Subaru's new 2.5L motor has just been released for use in the Forester.

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car...-four-car_news

Old motor:
2.5L
170 hp
170 ft-lbs
20/26 mpg

New Motor:
2.5L
170 hp
174 ft-lbs
21/27 mpg

Oh yeah - the new motor weighs more than the old motor.

Congratulations, Subaru. You added just 4 ft-lbs to an ALL-NEW motor, it gets 1 mpg more than the old one, it weighs more than the old one and you're still using four-speed automatics. It's nice to see a manufacturer setting such high standards for new development.

Flame on!

 

Not great, but not terrible either. Remember it's 2.5L, which is very large for a 4 cylinder. The 4-speed automatic is a bigger embarrassment than the engine, IMO.

 

Will this engine last longer/better? Will it be more amenable to more HP or larger displacement later?

Lots of reasons why this might be the first step in the new gen of Subie motors that you'll lust after later.

 

 

While 1mpg may not seem like much, as the article mentioned, that's still a 5% improvement. Over a year's worth of driving, that could save you a couple hundred dollars. Also, as mentioned in the article, they're planning to add DI soon which will surely improve MPG and power output, too. Maybe even moreso on turbocharged versions. I wouldn't write it off just yet.

 

4-spead automatic - I remember in 2008 when that was a turn off during car shopping.

 

Just like the new Civic it's the torque curve which starts early in a bigger motor like this. So it will actually feel quicker and have to change gear less. In combination with the auto the fuel mileage might actually be >+1 in a 'real world' driving environment (as in the 'observed average mpg').

 

A closer inspection of the material shows that this base engine design will run cooler and more efficient allowing for more reliable higher hp variants.

 

I dunno, I love subies, but honestly if a modded subie engine didn't sound the way they do, I find no reason for liking those engines. Harder to work on, more moving parts, retarded belts, etc etc all inherent with the boxer design. Yes, it sits lower, but it weighs more and subies aren't know to beat their competition, EVOs, in the handling dept, so it's a benefit that's lost. I'd rather have a tradtional I4 in every aspect minus sound.

 

Go look at other 2.5L motors (or 2.4L, even) and you'll find they're all generally more powerful and more fuel efficient, even if they're an older engine architecture.

Also, it's as much about the "improvement" (lack thereof, really) than anything. If they previously made 155 hp and bumped it to 170 hp, well, that'd be different. However, minimal improvements with an all-new design is pretty bad. A number of manufacturers are getting better results with minor tweaks to OLD engine architectures, much less a ground-up design like this.