Subaru Forester XT | Spotted
Fast, four-wheel drive fun for all the family - for £5k, too...
Almost 25 years since the introduction of the Mercedes ML55 AMG, there seems little is more popular than the performance SUV. However, whether big, small, petrol, electric, hybrid or not even four-wheel drive, they all share one common aspect - price. A super SUV certainly isn’t cheap, with even a 200hp Puma ST kicking off at more than £30k. To get that sort of performance and utility for less money, you’re going to need to think a little differently.
Of course, older is the obvious method, but the vaguely affordable fast SUV is a fairly recent phenomenon. The Cupra Ateca, for example, only arrived at the end of 2018, and still commands more than £25k. So, instead, here’s the 140mph SUV that isn’t really an SUV at all - the Subaru Forester XT.
It’s always been a hard one to classify, the Forester. It’s not an estate car, really, and Subaru already had Impreza and Legacy wagons to cover off that demand. But it’s not a conventional member of the utility sports family, either, with its more car-like silhouette. The Forester is just kind of its own thing, like so many Subarus are, and now looks handy for someone wishing to combine all the attributes of the modern high-riding high performance car.
Well, mostly. Nobody will ever suggest a Forester is cool, and image can often seem the most important aspect of any SUV. It’s going to cost a fair bit to run by comparison with new stuff, too, with the flat four turbo unlikely to return 30mpg and guaranteed to be in the top tax bracket. On the other hand, it has the power (230hp) and performance (0-62mph in six and a bit seconds) that still looks pretty brisk today. A manual gearbox will be welcomed by folk like us, too, even if five speeds makes it look very old school.
Plus, of course, the Forester is four-wheel drive, with some actual off-road ability that is often missing from more road focused alternatives. Tyre sidewall doesn’t appeal in the showroom, but it’s awfully handy as far as everyday usability goes. And attention grabbing wouldn’t really be the Subaru way - STIs notwithstanding.
Now, as alluded to with last week’s Shed Just, they’re typically not the cheapest cars to run. And this Forester’s 2.5 engine doesn’t have the best reputation in the world. Encouragingly, however, more than £2,000 was spent on this XT last year to replace the cambelt and clutch. Moreover, there’s plenty of service history with it, and the car looks in great condition for a 15-year-old Subaru with 95,000 miles.
They aren’t cars that buyers keep for best (they’re too useful for that), yet this one has an interior that still looks smart (if a bit basic), decent paintwork and nice wheels as well. Even the Subaru branded boot protector will have years of use left in it. There’s one fail in the entire MOT history, and that was a dozen years ago. Which, again, is impressive for a car designed with utility in mind.
We’ve not even got to the best bit yet. This Forester is for sale at just £5k, which doesn’t look much for a car of this performance, usefulness and niche nerd appeal. An old Subaru won’t impress the neighbours, but it’s sure to impress PHers for a little while yet. And there won’t be a single monthly payment to make.
SPECIFICATION | SUBARU FORESTER XT
Engine: 2,457cc, flat-four turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 230@5,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 236@2,800rpm
MPG: 26.4
CO2: 254g/km
Year registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 95,171
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £5,000
PH seems to be on fire the last few days - this, the Honda Bear, and the MGB LE all look like remarkably good bargains. Not once has my household resonated to the thud of me falling off my chair when reading the price tag on a “spotted”
), but not something i'll want forever..Both good cars, reasonably quick, quite light but not particularly economical. In truth I preferred the 2.0 to the 2.5; felt nicer to drive.
And not cool? I enjoyed driving round in something with next to no image.
Both of mine were fitted with better tyres and low miles Forester STI suspension, which was easy to find at the time and they were two of the best cars we have ever owned.
Good visibility, excellent off road and in the snow, with enough room in the back for a full sized bath to fit.
Not a sports car, but capable enough to keep up with most traffic.
I even tracked my STurbo when the car it was towing broke down on the day.
The longer travel of the suspension makes them faster than the numbers show, as their ability to monster your average section of pock-marked british tarmac has you attacking things with more confidence knowing it's never going to be a bumpstop-thumper. Put it this way, at the time I had the STI, I also had an Exige 1.8S. On an average B road, the Forester was consistently faster.
Saggy butt - The self-levelling suspension on the rear goes eventually on all of them. Frequent heavy towing makes it more likely. Check the even-ness of the gap from top of tyre to wheel arch between front and back; should be even. It's a relatively easy job to replace the struts. Note that STi models don't have SLS, I think Cross-Sports also don't have it.
2.5 engine blocks - The big thing with the 2.5 ltr engine was that they were considered more fragile than the older 2.0. More of an issue if you're tuning for higher power. Japanese SG7 models can be found with the 2.0 if you're worried. It gets talked about a lot more than it is experienced. Regular oil services a must.
Rust - Worth getting them waxoyled / undersealed, particularly if you're importing something.
Tyres - They came on Geolanders originally, but respond well to being put on your preferred brand of proper sports boot if you're not going offroad.
Options - STIs and I think some manual cross-sports(?) have a six speed box if you can't live with the five speed, but note that while the XT was available with cruise control, it wasn't available on the STI. Similarly a lot of XTs have the big moon roof which is nice, but the STIs don't. As a half way house you can find a few rare Prodrive XTs which had uprated bits, a bit more power and were kind of a WRX-level Forester. Price premium these days though.
Hahaha reminded me of my brother in laws Subaru Forester deep in the cornfields of rural suffolkMrs durbs didn't like driving it at all - the clutch was too heavy and she (being small) struggled to get comfortable. And inevitably, when it did break down, it was when she was driving on a busy city road. Thankfully just a cracked radiator that was caught before any further damage was done but the car was never going to win her over after that.
Although the tax stings, you know that going in. I was more bothered by the MPG combined with the size of the fuel tank meaning (if I remember right) it'd get around 200-230 miles from a full tank. I got fed up of constantly being at the petrol station.
It was fun though. I loved driving it.
It being jacked up means when you put your foot down, the nose lifts up which makes it theatrical. Other than car people, nobody had any idea what it was so it's definitely a sleeper. I don't think it's a particularly pretty car but surprisingly, I got more positive comments about its looks than the Celica I'd had before.
I had it for two winters but didn't get any snow to play in, frustratingly, but it got slippery enough to enjoy the power-on oversteer. Great fun.
Only issues were that it’s not particularly big on the inside and rather thirsty. A sixth gear would really have helped with this, but for some reason Subaru omitted this. VED was brutal too.
Having said that, the amount I spent running an ageing Outback for a few years - and I'm talking Range Rover-like levels of expenditure - means that I'd be very reticent to get another old Subaru unless it was being pretty much given away. Hugely capable and with very strong drivetrains but by god anything else that goes wrong or just needs replacing will cost you dearly.
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