NORTH SHORE

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NEWS AUTOMOTIVE

Friday, October 27. 2006 — North Shore News - 29 -

GUIDE

MEWS photo Paut McGrath

WITH freshened styling and more standard features, the 2001 Subaru Forester remains one ef the most powerful, best-handling compact SUVs on the market.
Standard features include a 185 horsepower, 2.5-litre, horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine, ali-wheel-drive, fully independent suspension and a comfortable,
well laid-out interior with iots of storage compartments. 2001 Foresters range in price from $27,095 to $36,195. Test drive the 2001 Subaru Forrester at Speciaity

Motors, 1235 Marine Drive, North Vancouver.

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AS gas prices go up, the appeal of big, gas-hungry
SUVs is likely to go down.

Perhaps that’s why vehicle manufacturers have introduced at
least cight new compact SUVs in the past three vears, three of
them this year.

The Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute and Hyundai Santa Fe join
the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 (redesigned for 2001), Suzuki

Vitara/Grand Vitara,
Chevrolet Tracker, Kia
Sportage, Jeep YJ, Nissan
Mterra, and the Subaru
Forester.

Compact SUVs (with some
exceptions) typically have a
car-like unit-body platform,
five-passenger capacity, four-
or six-cylinder engines, full-
time 4WD, a tall bodystvle
with plenty of cargo roar,
and additional ground clear-
ance,

As they're intended for on-pavement use and occasional
“light-duty” offroad use, compact SUVs usually doen't have
part-time 4WD or a Low Range gear.

The Subaru Forester, restyled and upgraded for 2001, is one
of the more “car-like” compact SUV:

First introduced in 1997, the Forester is based on the com-
pact Impreza car plattorm, and includes the same 165-horsepow-
er 2.5-litre tour-evlinder “boxer” engine offered in the fmpreza

in its class. It’s also unique in its class because the cylinders are

horizontally-opposed (opposite each other) and the engine and
transmission are mounted longitudinally rather than transversely.
This helps reduce driveline vibrations. In addition, the boxer
engine has a lower centre of gravity than inline or “V” engines
which helps handling and vehicle dynamics.

‘The longitudinal powertrain has another advantage. Ina
crash, the engine and drivetrain are forced underneath the car,
and away from the passenger compartment. According to the
USS. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (ITHS) front crash
tests, the Forester was the only SUV in its class to be rated
“Good,” the highest rating available.

Foresters also have Subaru’s unique all-wheel-drive system
which provides constant power to the front and rear wheels all of
the time.

This differs from some of its competitar’s all-wheel-drive sys-
tems which normally run in front-wheel-drive, and only transter
power to the rear when the front wheels slip. The advantage of
Subaru’s system is that there is no hesitation in power transter to
the rear wheels, and more immediate grip on slippery surfices.

A fully independent MacPherson strut suspension is also stan-
dard on the Forester. This suspension allows individual wheels to
act independently when traversing bumps, thereby not affecting
other wheels or upsetting the batanee of the car, An indepen:
dent suspension enhances both handling and ride

Changes for 2001
For 20GL, the Forester receives freshened exterior stvling
inchiding anew chromed grille, revised hood, headlamp and

‘preter page 82

Base price...

Price as tested
...four-door, five-passenger compact SUV
longitudinal front engine/all-wheel-drive
...2-O-litre four-cylinder, SOHC, 16 valves
165 @ 5,600 r.p.m.
..166 @ 4,000 r.p.m.
‘our-speed automatic

Torque .
Transmission .
Curb weight...
THOS o.ccsecsssessessees ssssvsetensesseeasscesoees seessteecssverseee 2 VO/GOR-16
Curb weight. 1,475 kg (3,252 Ib.)
Wheelbase i
Length .6 in.
HIGH... eescesssssesessssecsecsssssssccessneesseneee 1.595 m (62.8 in.)
Cargo capacity... seats up: 906 litres (32 cu. ft.),
ats down: 1,670 litres (65.7 cu. ft.)
City: 10.8 1/100 km (26 m.p.g.)
Highway: 7.4 1/100 km (38 7.9.9.)
three years/60,000 km
five years/100,000 km