The new generation Subaru Forester has won its second major North American award in weeks, being named "Best Car to Buy 2014" by automotive publisher High Gear Media.

Forester topped a list of 15 nominees in the awards, which were judged by expert editors from High Gear Media's car shopping and automotive news websites, The Car Connection, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports.

Candidates were judged using the site's unique "TCC Rating", a clear numeric rating value based on a 10-point scale that reflects the overall opinion of the automotive experts on any vehicle.

The TCC Rating rolls up scores given to each vehicle across sub-categories including safety, comfort and utility, fuel economy, performance, and styling.

"The 2014 Subaru Forester is, hands down, the most versatile vehicle we drove this year. It doesn't skip any steps in winning us over - and that includes performance," according to Marty Padgett, editorial director of High Gear Media.

"The Subaru Forester gets the nod this year, topping other brand-new vehicles such as the Acura MDX, Cadillac CTS, Kia Cadenza and Mazda 6," added Bengt Halvorson, deputy editor for The Car Connection. "It's one of the safest cars you can buy."

Last month, Forester was named MOTOR TREND magazine's 2014 Sport/Utility of the Year. The U.S. specification Forester previously won the award in 2009 and Outback in 2010, meaning Subaru is the only brand to have won the award three times.

Earlier this week in the U.S., Forester also highlighted the benefits of Subaru All-Wheel Drive in a rigorous test conducted by respected automotive website Torquenews.com.

It reported the new generation Subaru Forester underwent testing by five professional driving instructors from the United State Emergency Vehicle Operations Center - and it topped the list of competitors.

Forester was tested against Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX5 and Honda CRV.

For further information, contact:

David Rowley
National Corporate Affairs Manager
Subaru Australia
Telephone: (02) 8892 9853
Mobile: 0418 237 252
Fax: (02) 8892 9121
E-mail: david.rowley@subaru.com.au