Subaru Forester Touring Interior Driveway Test | Long-term Test

Subaru Forester Touring Interior Driveway Test | Long-Term test

Our long-term 2019 Subaru Forester Touring's interior is one area we wanted to really hone in on over a number of months with it. Though Subaru's interior functionality and space have long been key reasons people choose the brand, interior design and quality have been reasons they've looked elsewhere. A compromise needed to be made.

Subaru is trying to lift itself out of this rut with the higher trims of its latest models. The upmarket interiors of the Outback and Legacy are swathed in decent-feeling leather (or leather-substitute), contrast stitching, attractive trim and piano black accents. However, Subaru's best seller, the Forester, is a mixed bag of new, premium Subaru and old, sensible-shoes Subaru.

Business Leaders Weigh In On Hopes For Second Term

Business leaders weigh in on hopes for second term

Japanese business leaders have weighed in on what they are hoping for from Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko after she won a second term in Sunday's election.

The Chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, says Japan is entering a critical stage. Nakanishi Hiroaki says the governor should focus on containing the coronavirus and putting the economy back on track.

Governor Koike Yuriko Wins Second Term

Governor Koike Yuriko wins second term

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has won a second term after Sunday's voting. Koike laid out what she wants to accomplish over the coming years. She said her most urgent priority is fighting the coronavirus.

She said, "Under the nationwide state of emergency declaration, we asked almost all businesses in Tokyo to close down. But these days we know more about where and how the virus has been spreading. So we don't plan to ask all businesses to close down again. Instead, we will consider another effective measure to contain the spread of infection."

Governor Koike Yuriko Projected To Win Second Term

Governor Koike Yuriko projected to win second term

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko is poised to lead the capital through another four years. Ballot-counting is still underway in Sunday's election, which was shaped by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview soon after NHK projected her victory, Koike made fighting the virus her most urgent priority.

Tokyo Governor Koike Projected Win Second Term

Tokyo Governor Koike projected win second term

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko is projected to win a second term following Sunday's vote. Koike has made an online address.

Koike said, "I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation for the support that has been given to me. This will be an important second term for me. I feel the heavy responsibility. "

2019 Subaru Forester Touring Long-term Update: Repairing A Leak

2019 Subaru Forester Touring Long-Term Update: Repairing a leak

I hadn't been doing much driving, so the Forester had spent a good chunk of the rainy/snowy spring week relaxing in my driveway. Finally, it came time to pick up a birthday dinner — Indian food, curbside to-go. As soon as I sat down, I noticed something new: a small crack in the windshield. That fix will have to wait until more businesses reopen. As I eased out of my driveway, another issue emerged. I heard what sounded like water sloshing. Braking for the stop sign at the end of my street … yep, definitely liquid. It sounded like it was below or in front of me.

Later, I was parked in the alley behind the restaurant waiting for my order, and I accidentally dropped my phone down into the black hole on the righthand side of my seat. I reached down and groped for it, but instead of a rectangular personal computer, my fingers found nothing but carpet, seemingly soaked to capacity. My first instinct was to use a disinfectant wipe on my wet digits, but then I got out to inspect the underside of my seat from the second row. There was my phone, sitting in a fabric swamp under the seat.

2019 Subaru Forester Long-term Update | Can We Fool Facial Recognition?

2019 Subaru Forester long-term update | Can we fool facial recognition?

Subaru's DriverFocus system in our 2019 Subaru Forester long-term tester serves multiple purposes, but its facial recognition abilities are especially intriguing. If your face is registered in the car's system, the infrared camera will recognize you and adjust your seat and mirrors to the position initially chosen during the setup process. It'll store up to five faces, automatically adjusting everything to the person's face it sees.

The camera can recognize you in the dark or with glasses on, according to Subaru. It looks for the points on a person's face, but doesn't remember a specific person. This gave us an idea for a test. Can we trick it by using a photo of somebody else's face? Check out the video above to see what happened.

2019 Subaru Forester Long-term Update | Road Trip Down South

2019 Subaru Forester Long-Term Update | Road trip down south

Our 2019 Subaru Forester long-term tester is rounding second base in its stay at Autoblog's Michigan HQ, yet the blue-painted, gold-wheeled crossover hadn't left the Midwest throughout its first six months here, so I sought to change that by taking it down to New Orleans. The goal: Determine if the Forester is a good road trip car. Of course, my girlfriend and I also wanted to go to Mardi Gras, but either way, we were in for some long days of driving.

There are a few umbrella categories a vehicle should excel in to make a vacation and road trip better for all involved. For me, those include comfort, utility and its driver assistance systems.

2019 Subaru Forester Long-term Update | 12,000 Miles Later

2019 Subaru Forester Long-Term Update | 12,000 miles later

Our long-term 2019 Subaru Forester has been a real workhorse in our fleet from the time we took delivery late last year. We've managed to rack up over 12,000 miles in the first five months — it's been east and west of Michigan so far, but nowhere further than a day's drive away. We'll take it on a longer road trip soon. Since Subaru calls for 6,000-mile service intervals, our local Subaru dealer just finished up the second service call on the crossover.

Both services have housed mini-events on top of the scheduled work. Subaru changed the oil, replaced the oil filter, rotated the tires and performed a multi-point inspection on both occasions. However, the first service also involved a windshield replacement. Days before our appointment with Subaru, one editor met with a rather large stone that was kicked up on the highway. This caused a large chip in the windshield that quickly developed into a crack meandering across the passenger side of the glass. After the new glass was installed, the Subaru techs had to recalibrate its Eyesight technology so the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping tech would work correctly. It wasn't cheap — Subaru charges $250 for an Eyesight calibration after a new windshield is put in.