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With literally only a couple of dozen delivery kilometres on the clock when we were handed the keys, 'our' Forester still had that wonderful new car smell. Well, perhaps not that wonderful. With the Carsales Network gang doing the normal new car trip around the block, our first impression was... What's that burning smell?
On almost every new car these days, there's a variety of surface coatings applied to keep the car pristine on its trip from factory to first owner. The stuff Subaru uses on the Forester's underbody must be heavy-duty -- it took a few days to burn off and in the meantime a couple of the crew commented on the whiff.
Not that that kept us from putting the new toy into use, and not long later it was already looking less than pristine (well-used!) after a Clan Sinclair soccer trip...
With its 'just right' sizing and the inherently flexible packaging almost every compact SUV delivers, the Forester has fitted in to the Carsales Network's extended family from the start.
'Our' Forester's interior fit and finish is spot-on, with tidy shut lines and no dash rattles or squeaks... yet. We're still not fans of Subaru's decision to use 'shiny' plastic dash and doortop surfaces in the Forester (and Impreza), but the car is put together well and there's every indication the materials will be durable in the long term.
We can take or leave the wood trim embellishments on the dashboard, however, and the central display unit is undersized yet catches sunglare, making it difficult to read at times.
A significant number of buyers of high-spec models appear to be optioning the 2-DIN sized satnav unit. At $2990 it's an expensive luxury, though we admit it helps lift the cabin.
We can report that initial impressions grade the XS model's naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre engine as reasonably quiet at start up and smooth running. There's not a lot of torque down low but what it has is spread evenly across the range.
With just a few kilometres under its belt, the boxer four is still pretty tight. We expect that it will loosen up and feel a touch more willing as the miles roll by. That's certainly the feedback we've had from longer-term Subaru owners.
We're averaging 9.4L/100km. That's a smidge over the official figure of 9.3 for the manual models, but so far our Forester has endured a lot of stop-start traffic.
The five-speed manual is notchy, and at first seems rather unrefined, but at least it feels 'true' and not flimsy like, say, the Renault Koleos' box (more here).
The manual Foresters come standard with hill start assist. It's easy to take a feature like this for granted -- until you get back in a manual car without it. It certainly makes that stop-start stuff easier when there are grades involved.
As mentioned in our launch review (more here), Forester's steering is lightweight but at this stage our long-termer is being used for mundane tasks such as the work commute and lunch runs, so it's been a delight to punt into carparks and the roadworks around Melbourne barely rate in terms of kickback.
Forester is nimble but there's some body roll when pushed, and its soft suspension set-up means the wagon can get a little 'floaty' over speed humps and the like. None of it is unliveable, however.
The trim for the seats is attractive but dark (black). We'll be watching it for any signs of wear over the next few months. Thankfully it's easy enough to clean and the material feels robust.
Seating front and rear is flat, in contrast to the aggressively bolstered seats fitted to some offroaders. That said, they're supportive enough and comfortable over both short and medium length runs. As yet we've not taken the Forester on a long highway trip, nor offroad to establish the full-day comfort or whether occupants might be tossed about in the rough stuff.
The driver's seat has good adjustability including for height settings, although this driver (at least) can not avoid knocking knees on the underside of the steering column. This is despite trying multiple seating positions and making the most of the tilt and reach adjustable steering.
This is another issue we will canvas as more drivers get seat time.
The MY08 Forester's doors open wider than the previous generation making entry-exit simple and clamber-free, and the rear cargo floor is low so loading items like kids' bikes and shopping is easy.
Forester also has good storage space in the cabin and our rear seat occupants like the centre console with cupholders, leaving the door pockets free as carry-alls. The wagon also has excellent headroom front to rear.
Our Forester doesn't have park assist but vision all 'round is good, aided by a low beltline and slim rear pillars. The wagon's turning circle is also handy enough to keep that redesigned nose away from trouble, too.
Combined with a quiet cabin, the Forester has so far been easy to live with for the daily drive and super useful for weekend runs to Bunnings. It also doubles as comfortable and polished transport for family and friends. No one's complaining so far...
Also read
Subaru Forester long-term test - Introduction
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