Acceleration

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
4	6	4.6

Nonturbo models adequate away from a stop, but tepid in highway-speed passing and merging, especially with cargo and several passengers aboard. Turbo 2.5 XT Limited delivers plenty of power around town and on highway, but throttle response softened by turbo lag. Forester makes do with 4-speed automatic transmission vs. top rivals' more efficient 5-speed. Manual transmission has short, sure shift action.

Fuel Economy

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
6	5	5

In mostly highway driving, test L.L. Bean averaged 24.2 mpg, test manual-transmission XT averaged 23.2. XT requires premium-grade fuel. Other models use regular.

Ride Quality

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
5	5	5

Some jolting, body jiggle on sharp bumps, ridges, but overall, among the more comfortable compact SUVs, with good stability and control at highway speeds.

Steering/Handling/Braking

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
5	5	4.8

Carlike design, relatively low center of gravity makes Forester among the best-mannered compact SUVs. There's no tippy feel, but body lean evident in fast turns, and tires have only modest lateral grip. Some testers want steering with more road feel. AWD system not designed for off-roading, but provides terrific all-weather, on-road traction.

Quietness

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
5	5	4.5

Quiet around town, but wind, road noise rise markedly with speed to become tiresome on long highway trips. Engines coarse at full throttle, otherwise unobtrusive.

Controls

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
6	6	5.6

Clear, simple dashboard layout, adequately sized controls. Leather and soft-touch plastic dress up cabin of L.L. Bean, XT Limited; decor otherwise unremarkable, though appropriate for price. Test 2.5 XT suffered annoying squeaks from instrument panel.

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
6	6	6.1

Generous leg room, ample head room for six-footers. Good comfort, though passenger seat lacks lumbar adjustment. Steering wheel tilts but does not telescope, leaving tall drivers with a long reach to steering wheel. Relatively tall cabin eases entry/exit. High driving position, large windows, thin roof pillars make for great outward visibility.

Room/Comfort (rear)

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
3	3	4.8

Bench seat supportive, but leg room a Forester negative. It's OK with front seats not set far back, very tight otherwise.

Cargo Room

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
8	8	7.2

Cargo area usefully spacious with rear seatbacks up, expansive with backrest folded--competitive with many midsize SUVs. Big tailgate opening, low liftover for easy loading/unloading, but liftgate doesn't have opening glass. Cabin has plenty of storage spaces, but none are very large.

Value within Class

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
4	5	5.5

If you can live with limited towing capacity and constrained rear-seat space, Forester is a rational alternative to bulkier, less-efficient SUVs. The 2.5 X and 2.5 X with Premium Package are the best values; the other models are priced against SUVs with more room and, in the case of the L.L. Bean Edition, with more power. Any Forester delivers respectable fuel economy in a pleasant, carlike package, but the absence of curtain side airbags and the presence of an automatic transmission with just four speeds has this Subaru showing its age vs. such state-of-the-art rivals as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

Total Score

L.L. Bean Edition	2.5 XT Limited, man.	Class Average
52	54	53.1

Scores for all Compact Sport-utility Vehicles

Low Score		36
Average Score		53
High Score		60