Category: Small 4x4s 
Price Range: £19,115 to £26,495
Pleasing combination of ruggedness and car-like handling. Surprising economy.
Limited ground clearance harms its chances off-road.
Worth considering for part-time off-roaders.

Few categories of car have quite so many varieties as the off-roader, and Subaru invented another one when it came up with the Forester. Basically it's an estate car with a bit of extra ground clearance and four-wheel drive, thus combining on and off-road agility. It's more conventionally styled than a Land Rover Freelander, but runs it close on ability and is reasonably economical on fuel.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Subaru Forester
wrote on 22 12 2006