The Forester does quite a bit of heavy lifting for Subaru. What was once a plucky little all-wheel-drive utility box has matured into a competitive crossover that accounts for a quarter of the company's total sales in the US. With those numbers continuing to swell even in the third generation's twilight hours, engineers and designers found themselves in the unenviable position of being asked to fix what ain't broke. Rather than reinvent the company's workhorse from the ground up, as we say in our first look at the CUV, Subaru honed the Forester to offer better fuel efficiency, more usable space and a more refined drive.
In doing so, the automaker hopes to toe that delicate line between luring in new devotees to the cult of Pleiades and keeping the brand's longtime fans smiling. While the fourth-generation Forester may have lost some of its trademark pluckiness in the pursuit of a more mainstream existence, there's no denying this is a more sorted vehicle than its predecessors. Make no mistake, the 2014 Forester is keen to carve out a larger chunk of the ever-plumping CUV market for itself, and for the first time in its history, it has the muscle to do so.
The 2014 Subaru Forester is larger in every direction compared to the 2013 model, but familiar proportions help keep the new generation from looking engorged. Taken on its own, the Japanese CUV looks fairly compact, but with its tall ride height and more capacious greenhouse, the model can't help but appear beefier than competitors like the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5. Both the base Forester and the XT now feature more squared-off styling front and rear, and the result is a more masculine mini SUV.
Subaru wanted to help separate the turbocharged XT model from its naturally aspirated littermates aesthetically, which helps explain the Gundam lower fascia up front. There's no calling the machine's lower maw subtle, but the look is more subdued in the flesh. Longtime XT fans will spot the unfortunate omission of the model's trademark hood scoop – a casualty in the quest for greater fuel efficiency through reduced drag. While the forced-induction four-cylinder still makes use of a top-mount intercooler, the heat exchanger is now fed through a bit of clever duct work snugged to the underside of the hood that draws air from the grille opening.
Combined with a new teardrop roofline, the scoop delete helps return a drag coefficient of just .33. The number is one of the best in the segment and marks a 10.8-percent improvement over the 2013 model, but we still miss the option of vacuuming up squirrels, birds, small children and other foolhardy varmints.
If the Forester shows its new girth anywhere, it's in profile. The new generation is 1.5 inches longer than the outgoing model, complete with an extra inch of wheelbase. There's also an additional 1.4 inches of total height, thanks in part to a larger greenhouse. Designers shifted the A-pillar forward slightly for greater visibility and larger door openings, and under a close eye, the CUV can't help but appear a bit bubble-headed. We appreciate the new roof-to-belly doors that cover the vehicle's sills, however. Anyone who's come away from a previous-generation Forester with mud or snowy slush on their pant legs will agree the design change is a good one.
Inside, the 2014 Forester doesn't exactly offer buyers any great leap forward in comfort or convenience, though a number of small changes help make the cabin a nicer place to spend time. Those start with larger door openings all around, which help make jumping behind the wheel or wrangling children into the back seat easier. Up front, designers have ditched the old square cup holders for round units, and the seat warmer controls have finally migrated to a usable position on the center console. We can't say thank you enough for that last maneuver. With an extra 0.4 inches of vehicle width and redesigned, scalloped door panels, occupants get an extra 1.3 inches of shoulder room, too, which helps make the Forester feel larger inside than it actually is.
But it's the back seat that's received the most attention. Subaru has worked to make the 2014 Forester more kid friendly than its old counterpart, with tricks like a transmission tunnel that's nearly three inches lower than before. Likewise, the center console has been shortened by four inches to afford the center seat more legroom, and the back cupholders have moved from the bench seat itself to the fold-down armrest. The change allows children in car seats to easily reach cups or toys and makes the center seat itself more livable. Most importantly, the 2014 model delivers an extra 3.7 inches of rear legroom over the 2013 Forester, effectively making the back seat genuinely usable for adults and children alike for the first time in the model's history.
Engineers spent plenty of time tweaking the vehicle's drivetrain as well. While lower trims make use of the same 2.5-liter dual-overhead cam boxer four-cylinder engine that debuted on the 2013 model, the XT now benefits from a turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-liter flat four. The forced-induction mill is based on the same platform as the engine that propels the company's BRZ, but engineers assure us the setup won't fit into the rear-wheel-drive coupe's engine bay. Clearly, they've never handled a reciprocating saw.
The base engine continues to deliver 170 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 174 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm, but the new beating heart behind the XT puts out 250 horses from 5,600 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque from a foolishly low 2,000 rpm. That's a jump of 26 hp and 32 lb-ft of torque over the outgoing turbocharged 2.5-liter engine. While the base 2014 Forester gets to enjoy an all-new six-speed manual transmission, as well as a new continuously variable transmission option, the XT rides with an all-new high-torque CVT of its own. The new transmissions translate into some impressive fuel economy figures, with the base model returning 24 miles per gallon city and 32 mpg highway by Subaru estimations (the EPA has yet to officially weigh in). The XT, meanwhile, now meets the 2013 base model's numbers with 23 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, and the turbo no longer requires premium fuel. Those are impressive numbers considering the Forester comes standard with all-wheel drive.
Read more by Zach Bowman at Autoblog.com
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