Subaru Forester 2026
By Tim Saunders
The Subaru Forester is a robust All Wheel Drive estate that tackles anything that is thrown at it, from taking the family on a day out through to being laden with items like a number of internal doors and hedge cuttings for a tip run.
One bank holiday weekend morning I'm driving at 60mph in the slow lane of the M27 when I'm suddenly confronted with a parked car in my lane. A parked car with its hazard lights on. The children are busy asking me to open the sunroof, then close it and to close the windows, too. Fortunately, we’re not travelling faster and even then I have to brake hard, forcing the car that’s tailgating me into the next lane, fortunately, otherwise they'd have gone into the back of me and there would have been an almighty pile up. Thankfully, the lane they pull into is free and I also have to veer into it. What a nightmare. Who’s stupid idea was it to remove the hard shoulder? I thank my lucky stars that I’m writing this now because my nine lives were already well and truly spent. Either the parked car had run out of fuel or had broken down, or perhaps the driver was ill but the problem here was not the parked car, it was the lack of a hard shoulder. My family and I were so very nearly another statistic – we could have all been wiped out just like that. So that really does shake us all up for the rest of our journey to New Milton where we’re going to the carnival.
It does take time to calm down but the Subaru’s comfortable leather seats - the driving position's pretty good - and decent stereo help to restore a less stressed mood.
Then my attention turns to the economy. It seems heavier on the juice than its rivals probably due to its all wheel drive system. Driving at a steady 50mph, as in any car, delivers the optimum economy and it's a pleasure to see it rise to 43mpg before falling below this as it gains speed. The cruise control is one of the easiest to operate that I have come across.
We all like the large electric sunroof which is lovely in a heatwave and the all round electric windows are very welcome. Power folding wing mirrors are useful when parking on the roadside. For a fairly large car it is easy to drive. If more engaging driving is preferred than relying on the automatic gearbox there are paddle shifts either side of the steering wheel.
It’s a good companion on journeys to Southampton, New Milton, Romsey and the New Forest.
Facts at a glance
