Easy Peasy Parking

On Sunday evening I took the family out for a dinner at a hotel near town. I have a shock when I turned in to the car park. It was such a small parking lot! I have to say; parking there is really quite a challenge. And I was really lucky to find the most available parking lot, only it turned to be a parallel parking lot!

Okay, I admit I never was good at parallel parking, what more to parallel park at such a small congested place!

However, I have to say, I simply love the Forester! It was so easy and smooth to maneuver. I thought I would have a struggle there to park, but I smoothly parked into the lot, in a single try!

Come to think of it, I should have gotten my wife to video that parking … ha ha…

After dinner, we proceeded to a shopping mall at Orchard. And this time I came to this “merry go round” car park. You know those car parks where you have to turn around a few storeys up before you reach the parking lots? And what a narrow path!

If there were no cars behind me, I would have back out from the car park! No way I am going to take that kind of risk! Unfortunately I have a few already waiting behind me.

I actually prayed softly, no joke, before I made the climb up. With my usual 1.6L sedan I would be alternating my foot on the accelerator and the brakes. However the Forester made its way up steadily, with me just gently applying pressure on the brakes.

I promised myself, if i am not going to drive a Forester again, i am not going to park there anymore!

Forester SUV = So Underated Vehicle

Why I say that in the title? That's because I feel that the Forester has been overlooked by buyers in the market for a SUV. They're getting all the wrong impressions and false informations about the Forester which should be given a chance in my humble opinion, to "shock and awe" potential buyers. Allow me to, in my humble opinion, share the very much underrated side of the Forester.

First and foremost, on every Singaporean's mind, fuel consumption. After 6 days of driving around our tiny island, I've calculated, on average, a litre of fuel, will get you around 11Km of mileage, which in SUV territory, simply astonishing. Don't forget that SUVs generally have heavier chassis and coupled with the 2L engine, this is quite an engineering feat, I must say.

Secondly, the size of the trunk. Without compromising leg space in the back seats, the trunk is still a behemoth considering it's only a hatchback. I've seen the trunk of other SUVs marques and the Forester's can easily put them to shame.

The comfort and noise level of the Forester is not something you would expect from a SUV. Normally, it's reserved for premium sedans or european marques which, for this price point, is what Singaporeans would call, "value for money". Heavy rain pounding on the roof and noise from other vehicles beside you would be almost non existent.

The 'Sports" mode or Manual Override. Not all Automatic Transmission cars get the Manual Override treatment. I was surprised by Subaru's inclusion in the Forester. I had tonnes of fun, in this mode and I found myself constantly using it when the situation doesn't require a Automatic Transmission(most of the time, it's Auto mode in heavy traffic).

The "SUVs are boring to drive" mentality. I've driven a Mini Cooper S before and all I can say is, apart from the low centre of gravity and obvious size difference, the Forester is none the less exciting. Negotiating the twist and winding road of South Bouna Vista was simply a joy to my inner Jeremy Clarkson.

I'll be returning the ride with regrets of not being able to go off-roading in this beast, but from what I got to know during out short acquaintance, the Forester is the perfect vehicle for the job.

10 things

So, I've had the SUV for about 6 days now. And I noticed the following and will compile a list on the ten things people do when they see a Forester. Hilarious but true!!!

• Stand around the ride and just stare blankly
• Admire its shape and design
• Start a queue and ask for the keys to take it for a spin
• Wished they had All-Wheel Drive technology in their own cars
• Lament out aloud that they owned one
  
• Do silly things just to be able to sit in it
• Shocked about the good efficiency of the SUV
• Surprised about the capabilities of the supposed lower spec 2.0X engine
  
• Consider selling off their current car to buy one
• Plot to steal it
  

It is a car which catches peoples' eye. My friends love it and my family adores it. There is no denying its charm and its ability to attract people to it.

Time of our life...

Saturdays are usually activities day for us. So now, with the Forester, we headed straight to the driving range without hesitation. As usual, our favourite part of the ride, the blackhole of a boot gobbled up the golf set TOGETHER with our cute little Brompton and Strida foldable bicycles. Off to the East Coast!

As usual, parking at East Coast was a little chaotic on the weekends. Waited for 30 minutes before we got a parallel parking lot. The huge side mirrors, ride height and short bonnet made it a breeze, slotting into the cramp parallel lot. The crisp and precise power assisted steering wheel topped the experience off. The mute button coupled with other buttons controlling the 6-CD Changer and FM Radio mounted on the left of the steering wheel was a welcome addition as I found myself constantly using them.

The Forester certainly has road presence BUT, it ain't difficult to maneuver one bit. U-turning was smooth and sweet, it's agility and stability for a SUV totally caught me off guard. The missus even commented about the suspension(she knows nuts about cars), saying it was very comfortable over road humps as she wasn't flung all over while belted up in her seat.

