2009 Subaru Forester

I’ve heard many people refer to the Subaru Forester as a “granola” car, often seen in major granola zones like Boulder, Colo. Many people consider me sort of granola-ish, but I’ve never found the Forester appealing. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found it to be much more interesting than I had previously judged.

I believe that part of the Forester’s granola reputation comes from its go-anywhere attitude, which can be attributed to its standard all-wheel drive. I imagine a super-crunchy Forester owner could drive her car to a remote location and live quite the granola life, with only a tent, some jugs of water and some seedlings. Obviously, most Forester owners are probably more like me, living a granola-light lifestyle that includes making earth-friendly choices, but still appreciating some of the finer things modern life offers.

In the 2009 Forester, Subaru has made an effort to appeal to the granola-light consumer who wants to have as much convenience and style as possible in a car that delivers good gas mileage, value pricing and the ability to get out of the ’burbs at a moment’s notice.

Some of the biggest changes to the Forester have come in the exterior design. I really like its new look, which is more along the lines of a small SUV than its previous non-descript boxy design. Subaru also redesigned some of its smaller details, such as the headlamps, which are now more stylized.

I believe the exterior changes will still appeal to hard-core Forester fans, but they’ll also attract a whole new group of believers into the commune. People like me, who identify with all the practical granola-y aspects of the Forester (like value pricing), can now keep in touch with our more frivolous selves who really want to drive a cute car.

The one notable creature comfort that’s lacking is an automatic liftgate. I know it uses up some of that valuable energy my granola self wants to conserve, but it’s still pretty high on my must-have list.

One thing any self-respecting granola will tell you is that being flashy is a turn-off. Practicality and function win over style and luxury any day. That being said, those on the lighter side of the granola spectrum do appreciate a few creature comforts, as long as they don’t come at too great an environmental cost. Subaru knows this and has designed the interior to accommodate most people, regardless of their crunch factor.

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