2014 Subaru Forester XT

Zach Bowman — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Subaru, First Drives

Hitting The Mainstream Sweet Spot

The Forester does quite a bit of heavy lifting for Subaru. What was once a plucky little all-wheel-drive utility box has matured into a competitive crossover that accounts for a quarter of the company's total sales in the US. With those numbers continuing to swell even in the third generation's twilight hours, engineers and designers found themselves in the unenviable position of being asked to fix what ain't broke. Rather than reinvent the company's workhorse from the ground up, as we say in our first look at the CUV, Subaru honed the Forester to offer better fuel efficiency, more usable space and a more refined drive.

In doing so, the automaker hopes to toe that delicate line between luring in new devotees to the cult of Pleiades and keeping the brand's longtime fans smiling. While the fourth-generation Forester may have lost some of its trademark pluckiness in the pursuit of a more mainstream existence, there's no denying this is a more sorted vehicle than its predecessors. Make no mistake, the 2014 Forester is keen to carve out a larger chunk of the ever-plumping CUV market for itself, and for the first time in its history, it has the muscle to do so.

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2014 Subaru Forester XT originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Consumer Reports picks best cars for teens and seniors

Zach Bowman — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Minivan/Van, Sedan, SUV, Safety, Hatchback, Acura, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Luxury

Consumer Reports picks the best cars for teens and seniors - Click above for high-res image gallery

The car-savy folk over at Consumer Reports have released a new list of its best picks for vehicles suited for teens and seniors. The group suggests parents looking to send their teens off to school with a newer vehicle should try to avoid the common misstep of assuming that a larger SUV is safer than its smaller, more efficient counterparts. Instead of opting for a heavy roller, Consumer Reports suggests that parents look toward cars with standard traction control and side curtain airbags - cars like the Mazda 3, Scion xB, Honda Accord or Nissan Rogue.

Meanwhile, the publication points to a number of models for seniors that offer good visibility and easy access, including the Honda Odyssey, Hyundai Azera and Subaru Forester XT Limited. As you might expect, CR notes that each of the vehicles on the list can boast at least average reliability and carry the publications' Recommended label.

Interestingly enough, the only vehicle that Consumer Reports recommends for both driver types is the Honda Accord. Check out our galleries of the winners below and hit the jump to peruse the full press release.

Gallery: Consumer Reports Best Cars for Teens

Gallery: Consumer Reports Best Cars for Seniors

[Source: Consumer Reports]

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Consumer Reports picks best cars for teens and seniors originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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