Subaru built its entire reputation on symmetrical all wheel drive and boxer engines that just keep running, and this Forester SK5 is that philosophy in its most refined form yet. The turbocharged 1.8L engine is the quiet party trick here, smaller displacement than you'd expect, yet it delivers the kind of punchy, responsive power that makes overtaking on the highway feel effortless rather than nerve wracking, all while sipping less fuel than the old naturally aspirated Foresters ever managed.

Step inside and this isn't the spartan Subaru cabin people remember from a decade ago. A crisp Panasonic touchscreen anchors the dash, flanked by dual automatic climate dials with heated seats front and rear, a genuinely useful feature on cold Nairobi mornings. Slate gray leather with contrast stitching wraps every seat, and the driver gets full power adjustment, so finding that perfect position takes seconds, not minutes of fiddling.

Outside, the matte accented roof rails and gloss black grille give this Forester a purposeful, ready for anything stance, backed up by genuine capability. Subaru's AWD system isn't a marketing checkbox on this car, it's the same full time system that's made Foresters the go to choice for buyers who actually leave the tarmac occasionally, whether that's a rough estate road or a weekend out of town.

With 50,000 genuine kilometres on the odometer, this one still has the vast majority of its mechanical life ahead of it. Turbocharged, all wheel drive, and finished in a color that hides the daily grind well, this is a Forester built for someone who wants a proper SUV without SUV sized running costs. Worth arranging a viewing before it finds its next owner.