The X factor

THE blue flashing light is the first hint of something wrong. Had the traffic officer been before the junction, I would have pulled off the A1 there and then.

But it's only as the interchange sails by that I notice three lanes of traffic, all stationary.

For the next 1 hours the traffic crawls along at a snail's pace, the southbound carriageway blocked by two stricken lorries at the York turn off. The tailback is 12 miles and I'm in its midst, unable to do anything but whinge.

Finally a junction approaches, but things get no better as everyone jumps ship. I've had enough and it's time to wend my way home along the back roads of North Yorkshire which. thankfully, I know well.

Not in the best frame of mind, the weather conspires against me as a fog descends on to wet and muddy roads. Bad temper, bad roads, good chance of an accident.

And it would have been oh, so easy to lose it as bend after bend looms sharply out of the murk. Four hours after leaving the house I'm back and it's time to reflect, not on the nation's transport network, which we all know to be the most exasperating in the world, but the car that gets me safely home, a Subaru Forester X.

It performs superbly. When I'm moving swiftly down an unblocked motorway, it is supremely smooth with just a hint of a thrum from the characterful 2.0 Boxer engine. I sit happily in armchair comfort in a spacious cabin and just let the Forester get on with it.

But it's on the back roads that it comes into its own. The clutch and gearbox aren't the slickest, but they are okay. The Boxer engine has been redesigned with new pistons, combustion chambers and injector heads.

The result is improved performance and 12 per cent better fuel consumption and less CO2. The 2.0 litre turns out 125PS, enough to give the manual a top speed of 112mph and 0-60mph time of 10.9 seconds and an extra urban fuel figure of more than 42 miles per gallon.

But it's the handling that excels. That same engine provides a low centre of gravity, allowing the Forester to corner perfectly while still keeping decent ground clearance for any off-road antics. Uniquely, it does the job brilliantly well without having to resort to electronic aids such as anti-skid control.

It feels solid and secure on the road whether it is dry or wet and is just the ticket when the sharp bends catch me out.

The new car looks better, too, with attractive lines, a bolder face and a striking rear. It also gets a much better interior with nice trim materials and grainy plastics. The centre console is more modern, the dash more interesting and the car retains the myriad cubbyholes and storage areas that have made it such a practical vehicle in the past. I still love the secret compartments under the boot floor for your valuables, your fishing rod or even your dirty washing.

Thanks to its rallying success, the Subaru marque is now well known to all where it used to be a best kept secret among the discerning few. Unfortunately, that means it could attract the wrong sort of attention from ne'er-do-wells and miscreants.

Thankfully, the Forester comes fitted with a Category I Thatcham approved immobiliser, deadlocks for the first time, doorlock guards and shrouded opening mechanisms in the skins, a reinforced ignition barrel and visible VIN markings, a small armoury of measures designed to foil the thief.

Insurance premiums reflect the effort, making the Forester more accessible and more inviting to the younger driver.

Subaru has high hopes for the replacement Forester, a vehicle first launched in 1994. It sold more than 14,000 in Asia before being launched in the UK.

There's a burgeoning interest in sports utility vehicles at the moment and many manufacturers have something good to offer in the range. The opposition is tough and includes the Land Rover Freelander, Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV, Nissan X-Trail and Hyundai Santa Fe. So Subaru couldn't afford to have any chink in the armour, however small. Thankfully it hasn't.

The old model was always a cracking car and the brand new version inherits all its qualities honed and refined to put it back at the top of the tree.

All told, the Forester is an easy car to live with and capable of handling today's frustrating roads. Without it, on that day on and off the loathsome A1, I dread to think where I would have ended up.

Updated: 10:25 Friday, January 24, 2003