After spending some time at the driving range, we were beat. We had a long journey back home which was gonna be tough for our tired bodies. Luckily for us, the plush leather seats of the Forester made the trip back home a cosy affair. How was I assured? The missus dozed off halfway through the journey....

Petrol Sipper

Today is the day. Today is the D-Day. Or so I thought. What day is it? It's the day when I bring the Forester for a refueling. I've heard so many rumours about SUVs being fuel-guzzlers, let alone Subarus.

I drove it up to the nearby petrol station and filled it up. The bill wasn't exorbitant. In fact, it was on par with what I'd usually pay for my own ride, a 1.5l sedan. So that was another point in the bag for the Forester. No huge petrol bills. Then I dutifully reset the fuel consumption meter and was soon on my way. My intention was to monitor the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

Being a typical Saturday, I travelled all over Singapore to visit friends and to have a short session at the golf range. From Yio Chu Kang to Bukit Panjang, then to Sembawang to Buona Vista. Wait a minute, I seem to have left out the Eastern Singapore. So I arranged for a late night supper session at East Coast whilst catching the Wigan/Man U match.

Covered all types of roads, both minor and major, including expressways. Experienced my fair share of smooth traffic and congestions. Yet through it all, the most surprising thing was that my fuel consumption showed 8.8l/100km!!! And to the people who know me, I am not exactly light-footed on the accelerator pedal.

I am only piloting the 2.0X and was expecting to be sorely disappointed with the lack of power/torque to carry the heavy chassis off. Yet, the power and torque distribution is sufficient and feels balanced enough. I didn't feel the need to push the vehicle hard and it feels all prepared to take on any distance or route which you throw at it.

So today's discovery was absolutely awesome and a BIG surprise.

TGIF!

Today I have arranged a Prawning trip to Pasir Ris as suggested by my son. The other day he came to me and said, "Daddy, now you have a car, let's bring eveyone prawning, it's very fun!". And hence it was decied.

Upon reaching home, I quickly gotten the maid to load up all the things into the car. It is always a challenge to bring the children out as there are tons of stuff to bring. And without a car, you'll always have to pack the things as compact as possible. It is really nice to see that after al the stuff were loaded into the boot, there is still so much space left!

After getting everyone into the car, it started to drizzle and dark clouds gathered in the sky. Normally I will worry about driving in such weather conditions when the kids are in the car. But after these few days of the Forester, I was not in the least worried as I know the Forester would stillbe as stable even under such weather condition.

And even my wife shared the same sentiments too. After picking her up from office, she mentioned to me that she was actually worried about the weather but she felt assured after awhile as she did not feel like the car "slipped" even wen we were cornering on te wet roads!

It was fun and laughter at the far whenthe kids were busy playing around and taking photos with their prized prawns. Soon it was 9plus and we quickly packed and left. On the way home, my elder twin and my niece dozed off in th car, which is t us really the most unlikely thing to happen.

It was really lots of fun and convenience for the family with the Forester. Looking forward to a funfilled weekend with my family in the Forester!

More than words....

The countdown begins as our time together would be nearing the end. The Forester came in very handy today as I needed to bring our father to the hospital. As he had trouble standing up, the ride height of the Forester was on point. He had no trouble getting in and out of the seats and with his long legs, didn't complain one bit about any squeeze in the back.

While leaving SGH, it was pouring like no tomorrow. Fog lights were a godsend and rear wipers gave me a clear view, very much needed in the heavy rain. Going down the steep slippery slopes of A&E, the Forester gave me the feeling of being in total control. No wheel slip, no wobbly steering wheel, all good.

Dropped by Ikea as our dining table needed a replacement. Folding side mirrors were good for the tight parking lots and with the behemoth boot, we need not worry about any space constraints while choosing our dining table. Came back to the lot after our purchase and saw the whole row parked with 7 SUVs, what are the odds? The Forester's sleek lines and in vogue design made it standout from the pact. A few cars from us, a couple were figuring out how to squeeze their purchases into their SUV(I shan't name the make). I was spying from the corner of my eye(busybody attitude kicked in) and realized that after opening their rear gate, it just wasn't wide enough. Fortunately for us, with the Forester we didn't had much of a problem as expected and proceeded to move off while the earlier couple were still at it.

Parking a beast...

Today's plan was simple. Head to the gym, then to work, followed by lunch with my friends, then off to a customer's site and to the golf range. As simple it sounds, it brought along its own set of challenges.

Navigating the expressways early in the morning meant I had to deal with the usual road-hogging heavy vehicles on all lanes. And at work, I had to handle irresponsible owners who park between two lots and I had to squeeze the humongous SUV between 2 very close parallel-parked MPVs. For lunch, we visited a place where the parking boasted of tight corners and very small lots. The customer's site was at a hospital and once again, parking was tricky. Thankfully I did not face the same parking challenges at the golf range which was a relief as I would be able to save my brain cells for more important purposes.

