The functional hood scoop on the XT has a smaller bulge than before, but its opening is no less wide, thanks to a redesign of the turbocharger intercooler opening, and the steeper slope of the hood. The headlights with amber turn signals are shaped like gold-tipped eagles' wings, and the uplifting grille that fills the space between them has lost its boxiness, with corners upturned. Under the grille is a lower lip fascia that looks like there's a pack of snuff stuffed in it. The corners are tucked in so tightly that the bumper has almost been lost. The foglights are mounted in gray plastic fascia that runs 360 degrees around the car, being rocker panels on the sides. Even if there are no foglights the mounting spots are there in the gray plastic.

The lines on the sides of the car, especially the flares over the wheelwells that might be bigger for the sake of trendy styling but aren't, made the '08 Forester look dumpy. A black C-pillar, camouflaged to hide in the tinted glass, helps with the shape thing on the 2009 model. The five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels aren't bad looking.

From the rear, the XT has a twin chrome-tipped exhaust, pretty cool for a tidy crossover. And the spoiler over the rear window makes its statement.

The Forester and RAV4 look alike when parked side by side.