Car Reviews 2026 Subaru Forester Diesel

Subaru has a well deserved reputation for doing things its own way, from steadfastly staying true to the idea of a horizontally opposed piston engine to ensuring that all its vehicles are all wheel drive. That’s why, when it came to diesel power, the company chose not to buy an existing powerplant, but rather to build its own. Thankfully, the result is a very impressive engine, with plenty of torque for towing – especially in the NZ$45,990 Subaru Forester 2.0D Euro Spec tested here. The maximum of 350 Newton metres of torque from the 2.0 litre turbodiesel engine is produced at just 1800rpm, meaning that towing the maximum braked trailer weight of 1400kg is a breeze (unbraked trailer weight is 720kg). Also important for towing the rear suspension has a self levelling function so the vehicle remains level when hooked up to a towbar – the maximum towbar download weight is 110kg. As mentioned before, all Subaru’s have all wheel drive, and this is a constant drive, rather than the on-again- off-again automatic all wheel drive systems of other small SUVs in the market. This means a major increase in traction on slippery fields as the system is always working. In partial all wheel drive systems some wheel slippage is required before the all wheel drive will start working, which means it’s harder to get initial traction and there’s far more chance of ripping up soft ground. Unfortunately though for fans of automatic transmissions the Euro Spec Forester is a six-speed manual only. This model comes direct from Europe, as the name suggests, where manual gearboxes are still very popular. Safety is well handled though, with standard stability control, ABS brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution, traction control, and Brake Assist (which applies the brakes at maximum capacity in emergency braking). There are also dual front, side and curtain airbags in the cabin. For those frosty mornings the Forester is also equipped with heated front seats, as well as cruise control, climate control air conditioning and a stereo that plays CDs, MP3 discs and has an auxiliary plug for personal music players. The rear seats are split 60: 40 and fold down to stretch boot space from 450 litres to a maximum of 1660 litres. On the road the Forester diesel feels very stable, and thanks to the all wheel drive traction is never really an issue. The diesel engine propels the 1540kg vehicle along quite well, and even sounds good, which something very hard to achieve with a diesel engine. The gearbox is rather notchy in gear selection, which has long been a trait of Subaru’s. The claimed fuel consumption for the Diesel Forester is 6.3 L/100km on a combined cycle, but the fuel consumption on the dashboard display was 6.7L/100km with most driving was in urban conditions in the stop and go traffic of Auckland. For small towing tasks the Forester is a very good vehicle. It is reasonably small, manoeuvrable, economical, and retains the ability to cover soft ground with ease. Category:Home › Home • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 2 • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 1 • Should the crew of the Sea Shepherd board whaling ships? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 13 • Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 12 • Are teachers unions the cause of public school problems today? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 11