This car won the '£20,001 - £25,000' class in 2006.
Two years ago the Forester 2.0 XT was voted Caravan Club Towcar of the Year. It’s replacement, the 2.5 XT, didn’t pull off the big prize this year but it did get a class win – and very deservedly so.
The new car still has a ‘boxer’ engine that sits low down, and in perfect symmetry with its crisp five-speed gearbox and Subaru’s famous all-wheel-drive system. And though it looks tall compared with the Legacy saloon/estate car, the Forester has poise and sticks to the road in a way you have no right to expect from an off-roader – OK, more of a ‘soft-roader’.
In short, the Forester doesn’t put a foot wrong. It’s fast, and the lovely engine/gearbox tempt you to put your foor down. It doesn’t waver from the chosen line, it controls a caravan perfectly and goes up and down hills as if they weren’t there, and above all it feels as though it will never break. Fairly roomy too, with a good, practical shape. A lovely car.
| Make/Model |
Caravan weight |
Drive |
Cyls/CC |
bhp/lb ft@rpm |
Price |
Tested |
| Subaru Forester 2.5 XT |
1,267kg |
4WD |
4/2457 |
227/236@3600 |
£22,145 |
2006 |
Subaru Forester 2.5 XT
