HAVE ALREADY BEEN BEHIND The wheel of the Subaru Legacy and the Out back, feeling of dejavu sets in as I set in the driver's set of the refreshed 2.0-liter variant of the Forester, the 2.0XS. I guess it's because the binnacle right behind the steering wheel discarded the three-dial set up of the pre-face-lift model, and replaced it with a dual-gauge arrangement similar to the ones on the Forester's siblings.
Sandwiched between the tachometer in the speedometer is a small LCD screen serving as the information display for the odometer, fuel gauge, trip meter and gear-position indicator, while the space below the main instruments houses the temperature and fuel economy gauges
The new set up is a big improvement over the previous one as the binnacle's real estate is now wisely used. Gone is the dark lower half that only illuminated when one of the engine's vital functions needed checking, replaced with the current set up that packages all important gauges close to the center. This minimizes eye movement on the part of the driver when he scans the instrument display.
The sound system is also a huge step up, since it now has a USB port. Thank goodness Subaru has realized that not everyone uses ipod. The layout of the switches and buttons are also very intuitive, making navigating through the menus a painless affair.
The new bluetooth hands- free system, however, is a different matter. I was completely lost in trying to make it work with my mobile phone. The three-dial climate-control system of the pre-face-lift model is also gone, replaced by a dual- zone automatic set up.
Once I've settled myself comfortably in the driver's seat and familiarize myself with the cockpit's layout , I turn on the engine and the sense of deja vu returns as the needle of the gauges all swing to their maximum positions before settling back to their idling settings. It's a common feature among all current Subarus.
It feels very dramatic as the car lets you know that it's a live and that it's ready to do your bidding.
I disengage the parking brake, pull the automatic-transmission lever through the gate to slot it into Drive, then likely push the accelerator. The Forester reacts instantly. It feels like I'm driving a compact hatchback, not an SUV.
Unlike most carmakers that are content with just tweaking the exterior here and there with a new pair of headlights, a new grille and a new bumper, Subaru did so much more by dumping the previous EJ-series engine and replacing it with an all-new-FB-series mill. It's the Japanese carmaker's latest boxer engine after having soldiered on with the EJ-series powerplants since 1989. While the power outputs of the 2.0-liter EJ-and FB-series engines are the same, Subaru claims the latter's fuel efficiency, driving performance and exhaust emissions have been improved by 10%, thanks to the redesigned intake ports as well as the use of lightweight moving parts, like pistons and connecting rods, to reduce internal friction.
The new FB-series engine in the 2.0XS definitely loves to rev. With the four-speed, semi-automatic transmission,cog-swapping takes place at 3,00rpm, providing for a good mix of performance and fuel efficiency.However, when the urge to row though the gears yourself take over, the Forester becomes a different beast, Gone is the veneer of the gentle and family-oriented SUV, and in comes an overgrown hatchback that's few degrees shy of being called hot.
A quick downward flick of the gear lever allows the more, as it downshifts one gear lower while revving much higher, allowing it to catch up to faster-moving traffic with ease. Its even possible to skip shift from fourth to second gear by pulling the lever twice in rapid succession.That the transmission also allows you to hold a gear indefinitely hardly hearing the engine getting strained and begging for mercy, is also worth mentioning.
With such a high-revving engine ,it's easy to forget that the FB-series engine is more fuel-efficient than the EJ-series that it replaced, as yo almost get the feeling that you want to flog the 2.0XS more and more just to hear its boxer motor rev and burble.
Motor image Pilipinas,Subru's authorized local distributor, was right when is said the combined city and highway consumption of the 2.0 XS is about 8-12km/l. i achieved around 11km/L driving in mixed conditions. This is not bad, considering the EJ-series-equipped model ws said to be capable of 7-10km/l in the same conditions.
The only sour points to the car's otherwise sweet-shifting transmission is that i found it slightly disconcerting when i switched it form full -automatic to manual mode. With Subaru' semi-autoslushbox,even if you switch it to manual mode,It'll still operate like a n automatic until you start swapping the cogs yourself.So, is the refreshed entry-level Forester worth it? Damn right it is. With just a 10,000 price difference between last year's model and this years refreshed version, you get a brand-new, feul-efficient engine along with new interior and exterior bits. That's ones fine bargain if you ask us, one that would be unwise for any potential buyer to skip.
Now, if only a lowly rank and file white-collar worker like me could afford one...
