Mario James, Gleaner Writer

Today's drive has been at least a year in the making. But this is a vehicle of significant importance; it is a crossover SUV, which puts it in the league of the Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Suzuki Vitara and Mitsubishi Outlander. So we persevered, and here we are.

The vehicles above all display what I would term 'status quo' engineering - unclothe them and you will find - at the entry level at least - that they are much alike. McPherson Strut suspension up front, independent rear, unibody construction - a transversely mounted four-cylinder of varying capacity and some kind of electronically governed four-wheel drive. They are often called 'soft roaders' by the motoring press - they are not really meant for tough off road work.

The 'Subie', though, marches to the beat of a different thrum ... er ... drum. It uses a boxer engine to generate its go - an opposed four-cylinder of very compact dimensions - a localised mass. Forester essentially has the same engine config as a VW type 1 (known as the Bug to most folks).

What does that mean?

First, because the engine is flat (it is known as a flat four to those in the know) it allows engineers to put it closer to the bottom of the engine bay, which lowers the vehicle's centre of gravity. Also, a transaxle is not needed - in more conventional crossover SUVs the transaxle is needed because the engine is planted east to west, with box being at one end - resulting in unequal length drive shafts to the wheels. Torque steer, a phenomenon which manifests itself as a tug of the wheel to one side under full acceleration because of unequal, unbalanced half shafts - is totally absent in the Forester partly because its half shafts are of equal size and weight.

Also, because they have put the engine so low, Subaru engineers could go skyward with the sheet metal without adverse effects to the handling. They created a greenhouse that gives credit to the name - head and legroom is there in abundance even for rear passengers with the front seat fully rearward. There were no blind spots observed by this tester either.

Interior-wise, controls are laid out logically, within easy reach, and are illuminated in a reddish-amber hue in low light conditions, and its intensity can be controlled. Bunyan's Babe has a full complement of airbags - even at the entry level price of $3.9 million, which is the configuration we drove. And the windshield washers spray, instead of stream - a much more efficient way of doing things.

So how does it drive?

Suffice it to say that this is the most sorted crossover SUV Automotives has ever driven in this market segment. While the Suzuki Grand Vitara and the Mazda CX7 are still on the to-do list and are significant players, they both follow the same traditional SUV playbook. Forester, on the other hand, is positively nimble around corners, with its 147 hp 2.0-litre flat four providing spin in earnest above three grand. Redline comes up at 6500 rpm - the tachometer a blur as this point - with four very capable disc brakes at the ready for the upcoming corner.

Because the engine is mounted so low, there is very little body roll, making corner carving a sweet experience - and we have to highlight the fact that Forester has nearly 10 inches of clearance, to boot. Precise steering and well-tuned chassis dynamics bring an element of fun that is a rare find - even in sport cars. And if you find the two litre's 147 hp a little meagre for your tastes, there's always the 2.5-litre; if you like extreme sports, strap on the 2.5-litre turbo!

Engineering prowess

If there's a negative side to all this engineering prowess, it's that the AWD system cannot be turned off - it being constantly on leads to less than stellar figures in the mileage department. eleven litres per 100 km is all we could muster - that translates to a little over 20 mpg. But the sure-footedness that is available from this system - varying from a full on front wheel drive mode to 50/50 when needed - adds to Forester's on-road manners. Its manners off road are equally impressive - sand, mud, even rocks are no match for Babe.

Subaru has always done things a little differently. Dial back the marketing hype, and what is left is what works. Although there is that fuel-efficiency issue, the contribution made by the AWD to the balance of the car is essential. It offers space without being ungainly and a level of utility that is not present in the more mainstream players in its class. At the price ($3.9 million) it offers the most - for the least.

mario.james@gleanerjm.com