SUBARU'S Forester has long been regarded as one of the most accomplished compact soft-roaders available, and this is reflected by the fact it has never been far from the top of sales charts. A midlife facelift of the second-generation version should further increase Forester's appeal, by adding subtle styling updates, more interior versatility, more performance and sharper suspension - all for a modest price rise. Forester may not be as powerful as X-Trail and it lacks both the CR-V's five-speed auto and the Rav4's funky styling, but it's still one of the safest, most capable and best value small SUVs going.