Subaru is one of those hot brands, having been on a roll for a number of years continuing to do what they do best: making all wheel drive runabouts for the left of center crowd. Here’s a quick look at what’s new for their best-seller, the 2016 Forester.
[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Watch Steve Hammes put the 2016 Subaru Forester to the test” style=”outline” color=”primary” size=”lg” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Ftestdrivenow.com%2F2016-subaru-forester-review%2F|title:Watch%20Steve%20Hammes%20put%20the%202016%20Subaru%20Forester%20to%20the%20test|target:%20_blank”]This 4th gen Forester went on sale in 2013 and comes in 6 flavors ranging in price from about $23,000 to $35,000, all with the brand’s hallmark 4-cylinder boxer engine and standard all-wheel drive. Forester models with an XT badge are also turbocharged. The term Boxer refers to the motor’s flat engine design with horizontally opposed cylinders. Not only does this arrangement provide a lower center of gravity imparting better handling, but it’s also an integral part of Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system, so called because all of its components lie along the centerline of the vehicle unlike competing setups. All wheels are powered, to various degrees, at all times and in my experience this isn’t just a bunch of marketing jargon. All-wheel drive systems are not all the same and Subie’s shine when the going gets tough. To expand their appeal outside of the northeast, they’re educating shoppers about the inherent dry-road handling benefits, as well.
My tester is just a notch over the base model, known as the 2.5i Premium, referring to the 2.5-liter engine with dual overhead cams, an active valve control system but no direct injection. That being said, its gas mileage is still right there at 27mpg in combined driving. It produces 170 horsepower, 174 pound-feet of torque and can be had with either a 6-speed manual or like here, the brand’s Lineartronic CVT. Despite its bad reputation, the continuously variable transmission is improving and Subaru’s is surprisingly automatic-like in its sensations minus the shift points. It’s very agreeable. It’s interesting to note however that the freshened 2017 Forester will debut a reprogrammed CVT with pauses to mimic those shifts in hopes of delivering a sportier feel.
By TestDriveNow Auto Critic Steve Hammes for SouthFloridaReporter.com, Mar. 17, 2016
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