Subaru Forester S 2011 Review

..,popping and banging sideways through the forests south of Perth. The Forester S-Edition doesn't have a rollcage or the super-grippy rally tyres either, but that's no reason not to give it good consideration.

Back on Planet Earth, we have to perform the daily duties - school runs, commuting, family roadtrips and the like - none of which is much fun for passengers in a rally car.

Even so, we're driving the most powerful (says Subaru) Forester yet unleashed on Australian roads - remember they've had STi versions of this model in Japan.

VALUE

Subaru is asking $50,990 for the Forester S-Edition - a $3500 jump up from the (25kg lighter) XT Premium automatic.

The extra cash buys an additional 24kW and 27Nm, a paddleshift five-speed (the rest of the range has only four and no paddles) auto, STI-style wheels (but the same 17in diameter), the sports interior trim with blue alcantara inserts on the sports leather seats, an upgraded instrument panel and blue hue to the interior lighting.

The features list also includes a large electric sunroof, electric folding rear seat function, dual-zone climate control, a six-speaker CD/DVD touchscreen sound and satnav system (which failed to switch screen display when in Auto mode), Bluetooth phone link and a trip computer.

TECHNOLOGY The S-Edition packs a solid shove from the re-tuned WRX motor - the turbocharged 2.5-litre flat-four offers 193kW at 6000rpm and 347Nm of torque between 2800-4800 rpm, with variable valve timing among its arsenal.

Don't look for any stratospheric ratio tallies here - the Forester S-Edition has the five-speed paddleshift automatic transmission from the WRX STI, which has paddleshifters but feels as though it could do with six gears to keep the 2.5 in the meaty section of the tacho.

Given that the rest of the range has a four-speed auto and a five-speed manual on offer, perhaps we shouldn't complain.

The all-wheel drive set-up has variable torque distribution - 45/55 front/rear is the norm but it changes as required, something which you get a taste of on the dirt before the electronics kick-in.

Even with the driver aids retarded, the nursemaid system still smacks your hand if you attempt to emulate the WRC boys, but swift, secure and sensible dirt road driving is easily achieved without incurring the car's wrath.

DESIGN

A big, square-rumped bull-nose box with air intakes a-plenty, the Forester has thankfully not yet started to look like the Outback and Liberty.

The cabin has a useful amount of room for passengers and cargo, with no shortage of headroom and enough legroom in the back for me to sit behind my own driving position.

In-cabin storage is good, with plenty of space in the doors and centre console.

SAFETY

The Forester S-Edition has the variable (but not front-biased thankfully) all-wheel drive system, as well as stability and traction control which can be toned down but not disabled, giving it the dynamic ability to avoid misfortune in many cases.

The passive safety features include dual front, side and curtain airbags, as well as a reversing camera.

DRIVING

The tall Forester is not all show and no go, that is for certain - 193kW and 347Nm equates to a claim of 6.5 seconds to 100km/h, which is not dawdling for some sportscars, let alone an SUV - gunning away from standstill does little to cast doubt on the numbers.

The five-speed auto is smooth but a little on the slow side for shift speed and sometimes get caught snoozing, made worse when the revs fall to the bottom third of the tacho.

Flicking the selector across to Sport mode does alleviate some of the tardiness, or the driver can use the elegant paddles behind the steering wheel, complete with grippy rubber backing, but the car will over-rule and up-change rather than tickle the limiter, in the same annoying way the STI auto does.

On the plus side, it does have 225mm ground clearance and that is better than many of the alleged soft-roaders, and it will tackle unsealed surfaces comfortably.

The Yokohama Geolander tyres fall into the category of Jack of All Trades - useful on most surfaces but not excelling on any either. Early-onset mild understeer is the diagnosis when pushed in corners, with a little bit (but not excessive) body roll, but once settled the Forester covers winding roads at a decent pace - but slower in and faster out being a better cornering option.

The S-Edition will also zip quietly through traffic and does it without too much tyre or engine noise (something the STI wanna-haves might miss), riding firmly and with a little too much chatter over the bumps - a check of the tyre pressures revealed normal amounts.

The satnav screen is clear and bright, but despite several attempts it would not go to its night display using the Auto mode - a manual change needed to be selected, which can only happen at rest.

VERDICT

The top-selling Subaru all-rounder packs plenty of punch and can carry the brood with ease, but it's not yet perfect, better rubber would help.

OWNERSHIP

Price: $50,990
Warranty: 3 years, unlimited km
Resale: 74%
Service Interval: 10,000km or 6 months
Economy: 10.5l/100km, on test 13.8, 95RON PULP; 248g/km CO2
Safety Equipment six airbags, stability and traction control, ABS, EBD.
Crash rating: 5 star
Engine: 193kW/347Nm 2.5-litre turbocharged flat-four
Transmission: five speed auto, all-wheel drive
Body: 5-door, 5 seats
Dimensions: 4560mm (L); 1795mm (W); 1700mm (H); 2615mm (WB)
Weight: 1585kg
Tyre size: 225/55 R17 Yokohama
Spare tyre: full size alloy