Subaru
Bigger than before but less expensive, the all-new Forester excels at what it does best
Subaru's fun WRX enters 2008 with a controversial new face and major refinements to an all-new body.
'What is this?' yet another friend asked. 'It's an '08 Subaru Tribeca,' I said, for perhaps the fourth time in as many days. 'I've never seen one before,' was the reply, which I'd also heard.
So what, exactly, would motivate Subaru, purveyor of all-wheel drive cars and SUV alternatives, to produce its own sport-ute? After all, isn't Subaru's own Outback proof that one doesn't really need a big, gas-wasting SUV?
Are we the only ones who have noticed that the more special a Subaru is, the longer and more arcane its name gets? Consider the flagship B9 Tribeca. Or the Forester 2.5 X L.L..Bean. Or the tongue-twisting Ouback 3.0 R VDC Limited Edition. So, when we saw the badge on the new Legacy GT 2.5 Spec B, we guessed that it would be something quite special indeed.
We've always had a hard time thinking of the Forester as an SUV thanks to its close relationship with the Subaru Impreza, but plenty of onlookers clearly had no problem seeing it for what it was. Subaru's little crossover sport-ute acquits itself as the most carlike vehicle in its class. The good news is that it doesn't sacrifice any of its go-anywhere ability in the name of comfort, either.
Two words; power corrupts. This applies to horsepower as well as politics and finance.
