Offroad Chops

The offroad portion of Subaru's press drive consisted of a lengthy course on California's Catalina Island, and I had a chance to tackle some fairly demolished dirt roads. I imagine a tiny fraction of Forester owners will take their SUVs to these lengths, but it performed well nonetheless, clawing up steep slopes and rutted pathways with well-controlled body motions. The wheels stayed well-connected to the dirt, allowing the nose or tail to swing wide only under the most sudden turns. (All deliberate, of course.)

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    Selection of manual mode
    NOTE Please read the following points carefully and bear them in mind when using the manual mode. • If you attempt to shift down when the engine speed is too high, i.e., when a downshift would push ...

    Average fuel consumption
    1) U.S.-spec. models 2) Except U.S.-spec. models This indication shows the average rate of fuel consumption since the trip meter was last reset. When either of the trip meter indications is reset ...

    Cooling system
    WARNING Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has been shut off and has cooled down completely. Since the coolant is under pressure, you may suffer serious burns from a spray ...