The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just announced a safety recall covering
295,123 vehicles, a pair of Subaru models and a close relative from Saab. The recall concerns front control arms that may fail if corroded, making the vehicle difficult to control. The action covers select 2003-2008 Forester crossovers, 2002-2007 Impreza models and some 2005-2006 Saab 9-2x hatchbacks, the latter heavily based on Subaru mechanicals.
In April, NHTSA launched an investigation after receiving seven complaints from owners of affected vehicles. In two instances, owners reported losing control of their vehicle due to control arm failure. The agency's investigation revealed the front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if exposed to salt or humid environments.
This is a geographic recall, meaning that Subaru will inspect the degree of corrosion and either replace or rustproof the control arms on vehicles registered for use in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
Saab dealers will be responsible to inspect and repair affected 9-2x models as necessary, including the possible rustproofing or replacement of control arms. Owners who think that their vehicle may be covered under the recall are urged to contact their dealer.
Auto journalists are a fickle bunch, and I will be the first to confess that at times we’re sometimes at odds with auto manufacturers. Subaru is a prime example. Us journos loved oddball Subarus, and praised them for catering to a rugged, left of center crowd that was small, but fiercely loyal. But the truth is, this is the car business, and Subaru is in the business of selling cars-and they wanted to appeal to more than quirky people living in New England and the Pacific Northwest. So, Subaru went mainstream. But with its strong selling Forester, was Subaru able to make an appeal to a larger customer base while still maintaining the ingredients of what makes a Subaru, a Subie? Read on.
The Forester is a familiar and well-loved fixture in the Subaru family. Now in its third generation, Subaru made a dramatic move with the Forester, changing it from an eccentric, tall station wagon to that of a more conventional small SUV designed to go head to head with the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The Forester is an inoffensive design that assumes the silhouette of its competition. In other words, apart from the grill, it’s very hard to know you are looking at a Subaru. Our test car, finished in Sage Green Metallic seemed to make the Forester all the more transparent. That said, high-end touches such as chrome door handles and aluminum roof rails added a touch of class to its appearance. It would take a pretty astute Subie fan to note we were driving a turbocharged Forester, as a hood scoop and dual exhaust pipes are the only exterior hints of the extra power. From outside, the hood scoop isn’t really noticeable, but from the driver’s seat it is extremely pronounced, and does no favors in forward visibility.
Subaru’s are traditionally known for purposeful, but somewhat austere cabins, so it was a little odd to climb into a a plush, fully-featured Forester. The seats were comfortable, but offered no lateral support. Apart from aluminum pedals and an interesting weave on the floor mats, there isn’t much to differentiate the Subaru from any other small SUV. The gauges were crystal clear, and most controls were intuitive to use. However, the audio and navigation interface seem behind that of the competition, and it puzzled me to no end that I could not figure out how to manually move from one satellite radio station to the next. It shouldn’t have to be that hard, guys. Stranger still were the cupholders in the center console-they were squares. With my wife’s iced coffee moving around I was terrified to approach corners with any level of enthusiasm for fear of the cup flying out of its square. Awful design. Fix it. In its favor, the Forester boasts a roomy cabin, a comfy rear seat with copious leg room, and an impressive amount of cargo space. I did wonder how our test car’s light-grey leather interior would stand up to the wear, tear and abuse a typical family would exact on this car.
Subaru recently overhauled its engines for the Forester. True to form, Subaru continues to offer a boxer four cylinder, this time a 2.5L rated at 170hp. This engine can be teamed to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Our test car was equipped with the turbocharged 2.5L, good for 224hp, but the only transmission available is the four-speed automatic. While the tranny has no glaring issues in performance or execution, Subaru is down one or two cogs its competition offers. In other words, this transmission is an antique, and should have been updated when the engines were. Naturally, all Foresters have all-wheel drive. Our turbocharged Subaru offered plenty of pep around town, and hit highway ramps with authority. I’d have preferred a firmed up suspension and more steering feel to go along with the quickness, but again, I know Subaru is going for a broader market, and the 2.5XT was never meant as an Impreza WRX SUV. That said, the ride quality is about where it should be for a family friendly small SUV.
A base Forester will run you $20,495USD, but our test car was the top-spec 2.5XT Touring model. Standard features included HID headlights, panoramic power moonroof (it’s huge), dual-zone auto climate control, Bluetooth, power driver’s seat, leather heated seats and a rear vision camera. The only factory option was GPS navigation, which brought our as-delivered price to $32,320. The price may sound high for a Forester, but it actually falls right between a top-spec Honda CR-V which has less power, and a V-6 powered Toyota RAAV4 which is more powerful, so taking that into account, our test car seems priced right for its power and features.
