A New Pavement Pounder.(Subaru.)

Byline: CARRIE ROCA

On pavement there's no more practical a vehicle than a Subaru wagon, with its excellent cargo capacity, elevated ground clearance and wonderful awd. On the back roads the WRX is known for its performance-the latest STi version for the street pounds the pavement with more than a hint of rally car ambition. Now you can get those rallying guts with four doors plus a tailgate plus command seating. For 2004 look for the Forester 2.5 XT to bring rally car technology to the crossover SUV segment.

The XT, a sport-minded edition of Subaru's second-generation crossover vehicle, uses the WRX's turbo four that makes 210 hp in this installation. Whereas in the 300-hp STi the engine is tuned for near-supercar response off the line, the Forester is tuned for strong torque down low, meant for solid around-town performance. It uses the STi's Active Valve Control System, Subaru's take on variable valve timing, to optimize engine performance at the high end without compromising normal driving. It also has the STi's electronic throttle control system integrated with the traction control that senses how much power to deliver to the pavement when unknown dangers may be lurking.

Subaru rep Larkin Hill says they went with the turbo in beefing up the Forester rather than adapt Outback's flat six because it was a better fit for the Forester's engine bay. The turbo generates 42 percent more power over the normally aspirated engine, with just over 100 pounds of added weight. Turbo-charging, too, makes more sense in those high-altitude areas that are traditional Subaru strongholds, where forced induction has an operating advantage over normally aspirated engines in changing atmospheric conditions.

We drove the 2.5 XT around Lake Placid. It was well into spring most everywhere else, but in the Adirondacks there was still snow in spots, and the bracing ...