Honestly such a fantastic review. Really appreciate your honesty when pointing out areas where the competition is better or vice versa. It really helps when shopping. Thank you!
I FREAKING LOVE THIS CAR!!! I got one for my first car and it only had 37,000 miles on it! Edit: The top of the line trim is the touring, not the limited.
I understand Subaru is a publicly traded company and bottom line means a lot, but removing the 2.0 turbo engine was an absolutely terrible decision, in my opinion. Yes, only 5% of Forester owners went with the XT (2.0 turbo engine), but what happened to Subaru being loyal to their enthusiast audience? As someone who lives in a mountainous area (Steamboat Springs, CO) I wouldn't even consider the 2019 Forester with the 2.5L engine when I spend a large amount of time climbing mountain passes at high elevations. I'm glad I purchased the 2018 XT before they got rid of it. I test drove both the 2.5L and 2.0 turbo engine before purchasing the turbo. The standard engine is fine if you are only using it as a daily commuter and don't need to pass people or drive up steep inclines. However, once you drive the 2.0 turbo it'll be hard to go back to the 2.5. The extra power and torque of the XT also increases its off-road abilities as it can deliver more torque to the wheels, generating more traction. Yes, Subarus are very safe and very reliable (usually) vehicles, but outside of the AWD system and x-mode, they've done nothing to make this stand out from other competitors in the compact SUV market. Seems like they're catering to the empty-nest baby boomers and the drive to work, daycare, and the grocery store parents rather than people who actually enjoy driving vehicles. At the very least make it an option to have the 2.0 turbo engine, especially since they have it in other vehicles. It's not like they're developing a whole new engine. I understand the highly validated MPG argument, but offering the 2.0 engine as well as the 2.5 appeals to everyone and leaves everyone happy.
Yes, 7-8 seconds to open the trunk. 2 things, your calculation didn't take into account that even if you had cut the time in half, your calculation shouldn't include the entire time. Secondly, you don't have to stand there and watch it. You can press the button and walk away or when walking to it, use the key fob in advance as your walking to it. Not a big issue.
I would consider this generation of Forester just because it's a fact that the new version will be 'slightly' larger than this one, and larger doesn't necessary mean better as the automobile industry wants people to believe.
I love love love the Forester, I had to decide on either the 2018 Forester or Crosstrek. Ultimately I chose the Crosstrek. The Forester is amazing and has a great stance for the drivers. The only reason why I chose the Crosstrek over the Forester is because the Forester is being redesigned as you said for 2019, so within 6 months you'll have the older model, and with the brand new Crosstrek already out, the technology has been advanced, which has not for the Forester until the new redesign. I don't have a big family or anything so the Crosstrek will be just fine for me, but now I've started a tailspin so in 5 years when I have paid the Crosstrek off it'll time for the new Forester again (whoops haha). The Forester won me over until the new Crosstrek came out, sorry! Not everybody wants the newest and the new technology, and don't get me wrong the Forester is VERY capable, probably more than the latter. Thanks for the review as always! Now i'll head over to the Legacy review (i'm a bit behind and missed this one)
We have a Forester and LOVE the all wheel drive as it's always all wheel drive. However, after two head gasket leak repairs (80,000km), front wheel bearings right and left replacement at (90,000 and 110,00km) rear right break seizing (130,000km) we will not be buying a Subaru again. Top that off with the unpleasant dealers here in Calgary and it looks like Honda will be the replacement. Civic LX and Ridgeline Sport come to mind :) One for daily commutes and the other for nice long drives in the mountains or moving stuff ;)
kcac222 I to had a forester, I loved the car but I also had the head gasket and cracked heads. I also do a lot of service myself and ounce I tackled replacing the spark plugs and valve cover gaskets and do to the engine design what a pain in the ass, just way to cramped and tight to do what should be simple maintenance. It ended up being one of the most expensive cars I ever owned. I got rid of it and my Frontier and bought a Ridgeline RTL AWD. Now instead of 2 vehicles now I have one that does everything perfectly and I feel the AWD in the Ridgeline is better than in my Forester. Happy shopping
Yeah, the only reason the wife and I didn't consider Subaru for our next vehicle was because of the dealerships in Calgary. We went to Subaru Calgary for all of our maintenance work over 8 years, trying to build a relationship. But it was like pulling teeth trying to get a loaner car when they said they'd need the car over a couple of days. "Screw you for your patronage," apparently.
