Not every car you get behind the wheel of as a motoring writer can be over the top great. Some are just good. And that’s fine.
The Subaru Forester 2.5-L is not the greatest vehicle I have ever jumped in.
But it is good. It is fine.
It is a fine family SUV, in fact.
With the rival SUVs rolling on to the scene at rapid pace, Subaru has performed a mid-generation tweak on its stalwart Forester, producing suspension upgrades and a quieter ride.
In line with the upgrades rolled out across the Subaru family, prices for the Forester are unchanged, starting from $29,990 for the Forester 2.0i-L manual and climbing through to $39,490 for the 2.5i-S CVT auto and on to the top of the range 2.0XT Premium auto at $47,990.
That’s upgrades without an increased price. What’s not fine about that?
Exterior styling changes include a grille that has been changed across the range to fit in with a classier looking front end. There’s a re-profiled front bumper, LED headlights that turn with the steering and daytime running lights.
But the finest thing about the upgraded Forester is barely noticeable… it is the reduced cabin noise. The technical guys within Subaru explain it by saying they used thicker glass in the side windows, changed the body structure and door seals to reduce the wind noise and cushioned the console to reduce vibration noises.
However they did it, they have done a fine job.
On the road, and with the cabin noise comfort considered and the improved suspension already showing its worth, the Forester shows it is fine in many other areas.
The CVT transmission is – like most I have encountered – not overly appealing. It constantly works, playing catch up or seemingly getting ahead of itself as you go about your driving business.
And I think my driving is fine.
The tested Forester features a 2.5-litre 4-cyl, 126kW/235Nm engine matched to a 6-Speed CVT auto.
Average fuel consumption is a claimed 8.1L/100km. It features 7 airbags and has a 5-star safety rating. Plenty to be fine about.
Sales of the ever-popular Forester also continue to be fine.
It keeps on selling, at around 1000 units per month, because it is a good car. It looks and acts like a SUV should.
And Subaru keeps on making sure this family favourite is fine with regular improvements without ever-rising costs.
The Subaru Forester is a good car… and I’m fine with that.
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