But the question remains-did Subaru sell itself out in its quest for greater marketshare? Did they abandon the loyal buyers who have supported them for decades? The simple answer is no, they have not. All Foresters continue to have all-wheel drive as standard equipment. A boxer, horizontally opposed four cylinder resides under the hood, and Subaru continues to support turbocharging as they have since the early 1980′s. These are the basic ingredients that make a Subaru a Subaru, and in spite of more conventional styling, Subaru has remained true to what has defined them as a car company.
In sum, the Forester can sit comfortably with the best in its class. With an improved audio/navigation interface, a six-speed automatic and some workable cupholders, Subaru has the potential to keep the sales momentum of the Forester going strong.
Cars and music are two of my greatest passions in life. In fact, they easily go hand in hand. What can make a blast up your favorite country road even better? Easy, by picking the music that enhances the experience for you. As soon as radios were installed in cars, music and the automobile became permanently entwined. While there are those of us who happily trundle down the road in silence, or accompanied by the dulcet tone of news radio, I personally cannot drive unless I have music on.
Which partly explains a dilemma I have-when advertising fuses music to cars. Granted, this has been going on for ages, but when it’s a band that exists outside the mainstream, whose fans are more of a cult following than casual listeners, acceptance that the artist sold the song is heartbreaking. Again, it’s not new. In 2000, The Smiths sold “How Soon Is Now?” to Nissan in a global advertising campaign for the Maxima. Earlier this year, Sia covered The Church’s “Under the Milky Way” for the Lincoln MKT. But perhaps the most shocking use of a song in a car commercial is Subaru, who used The Pogues’ “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” to advertise the Forester. Why? Read on!The Pogues, for those of you who may not know, are a band that fuses traditional Irish music, influenced by punk and folk music. The commercial features a Hockey Mom running her three kids to practice and games, and the frenetic pace of “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” matches the hurried lifestyle Subaru is showing you. But there is one glaring problem. The song is about death and dying. The message that Subaru conveys at the end of the commercial is the safety of the Forester. So why would they choose this song? I have contacted Subaru regarding the choice of music here, and as soon as I hear from them, I will let you all know.
In any case, what is your take on artists selling their songs to sell cars? Is it just business? Letting them pay their bills? Or does it take away from the song for you? Or lose respect for the artist? Let The Garage know, and be heard!
2011 Subaru Forester - Click above for high-res image gallery
Subaru has released official details on what we will be seeing in the 2011 Forester. The company had previously announced that the new 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine will find its way under the CUV's hood, as will the same turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder found in the current XT. Speaking of the XT, Subaru will now offer the range-topping Forester in XT Premium and XT Touring guises, with Touring trim replacing Limited as the top of the line. That brings along goodies like self-adjusting HID headlights, dual-zone climate control and a backup camera.
Meanwhile, Subaru has packed in a few more goodies on nearly every trim level. Bluetooth hands-free calling and a one-touch up/down driver's window comes standard on every Forester with the exception of the very base model. In addition, it looks like both the 2.5X Premium and 2.5XT Premium will boast a new audio system complete with six speakers, USB and AUX inputs, as well as iPod and Satellite radio capability. Hit the jump for the full list of changes.
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The Sydney Motor Show doesn't grab the full attention of the global media like Paris or Geneva, though this latest bit of news from Subaru certainly piques our interest. We had heard rumblings of a more potent Subaru crossover before, and now this, the Forester S-Edition concept, previews what the automaker says is "an exciting development in our Forester range" set to debut early next year.
Subaru has boosted the Forester XT's turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four up to 259 horsepower and 256 pound-feet of torque, gains of 32 and 20, respectively over the normal Australian model. That power runs through a five-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters (a proper stick-shift would be preferred, Subaru), and a new variable torque distributing all-wheel-drive system keeps things in check on the road. Other enhancements include a revised sport suspension, 17-inch STI wheels, Alcantara seat trim and S-Edition badging throughout.
Forester STI redux? Certainly sounds like it. Our only hope is that Subaru doesn't make this hot new Forester a JDM-only affair. (Fingers crossed!) Hit the jump to read the full details in Subaru's press release.
