A week in the 2010 Subaru Forester: Day 3 (cargo management, plus a gas mileage update)

The 2010 Subaru Forester is spacious and practical. See
more photos of the Forester's cargo area in today's
slideshow, and see this slideshow for exterior photos of
the car. (All photos by Brady Holt)

Practicality is key to any SUV, but it's even more so in something like the Subaru Forester, which leans utilitarian over luxurious even in in the fully loaded 2.5X Limited model that's spending the week with the DC Car Examiner.

The Forester does not lead its class for total interior volume, but does offer a particularly well-shaped and easily accessible cargo hold.

This Subaru's cargo floor is long -- long enough to accommodate a 31-pound bag of dog food flat (not leaning against a seatback) and loaded the long way without needing to drop half of the 60/40 split-folding rear seat.

SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE FORESTER'S CARGO AREA IN TODAY'S SLIDESHOW

The cargo floor isn't too high off the ground either, which makes loading and unloading simple. The liftgate is light and easy to operate, and it leaves plenty of head clearance and a wide opening.

Should you need more than the 30.8 cubic feet of cargo space available with the rear seat in place, it folds flush to the load floor in one step to expand to 63.0 cubes.

The cargo hold on this Forester is finished with sturdy plastic; the rear seatbacks are carpeted.

Some complaints:

-The center-rear seatbelt is mounted to the roof of the Forester rather than to the rear seatback. This does make it more marginally comfortable for a passenger there, but most competitors wisely consider how infrequently that comfort would be needed and make it easier to fold down the seat and not block rear visibility. (Read more details on seat comfort and visibility later in the week.)

-The rear seatbacks plop flat easily, but resist a bit when you try to get them back up, especially right before they lock into place.

-A cargo cover, practically a necessity if you carry valuables in a wagon-shaped car, was not included on this $29,000 Forester. There are cutouts in the cargo hold where the cover would hook, but you must order one separately.

But while these issues can irritate, bear in mind that some competitors are even more finicky -- the Honda CR-V requires a two-step process of tumbling the rear seat forward to expand space, and the Toyota RAV4's cargo hold is accessed by a swing-out door that can be cumbersome in tight spaces. 

In other Subaru Forester news, this 4-speed automatic model needed 11.4 gallons of regular unleaded gasoline to travel its first 316 miles with the DC Car Examiner -- an average of 27.7 miles per gallon that handily beats the car's EPA estimates of 20 mpg city / 26 mpg highway. Those miles were accrued mostly over highway (mostly cruising, but some stop-and-go rush hour) and rural driving that included some hilly but no mountainous terrain, where the Forester engine would need to work harder to maintain momentum.

Check back throughout the week for more updates on the 2010 Forester 2.5X Limited, and all readers are encouraged to leave any questions you'd like me to be on special lookout for in the comments section below, or by e-mail at dc.car.examiner@gmail.com. 

Day 1: Introduction
Day 3: Cargo management
Day 5: Interior details
Day 7: Navigation system
Day 8: Exterior size
Full review

Vehicle tested: 2010 Subaru Forester
Vehicle base price (MSRP): $20,295
Version tested: 2.5X Limited
Version base price (MSRP): $25,995
Vehicle price as tested (MSRP): $29,148
Estimated transaction price as tested: $26,653
Odometer at beginning of test: 3,055 miles
Odometer as of this writing: 3,387 miles
Test vehicle provided by: Subaru of America

Key specifications: 
Length: 179.5 inches
Width: 70.1 inches
Height: 66.9 inches
Wheelbase: 103.0 inches
Weight: 3,360 pounds
Cargo volume behind rear seat: 30.8 cubic feet
Cargo volume behind front seats: 63.0 cubic feet
Turning radius: 17.2 feet
Engine (as tested): 2.5-liter H4 with 170 horsepower
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA city mileage: 20 miles per gallon
EPA highway mileage: 26 miles per gallon