Forester remake is top-notch

Subaru has been off the radar for many buyers, putting out odd but good cars, the kind that seem to score well on quality surveys and in crash tests.

Subaru as a brand came in No. 2, just behind Lexus, in Consumer Reports magazine's recent annual auto rankings, and the magazine gave what seems like a perfect summary: "Simple, dependable and efficient cars, but they're often noisy."

But now, they've begun to sell as if people have noticed. And that's largely due to the full-on remake of the Forester that went on sale in the spring as a 2014 model.

It's the brand's No. 2 seller, behind the Outback wagon. Forester had its best July sales ever last month, and its sales are up 39.1% in the first seven months of the year vs. a year earlier, says Autodata. Industrywide, new-vehicle sales are up just 8.5%.

Subaru sales overall are up 27% through July.

The overhauled 2014 Forester is just a fraction of an inch bigger all around than the 2013, but that belies dramatic improvements in passenger and cargo space.

The wheelbase grew 0.9 of an inch, and all that went to back seat legroom. Rear seats also were moved back another 2 inches or so, resulting in more rear legroom than some roomy midsize cars.

Door openings were enlarged to improve front and rear access.

Base price is up $730, and the fanciest model starts at $33,820, a hefty $3,030 more than the top 2013 model. The top-dog version is new to the line, though, with features not previously available, so the comparison isn't perfect.

The new models weigh at least 100 pounds more than similar 2013 models, partly due to more sound deadening and more rubber seals around openings to help quiet the new model. "Our cars have typically been kind of noisy," says Subaru spokesman Dominick Infante.

The engine retains Subaru's characteristic and somewhat unpleasant cackle at idle, sounding almost as if a spark plug wire had pulled loose.

Reasonable people often disagree on matters of taste, but to Test Drive's eye, styling is only a little improved over the high-top shoe look of the previous model. But funky looks bordering on ugliness are a Subaru staple. The Legacy sedan is handsome, but otherwise, Subies are not.

"We're not making any sacrifices for style on this product," is the charming way Infante puts it.

The test model, a $28,820 2-liter turbo XT model, was a delight to drive. Yes, even though it had a dreaded CVT (continuously variable-ratio automatic transmission). When the transmission was in normal ("intelligent") mode, it didn't rev the engine so wildly and painfully the way some CVTs do. It almost felt as if it were shifting through defined ratios.

The "intelligent" setting uses less fuel by keeping the engine speed slower, and a happy outcome is a more normal-feeling driving personality.

In "sport," it simulated a six-speed automatic.

And in "sport sharp" (or S# as it's designated in the vehicle) it became an eight-speed automatic.

Nicely played.

The 250-horsepower turbo engine (likely to be the powerplant in the next WRX high-performance model), can jump and run hard enough to excite. And it can burble along without hiccup.

Turbo Foresters get stiffer suspensions, and the test car made short work of tight corners. But it did it without the harsh ride that often accompanies stiffer underpinnings.

Forester had a kind of all-around competence and inviting agility that made the test car one to anticipate on the daily commute.

The test car lacked navigation, so had just a small screen for the backup camera and other functions. Some people will find it too small.

Clever idea, though not unique: Models with power tailgate let you Type A folks grab the gate and easily slam it closed. The system disconnects from the power motor when you shove down on the gate, so you're not fighting against any resistance, as you would be in most power gate systems.

Gripes? Always.

That cackling engine sound. Advertising the engine as quiet doesn't make it so.

Connectivity. Forester wouldn't work smoothly with Test Drive's very hip Windows phone. The phone itself had to be used to manipulate some calling and streaming functions that the car should have been able to control.

And the vehicle wouldn't download the phonebook from the telephone, even though the readout on the Forester's info screen said it was doing so.

If you're unhip enough to have an iPhone or Android device, you'll have better luck.

Retained power. Not there, at least not fully. Turn off the engine and you can still use the stereo, but there's no juice available to raise that forgotten power window.

Brakes. Not bad, but not up to the otherwise taut feel of the vehicle.

If you don't need pulse-elevating styling, you'll find the Forester a gem of satisfying practicality with — in the case of the turbo engine — a big dollop of driving delight.

ABOUT THE 2014 SUBARU FORESTER

What? Total remake of four-door, five-passenger, all-wheel-drive (AWD) SUV with more power, more room, more features, bigger wheels, higher prices.

When? On sale since March.

Where? Made at Gunma, Japan.

How much? Base 2.5-liter four-cylinder with five-speed manual transmission starts at $22,820 including shipping ($730 more than lowest-price 2013 model). High-end model, new to the lineup: 2.0 XT Touring with continuously variable-ratio automatic transmission (CVT), $33,820. Subaru says typically equipped model would be about $26,000.

What makes it go? 2.5-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine carried over from 2013, rated 170 horsepower at 5,800 and 174 pounds-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm, available with five-speed manual or CVT.

2-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder gas engine rated 250 hp at 5,600 rpm, 258 lbs.-ft. at 2,000 rpm, mated to CVT.

Full-time AWD is front-drive biased but able to shift nearly 100% of power to either front or rear, as conditions dictate.

How big? Slightly larger, a little heavier than previous model. Midsize room inside, but often on same shopping lists as compact Honda CR-V, Ford Escape.

Weighs 3,366 to 3,622 lbs. Passenger space, 113.1 cubic feet (107.8 cu. ft. with sunroof). Cargo space: 34.4 cu. ft. behind back seat (31.5 cu. ft. with sunroof), 74.7 cu. ft. when seat is folded (68.5 cu. ft. with sunroof).

Tows up to 1,500 lbs.

Turning circle diameter, 34.8 ft.

How thirsty? 2.5-liter base engine rated 22 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway, 24 city/highway mix with manual transmission; 24/32/27 with automatic.

2-liter turbo with CVT: 23/28/25.

Base engine burns regular. Premium recommended for turbo, regular OK with slight power loss.

Tank holds 15.9 gal.

Overall: Practical, pleasant, fun, dowdy-looking.