Early reviews report on a marked improvement in acceleration times, although the Forester still remains well within its "built for comfort and not for speed "category.
Official Subaru reviews point out that that their new baby the Forester 2.5XT Crossover version will provide improved fuel consumption in both town and highway driving conditions. City driving statistics show 21miles per gallon in the city and 27 miles per gallon out of town, either in the manual or automatic versions.
The Forester's rear suspension has also undergone considerable design modifications while retaining its independent double wishbone formula. Trade reviews report that the suspension modifications have succeeded in providing an even silkier drive than the previous Foresters as well as significantly improved road handling.
The Forester 2.5XT Premium's automatic transmission has also undergone a major overhaul, with the integration of Subaru's Sportshift four-speed computer-controlled gearbox. The Premium's manually geared models were not left out, with the addition of a nifty Incline Start Assist feature particularly suitable for off road or wintry driving conditions.
Safety has always been a feature with Subaru in general and the Forester in particular. The Premium Crossover comes with no less than six airbags (two front, tow front sides, as well as two back seat sides) as well as a new brake assist feature designed to early detect signs of panic braking and automatically intervene.
In terms of dimensions, the series three Forester Premium Series Three comes 3.5 inches (89 mm) longer making for combined interior space and cargo room starting at 31 cubic feet and stretching to a maximum of 69 cube carrying. The minor problematic issue of ground clearance has been addressed by Subaru, with the Series Three Forester now sitting around nine inches from the ground.