Through it all, I would like to say that despite the size of the Forester, parking and piloting the huge SUV was a breeze. The steering was light and easy to manipulate. It felt very agile and nimble on the roads and I could easily avoid getting stuck behind the slow-moving vehicles and get to my destination on time. The four corners of the ride were easy to gauge/estimate and it helps when parking and moving around tight corners.

It wasn't as tough or difficult as I thought it would be. In fact, it was a piece of cake!! It's sooo easy and enjoyable, I want to drive the Forester everyday, every minute. Now I'm painfully counting down the days to our parting... I don't want to give it back... :(

i decided to take the AYE to work today, against all my better judgement.
AYE in the morning rush hour is ever so so so jammed.
still remembered the last time i went by AYE, i nearly coughed blood behind the steering wheels.
as i turned onto AYE from lower delta road, i saw the sign board saying, "Heavy traffic to Normanton Park" and i told myself, "Yes, here i go again."
i expected a long and slow crawl on the expressway, but to my surprise, found it a smooth and pleasant ride, and it was not as tiring driving in the Forester along the jammed expressway as i often experienced in the other car.

during lunch time, i packed my colleagues into the Forester and drove to a nearby mall for lunch. the ladies, like my wife, found the interior to be comfortably spacious.

i shared their views with my wife in the later evening and she mentioned that on the ride home yesterday, she has also noticed Justin, my son, was very comfortable in the car.
he was quietly playing his PSP throughout the journey, and did not indicate any discomfort during the ride home.

as i reached home late today, my girls were already sleeping. did not have the chance to bring them for a ride as promised. Guess i will have to leave work on time tomorrow so that i can.

Talking Torque

Day 4 of the free one week drive and I'm already hoping it could be extended for another week. The Forester is a hell of a ride and I'm jumping at the lamest excuse to drive the beast! =)

Thought of being a little romantic and headed to Kent Ridge park with the missus. On the way there, along South Bouna Vista road where there seem to be endless corners, the inner Jeremy Clarkson emerged.

To the older generation, this road was called 99 Turns(dialect translation). Where there literally were 99 corners or so. It was late and the fog lamps came in handy as the area was dimly lit. It was here there you can truly experience the accuracy of the steering wheel and the excellent weight distribution of the Forester. Due to it's height, I was rather apprehensive of going round the corners in the beginning, but once I got the feel of how superbly the ride was setup coupled with the nonexistent body-roll, I was blazing through the corners with ease, leaving the competition behind. The steering is one of the best my hands have felt. Point it anywhere and it will go exactly without fuss.

Now comes the challenging part, going up the steep slippery(heavy rain in the late afternoon) slopes of Kent Ridge. In a lesser ride, I would have been cursing and swearing(which I did the last time with a Jazz). BUT the Forester climbed with ease and felt extremely safe while at it. At first, I was in Auto mode and the gear box put on a show which was super impressive. Torque was the star of the night. The gear ratios were tweaked to perfection for climbing slopes! Hence, the inner Jeremy Clarkson took over again and I engaged Manual Override. First gear was ample, but second gear was the sweet spot. If there was a road up Mt Everest, I would bring the Forester without a doubt, undoubtedly. I mean, this thing was MADE to climb! Effortlessly.

Experiencing the AWD

Every moment I spend in the Forester, I am amazed by Subaru's AWD (All-Wheel Drive) technology. The company spent years developing a near-perfect symmetrical layout for maximum power delivery to generate ultimate stability when you drive a Subaru vehicle. And it feels pretty much perfect to me!

When people ask me, "So what do you like about it?" My response, "The drive." And it is true. I feel very much in control of the vehicle when I'm driving. It is very responsive and the ride pretty much goes wherever I want it to go.

Be it up and down multi-storey carparks, navigating the winding expressways and minor roads in estates and overcoming slippery roads in heavy rains, the vehicle gives me much confidence and makes me feel safe on the roads and it is important to me as I spend many hours on the road due to the nature of my job.

However, transmitting power to all four wheels means a loss of power during the initial stages of acceleration. With an empty road ahead, one will feel the slight delay before the power picks up again as it shifts to a higher gear. That being said, with Singapore's roads being chock-a-block with traffic, I don't see the need of accelerating anywhere. I'm just going to end up getting to the next traffic light faster.

Truly a SUV...

I am a sports enthusiast. Thus it is very important that the Forester suits my lifestyle and since it is an award-winning Sports Utility Vehicle, it's absolutely perfect! With its rugged exterior, the ride looks almost ready to swallow up any bags or equipment which I throw at it.

