The Subaru Forester S Edition (Review)

Written by Damian Murphy
Tuesday, 11 October 2011 10:38

Imagine having a good and powerful rugby side. A side that competes, but never wins anything. Then add pace, more power and some genuine creativity, all of a sudden you have a winning formula. That rugby side you had before, is the standard Forester, the one you have after the makeover is the Forester S Edition. It is like a normal Forester with a faster engine, a better gearbox and a bucket full of extra fun. I know it seems a strange analogy to draw a comparison between a car and a rugby team, but rugby is all the rage at the moment. As I have said in nearly all past reviews of Subarus, either you love the way they look or you hate it, but once you have experienced a Subaru, you can’t help but appreciate what they can do, and how they get it done.

The Forester S Edition looks no different on the outside to the version I reviewed a couple of months ago, and the interior has very few changes too, but that is not a bad thing. The exterior of the previous Forester had that audacious air intake on the bonnet that adds to the aggressive look of the car. While the Forester’s design is not meant to be pretty, it is by no means an ugly car. It just looks like a car that can get the job done, in the city or in the bush. This is a car you can park at the Inanda Club or at the 4x4 club without ever once feeling out of place.

It has all the practicality of an urban utility vehicle and all the muscle and capabilities of a serious off road monster. The gearbox is responsive and delivers a good amount of grunt. The 2.5 litre turbo charged engine is screamingly fast and allows you to whip the Forester through the city streets like a sports hatch. It has 193kW and 347Nm of torque meaning that if you are in the right kind of mood you could redo your hairstyle simply by pushing down on the accelerator. The Boxer engine, which lies on its side, gives you great balance. The braking is sharp which gives you maximum confidence regardless of the surface you are driving on and the suspension and all wheel drive provide you with the most comfortable ride on all terrains.
The Forester S Edition has all the creature comforts inside that you could ever want; it has an iPod adaptor, MP3 and CD player with 7 premium performance speakers and climate control. It is nearly a complete package and is a blast to drive.

I was however disappointed in a couple of things; the paddle shift gearbox wasn’t a winner for me, even though the overall gearbox was, and the engine didn’t sound like an S Edition engine. You could feel the power under your foot, but you couldn’t really hear it. I missed the sound of that massively powerful engine purring at a traffic light and growling as I pulled off.

Having said that I loved the normal Forester and I love the S Edition. Subaru’s pay off line is drive one and you will understand. I have driven many, and loved them all. They arth the money and great fun to drive. The S Edition costs around R469,000.