The interior is well equipped with air con, cruise control, CD player, satellite navigation and leather seats, but the fixtures and fittings seem to be modelled on a 1980s Datsun 120Y. Middle-aged hooligans, perhaps, who would enjoy surprising BMW and Porsche drivers by leaving them at the lights.”Brian Jones, 43, engineer from Skelton, Cleveland Usual car: VW Golf GTi and Passat”My first impression of the Forester is that its neither a road car or an off-road car, the turbocharged engine gives it a good turn of speed and fairly good acceleration, but the big semi-off-road tyres can’t handle its performance into corners and roundabouts. The interior was well put together but, despite leather seats, the trim was too plasticky I’m not sure at whom this car is aimed. I rapidly forgot any Green leanings I might have previously had I’d lose my licence within a week if I owned one. Driving it in town was a civilised experience, and on twisting snowy roads, it was a hoot.

But it drove easily, like a car half its size, and was nippy and manoeuvrable.”John Preston, 57, head teacher, from Riding Mill, Northumberland Usual car: VW Passat turbo diesel”The Forester has little road presence, but it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Inside it was comfortable and easy to negotiate but it felt masculine and chunky, like an oversized ghetto-blaster, a sharp contrast to my curvy Ka. These are people who may well have some sort of active lifestyle, even if, like mine, it exists mainly in the head. The Forfour is meant to be a cool, fun car; a German take on the role that the Mini (British-inspired and built, albeit by a German company) plays so well.Yet for all its visual funkiness, a regular Forfour is a curiously inert drive. You don’t tease it through fast corners with a smidge of steering and a balance of power; you just aim, assume and think about something else It doesn’t draw you in, unlike a Mini or a Mitsubishi Colt But the Brabus is intriguingly, refreshingly different. Something about it reminded me of the Austin Montego, despite 16in alloys and a functional hood scoop, which was probably not the look it was after.

Like a child at school who stares at their shoes, fending off eye-contact to avoid having fun poked at them. It knows how to distinguish the wood from the trees, which, when you think about it, is what being a Forester is all about.Jenny Clark, 34, clinical psychologist from Newcastle Usual car: Ford Ka”My first impression of this SUV, as it sat outside the distinctive Baltic art gallery, was that it looked awkward with itself. It may be that different parts of the brain do better at different temperatures.”Other researchers are cautiously optimistic. But I like the fact that Subaru focuses not on looks but creating a great driving machine.

The brakes are excellent, as some Northumbrian sheep encountered on this week’s Verdict could testify.The Forester’s cabin is as dull as its exterior – all grey and silver plastics, and even the Momo steering-wheel manages to look naff. The present set-up is presumably a concession to those who might actually use the Forester off-road. The Subaru’s all-wheel drive system aids traction and balance, too, although the steering could probably do with being a little weightier and higher geared. As manufacturers eliminate the rough edges that once gave models and marques their character, cars are undoubtedly improved, but can often become rather boring as a result.So it is refreshing that Subaru continues to plough its own furrow, building interesting and capable cars that still have a distinctive, even quirky nature. It’s not that I doubt Subaru’s performance figures; it’s more likely that the brain is simply incapable of accepting that a car that looks so staid really could be quite so fast.The boxer layout also lowers the Forester’s centre of gravity; that certainly helps the handling, which is very good for a car that offers so much ground clearance. It’s not just quirky, or even weird; it’s downright bonkers.Underneath the Forester’s rather drab, anonymous bodywork, Subaru has fitted a larger 2.5-litre engine, although it retains the company’s traditional flat four- cylinder boxer layout.This unit is turbocharged, giving an output of 211 horsepower, so it’s not just any old boxer – it’s a heavyweight that packs a punch big enough to give the XT a top speed of 140mph, and a 0 to 60 time of 6.0 seconds It doesn’t, however, feel quite that fast on the road.