Subaru Forester Hybrid review finds the ‘safe’ mid-size buy
The Subaru Forester Hybrid has a 1000km bladder of steel … which is about as exciting as it gets.
Buying a Forester in recent times has typically been an admission that your weekends are now more about navigating the Bunnings car park than carving up a mountain pass.
But, hold the phone, because this famously sensible wagon has developed a superpower: A bladder of steel. Subaru’s new Forster Hybrid can clock up 1000km on a single tank, which is enough to drive from Sydney to Melbourne and still have the range to argue about which city has better coffee.
This new-found stamina comes courtesy of a “Strong Hybrid” system – a name Subaru hopes will convince you it’s been hitting the gym.
It’s a definite step up from the previous model, and it needed to be … the competition led by Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid is getting better.
The Forester Hybrid starts from about $50,500 once on-roads are settled, while a bare-bones two-wheel drive RAV4 is $45,800 (fuel consumption of 4.7L/100km). Then there’s the range-topping Honda CR-V e: HEV RS ($59,300, 5.5L/100km), Hyundai Tucson Hybrid ($46,500, 5.3L/100km)), Kia Sportage Hybrid ($50,640, 4.9L/100km), Nissan X-Trail e-Power ($44,990, 6.1L/100km) and Haval H6 Lux HEV ($40,990, 5.2L/100km).
What do you get?
The middle child of the Forester Hybrid family at just under $60k, Sport versions deliver the best value if you like the finer things in life, with inclusions such as a 12.3-inch driver instrument cluster, bronze 19-inch alloys, 10-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, sunroof, power tailgate with kick sensor and synthetic leather seat trim.
Those features are additional to the 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and push button start found in the base model.
Two service plans are available, it bundles together three maintenance visits at the dealer for $1261 or five for $2299.
One of the big absences is a full-size spare – kinda vital if you are travelling long distances, like 1000km in one trip. Hybrids only come with tyre repair kits but for $3112 fitted you can get a spare wheel carrier kit which plugs into the towbar ($100 more for the 19-inch wheel version).
How was the drive?
Electric power delivers more punch off the mark compared to the run-of-the mill Forester, and has better responsiveness – the drive is smoother than a jazz festival announcer.
When there’s enough charge in the small battery and it’s cruising, full EV mode takes over automatically.
But here’s the rub. While it’s strong on smoothness, it’s a bit weak on the ‘hybrid’ part that actually matters to your wallet: Saving fuel. It sips petrol more politely than its petrol-only sibling, sure, but against sharp rivals like Toyota and Kia, its fuel economy is like bringing a garden hose to a firefighter’s muster.
During our test with combined highway, metropolitan traffic and easy undulating rural runs we saw average fuel consumption of 6.3 litres/100km, which is within a whisker of the Subaru claim.
That covered 680km, with 240km of possible range according to the trip computer … about 80km short of the 1k mark.
Yet the Forester has a trump card. Proper, full-time all-wheel drive. Subaru’s famed all-paw connection to the road is like a firm handshake compared to a hesitant wave from across the room.
While many Foresters don’t see challenges greater than the muddy soccer carpark, it does excel when things get tricky. On gravel roads, slippery stream crossings, and rocks that would make a lesser SUV cry for its mummy, the Forester just shrugged and got on with the job.
It still has a class-leading 220mm of ground clearance, turning the sensible wagon into a capable mountain goat.
Towing is a trade off – it can only pull 1200kg, which is down 600kg on the combustion engine version.
Would you buy one?
Kel: Chiselled bodywork match the “strong” hybrid upgrade. Across my criteria, the Forester didn’t disappoint but neither did it excel my expectations and I thought the value was there for the asking price. While I wouldn’t be unhappy having one full-time, I would probably opt for one of the rivals purely based on more modern looking infotainment.
Grant: Subaru has mastered the art of sensibleness. This is the family car your brain tells you to buy while your heart is off chasing something Italian and unreliable. It’s safe, spacious, and about as edgy as a butter knife. It’s still the perfect SUV for adventurous souls who don’t want a full-on 4x4 and can now travel to even further roads less travelled – just buy the spare tyre accessory.
Originally published as Subaru Forester Hybrid review finds the ‘safe’ mid-size buy
