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2004 Subaru Forester
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| Gray Skies Don't Dampen This New Turbo Model |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:43:21 |
| Rating |
 752 ( -64 -8.51% ) | | Author | Tara Baukus Mello |
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Description:
2004 Subaru Forester
2004 Subaru Forester 2.5 XT
Gray Skies Don't Dampen This New Turbo Model
2004 Subaru Forester
2004 Subaru Forester
2004 Subaru Forester
2004 Subaru Forester
2004 Subaru Forester
2004 Subaru Forester
I saw the clouds off in the distance the moment I began to descend western Arizona's Big Horn Mountains. The sun was setting and it had tinged the desert valley just outside Phoenix the shade of pink-orange you see in paintings of the southwest. Through the moonroof of the 2004 Subaru Forest 2.5 XT, I saw the sky begin its transformation from brilliant blue to the blackness that comes with nightfall.
While it was clear overhead, large, dark clouds were beginning to amass in the distance. A storm was brewing up ahead and we were headed straight for it. With a kind of serene fascination, I gazed across the massive valley while the clouds joined together until they blanketed the distant sky in charcoal gray.
A full hour had passed before my Forester reached the storm, which had stalled over Phoenix. The rain began first with enormous drops that splattered on the windshield in single bursts, like fat men jumping cannonball-style into a pool. An occasional bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. As my husband and I drove east toward our destination, the wind began to pick up and the rain changed from cannonball drops to those of a rapid-fire machine gun. Water fell in great sheets tossed sideways in the wind and flooding the highway near downtown Phoenix. I slowed the Forester while I looked intently at the cars in front of me, waiting for someone to spin out of control. The Forester 2.5 XT's standard full-time All-Wheel Drive combined with its 16-inch wheels and tires showed their prowess for negotiating the slippery, water logged road and kept me confidently moving ahead as multiple lightning strikes danced across the sky nearly simultaneously. I also found comfort in the knowing that the Forester received the highest possible rating ("good") in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's frontal offset crash test as well as that group's "best pick" designation.
Little did I know it, but the storm was a monsoon (the real kind, not the word used by those who are exaggerating the amount of rain) and is part of the typical weather for the summer months in Arizona. These earth-pounding storms produce winds of up to 115 miles per hour, release half of the area's annual rainfall and cool off the scorching desert. The storm I experienced pounded on Phoenix for nearly five hours and produced over 158,000 lightning strikes as well as flooding and sinkholes.
While Subarus aren't nearly as popular in the southwest as they are in the northeast, the company's all-wheel drive technology (standard equipment in all Subarus) sure does come in handy in the wet weather and I am surprised that more desert residents haven't figured this out.
As is the case with all its models, Subaru's Forester has two types of all-wheel-drive systems; both provide power to all four wheels under all driving conditions. (Some all-wheel-drive systems power either the front or rear wheels until road conditions require the all-wheel-drive system to kick in.) Five-speed manual transmission Foresters have Continuous All-Wheel Drive, which utilizes a center-differential located within the transmission case to divide engine power equally between the front and rear. Under slippery conditions, power is transferred to the wheels that have the most traction. The result is the same in Foresters equipped with the four-speed automatic transmission, but this system, called Active All-Wheel Drive, uses a continuously variable transfer clutch located in the transaxle's tailshaft. Active All-Wheel Drive uses sensors to determine how weight transfer is affecting traction. Under acceleration, for example, the system directs power to the rear wheels to take advantage of the weight transfer to the rear, while it directs power to the front under deceleration. Four-wheel disc brakes and four-channel, four-sensor ABS are standard on all Foresters.
Forester, Subaru's entry into the compact-SUV segment, sports a rather low-slung design that makes it more like a tall wagon than a sport ute. It's a trait that is just fine with me, since a lower center of gravity means a reduced risk of a rollover accident, not to mention the fact that the lower ride height makes entry and exit a whole lot easier.
The Forester was completely redesigned for the 2003 model year and features an assertive new design with more defined lines and a more prominent grille. The 2003 design changes go beyond just aesthetics. The new styling has made the Forester more aerodynamic, resulting in a noticeable improvement in wind noise and improved fuel economy.
For 2004, the classic (and functional) hood scoop seen on its WRX model makes its way into the design of the XT, while housing the new turbocharged engine under the hood. The Forester 2.5 XT has its own distinct look. In addition to its functional hood scoop, body cladding and door handles are body color, while an aluminum finish has been applied to the standard roof rails. The 16-inch alloy wheels feature a six-spoke design unique to the XT.
The biggest news in the 2004 Forester line-up is the addition of a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed, turbocharged engine (hence the moniker 2.5 XT). Producing 210 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 235 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 rpm, the new engine gives the Forester some of the sporty driving characteristics of its sibling, the WRX. It marks the fourth model in the Forester family, in addition to the X, XS and XS Premium models, which all feature the 165-horsepower, 2.5-liter boxer engine available in previous models.
On the road, the XT was a delight. After the storm blew past, I enjoyed a trip to a nearby mountain lake. With the turbo, there was no struggle for air on those long, uphill climbs at altitude and the Forester XT sprinted past loping RVs as they plodded up the mountainside. On the twisty downward slopes, the XT's four-wheel independent suspension and variable rack-and-pinion steering provided handling capability that was far more like a sedan than an SUV.
Yet, when inside, the Forester is spacious with the tall cabin offering plenty of space for luggage and passengers. I appreciated the extra bolstering for added lateral support during the long drive. Although I didn't need it on this trip, the 60/40-split rear seat can be folded flat for extra cargo space.
Despite the storm I'd experienced a few days earlier, temperatures quickly climbed back to their normal summertime highs of well over 100 degrees and I was glad to be heading out of the desert heat. The early morning sun had already begun to heat up the black interior and I cranked up the air conditioning for the drive home. As I entered the highway this time, the sky was a brilliant blue and the scorching sun made the metallic flecks in the Java Black Pearl paint glisten. I listened to the turbocharger kick in as I pressed the throttle to merge into traffic and headed for the California border with a smiling at the cloudless sky.
Writer's Notes
Test Car: 2004 Subaru Forester 2.5 XT
Curb Appeal: The functional hood scoop, body-color side cladding, six-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels give the Forester 2.5 XT a sportier look and make it easy to distinguish from its siblings.
Asphalt Rating: The 2.5-liter horizontally-opposed, turbocharged engine produces 210 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 235 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 rpm.
Real World: A zippy compact SUV with a sporty attitude and high ratings for safety.
Handling: Four-wheel independent suspension and variable rack-and-pinion steering provided handling capability that was far more like a sedan than a compact SUV.
Comfort: The premium package gives oodles of comfort and convenience features, including leather upholstery, power everything and a pumped-up stereo.
---Story by Tara Baukus Mello
---Photos courtesy of Subaru
© 2003, Tara Baukus Mello, All Rights Reserved. |
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