Say hello to…
…the latest Subaru Forester, as ever a tough and dependable SUV with proper off-road ability, but now with a revised look, improved all-wheel drive system and new hybrid tech, called e-Boxer, to give the car a lower CO2 figure and a greater fleet appeal.
All versions are powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 138hp.
The Forester is available in three trim levels:
- Limited
- Field
- Touring
Standard equipment on the Limited includes 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, front fog lights, power-fold door mirrors, roof rails, leather wrapped steering wheel, 10-way powered driver’s seat with memory, 8-way powered passenger seat, heated front seats, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, 11.6-inch infotainment screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charger, 4x USB sockets, surround view camera and blind spot monitoring.
Field adds satnav, synthetic leather upholstery, heated steering wheel, privacy glass and a powered boot lid.
Touring adds 19-inch alloys, sunroof, leather upholstery and rear heated seats.
Is The Subaru Forester Suitable For My Fleet
While most fleets will avoid cars with a 33% benefit-in-kind tax rating, there are those users and companies that need proper four-wheel drive capability along with total reliability and the ability to seat five adults in comfort and take a decent amount of luggage; the boot is 504 litres in capacity. It’s these factors that are becoming increasingly rare in an all-EV world. So if your fleet needs match the capabilities of the Forester, you’re on to a winner. Just remember that the high CO2 also means a poor mpg figure, which will also add to your costs.
Leasing A Subaru Forester
Gateway2lease is offering the top-spec Touring version of the Subaru Forester for £579 a month on a 9+36 contract with 10,000 miles per year. Maintenance is forecast at £46 a month, according to Gensen Reports. Class 1A NIC comes in at a hefty £156 a month due to the high CO2 figure.
Driving A Subaru Forester
Sometimes a car comes along that makes you balance some exceedingly positive traits with some fairly large annoyances; the Forester is one of those cars.
On the positive side, the Forester is a roomy, comfy car with wonderfully predictable handling. It is in no way a sporty car, but in simple terms it is fun to drive. Yes, there’s some body roll, but that just lets you know what’s going on in the corners.
Over typically potholed UK roads the car rides very well and if you need to venture onto a field, or just park on a bit of grass, you know you won’t get stuck.
However, this has to be balanced by two things; refinement at motorway speeds and the CVT automatic gearbox.
The gearbox is slightly dim-witted and slow to respond and, like almost all CVT gearboxes, when you do use more than a gentle throttle it causes the engine to drone.
While this aspect isn’t a problem on the motorway, general road noise and a lack of refinement is. And despite Subaru being famous for its boxer engines which have historically had a distinctive burble, that aspect is absent in the latest Forester.
To a lesser extent, but still counting against the car, the infotainment system, while generally logical and easy to use, the number of button presses to turn off the warnings for lane keeping and speed limits is far too high.
Balancing the two sides to the Forester’s character will come down to how you’re going to use it. If you’re truly going to need the grip and off-road ability, the negatives won’t matter so much and you’ll have a highly appealing and likeable car. If you’re thinking it’s just another SUV, you’ll be disappointed.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Subaru Forester
For go-anywhere ability the Forester is a big and comfy offering, if a bit pricey to run.
Subaru Forester
- Model: Forester Touring e-Boxer
- Power: 136hp
- Torque: 182Nm
- Max speed: 116mph
- 0-62mph: 12.2s
- Official mpg: 34.9mpg
- Test mpg: 31.0mpg
- CO2 emissions: 183g/km
- BIK tax band 2024/25: 33%
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