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What's the difference?
There is a plethora of medium SUVs to choose from in our market, so what will make you notice the Subaru Forester 2.5i-S?
It's second from the top for the (petrol) Forester line-up, has a decidedly spacious cabin, and probably most importantly, an affordable price point!
It has some tough rivals, like the practical Nissan X-Trail, which you can now get with seven seats and the feature-heavy Skoda Karoq.
Australia’s darling, the Toyota RAV4, is also a contender. So, should you make like the snow fields and join forces with this Subaru?
I’ve been driving it with my family of three to find out for you.
Fiat's indomitable 500 is one of the great survivors - not even VW's recently deceased New Beetle could keep riding the nostalgia wave, partly because it made itself just that little bit out-of-touch by not being a car anyone can buy. The 500 avoided that, particularly in its home market, and is still going strong.
Fiat added the 500X compact SUV a few years ago and at first I thought it was a daft idea. It's a polarising car, partly because some people complain it's capitalising on the 500's history. Well, duh. It's worked out well for Mini, so why not?
I've driven one every year for the last couple so I was keen to see what's up and whether it's still one of the weirdest cars on the road.
The Subaru Forester 2.5i-S continues to impress me. It’s a very practical family car with its features and use of space but I like the price, too. Some of the old-school design aspects won’t appeal to everyone, though. I also would prefer a more powerful engine but this easily gets an 8.0/10 from me.
My son liked his view this week and the big sunroof, he gives it a 7.0/10.
The 500X is a fun-looking alternative to the various options available from everyone else and is - overall - better to drive than its Renegade twin.
It packs a very good safety package which you can't ignore but does lose points on the warranty and servicing regime. But it's also built to take four adults in comfort, which not every car in the segment can boast.
The 2023 model hasn’t seen a facelift and remains decidedly curvy with its chunky body panelling but the LED exterior lights add some sharpness to the overall look.
The interior carries the ‘muscular’ vibe with the thick cutaways and ledges on the dashboard and door panels. There’s a lot happening inside but it all somehow manages to not be overwhelming.
It’s a bit old-school inside, with the traditional gearshifter, CD player (yep, they still exist) and smaller 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system but I reckon it just makes this look more capable.
It’s certainly polished but it won’t appeal to drivers who are looking for sleek or futuristic styling.
Look, I like the 500X, but I know why people don't. It's clearly a 500X in the way a Mini Countryman is a Mini. It looks like a 500, but get closer and you see the difference. It's chubby like a $10 weekend market Bhudda statue and has great big googly eyes like Mr Magoo. I find this endearing, my wife does not. The looks aren't the only thing she doesn't like.
The cabin is a bit more restrained and I quite like the band of colour stretching across the dash. The 500X is meant to be a bit more grown up than the 500, so there's a proper dash, more sensible design choices but it still has the big buttons, perfect for the meaty fingers of people who won't be buying this car.
The interior is downright practical and boasts more space than this SUV class can usually claim. At 168cm (5'6") I have plenty of head and legroom in both rows, even with the electric sunroof! Tall passengers will feel comfortable, too.
Up front, the leather-accented seats are well-padded and both are electric with heating function but the passenger side misses out on additional lumbar support.
Individual storage options are quite good with a deep middle console and glove box, plus two cupholders and a drink bottle holder in each door.
The phone utility tray is a tad too small for my iPhone 8 Plus, which makes it awkward when you connect to the wired Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
The 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is on the smaller side but the graphics are super clear. It’s not laggy either, which is always a bonus, and has built-in satellite navigation, too.
There is an additional 4.2-inch screen on top of the dash plus the 6.3-inch digital instrument panel – both display safety and vehicle information but I found it confusing jumping between all three screens while on the go.
Incorporating the smaller screen’s info into a larger instrument panel would have been better.
Charging options are good throughout with each row getting two USB-A ports but the front also enjoys two 12-volt ports too.
The back seat is almost as comfortable as the front and individual storage is better than average with a map pocket and two device holders on the backs of both front seats. There are those drink bottle holders and two cupholders in the fold-down armrest.
