2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness Test Drive Video Review
By StaffPosted 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.
The Honda Prologue is powered by a single electric motor that produces 212 horsepower or dual motors that produce 288 horsepower. The all-wheel drive models have a range of 273-281 miles depending on the trim while the front-wheel drive model has a range of 296 miles.
The Prologue is available in front-wheel drive with two trim levels EX and Touring while the all-wheel drive model adds the Elite trim to the lineup. The Prologue is richly equipped, so even the entry level trim comes with plenty of equipment. The EX is equipped with 19-inch aluminum wheels, LED headlights, heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals, remote start, proximity keyless entry and push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment with a 6-speakers audio system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, 4 USB ports, and wireless phone charging.
The Touring model adds a power liftgate, a power sunroof, roof rails, leather seats, LED front fog lights, power front seats, memory seats, a leather steering wheel and a proximity key.
The Elite trim features black exterior accents, 21-inch wheels, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, illuminated cup holders, a 12-speaker sound system, a 120V AC power outlet, a keycard for the door locks, a head-up display, surround view cameras, and rear pedestrian detection.
This SUV has an array of standard safety features including parking sensors, active lane departure, an active blind spot monitor, forward and rear collision mitigation, and adaptive cruise control.
The all-wheel drive Mazda CX-70 is available in five trims: Turbo Preferred Package, Turbo Premium Package, Turbo Premium Plus Package, Turbo S Premium Package, and Turbo S Premium Plus Package. Mazda keeps things pretty simple with two powertrain options for the CX-70. Power comes from a 3.3L turbocharged 6-cylinder engine making 280 or 319 horsepower.
The base model CX-70 is more basic than other versions but is still equipped with plenty of nice features. Air conditioning with separate rear controls, adaptive cruise control, power door locks and power windows are all generally expected, and all are present. However, more upscale items that come standard on the Turbo Preferred Package include 19-inch wheels, a power liftgate, power sunroof, heated front seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless device charging, rearview camera, LED headlamps and daytime running lights and audio controls on the steering wheel.
The Turbo S Premium trims add power folding side mirrors, dark chrome accents, directionally adaptive headlamps, 21-inch wheels, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, driver seat memory, ambient lighting, a 12-speaker sound system, surround view cameras, a heated leather steering wheel, forward collision mitigation with left turn assist, rear collision mitigation, active drive monitoring, front cross traffic mitigation, and a traffic sign information system.
Numerous safety systems come standard 8 airbags, adaptive cruise control, active lane departure, blind spot warning, forward collision mitigation, rear collision warning, front pedestrian detection, and a driver attention alert.
There's no other automotive segment that better encapsulates the idea of "keeping up with the Jones'" more than full-size pickup trucks. There's constant one-upmanship with tow ratings, payload capacities, and grille sizes. So what does the 2024 Chevy Silverado bring to the table? We're going to find that out today.
There are two basic engines offered in the 2024 Toyota Highlander and each can be matched to either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive setups. The base engine is a 2.4L 4-cylinder making 265 horsepower, sent to the front, or to all-four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. The optional, hybrid engine is a 2.5L 4-cylinder, aided by two electric motors for a total of 243 horsepower. In 2WD form, Toyota estimates around 36 mpg in combined city and highway driving for the Highlander hybrid, an astounding number for an SUV capable of transporting up to eight people.
There are five basic trim levels for the Highlander: LE, XLE, XSE, Limited and Platinum, though Hybrid versions of the Highlander comes in LE, LE Nightshade, XLE, XLE Nightshade, Limited and Platinum trims.
The Highlander features 18-in alloy wheels, eight airbags, keyless entry/ignition, heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals, LED projector headlights, LED taillights, washer for the reversing camera, selectable driving modes, tri-zone automatic climate control, 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat, 4-way manually adjustable front passenger seat, cloth upholstery, 8-occupant seating with 60/40 split/folding second-row and third-row bench seats, Driver Easy Speak, Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, hill-start assist, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, 8-in infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Amazon Alexa compatibility, satellite radio, and a 6-speaker audio system, a powered lift gate, LED fog lights, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
XLE trim level brings a powered moonroof, roof rails, self-dimming rearview mirror, wireless charging, simulated leather upholstery for the first two seating rows, heated front seats, 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, 4-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, second-row captain's chairs (reducing the occupant count to seven), and a 7-in color gauge cluster.
XSE trim level ups the stakes even more with a sport-tuned suspension and steering system, trim-specific 20-in alloy wheels, twin exhaust tips, torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, ambient cabin lighting, black simulated leather upholstery, LED headlights with a light-strip design for the daytime running lights. There's no hybrid version of the XSE.
Limited trim level carries 20-in wheels, puddle lights, LED daytime running lights, high-output LED fog lights, hands-free lift gate operation, real leather for the first two seating rows, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, front/rear parking assistance with automatic braking, navigation, and a JBL 11-speaker premium audio system. Additional options to this trim level can also include a 360-degree camera system, and a 12.3-in touchscreen.
The 7-seater-only Platinum trim level adds adaptive self-leveling LED projector headlights, rain-sensing wipers, panoramic moonroof, digital rearview mirror, 10-in color head-up display, 12.3-inch touchscreen, and illuminated door sills up front.
Every Highlander trim level comes standard with eight airbags and Toyota's Star Safety System that integrates stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes and brake assist.
The new and improved Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 feature is inclusive to forward collision mitigation with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, left turn intersection support, partially autonomous emergency steering, adaptive cruise control with stop/go, lane tracing assistance, lane departure warning with steering assistance, automatic high beams, and road sign recognition.
