Subaru Forester review: the compact crossover that actually has the ground clearance
3.9/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Buy the Forester if you actually use the ground clearance and AWD it offers — sand tracks, gravel access roads, or just peace of mind on the causeway in a storm — over a RAV4 or CR-V that looks similar but sits 30–40 mm lower. The mid-to-upper grade is the one to have, since EyeSight and X-MODE are standard across the range and there is little reason to pay extra for cosmetic trim. The CVT and modest power mean it is not a car for buyers chasing acceleration; that buyer should look elsewhere.
Pros
- 220 mm ground clearance is real, not marketing — best in the compact-crossover class
- EyeSight driver-assist suite standard across the whole range
- Excellent outward visibility from the tall glasshouse
- 509-litre boot and generous rear headroom for the footprint
- Standard AWD makes wet roundabouts and sand-blown shoulders a non-event
Cons
- 182 hp and a CVT that drones under hard acceleration — no turbo option offered here
- Ride is firmer than a RAV4 over expansion joints due to the taller body
- Smaller Subaru dealer network and service capacity than Toyota or Honda in Bahrain
- Styling prioritises visibility over kerb appeal, which some buyers count against it
The Forester's whole personality is set by one decision Subaru made and stuck with: keep the glasshouse tall and the ground clearance real, even as every rival crossover chased a lower, sleeker roofline. The payoff is outward visibility that makes reversing out of a tight Manama parking bay genuinely easy, and 220 mm of clearance that means a farm track south of Zallaq or a beach access road does not require a second thought.
The 2.5-litre flat-four is unremarkable on paper — 182 hp, no turbo — and the CVT does not pretend otherwise, holding a drone under full-throttle overtaking. But driven the way most Foresters in Bahrain are actually driven, at a steady highway cruise or around town, it is smooth, quiet and entirely adequate, and the standard AWD means wet roundabouts and sand-blown shoulders after a shamal are simply not an event.
Space and everyday use
The boxy shape pays off in cabin space that feels a size class up from its footprint — rear headroom in particular is excellent — and the 509-litre boot swallows a family's beach gear or a week of grocery runs without folding a seat. Subaru's EyeSight camera-based driver-assist suite is standard across the range here, which is unusual for the class at this price point and genuinely useful on the long, monotonous stretch of highway to Saudi.
What owners notice
By month three the CVT drone under hard acceleration is the complaint owners mention most, followed by a firmer ride than a RAV4 over expansion joints — a direct consequence of the taller body and stiffer suspension tune needed to control it. Subaru's Bahrain dealer network is smaller than Toyota's, so factor in slightly longer waits for scheduled service and a smaller pool of specialist workshops.