If you had drawn a graph of my enthusiasm for the first three generations of the Subaru Forester but failed to label it, an observer might have been fooled into thinking that it represented the progression of life expectancy in the early stages of a cholera epidemic.I absolutely loved the original Forester. The second looked better and was very good, but I didn't find it quite so inspiring, though if I'd had any excuse to buy one I would have done so.The third, as you can read in this review was a bitter, heart-wrenching disappointment, mostly because of its terrible handling (a thing I never thought I would find in any Subaru) and the worst gearchange in the history of the motor industry.Had things continued in this manner, Forester 4.0 would surely have been a wretched device, and I would now be demanding - in capitals - that it be killed with fire. But I'm not. I like this Forester far more than I liked the last one.That's not to say I'm a great fan. Subaru does not have a history of buildling refined cars, and although the gearchange in the 2.0D XC test car was better than in the last Forester I tried it's still quite notchy. Similarly, the company's claim that its designers "have significantly improved the quality and ambience" should not be taken to mean that either of these things has reached a class-leading level.This is baffling. Subaru has been criticised for its gearchanges and lack of perceived quality since the 1990s. Has it not noticed, or does it really believe that it is doing the best possible job in these areas?It has certainly made a step forward in terms of packaging. This Forester is a little larger than the last one, and luggage space has now reached 505 litres with the rear seats in place and 1592 litres when they're folded down.And there's not much to say against the 145bhp two-litre diesel engine, which retains Subaru's favoured "boxer" layout (with two cylinders emerging from each side of the crankcase rather than all four sprouting from the top) and has more than adequate power.Official combined fuel economy is 47.9mpg, and according to the trip computer that's pretty close to what I got during this test. There was no opportunity to check the computer's accuracy, but I've had very good mileage from diesel Subarus in the past and have no reason to doubt that this one offers the same.The handling, while better than it was in the previous car, is still nowhere near the levels of the two before that. Press on over a country road and you can feel that the soft but well-damped suspension and the low centre of gravity made possible by the layout of the engine have their effect; other SUVs on the market would not feel as secure in this situation as this one does.At the same time, though, there is none of the original Forester magic. This is not a car you would go out and drive simply for the fun of it. And while many people won't be looking for that when they buy an SUV, I don't think Subaru can afford to lose a previous unique selling point when the rest of the car feels so ordinary. Engine 1998cc, 4 cylinders Power 145bhp Transmission 6-speed manual Fuel/CO2 47.9mpg / 156g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.2 seconds Top speed 118mph Price £26,995 Details correct at publication date
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