Subaru Forester 2.0 XS 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The underpowered 2.0 litre boxer engine is good for 148bhp at 6000rpm and 146 lb-ft of torque at 4200rpm. A 0-62 mph time of 10.7 seconds and a top speed of 115mph hint at its lack of punch and to make steady progress the engine needs revving hard.

The car’s suspension has been set up for comfort rather than handling and therefore while it’s easy to drive and capable of smoothing out the harshest roads, it's far from agile and body roll in corners is noticeable. The steering also lacks accuracy. However, with drive going to all four wheels it never struggles for traction and it performs well off-road.

The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable and the steering wheel can be adjusted both for rake and reach so getting comfortable shouldn’t be a problem.

While the Subaru Forester 2.0 XS 5dr may not be as handsome as some of its rivals, it’s certainly not a bad car to look at. With its swollen wheel arches, high ride height and plastic mouldings beneath the grille lending it a certain rugged appearance, it looks like a car built for off-roading.

Inside there is a plethora of kit including dual zone climate control, heated front seats, CD, leather upholstery, Bluetooth, hill-start assist and cruise control all as standard. It also comes with alloy wheels, stability control, alarm and immobiliser and front fog lights.

The door mirrors are electrically folding while the dashboard is generally well laid out but looks slightly dated when compared to certain rivals and, as with other Subarus, the quality of the materials could be better.

There is plenty of space in the cabin with ample legroom and headroom in both the front and rear seats. The rear seats can be folded flat to increase the already large boot space of 450 litres to 1,610 litres.

The Forester comes with six airbags as well as ABS, stability and traction control systems, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

Subarus have a good reputation for reliability and the car comes with a three year 60,000 mile warranty.

The Subaru Forester 2.0 XS 5dr is not cheap at £25,370 but, thanks to Subaru's legendary build quality, it is a sound investment. The running costs will be quite high, although not unacceptably so for a 4x4. You should average 37.7mpg which isn't bad and CO2 emissions of 173g/km mean road tax falls under band H.