Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Subaru Forester

After a full photo gallery and early driving impressions, Kelsey Mays delivers his full report on the redesigned 2009 Subaru Forester. The SUV is now more SUV-like and a bit more attuned to mainstream buyers, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a solid improvement over the outgoing model. Check out Kelsey’s full review to find out why this new Forester is a worthy competitor to stalwarts like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

2009 Subaru Forester Expert Review

Comments

I just took delivery of the 2009 Forester XT Premium with Cold Weather Package. In my opinion, this is a car that answered consumers comments about what they wanted to see in improvements.

This is a car whose quality equals the Honda or Toyota. The driving experience is great. The visibility is great with very few "blind" spots. The acceleration is adequate with the base engine and 4 speed automatic. The mileage is terrific. I get 28-31 MPG on the freeway. Note- I always drive the speed limit unless I have to go faster to keep pace with traffic. At 65 MPH, the tach reads 2500 which is about where competitors register. The engine never feels strained even on steep upgrades. The cruise control will maintain speed on down slopes as well.
Overall, the quality workmanship and Subaru's efforts to meet the driving needs of the North American car owner are noteworthy.

I just took delivery of the 2009 Forester XT Premium with Cold Weather Package. In my opinion, this is a car that answered consumers comments about what they wanted to see in improvements.

This is a car whose quality equals the Honda or Toyota. The driving experience is great. The visibility is great with very few "blind" spots. The acceleration is adequate with the base engine and 4 speed automatic. The mileage is terrific. I get 28-31 MPG on the freeway. Note- I always drive the speed limit unless I have to go faster to keep pace with traffic. At 65 MPH, the tach reads 2500 which is about where competitors register. The engine never feels strained even on steep upgrades. The cruise control will maintain speed on down slopes as well.
Overall, the quality workmanship and Subaru's efforts to meet the driving needs of the North American car owner are noteworthy.

I drive an 04 Forester XT, and I am looking for a replacement. I would not, however, consider a new Forester. I like (or liked) Subarus because they were wagons, and NOT SUVs. The Forester, along with the Outback and Tribeca, are all fat SUVs. What a shame. You can call them crossovers or whatever, but they are still SUVs. Subaru lost a customer.

Subaru still comes out on top vs. its competitors. Great quality all the time.