2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness Test Drive Video Review

By Staff Posted on June 13, 2022

The Subaru Forester brand is known for building go-anywhere vehicles that provide a healthy amount of driver satisfaction and technology. Keeping with this philosophy, Subaru re-vamped the Forester, aimed again at those who wish to master roads less travelled while maintaining urban practicality. Under the hood Subaru added a few horsepower, increased chassis rigidity, and included the addition of several electronic drive settings on Sport, Limited, and Touring models designed for poor weather conditions. A brake-based torque vectoring system and adjustable throttle response via Subaru Intelligent Drive system were even included from the WRX. Compared to the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5, the Forester is a strong contender with a heritage all its own.

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2022 Subaru WRX Test Drive Video Review

The Subaru WRX is powered by a 2.4L turbocharged horizontally opposed 4-cylinder engine, it produces 271 horsepower, which is fed to all four wheels through a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed CVT transmission. The WRX comes in three trims: Standard, Premium, Limited and GT. Standard WRX models come with 17-inch wheels and a 7-inch multimedia touchscreen infotainment system, which features HD Radio, smartphone integration, 2USB ports, six speakers and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity and audio streaming. Automatic climate control, rear backup camera, tilt/telescopic steering, full power accessories and cloth sport bucket front seats with driver's 6-way manual adjustability round out the base features. The WRX Premium comes equipped with 18-inch wheels, heated front seats and mirrors, LED fog lamps and a rear spoiler. Limited trim includes everything from the Premium trim as well as a 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, leather-trimmed upholstery, power glass moonroof and LED headlights. Subaru's EyeSight driver assist technology is available on the WRX Limited and includes active safety features like adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking and lane departure warning. The new GT trim adds an 11-speaker sound system, integrated navigation system, adaptive cruise control, remote engine start, head-up display, an active lane departure system, blind spot warning, forward and rear collision mitigation, pedestrian detection and a driver attention alert. Safety features include big anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control, a host of airbags, and the confidence of Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive system.

2020 Subaru Legacy Test Drive Video Review

The Subaru Legacy is powered by one of two engine choices. The base engine is a 182 horsepower 2.5L 4-cylinder "boxer" engine, with the pistons arranged so that they are parallel to the ground, rather than perpendicular to it like in a traditional inline engine. This means a lower center of gravity and again, better vehicle handling without any compromise in ride quality. The optional engine is also a 4-cylinder "boxer," this one with slightly less displacement at 2.4L. However, it does have a turbocharger and thus makes 260 horsepower. Subaru uses a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) to send power to all-four wheels. Unlike a traditional automatic, the CVT transmission does not have set gears and is instead able to vary gear ratios on the fly, helping to offset the fuel economy penalty that comes with all-wheel drive. The 2022 Legacy is rated at 35 mpg highway and 27 mpg city with the base engine and 32 mpg highway and 24 mpg city with the turbocharged option. There are six trim levels for the 2020 Subaru Legacy, base, Premium, Sport, Limited, Limited XT and Touring XT, with the XT badged cars utilizing Subaru's more powerful turbocharged engine. Standard features on the base Legacy include 17-inch wheels, automatic LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, keyless entry, dual front USB inputs, eight cup holders and Subaru's STARLINK multimedia system displayed through a 7.0-inch screen. Interesting safety features that come standard on the base Legacy include automatic high beams, a rearview camera, pre-collision braking, lane departure and sway warning, a lane keep assist function and forward collision mitigation. Premium trim adds nicer 17-inch alloy wheels, body colored heated side mirrors, a 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, a leather wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, a nicer stereo and a bigger 11.6-inch screen in the center console. The Sport trim comes with 18-inch wheels, LED fog lights, integrated turn signals in the side mirrors, a trunk spoiler and cloth upholstery with contrasting stitching. Limited and Limited XT models begin to knock on luxury car territory, offering leather trimmed seating surfaces, headlights that swivel with the steering wheel, power adjustable front seats, heated outboard rear seats, blind-spot detection and rear cross traffic alert, reverse automatic braking and a 576-watt-equivalent Harman Kardon premium sound system with 12 speakers. Top of the line Touring models get auto-folding side mirrors, ventilated front seats, Nappa leather upholstery and a 180 degree front view monitor.

