- suv 161,624
- 5,997 overpriced
- Charleston, OR
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- autoshopper.com
- suv 161,624 green automatic
1998 subaru forester review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Off-highway capability with sports sedan performance. introductionthe subaru forester isn't a sport-utility vehicle in the traditional sense. In many ways, it's much better than the small suvs that have been recently introduced. As a result, the forester inspires confidence in slippery conditions in ways that traditional truck-based sport-utilities can never hope to do. Subaru's all-wheel-drive system constantly redirects power to whichever tires offer the best grip, providing precise control in all types of conditions. Its long, soft springs and stiff shocks allow lots of controlled wheel travel so handling balance isn't upset in bumpy corners. And its generous ground clearance allows it to tread places a sedan cannot go. the rest of time, which is most of the time, the forester drives like a car. Best of all, the forester is fun to drive, a phrase that doesn't really apply to trucks. That's good because the impreza boasts a rigid chassis and is used as the foundation for subaru's rally cars, which have won the punishing world rally championship two years in a row. all foresters are powered by the 2. 5-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine found in the legacy outback. Dropping the bigger legacy's engine in the smaller, lighter impreza platform results in good acceleration performance. Honda's 2. 0-liter engine is smooth and responsive, but its 126 horsepower doesn't get the 3,153-pound all-wheel-drive cr-v off the dime very quickly when equipped with an automatic transmission. with horizontally opposed pistons, subaru's 2. 5-liter 4-cylinder engine is just over half the length of a traditional inline-4. Because the engine is so much shorter, there's more room available for people and cargo. The beauty of subaru's all-wheel-drive system is that it works full time and operates seamlessly. About the size of a grapefruit, the transfer system takes up little space and adds little weight. It does not have a low-range set of gears, however, and is designed more for blasting through snow and mud than creeping up steep rocky faces. The rav4 or the jeep wrangler are better suited for rock climbing, but the forester is quite capable of carrying a trout fisherman to that remote stream or a backpacker to that distant trail head. because it isn't nearly as tall as a sport-utility, it's much easier to load a kayak, a set of skis and other car-top gear onto the roof of the forester. forester is available with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. Automatic transmissions are often the best choice for v8- and v6-powered sport-utilites, but subaru's manual gearbox shifts as easily as a 5-speed on a compact and it makes driving the forester more fun and more efficient. All three are mechanically identical and the base forester comes with a high level of standard equipment, including air conditioning, power windows, fog lights, roof rack, rear window defogger, trailer harness connector, reclining front bucket seats with adjustable lumbar support, tilt steering, and an am/fm/cassette stereo. the l model adds antilock brakes (abs), power locks and a cargo tray. The s model adds rear disc brakes, a chrome grille, big power mirrors, deluxe cloth interior, cruise control and vanity mirrors. The s model also comes with lower profile 215/60 h-speed-rated yokohama geolander 035 all-season tires mounted on 16-inch alloy wheels, while the other two models come with 205/70sr15 bridgestone dueler 684 all-season tires on 15-inch steel wheels. interiorone of the first things we noticed about the forester is that the seating height is comparable to that of a sedan. Visibility out front is excellent, a benefit of a low hood and large windshield. It's easy to load cargo into the back of the forester; the rear gate lifts out of the way and a rubber cargo mat protects the interior. subaru's interior trim is as good or better than what's found in the toyota rav4 with softer, warmer interior fabrics, though it lacks the design elegance and refinement of the honda cr-v. The radio controls are on the small side and the windshield wiper motor seems a bit noisy. driving impressionwe drove the subaru forester up and down gravel roads on the western slopes of washington state's cascade mountains, then we spent a week in one around annapolis, maryland. crisp throttle response and competent handling make the forester fun to drive. We have also driven foresters with the 5-speed manual gearbox, which shifts smoothly and makes the car more fun to drive. The pedal arrangement is such that the forester can be driven like a sports sedan and this makes it more enjoyable on mountain roads and dirt trails. winding gravel roads are the perfect environment for the forester. We highly recommend the forester. assembled ingunma, japan. options as testedautomatic transmission, cold weather package (dual-mode heated front seats and heated side-view mirrors). model testeds. Power Locks✔ Power Windows✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ Power Mirrors✔ Bucket Seats✔ AM/FM✔ Air Conditioning✔ Cruise Control✔ Cloth Interior✔ Alloy Wheels
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