MetroWest Subaru

Subaru's Forester Stays True to the Cause

The Boston Sunday Globe on January 30, 2011 had a great write up by Bill Griffith on the new Subaru Forester. Here are a few excerpts from the article:

?Subaru launched the Forester in the late 1990?s. That vehicle had the look of a station wagon with an oversized and out-of-proportion ?greenhouse? that is, the roof and windows.

As out of kilter as that original Forester looked, its performance made me a believer in Subaru?s all-wheel-drive system. That was a summer-without-rain that finally broke early on a Friday night. Violent thunderstorms hit the area, creating what one friend calls ?Southern ice? ? roads turned into a skid pad by accumulated grease, oil, and dirt.

We saw vehicles off the road, in accidents, and skids. That Forester, meanwhile, passed through it all as though it were on rails.

Fast forward a decade to the 2011 Forester that we drove through recent heavy snows with the same feeling of security.?

?Handling was secure and predictable when trying to break the car loose in that lot, but more importantly, it was even more stable on an ice- and snow-covered dirt road with gullies beckoning on either side.

On paved road, the ride was refined and relatively quite. ?

?We found lots of nice touches. The rear seats were raised, affording rear-seat passengers a good view and easing conversation between rows. There also was plenty of legroom for two couples to ride in comfort on a Saturday night date. Headroom, both front and rear, was amazing even for taller folks. Several times, we checked that the rear doors actually had closed tightly because they felt so light and latched quietly without the expected ?thunk?.

Standard on our Touring model was a rear-view camera with a 4.3-inch display screen, a wonderful addition that isn?t part of an additional navigation package.

Also standard were the bi-xenon headlights, dual-zone climate system, one-touch folding releases on the 60/40 rear seats, electro-luminescent gauges, and a welcome all-weather rear mat that covered the cargo area when the seats were raised.

Inside the Forester, front or rear, is the ideal place to be during a New England winter.?

Motor Trend Editor Takes the Subaru Outback Fishing

Motor Trend's Ron Kiino took the long-term Outback on a fishing trip to California's Eastern Sierra and utilized the Subaru's 71.3 cubic feet of cargo for hauling two duffel bags, five rods, a couple pairs of waders and boots, two ice chests, and two float tubes.

"From the town of Bishop up to Mammoth Lakes, Highway 395 climbs nearly 4000 feet in elevation over a 40-mile stretch, a grade that separates the weak from the strong. At first, I left the Outback's CVT in Drive, just to see how the powertrain would respond. As CVTs tend to do, the Subaru's kept the revs nicely in the powerband, but I did need to come on and off throttle more than I liked. A quick grab of the left steering-wheel-mounted shift paddle, though, would drop the CVT into its fourth preset ratio ('fourth gear'), pushing the revs to around 4000 rpm and the speedometer to a comfortable 70 mph. I've climbed this grade spurring much more powerful engines at much higher speeds, but I can't say any has been more impressive than a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter flat-4 lugging 3600 pounds plus gear up an imposing hill at 70."

Sales: (508) 315-5178

Subaru in The Spotlight