Five-Point Inspection: 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium Manual

Ready for Action

Subaru is synonymous with two things: all-wheel drive and boxer engines. Like Newton’s laws of motion these truths can never be broken (shut up about the BRZ; you’re ruining my analogy!). Following Fuji Heavy Industries’ tried-and-true formula the 2014 Forester is hauled around by a horizontally opposed four-cylinder powerplant and features a system that sends power to all four corners.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Subaru Forester Full Review

The company’s famous Symmetrical all-wheel-drive technology splits torque evenly between the front and rear axles. On models equipped with a manual transmission it features a viscous coupling and a locking center differential. This hardware can shuffle power from wheels that slip to ones that grip, quickly and without the driver ever noticing. Toss in nearly 9 inches of ground clearance and the Forester should be quite capable off road.