Test Car Specifications
Model: 2023 Subaru Forester E-Boxer
Price: Forester from £37,990, Sport from £40,090
Engine: 2.0-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder petrol and electric motor
Transmission: continuously variable transmission, four-wheel drive
Power: 150hp
Torque: 194Nm
Emissions: 185g/km
Economy: 34.7mpg
0-62mph: 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 117mph
Boot space: 509 litres
Styling
The Forester has never been the sexiest car on the market, and the latest-generation car has done little to change that. It's still quite boxy, and there are some weird features, such as the textured trim around the rear window, that feel oddly out of place. But some seem to think there's charm in the Forester's oddball design, and we'd certainly stop short of calling it ugly. It just isn't especially attractive, particularly with the garish red trim of mid-range Sport models.
Interior
While the Forester's exterior design is so-so, the interior design is considerably easier to summarise. Chiefly with the word 'dated'. The plastics, the switchgear and the displays would all have been quite fresh in the late 1990s or early 2000s, but the game has moved on since then, and blocky animations, clunky displays and busy graphics are all a bit PlayStation2 in a PS5 world.
In fairness, that criticism applies more to the top display and the digital display in the instrument cluster, rather than the main touchscreen, but even that feels a bit old-school. The graphics are way behind that of even Suzuki and MG, let alone the more mainstream and premium brands. Still, it has plenty of functionality, and the inclusion of satellite navigation and a reversing camera is to be applauded. Better still, it works pretty well with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which alleviates some of the issues.
But even if the touchscreen just about passes muster, the overall design is not exactly modern. This Sport version, with its numerous orange touches and the grey cloth, looks like a washbag from 2002, rather than the interior of a £40,000 hybrid SUV. It's a shame, because though the materials leave something to be desired, build quality isn't that bad, and the ergonomics are generally reasonable.
Practicality
Practicality is arguably the biggest strength of the Forester, which is blessed with an enormously roomy cabin. Not only do those in the front seats have ample space to stretch out, but there’s a surprising amount of rear legroom and the slightly boxy shape affords the rear-seat passengers a huge amount of headroom.
Then there’s the boot. At 509 litres, it’s hardly small – you get less space in the back of a BMW 3 Series Touring – but some other family SUVs offer a bit more carrying capacity. Still with all that space in the cabin, a respectable boot is still pretty good going. And if you fold the back seats down it looks more cavernous.
Performance
Subaru has been a longstanding proponent of the flat-four ‘boxer’ engine, so named because the pistons move horizontally, like the arms of a boxer. But in this modern world, the company has teamed its 2.0-litre boxer engine with hybrid power, creating a slightly more efficient powertrain with enough power for a medium-sized family car.
And it’s certainly sufficient for the Forester, which sends its 150hp to all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Such gearboxes have their critics – and we’re among them – but they do have their advantages. Apparently. In the Forester, though, it seems the recalcitrant transmission is the sticking point that limits the car to an 11.8-second lope from 0-62mph and a top speed of 117mph.
The performance, however, is not the problem. You don’t really need to go much faster than that in the real world, but it would be nice if the Subaru made less of a fuss while doing it. Though it’s a hybrid, it isn’t that quiet on electric power, and the transmission ensures the engine makes a right racket when you put your foot down. Four-cylinder engines don’t sound great anyway, and though this boxer is far from the worst, it isn’t the smoothest or the quietest motor on the market.
And for a hybrid, it’s hideously inefficient. Admittedly, we improved on the 34.7mpg official economy quite considerably, achieving almost 40mpg on a long run, but the Forester still wasn’t all that frugal. And CO2 emissions of 185g/km will likely put a few would-be company car customers off the Subaru.
Ride & Handling
Although Subaru doesn't like to trade on its rally heritage, it's clear that the Forester knows its way around a rally stage. The handling is a surprise highlight of the brand's biggest SUV, and despite its height and weight, it displays respectable body control in corners. It doesn't lean too much, and there's plenty of grip, while all-wheel-drive traction ensures you can always get the power down.
Okay, so it's no hot hatchback, but compared with other family SUVs, the Forester stacks up rather well. The steering is particularly good compared with the overly assisted set-ups found in so many modern SUVs.
What's more, the Forester can cut the mustard off-road. It's no match for a Defender or a Wrangler, but the permanent all-wheel-drive system is better than the systems fitted to most cars in this class. With some proper tyres wrapped around the alloys, it should be perfectly capable on any surface.
The only real catch with all this is the ride, which is a little brittle. It isn't disastrously uncomfortable, and it improves slightly at speed, but it does smash into potholes a bit, despite having relatively chunky sidewalls. Still, it's tolerable, and some customers would call it a price worth paying for the handling and off-road capability.
Value
Forester prices start at just under £38,000, and that's quite a lot of money. A Toyota RAV4, for example, is a fair bit cheaper, and you can spend significantly less on a Ford Kuga. That's a problem, because in most customers' eyes, the Kuga and RAV4 will be much better cars for day-to-day use. They might not have the off-road capability, but they are more upmarket inside, more comfortable and just as well built, if not more so. Yes, the Forester has some good kit, but it doesn't represent exceptional value unless you really need the off-road performance.
Verdict
The Forester has its issues – not least the horrendously aged interior – but it has its advantages, too. The hybrid system, while imperfect, is somehow better than it appears on paper, the handling is much better than you might expect and there’s plenty of space. With a bit of off-road capability and the promise of reliability in spades, the Forester really isn’t that bad a car. It’s just that pretty much everything else in the class is better in all the ways that matter to most customers.
