Subaru Forester is a practical 4×4 that’s great for twisty back roads – but badly needs feature that made firm famous

NOBODY buys a Subaru because of fashion.

They’re sensible cars, usually covered in mud, for people who don’t much care what the neighbours think.

Come to think of it, they probably don’t even have neighbours.

Subaru actually knocks £1,000 off for members of the National Farmers Union.

Every Forester is four-wheel drive for traction when it’s slippery.

The raised-up body gives plenty of ground clearance for bumpy gateways and snotty tracks.

The wheels are pretty modest and the tyres tough, so they won’t be vulnerable to potholes like oversized alloys are.

The Forester is the right size. Not too wide. Rural drivers don’t like wide cars because the lanes are narrow.

You sit pretty high up, and there’s lots of glass, and the sides and bonnet are boxy, so visibility is great and it’s easy to judge where the car begins and ends.

So it doesn’t look racy or stylish. Just purposeful.

Swallows bumps and potholes

The tall, squared-off shape gives plenty of space in the cabin, front and back. Seat comfort is another plus.

The materials in the cabin are tough without being too drab. The screen system is logical enough to use, even if its graphics look like they came off a Nineties Japanese arcade game.

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On the go, the suspension swallows bumps and potholes gracefully, so when it’s come up from the country to the big smoke, it’ll have no trouble with speed humps.

Accurate steering means it’s easy to direct neatly down twisty back-roads.

But it’s not exactly a sporty set up. No surprise there.

The engine is a petrol, and has a compact flat-four arrangement of cylinders. So it’s tucked low in the nose, which helps the cornering agility.

It’s refined and quiet, and sends drive through a stepless CVT auto transmission.

The badge says e-Boxer but don’t be taken in. The e-for-electric hybrid assistance is small, so it’s not very economical on fuel.

Never mind electricity, it could badly do with a turbocharger instead. It demands real patience to get up to cruising speed.

But then, its owners are probably patient enough. They’re not the sort of people who press the ‘close doors’ button in a lift. They’ll wait three seconds.

Once upon a time, Subaru got famous for making turbo rally cars that were the darling of performance car fans. But those days are gone.

Nowadays, Subaru is all about dependability and solid practicality. The Forester is the most Subaru car that Subaru makes.

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