The amenities are a bit bare but I do like that you have directional air-vents and those USB ports.
My six-year old and my parents found it super easy to get in and out of this car because of the 220mm ground clearance.
The doors were a little heavy for my son to operate smoothly but I love how they open to almost 90 degrees because it made it easy to fit my monster booster seat through the aperture.
On that note, there are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points and I reckon you might get lucky with three skinny seats.
There should be plenty of room for front passengers when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed, too.
I really like how wide and tall the aperture is for the boot but was surprised that it only has 498L of capacity because it looks a lot bigger.
It has a level loading space but because of the full-sized spare wheel, you can’t adjust the floor level. And as always, it’s great having a powered tailgate.
At just 4.25 metres, the 500X isn't big, but makes the most of what it's got. The boot impresses at 350 litres and with the seats down, I think you could reasonably expect to triple that figure, though Fiat doesn't have an official number that I can find. For added Italian feel, you can tip the passenger seat forward to get really long things in, like a Billy bookshelf flat pack from Ikea.
Rear seat passengers sit high and upright meaning leg and kneeroom are maximised and with that tall roof, you won't scrape your head.
The doors each have a small bottle holder for a total of four and Fiat has got serious about cupholders - the 500X now has four.
There are seven models in the petrol-based Forester line-up and this sits second from the top, with a price tag of $46,340, before on-road costs.
That puts it just under its nearest rival, the X-Trail ST-L ($46,790) but makes it a fair bit more affordable than the Karoq Sportline 4x4 ($49,490) and RAV4 XSE ($52,585).
There are two hybrid versions available, if you’re looking for something a bit eco-friendlier.
The Forester 2.5i-S is well-specified with leather-accented trims, heated front seats, electric front seats with eight-way adjustments, dual memory seat positions (driver only), a powered tailgate, a sunroof and a full-size spare wheel.
The exterior hosts full LEDs with its daytime running lights, headlights and tail-lights but it still misses out on ambient lighting inside.
Is has dual climate-control is up front and directional air vents in both rows, plus multiple charging options add to interior practicality. Its technology feels up to market with the graphics however the packaging looks older but more on that later.
You do have to fork out a bit extra for carpet mats ($207.07, fitted) but otherwise, even the paintwork is included in the price tag.
I drove the Pop Star, which is the second of the now-two model "regular" range, the other being the, er, Pop. I drove a Special Edition in 2018 and it's not clear if it is Special as there's also an Amalfi Special edition. Anyway.
The $30,990 (plus on-road costs) Pop Star has 17-inch alloys, six-speaker Beats-branded stereo, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, active cruise control, sat nav, auto headlights and wipers, leather shifter and steering wheel and a space-saver spare.
The Beats-branded stereo speakers are supplied with noise from FCA's UConnect on a 7.0-inch touchscreen. The same system is in a Maserati, don't you know. Offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, UConnect loses points by shrinking the Apple interface into a lurid red frame. Android Auto properly fills the screen, for some reason which is ironic given Apple owns the Beats brand.
Our Forester model has a 2.5-litre, horizontally-opposed four-cylinder 'boxer' petrol engine with a maximum power output of 136kW and 239Nm of torque.
It’s not the most powerful engine but I feel it had plenty of power for what I required of it this week. It can occasionally whine if you push it hard on a hill.
This is an all-wheel drive but has a continuously variable auto transmission, which can feel a bit clumsy at lower speeds.
Fiat's rather excellent 1.4-litre turbo MultiAir does duty under the stubby bonnet, making 103kW and 230Nm. Rather less excellent is the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which sends power through the front wheels only.
It's rated to tow a 1200kg braked trailer and 600kg unbraked.
The official fuel figure for the combined cycle is 7.4L/100km and my real-world usage came to 6.9L. That’s great economy for this sized SUV but I did mostly open-road driving this week. Expect it to be higher in the city.
Based on the combined fuel figure and the 63L fuel tank, you should be able to get a driving range of around 850km, which is good for those families who like to do road trips.
