News
2009 Subaru Forester Blows Past Toyota RAV4 in Consumer Reports Test
YONKERS, New York — The redesigned 2009 Subaru Forester has unseated the 2008 Toyota RAV4 as the top-ranked small SUV, according to a new report published by Consumer Reports. The RAV4 has long been the consumer publication's top-ranked SUV.
The Forester 2.5XT dominated a group of small SUVs that included the cheaper Forester 2.5x, Mitsubishi Outlander LS, Nissan Rogue SL, Kia Sorento LX and Jeep Liberty Sport. The redesigned Jeep Liberty was at the bottom of its class, only earning a "fair" rating. "It's routine for vehicles to achieve a better score following a redesign," said Consumer Reports in a statement. "But in the case of the Jeep Liberty, the redesigned vehicle actually scored lower than its predecessor."
Consumer Reports also tested the midsize Dodge Journey in a separate evaluation and rated it "good" overall. It said the Journey is "one of Chrysler's better recent offerings."
The Outlander and the Rogue scored near the top of the ratings with "very good" overall scores.
Consumer Reports said it is recommending only the Forester and the Outlander. It noted that it "doesn't have reliability data yet on the Rogue, and the Sorento's below-average reliability prevents CR from recommending it. The Jeep Liberty scores too low in CR's road tests to be recommended."
What this means to you: Sometimes it pays to redesign a vehicle. Subaru's Forester is really coming into its own. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
The Forester 2.5XT dominated a group of small SUVs that included the cheaper Forester 2.5x, Mitsubishi Outlander LS, Nissan Rogue SL, Kia Sorento LX and Jeep Liberty Sport. The redesigned Jeep Liberty was at the bottom of its class, only earning a "fair" rating. "It's routine for vehicles to achieve a better score following a redesign," said Consumer Reports in a statement. "But in the case of the Jeep Liberty, the redesigned vehicle actually scored lower than its predecessor."
Consumer Reports also tested the midsize Dodge Journey in a separate evaluation and rated it "good" overall. It said the Journey is "one of Chrysler's better recent offerings."
The Outlander and the Rogue scored near the top of the ratings with "very good" overall scores.
Consumer Reports said it is recommending only the Forester and the Outlander. It noted that it "doesn't have reliability data yet on the Rogue, and the Sorento's below-average reliability prevents CR from recommending it. The Jeep Liberty scores too low in CR's road tests to be recommended."
What this means to you: Sometimes it pays to redesign a vehicle. Subaru's Forester is really coming into its own. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »