1997 SUBARU Forester 2.0L 5MT AWD (125 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Without any experience in the off-road segment, but with vast experience in all-wheel drive technology, Subaru introduced the Forester crossover in 1997 and fueled people’s desire for these kinds of leisure vehicles.

At the beginning of the ’90s, the MPV mania was on top of most carmakers’ lists. Whoever couldn’t make a minivan by itself forged alliances with their competitors to fill that segment with something. But Subaru thought differently. It took the successful Impreza platform, built a new bodywork on top of it, and created the Forester.

While the people from Subaru were visionary in terms of technology, they lacked in terms of design, and the Forester is living proof for that. It looked more like a heightened station wagon than an SUV. Its flat, low front fascia had an appropriate size for a compact hatchback. But the steep, slim A-pillars and the high roof looked like they were carried over from a Toyota Land Cruiser. One bonus point for the frameless doors, which was already a Subaru signature since most of the cars produced by them shared the same idea. At the back, the flat, almost vertical tailgate was designed to provide a maximum opening width.

Inside, there was a simple dashboard design with an instrument cluster where the classic four-dial panel gathered the fuel gauge, followed by the speedometer, tachometer, and the coolant temperature on the right. Still, the odometer was shown on a small LCD. Thanks to the tall greenhouse, the carmaker could install higher-mounted seats, and that led to better legroom for the rear passengers.

Under the hood, Subaru placed the same boxer-four engine carried over from the Impreza, mated to a standard five-speed manual gearbox that sent the power in all corners.