Fiat rather optimistically suggest you'll get a combined cycle figure of 5.7L/100km but try as I might, I couldn't do better than 11.2L/100km. What's worse, it demands 98RON fuel, so it's not the cheapest car to run. This figure us consistent with past weeks in the 500X and no, I wasn't thrashing it.
I’ve mostly enjoyed driving this around town but it delivers a steadier experience on the open road. That CVT auto just doesn’t do it any favours in stop/start traffic, I’m afraid!
I didn’t have to get too aggressive with the accelerator on hills, but the engine can whine if you push it too hard.
Overall, the steering is responsive enough to confidently take on a winding road but it’s on the looser side of firm. The ride comfort is superior and while the suspension feels super cushioned, it’s not floaty.
The cabin can get a bit loud at higher speeds and your senses might feel battered after a long trip but it is otherwise pleasant to be in.
I am particularly fond of the higher driving position and how the windows at the rear are so wide. It has great visibility, which is important in a SUV.
The exterior styling makes the Forester appear a lot larger than it is but the 10.8m turning circle reminds you how easy it is to manoeuvre!
The reversing camera is clear and I love the additional side camera that shows the front left wheel. It makes it easy to line up the car with parking lines.
Again, I shouldn't like the 500X but I really don't mind it. It's flawed, which might be why.
The dual-clutch transmission is dumber than a box of loose cogs, lurching from start and looking the other way when you expect it to shift. We know the engine is a good one and I think part of the reason it's so thirsty is the confused way the transmission goes about its business. I'd love to drive a manual to see what it's like.
The 500X initially feels worse than its Jeep Renegade sibling-under-the-skin, which is quite an achievement. Part of that is to do with the ride, which is very choppy below 60km/h. The first 500X I drove wallowed about but this one is a bit tauter, which would be good if you weren't punished with this bounciness.
The seats themselves comfortable and the interior is a good place to hang out. It's reasonably quiet, too, which is at odds with the old-school silliness of its conduct. It feels like Labrador let out of after day kept inside.
And that's where the car I shouldn't like is a car I do like - I really like that it feels like you're on Roman cobblestones, the type that make your knees hurt when you walk on them for a day. The steering wheel is too fat and is at a weird angle, but you kind of square up to it and drive the car like your life depends on it. You have to take it by the scruff, correct the shifts with the paddles and show it who's boss.
Obviously, that's not for everyone. If you drive it really gently, it's a very different experience, but that means going slowly everywhere, which is no fun at all and not at all Italian.
The safety features are robust on the Forester and I really like the driver fatigue monitor because it has facial recognition technology that watches you for signs of inattention. I tested it a lot this week and found it fairly responsive.
Other features that come standard, are LED daytime running lights, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aids, lane departure warning, intelligent seat belt reminders, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and adaptive cruise control with stop/go and lane keeping function.
It has autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 0-80km/h.
The Forester was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating but it was done a while ago in 2019. There are seven airbags but it’s missing the front centre airbag we’re starting to see on new cars.
Out of the box, you get seven airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward collision warning, high and low speed AEB, active cruise control, rollover stability, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind spot sensor and rear cross traffic alert. That's not bad for a $30,000 car full stop, let alone a Fiat.
There are two ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors for baby seats.
The 500X scored a five-star ANCAP rating in December 2016.
The on-going costs are quite reasonable on this with it coming with a five-year/unlimited km warranty. You can choose to pre-purchase a three- or five-year capped-priced servicing plan, which is cheaper than a pay-as-you-go option.
It’s $1387.25 for the three-year plan (averaging $463 per service). Expect to pay $2674.64 for the five-year plan (averaging $535 per service) but both plans are competitive for the class.
Servicing intervals are average at every 12 months or 12,500km, whichever occurs first.
Fiat offers a three-year/150,000km warranty, along with roadside assist for the same period. It's not great as more manufacturers shift to five years.
Service intervals arrive once a year or 15,000km. There is no fixed or capped-price servicing program for the 500X.