After a hefty redesign in 2009, the Subaru Forester adds a few more tweaks for 2011. This venerable compact SUV carries five passengers or, with the rear seats folded, two passengers and 68 cubic feet of cargo over the mountains and through the woods. Yet it also does a more than creditable job on the highway, with a comfortable ride and surprisingly nimble handling. The standard normally aspirated four-cylinder engine has been reworked for 2011 to gain marginally improved efficiency, while a new sub-trim and a few more standard and optional goodies also grace the latest Forester offerings. The traditional trim levels remain the 2.5 X and 2.5 XT, with the X trims packing a normally aspirated boxer four-cylinder and the XTs boasting a turbocharged boxer flat-four. The Forester 2.5 X trim level is available in base, Premium, Limited, and new-for-2011 Touring sub-trims, while the XT trim level is available in Premium and Touring garb. As is also traditional, all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction and safety are standard across the lineup.

Major competition for the Forester continues to be the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, both of which have a bit more refinement and somewhat more fuel-efficient front-wheel-drive (FWD) trims. Though the Forester has maintained a pretty fair image as a hard-scrabble, go-anywhere beast, keep in mind that its full-time AWD is not the same as true, on-demand four-wheel drive (4WD) and is not designed for serious off-road use.

The standard engine for the 2011 Forester 2.5 X trims is a normally aspirated 2.5-liter boxer flat four-cylinder engine, and the base 2.5 X gets a five-speed manual transmission. Premium, Limited, and Touring trims in the 2.5 X lineup get a standard four-speed auto-manual transmission. Both transmissions manage 170 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. These ponies can tow up to 2,400 pounds with proper equipment, and the engine's recent tweaking, along with variable valve timing, marginally improves gas mileage to 21/27 mpg of unleaded regular. Meanwhile, the Forester XT trims sport a turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter powerplant that, when managed by the standard four-speed auto-manual transmission, puts out 224 hp and 226 lb-ft of torque. Despite the added power, the pair of 2.5 XT trims still tow 2,400 pounds of trailer while eating premium-grade gas at a 19/24 mpg clip. The AWD system in all trims uses a center-mounted mechanical differential to provide power to all four wheels, all the time.

Though the Forester’s interior appointments remain staid, appearance features and creature comforts are at least on a par with its value- and family-oriented image. The base 2.5 X sports standard 16-inch steel wheels, cloth upholstery, power door locks, windows, and mirrors, cruise control, tilt-wheel steering, air conditioning, simulated alloy dash and console trim, and a single-CD player with four speakers. The 2.5 X and 2.5 XT Premium trims add 17-inch alloy wheels a roof rack, a power moonroof, power-adjustable driver’s seat, telescoping tilt-wheel steering, Bluetooth hands-free communications, and a USB connection. The 2.5 X Limited tacks on standard leather-trimmed upholstery, reclining rear seats, heated exterior mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and six speakers, while the 2.5 X and 2.5 XT Touring trims boast standard heated front seats, rear-view camera, and Sirius satellite radio.

The only real option offered for the 2011 Forester is a touchscreen DVD navigation system. Such niceties as upgraded wheels, rear spoiler, trailer hitch, upgraded protection and appearance features, remote engine start, and splash guards are listed as accessories and all are available across the lineup.

Safety has been a traditional strong point for the Subaru Forester, which in 2010 was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2011 trims are no different, boasting standard four-wheel ABS, front side-mounted airbags, front and rear head airbags, front head restraint whiplash protection, a remote anti-theft alarm, and daytime running lights. Higher trims additionally sport standard front fog/driving lights that are optional on the 2.5 X, and the Touring trims have standard HID headlights and turn-signal-integrated mirrors. Optional rear parking assist sensors are also available for all trims.

Many owners of the 2010 Forester claim a noisy, rattle-addicted ride, with others concerned about poor audio performance, insufficient power from either the normally aspirated or the turbo engine, and a lack of imagination with interior design and materials. Most owners, however, are well satisfied with this compact ute’s standard AWD performance, pleasing looks, roomy passenger and cargo space, over-the-top safety record, and its plain, old-fashioned value.