Subaru Forester 2.5 XT Limited Review

The Subaru Forester has long been a favorite of ours...a no-nonsense small SUV that really blazed the trail for what has been a hot segment.

Even as Subaru has refined the Forester over the years, they've managed not to lose the thread.

But, as we've noted before...good basics can be obscured by too much stuff...and ponying up for the Limited trim level might be going a bridge too far.

There's nothing wrong with what you get...especially the 225 horsepower turbocharged engine...but the moonroof, leather and upgraded audio system carry a price: $29,995.

That's right...a mere five bucks shy of 30 grand for a Forester.

And our tester had XM Satellite radio as an option (the only one), so with delivery charges, it bottom-lined at $31,143.

Ouch.

Especially since the base Subaru Forester is $11,000 less than that. Yep...your basic 2.5X is only $20,295...and gets 20 city/26 highway.

Now, admittedly the extra 55 horsepower of the turbo at a penalty of one mile per gallon city, two highway is pretty appealing...but you can get that starting in the 2.5 XT Premium at $26,495...a price point that still makes some sense for the Forester.

Don't get me wrong...there's not a single bad thing about the XT Limited apart from price point and mission creep. If you want a luxo Forester, go for it. But, frankly, I hope the demand is small...lest Subaru be tempted to think there's a market worth chasing at the expense of its absolutely on-target lower-margin machines.

Subaru Forester Review

There are very few cars in 11 years of writing about them (not to mention 30-plus years of driving them) that I can honestly say I've always liked and recommended. The Subaru Forester has made that list every single time.

Not an easy trick, because with each generation, the Forester strives for a bit more refinement and a bit less quirky individuality...a path on which many vehicles have lost their way and become just another car (cough...cough...SAAB...cough).

But not to worry. The all-new 2009 Forester is everything every other Forester has been...but better. A longer wheelbase means more room and a better ride. A stiffer platform improves handling and a new chassis gets better crash test results. Vehicle Dynamics Control is standard. And the two four-cylinder engines have more user-friendly torque curves (more oomph when you want and need it).

Also important in an SUV that actually can go off the pavement, a tire pressure monitoring system is now standard.

Buy a base 2.5X model with a stick and no options, and you're out the door for $19,995 (okay, the $665 delivery charge puts you at $20,660, but these days, you can probably haggle the local dealer down by $665, right?).

Ours was a bit more expensive. Subaru sent over the 2.5XT Limited with navigation...and with delivery, that one's $30,660.

Yep. A 30-thousand dollar Forester. It's come to that.

Remarkably, though, the Forester managed to make that number seem reasonable the more we drove it. If it was my money, I'd probably go for a mid-level model...but the Limited with nav isn't out of line.

It's never been the cutest of what used to be called the cute-utes (small SUVs), but the Forester has been...and still is...our pick.