I spent the night before packing the monster of a trunk (It holds tons of stuff!) and managed to squeeze a gym bag, golf bag and my dive gear. And it still had enough space for my buddy's laptop bag and dive gear as well! Oh, did I mention my office bags too? The possibilities are simply endless.

The open loadspace is very easy to access with its generous opening angles and it makes loading and unloading a breeze, especially with my odd-sized and fairly huge sporting equipment. And for that extra touch of security and privacy, it has a roller blind in the form of a removable cassette.

I am currently piloting the 2.0X and it took little effort moving all that gear along, thanks to its 196Nm of torque. Never once did it struggle nor complain with the load. It certainly won me over. Oh and yes, it makes a sporty person look good while he or she goes about their daily activities.

In The Belly of The Beast

Today, I wanted to test the ride comfort to see if it was really the Forester instead of my remarkable driving skills(Hahaha) that erased my wife's motion sickness. Set off from the East on a road trip to the West and run some errands while we're at it. The blackhole of a boot made it easier as we were transporting lots of CNY leftover drinks and snacks from my parent's to our place. Midway through the journey, the missus actually FELL ASLEEP. I was astonished and almost pulled over to capture the moment, but traffic wasn't allowing it.

Couldn't unleash the inner Jeremy Clarkson as the sudden downpour made it almost impossible to see the road. But on a side note, it made us realize how well constructed the cabin was and noise isolation was comparable with other premium marques with the heavy rain pounding on the roof of the Forester.

I have to admit, the ride comfort is one of the best I've been in. Long hours behind the wheel and fatigued was not even knocking on my door. To round off this daily review, I might need to call MotorImage tomorrow morning about the fuel gauge. The needle decreased by mere millimetres which is mind boggling for a 2 litre ride. And I'm right foot heavy, which seems to be a milestone for the Subaru Engineers! I wasn't expecting such fuel consumption at all! This beast sips petrol like me sipping a double expresso! Now it's making me wonder how the Forester's big brother, the 2.5 litre's gonna perform. Hmmm....

Bringing more fun to the SUV Experience

Can’t wait to bring my family on a ride in the Subaru Forester this weekend.

After collecting the car Tuesday afternoon at Leng Kee office, I fetched my son, Justin, to his enrichment class at Novena Square2.
Justin was delighted when he saw the car and couldn’t wait to ride in it.

It was a smooth drive and Justin sat quietly, enjoying the ride. After the class, I drove him to fetch my wife and we went home for dinner.
As it is a school day, I can’t bring my kids out at night.

Can’t wait for weekend to come…

First Date

Today was the day when I received the keys to the Forester. Just like being set up for a blind date, I was apprehensive. Thoughts like "Was I going to like the car?", "Will the car like me back?" flashed through my brain.

As I sat in the car, I was attracted by how simple the dashboard was. None of those spaceship-like controls and complicated onboard menus, just the ones that matter the most. The interior was roomy with tons of space for my friends, work, sports stuff and shopping.

Then I started driving the Forester around and I fell head over heels in love with it. I started posting on my FaceBook then it was the start of a new relationship and that I think I was having a crush. By the afternoon, my status showed "...I think I'm in love.." Everyone thought it was because of a real partner, but no. It was the Forester.

As female and as cliche as it sounds, it's all about the good looks and personality right? Well, this SUV has it all. Drop dead gorgeous looks coupled with an easy-going character. What's there not to love? Oh did I mention, my friends are queueing up for a ride in it..?

In the next few days, allow me to detail why I love thee...

Wife Love Me Love

I brought my wife in the Forester to VivoCity today and surprisingly, she didn't complain of any giddiness while we were maneuvering the massive maze like carpark. On the way there, she was even asking me, was it the car or my driving skills(Of cause I was like 99% ME, 1% car), she was actually feeling really comfortable in it! =)

So we dropped by Giant and filled up a whole cart of groceries! We were rather worried if the groceries would fit into the Forester's boot as it was still a hatchback. Surprisingly, when we unloaded the groceries into the boot, there was still enough space to squeeze in half of Manhattan! My god, that boot is made for families doing grocery shopping in mind! Tomorrow, I'll be running some errands from east to west and it might be time for my inner Jeremy Clarkson to emerge! Stay tuned!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Results of the one week Forester free drive contest is out!

Visit I LOVE SUBARU for more information!

Contest starts now!!

To stand a chance to win a one week free Forester drive, simply fill in the blanks and post this as a comment here! Remember to leave your name as well as your FB profile name!


"I will bring _______ (tag your friends) to _______ (place) in my NEW Forester because _______." 

Good luck!

Contest details will be out on ILOVESUBARU Facebook page TODAY!

COMING SOON!

Want a chance to test drive a Forester for an entire week for FREE*? Stay tuned to ILOVESUBARU facebook fan page to join in our contest to win this opportunity!

http://subaruforestertestdrive.blogspot.com/

*T&Cs apply