Subaru Forester built to survive imminent World War III

International commentators reckon it is a matter of time before Vladimir Putin finally loses all of his marbles.

At that point, he will begin to use nuclear weapons against the Ukraine and, watched with benign approval by the ANC government, start World War III.

Ordinary people throughout the world will have no say in the matter, except to wonder who will survive the following massive explosions, incredible heat and planet-wide radiation clouds.

There are three obvious choices – cockroaches, Dakar motorcycle racers and corrupt politicians.

The cockroach has survived without physical changes for millions of years, and should adapt without too much trouble.

Dakar bike riders are patently able to withstand massive heat, all forms of pain and dust clouds of any kind. Riding where they do in the Dakar field, they will hardly notice nuclear clouds, and simply race on.

And, as we have seen over the years, political thieves are never held accountable for anything, and “Fear Fokkol”.

Low stressed petrol engine

We could add a fourth survivor to the list – large capacity, normally aspirated, low stressed petrol engines. Such as the 2 498 cc four-cylinder Boxer in the Subaru Forester 2.5i-Sport.

Having just upgraded their flagship Forester range to coincide with their 30th anniversary in South Africa, Subaru loaned us one for a week – and we enjoyed having it as a house guest.

Having inadvertently aged over the years, this writer is currently a large fan of solid, reliable, near unbreakable and safe products. The Subaru Forester falls into that category.

ALSO READ: Subaru Outback a neglected stepchild in desperate need of love

The engine produces 136 kW of power at 5 800 rpm and 239 Nm of torque at 4 400 rpm.

That goes to all four wheels – 18-inch alloy rims in 225/55 R18 rubber – via a CVT, workable via a stick shift or steering mounted paddles.

Apart from being solid, the Forester is safe.

It has a plethora of active safety gear – disc brakes all round with ABS, brake assist, autonomous emergency braking, traction control, stability control, hill descent control, sway control, autonomous steering assist, lane departure warning and all-round parking cameras.

Working via a camera next to the rear-view mirror, the car will cut power and automatically apply brakes if it detects an impending collision.

If you still end up crashing, it has seven airbags, front, knee and curtain, to keep you in one piece.
Visually, we thought the tarted-up station wagon-look is a bit clumsy, but other people differed.

The Subaru Forester will seat four adults in comfort and five if you must.

Comfortable cabin

Climate control, a multi-information computer with large touch screen, a multi-function steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, a panoramic sunroof, cloth upholstery, electric front seat adjustment, USB ports front and rear, electric windows all round plus heated seats front and rear makes the interior a happy place.

The car was easy to drive.

As expected from a Subaru, the all-wheel drive system and superb suspension makes for a comfortable ride.

A race car the Subaru Forester is by no means, but the torquey engine provides enough grunt to keep up with traffic.

The steering wheel gives good feedback, it has a turning circle of just 10.8 metres and the vehicle felt footsure and grippy, even during a torrential Highveld storm.

The automatic on-off LED headlights were a delight, turning to illuminate the sides of the road in corners. That works great on Gauteng’s pothole-infested tar surfaces.

Reliable Subaru Forester

In all, the Subaru Forester gives a solid, confidence inspiring driving experience that comes with a well-built car that promises years of reliability.

Subaru claims a fuel consumption figure of 8.3 L/100 km, and we managed 9.7 L/100 km, while not trying to drive frugally.

Just as a final note of approval, the vehicle has a full-sized spare wheel – to be expected in anything with all-wheel drive.

At R611 000 the Subaru Forester 2.5i-Sport ES CVT comes with a five-year/150 000 km warranty.

For more information on the Subaru Forester, click here.