FIRST impressions can be dangerous when choosing a car.
Some cars just don’t hit the sweet spot straight off while a little longer behind the wheel can soften the blow and put the bad bits into the background.
The stand out first impression disaster for me was the Citroen CX of the eighties. Here was a huge family saloon with looks to die for, but was a complete weirdo.
Anyone taking a test drive in a CX would probably have been back in the showroom after negotiating the first roundabout because of its strange over sensitive steering and floating suspension which made children sick, mine anyway.
Yet stick with it for a few days and the car’s exceptional qualities shone through.
Subaru’s Forester SUV is not in the same league as the CX but first impressions weren’t good here either.
The six-speed gearbox has to be robust to cope with four wheel drive but it should at least be a bit slick, not heavy and clunky. Then there is the ride. My journey home is bendy back roads and here the Scooby was easily unsettled, twitchy and uncomfortable, in spite of multi-link rear suspension favoured these days because it is supposed to give a more even ride.
The Forester might look like a tall estate car but is a full blown sports utility which will perform well on and off road unlike some of its prettier rivals so may be there have to be compromises on comfort.
Then a few days pass, you get used to the gearbox and lively suspension, and the good things push their way forward. First up the Forester has a fabulous 2-litre diesel engine. The Boxer unit lies low and horizontal in the engine bay so those pistons are punching like a boxer landing points with every strike.
You need refinement, performance, and economy for an outstanding diesel and Subaru has hit the jackpot with all three. It sparks into life at an impressively low 1800rpm and pulls swiftly and quietly thereafter helped by 350 Newton metres of torque which is a big lump for two litres.
All but 45mpg is another area where the Forester gets a favourable tick.
As a family car the Forester is practical and gained a little more space in the 2008 makeover.
The cabin is spacious, particularly for back seat passengers who get loads of leg and shoulder room and sit under an enormous sun roof. Load area is good as well and I liked the one pull lever in the boot wall to drop the back seats flat for no fuss loading.
The facelift was a good time to jazz up the Forester’s drab interior but for whatever reason (probably money) they decided to leave it alone. So we have this decades old look to the dashboard sweetened in my top of the range XS by one of these multifunctional info centres which do loads of things if you can work out how to use it.
This one was popsy with a huge variety of information which was easily found and topped off by a swish touch screen sat nav. What a pity it was impossible to read when caught by the sun’s glare.
While the Scooby has its downsides something else that will please buyers is the standard equipment which includes all wheel drive and stability programme, cruise control, heated front seats, mirrors and windscreen wipers, curtain airbags and dashboard info centre.
So a pretty good package here, trouble is too many trendy rivals are singing the same tune as Subaru.
Subaru Forester XS Nav Plus
Engine: 2.0D; 146hp
Performance: 0-60mph 10secs; 115mph
Economy: 44.8mpg combined
Emissions: 167g/km. VED £175
Insurance group 9
Price: £28,995