Category: Small 4x4s 
Price Range: £18,495 to £25,495
Agile handling, spacious, comfortable ride.
Petrol is underpowered, frenetic four-speed automatic.
Forester needs the diesel to prove it has what it takes to challenge the best.
'Character' is frequently used to cover up all manner of sins, but when we use it in regard to the last Forester it is with affection.
Both of the last two previous-generation Foresters have been a delightfully left-field alternative to the 'default' choice of a Land Rover Freelander, Toyota RAV-4 or Honda CR-V.
Whether it was the burbling sound of the Subaru's flat-four engines, or the surprisingly enthusiastic drive the Forester offered, the big Subaru always deserved consideration. As such, a loyal band of country folk relished in its towing capabilities, talent in the mud, unpretentious tough nature and opted for the practical-man's Scooby.
But the old Foresters had their faults. First off, both lacked in the looks department, appearing more of a large, ungainly jacked-up estate rather than a fully-fledged 4x4. More crucially, the biggest crime was the absence of a diesel-powered version.
These criticisms have trickled back to Subaru bosses in Japan and the third-generation Forester gives the company a chance to right the old car's wrongs.
The Forester uses the new Impreza's underpinnings, which means it swells in size.
It's 75mm longer, 45mm wider and a considerable 110mm taller than the old model, which means new Forester owners are able to see eye-to-eye with drivers of other small 4x4s.
Inside, passengers reap the rewards of the bigger dimensions with more leg-, head- and shoulder room in the front and rear.
As well as sharing the Impreza's undergarments, the Forester also uses its oily bits. Engine choice, for now, is limited to the Impreza's 148bhp 2.0-litre flat four, but the excellent 148bhp diesel that recently previewed in the Legacy will follow in September.
Sadly, for now, the forthcoming fire-breathing 247bhp 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol that is rumoured to be in development will not be imported on grounds of poor C02 emissions.
It's more expensive that the old model, though. The base Forester costs £17,995 - about £300 more than old 2.0 X - and the range-topping XS rises to £21,895.
There is the choice of a five-speed manual and the option of a four-speed automatic, which will set you back a further £1,000.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Subaru Forester
wrote on 22 12 2006