Short Take Road Test
The Forester is an SUV you can drive with a clear conscience. Its subdued looks won't draw the attention of eco-terrorists, and its fuel economy is nearly on a par with that of most mid-price sedans. It carries people and things at least as well as anything in its compact class, and Subaru's excellent four-wheel-drive system gives it all the off-roadability any sane person needs.
Introduced for model year 1998, the Forester has since passed through the usual year-to-year evolutionary adjustments, and for 2006 it undergoes, in the words of a Subaru exec, "a big minor change." The nose and the tail are mildly restyled, there are a few interior upgrades, and there's more power for both Forester engines: naturally aspirated and turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-fours.
All this would not be newsworthy were the Forester not particularly close to our hearts: The 2.5XT model has been the No. 1 small SUV in our 5Best Trucks rankings for the past two years. This distinction was earned by virtue of the performance of its blown boxer motor, which elevates the Forester from being merely nice to being nice and quick. It's in the great tradition of the "sleeper," an innocuous-looking wagonette that runs like Wile E. Coyote with his tail on fire.
That's still the case with the 2006 2.5XT Limited, despite a niggling anomaly. Even though its horsepower has increased to 230 from 210, its acceleration has fallen off slightly. It's still plenty quick-legging it from 0 to 30 in 1.5 seconds, to 60 in 5.9, and crossing the quarter-mile stripe in 14.3 seconds at 96 mph-but across the board it's several tenths off the marks posted by a similar Forester we tested in August 2003. Hmm.
What seems to account for the discrepancy is a subtle change to the driveline. Although the final-drive and first-gear ratios of the five-speed manual transmission are identical (a four-speed automatic is also available, but we prefer the stick), second through fifth gears have slightly taller ratios. Consequently, it takes the power a little longer to get to the ground. There is a trade-off, however: Mileage has improved on the EPA highway cycle from 24 to 25 (and we even got 25 mpg over a 360-mile road trip).
Aside from these minuscule barely-relevant-to-real-life differences in performance and mileage, the 2006 Forester does everything we've always liked about its predecessors. If you stay out of the throttle, it's an uncomplaining little wagon that's versatile enough for mundane family chores. All the controls, levers, and instruments the driver needs to touch or see are in easy reach and plain view. The seating position, although not as elevated as in a mid-size SUV, is still somewhat higher than a sedan's, and the Forester's way-big windows make for a great view (which is even better with a sunroof as big as a flight deck that's optional on lesser models and standard on XT Limiteds).
The transformation of the Forester from docile to muscle comes when you stab the throttle of the XT Limited. In first gear, its short-stroke, opposed four-cylinder turbo engine revs so quickly that it takes a bit of practice to snap a shift to second before the rev limiter cuts in. Gearchanges can be made accurately and quickly, and the turbo engine goes from whisper to growl as the tach reaches for the red zone. Midrange passing power is particularly notable even though a downshift may be required in limited overtaking zones.
The Forester handles better than could be expected of a small SUV and not as well as might be desired in a cousin of the rally-bred Impreza WRX. But that's being overly critical. For what it is, the Forester does what it does very well. Subaru's so-called symmetrical all-wheel drive-the normal front-to-rear split is 50/50-operates in utter anonymity; even with the right wheels on the dirt and the lefts on the asphalt, the steering wheel barely twitches in a full-throttle takeoff.
Although the Forester is aging, it remains a comfortable little truck, not just to occupy but in all aspects of its personality. The 2.5XT Limited starts at $28,490, and that includes leather upholstery and the Premium package, with 16-inch wheels, rear discs with electronic brake-force distribution, hood scoop, sunroof, and roof rails. This Forester is like a well-trained old hound-even-tempered, good company, but if it happens to spot a rabbit, it'll run it to ground in no time flat.
