Subaru Forester Review

This post is sponsored by Subaru

Those of us who travel with pets know that they do not want to be left behind. You would think our dog would relax when she sees us packing her dog bed and dog food into the SUV. But no, she wants to jump in the Subaru Forester so that we can’t possibly forget her.

Carmel, California road trip

Our family of two teenagers, two adults and Stella planned a road trip to Carmel, California. Over the freeway and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go!

Now I realize that as a California girl, I don’t know anything about cold weather, but I am digging the all-weather package with heated front seats. Bum warmers, baby!

As I am the travel writer in the family, I pack light. My children and husband – they do not take after me. We planned to haul two sets of golf clubs, a laptop computer, camera & video equipment and luggage, lots of luggage.

Unfortunately, my husband had to work late the night of departure, so we drove two cars to Carmel. Truthfully, it would have been a tight fit for the Subaru Forester with four adults, the dog and the golf clubs – the clubs are what put us over the edge. Without the clubs, the dog had plenty of room in the back.

I thought the kids would be all over the SiriusXM radio. Instead, they each tuned out with their iTunes and headphones and left me to sort out the endless choices on the satellite radio. With no one to veto my music selections, I happily listened to Christmas carols the entire drive to Carmel.

Unlike many SUV’s, getting in and out of the Subaru Forester was easy with my total hip replacement. The three-hour drive from Walnut Creek to Carmel (with Thanksgiving traffic) was a breeze as the SUV provided a car-like ride. On long car rides, or if driving while sleepy (not recommended) the lane departure warning system* was certainly an added bonus that might even save lives.

Subaru Forester Leather-wrapped steering wheelFuel smart, tech-friendly

The 2014 Subaru Forester comes with all-wheel drive – did I mention that I have two hunters in the family? We need a vehicle that goes anywhere and this SUV would easily handle snow, mud and dusty road conditions. I like a car that gets good gas mileage. At 32 mpg, driving to Carmel and back used less than one tank of gas. (Subaru estimates the annual fuel cost of the 2014 Forester crossover SUV to be $1,950.)

Subaru tech safety

The Subaru comes with 4-wheel disc brakes, anti-lock braking system and (optional) eyesight drive-assist system – this last feature comes in handy when deer jump out from the road at night or you are backing out of a grocery store parking lot the day before Thanksgiving.

The Subaru Forester has airbags galore. If you are a parent of teenagers, feel good that there is a driver’s side knee airbag, front seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and whiplash protection front seats. There’s even a harness for your dog, but our Forester didn’t come with this optional item.

 

Bells and whistles

With kids in the back of the car, dual-zone automatic climate control is important. The LCD Touch-screen GPS navigation system comes with large font size for the baby boomer in the front seat. Of course an am/fm stereo with cd player is standard. It’s the SiriusXM satellite radio and Harman/Kardon speaker system that caught my son’s attention when they delivered the car. I like the Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity. “Yes, grandma, we’re almost here.”

As for the keyless access and start, I was a little concerned that I would lock the keys in the car. Due to my paranoia and only one set of car keys, I kept the key fob with me at all times.

If you were looking for engine performance and “under the hood” reviews, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

For more insider tips follow Luxury Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown on Twitter and follow @Subaru_usa on Twitter.

For additional information visit Subaru

Article written by, video and photos courtesy of Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip, Travels from Northern California. As a member of Subaru Forester blogger program, Subaru of America asked me to review their car in exchange for the short-term use of their vehicle. All opinions are my own.

*lane departure warning & lane sway warning system, optional equipment