2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness Test Drive Video Review

The Outback lineup features a pair of flat-four-cylinder engines: a 182-hp 2.5-liter is standard and a 260-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter is optional. Both mate to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that mimics an eight-speed gearbox to mitigate annoying engine drone. Of course, all Outbacks have standard all-wheel drive, which is a Subaru staple. The Outback is available in no fewer than six different trim levels for 2022: Base, Premium, Limited, Touring, Wilderness and Onyx Edition with Limited and Touring trims also available as XT versions featuring the more powerful turbocharged engine. Perhaps the most impressive collection of standard equipment on the Subaru Outback begins with its Base model offerings: All-wheel drive, hill-descent control, 17-inch alloy wheels, full LED headlights, roof rails, height-adjustable driver's seat, Tilt/telescopic steering wheel, automatic climate control, 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and EyeSight safety suite. The next level features can be found in the Premium Trim level that includes LED fog lights, front and rear wiper de-icer system, dual-zone automatic climate control, 10-way-power driver's seat, heated front seats and side mirrors, Starlink infotainment system with 11.6-inch touchscreen. Having the Premium trim already, the Onyx Edtion XT add-on to this vehicle see's even more available options like black 18-inch alloy wheels, hands-free power tailgate, pushbutton starter, water-repellent upholstery, 8-way-power front-passenger seat, heated rear seats, Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. For those who would love to see updates to an already large and impressive list of options, the Limited Trim level offerings are exactly as requested and include: 18-inch alloy wheels, steering-responsive LED headlights, pushbutton starter, hands-free power tailgate, leather upholstery, 8-way-power front-passenger seat, heated rear seats, 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, Blind-spot monitoring (with rear cross-traffic alert), reverse automatic braking. The Limited XT up-level trim also adds a power sunroof, heated steering wheel, navigation system Last but not in the very least, the 2021 Subaru Outback Touring Trim level brings an additional refinement to this option heavy SUV that includes: Nappa leather upholstery, heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, nav system, and DriverFocus driver-monitoring system. Paired with the XT upgrade too, you also get a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, power-folding exterior mirrors, and 180-degree front-view monitoring system. The 2021 Outback is equipped with a host of standard and available advanced safety features that remain a staple to its reputation of safe and reliable vehicles packed into one brand. These include rearview camera, rear-seat reminder, seat belt warning for rear-seat passengers, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, lane change assist, and rear cross traffic alert. Reverse automatic emergency braking, Driver distraction monitoring and Front-view camera are all advanced features the consumer can option into their Outback.

2022 Subaru BRZ Test Drive Video Review

The 2022 Subaru BRZ comes in Premium or Limited trim levels. The BRZ is powered by a 2.4L flat 4-cylinder engine that produces 228 horsepower mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Both transmissions come with a mechanical limited-slip differential. The BRZ includes a standard feature set than might be expected in a sports car at this price. An 8-inch touchscreen interface stereo takes center stage. It features Bluetooth, iPod integration, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM and smartphone app integration. Power windows, locks and heated mirrors are also included. The shift knob, steering wheel and parking brake lever are leather-trimmed and dual-zone climate control also come standard. The BRZ rides low, with an overall height is just 50.6 inches. But as Subaru tells us, there is enough extra headroom inside to accommodate the driver's racing helmet. Rear seatbacks flip forward to open up a trunk pass-through, and while the 6.9-inch-cubic-foot trunk is small, it's shaped well enough for two standard golf bags, a couple of small weekend bags or, as Subaru notes, four race-tire-shod wheels for track day. Performance is the BRZ's true focus. Built on a rear-wheel-drive platform and designed to ride lean and low, the BRZ weighs only 2,800 pounds and has one of the lowest centers of gravity of any production car. Power is provided by a Subaru 2.0L horizontally opposed "boxer" 4-cylinder engine fitted with direct injection. 228 is plenty of horsepower, but unlike other rear-wheel drive sports cars available, it isn't exactly neck-snapping. But to evaluate the BRZ only by its horsepower numbers is to miss the true design purpose of the BRZ. The lightweight chassis, the rev-happy boxer engine, the relatively narrow 215/45R17 tires and the limited-slip differential all work together to make the BRZ some of the most fun available at the price. The handling is nimble, the steering quick and the engine note intoxicating. While Subaru clearly intended it to be a tail-happy weekend track racer, it shines in daily driving, with all the modern comfort features and strong fuel economy numbers. Despite the BRZ's performance focus and attention to weight savings, there's no sign of any compromise in safety. In addition to stability control, all BRZ models include front side airbags, side-curtain bags and anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist.