I didn’t install a child-safety seat in the Forester, but I found that the Latch connectors were easy to access. The connectors are covered with a fabric tab when they’re not in use. Getting my kids buckled into their booster seats was a little more challenging because the Forester’s seat belt receptors were under where the booster naturally rests. My bigger kids had to scoot their booster seats over each time they got in the car. That’s not a deal-breaker, as we’re nearing the end of booster-seat use, but if you’re about to move into booster territory you should probably test it before buying the Forester. The middle seat had a seat belt that pulls out of the cargo area roof, but thankfully the position of the deployed belt didn’t block my rear view at all. Tush room for the rear middle seat, however, was limited. (No teens between the boosters, please.)

I’ve already mentioned that the Subaru Forester’s all-wheel drive is a plus for its more crunchy fans — by allowing them to access their remote commune more easily — but the same system has proved a reliable safety feature for urban dwellers as well. Some other notable safety features include standard side-impact and side curtain airbags, a rollover sensor and a standard traction control system that Subaru calls Vehicle Dynamics Control.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the 2009 Subaru Forester a Top Safety Pick for 2008. That’s something everyone on the granola spectrum and beyond can appreciate.

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safety: Ratings

NHTSA Crash-Test Ratings

Front, Passenger's
Front, Driver's
Other, Rollover Resistance
Side, Rear Seat
Side, Front Seat

IIHS ratings

Rear overall test	{Good}
Front overall test	{Good}
Side overall test	{Good}

*Results are for the 2008 Subaru Forester 2.5 X and may vary with airbag options.

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