.5X may not be the sleekest or fastest SUV crossover on the market, but its definitely one of the most practical, economical and easiest to drive specimens to be found. And for a unit without low-range gearing it provides a tried-and-true all-wheel-drive system that I would argue is more effective and robust than examples found in many other vehicles in the ever-expanding crossover segment. Its these fundamental strengths that have held the Forester in high esteem throughout its tenure as one of the most influential SUV crossovers ever.