The Subaru Forester XT: weekend adventures and city cruising
You may have already come across WOW editor, Juliet McGuire’s, video review of the Subaru Forester XT (and if you haven’t, click here), but after she raved about what a great car it was to drive I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself.
I drove the top-of-the-range variant which comes with a 2.0 XT turbopetrol engine. This one will cost you just under R600k but bear in mind, it’s got A LOT to offer and will last you long enough to keep the whole family happy.
(If you’re wanting a cheaper option the entry-level 2.0 X will cost you around R376 000 but you’d be missing out on quite a bit of great features.
Weekend adventures
If you’re a regular road tripper like me the new Forester has several features to complement your adventures:
- All-wheel drive traction for those muddy surfaces
- Ample interior space for luggage, camping gear, and sports equipment
- A rugged and unpretentious exterior image gives you more reason to explore without worrying too much about dirtying your car – bring on those dirt roads!
City cruising
While the Forester XT is fun to drive on big open surfaces, what I loved most about driving it in and around the city is that it’s super quick! In fact when Juliet handed it over to me I caught a bit of a fright when I first put my foot down and realised just how much power it had. It’s got 177 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque…just enough to give other drivers a run for their money when taking off at traffic lights.
As spacious as it may look and feel inside, outside the Forester you’ll notice that it’s not as big as you think – which makes it an even more convenient car to zip around the city in.
Happy families
The new Forester is the ultimate family car for many reasons: It’s spacious, safe and comfortable and has a few practical features to offer any family.
A rubber mat that perfectly fits into the boot of the car not only protects its surfaces when carrying extra luggage, it’s also a great way to keep dog hair out of your car. It’s easy to remove to shake off any hair and just as easy to put back.
The back seats can be folded flat by the simple press of a button from the boot of the car. So you don’t need to climb back in!
As far as safety goes, the Forester has won quite a few awards world-wide. Seven airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors and full Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) suite includes ABS, EBD with Brake Assist, ESC and TCS.
Also see: Juliet reviews the Subaru Forester XT