My parents have a '17 Forester Limited and I have a '16 Crosstrek Sport, both purchased the same day. Forester has a much better throttle response, sound insulation and a freakin moonroof! Crosstrek has better interior finish (more leather finish and soft plastic) and even though it has the same ground clearance it doesn't seem like you are driving a truck! :)
Man I'm not sure I'm on the fence I like the current one but I'm afraid the new one might be better or worse it's can be worse where they make it bigger
we have a 17 2.5 Touring and the power tailgate is so frustrating, slow and finicky for sure! Vs my Ford tailgate it really is slow. The power isn't incredible but good for daily work. If you live at higher altitudes, drive both the NA and TURBO version as the power difference is noticeable for sure. Great room for our GSD's and such. The front seat comfort isn't great.
We have a 2015 xt and love how it drives but we found on certain types of pavement it’s painfully noisy. We are trying to see if undercoat will dampen the sound.
For a family of 5, it is hard to argue against this vehicle. Subaru makes really good family vehicles, yes, including the WRX STI. However my father is quite dead set on a 7 seater and I cannot for the love of *** get him to even LOOK at the Odyssey, Pacifica or even the Sienna (even with AWD). Then I saw/heard about the 2019 Ascent; is that car on your list to review Paul? I can imagine that selling even better than cars like the Atlas or Pathfinder, maybe even the Pilot or Highlander.
We chose an Outback because we already owned a CR-V and didn’t see the point in having two cars with very similar profiles, plus using a rear facing seat and a forward facing seat at the same time, there’s just more space in the Outback for us than in the Forester.
To answer my own question, I drove the Outback 3.6 and Forester XT back to back. Considering they are the same price, Forester feels 10K cheaper. Dinky doors, cheap interior trim, kind of what most people think of as Subaru interiors. Outback is solid and pretty nice, also substantially more spacious than Forester. Both cars are utterly ruined by their CVTs. Considering engine specs the Outback should be about 1 sec faster 0-60, Forester about 0.6 sec faster. The answer to "which would you" choose is neither. This money buys you a Countryman S ALL4 with a manual, just as fast despite having 60 fewer hp and actually fun to drive.
Man I'm kinda divided so I went in to Subaru calgary test drove the Crosstreck than got a price, a crosstrek sport is like 34 K and I'm guessing this touring trim on the forester would be like around 36 K after all there mark ups...I like both cars but I feel maybe the crosstrek is over priced but it does have the better interior and infotainment system....I know a lot of people complain about the HP on the crosstrek but driving in Deerfoot it was a champ definitely test drive it it actually has a smoother ride than the forester....
I’m not out of my current vehicle until Dec. 2018, so it’s not a problem for me to wait for the 2019 Forester. However, this review makes me think the 2018 vs 2019 Forester debate is less of a factor for me than the Forester vs Outback vs Crosstrek comparison. The Outback (and even Crosstrek) came out looking pretty good in this review. :-)
Yeah, fuel economy will vary depending on where you drive, what the weather is like and how you drive. But we were very impressed with the economy that we saw.
Boxer engines do not achieve good fuel mileage in town. Despite that we still average well over 30mpg in our 2017 with the 2.5 engine. The engine power is fine but there I times I'd like another say 10% hp increase. No complaints about this car. My wife feels safe and tht is the most important thing to me.
I love the Subaru Forester, but Subaru Calgary has become pretty disappointing. My last few visits there in the outgoing days of my Impreza were pretty awful and I didn't feel like anyone was trying to treat me well (other than the receptionists).
I had the same experience with the dealerships in Edmonton. I ended up going to Red Deer to buy. They treat you really well and you're likely to get a better price.
Last year I was shopping for a small-ish SUV. Test drove every brand except Subaru because I was tired of being ignored at the Calgary dealer for at least 30 minutes. Brutal customer service.
Viewer from BC Canada here, yes the Subaru dealerships here isn't any better than yours. Just make sure you are happy with the treatment from both the sales and the service department first before making your purchase. Just wondering if anyone here worries about the infamous head gasket failure and engine oil consumption issues?
Switched cars for a week with my wife, drove her Forester while she took mine. What a joke these things are, totally underpowered and the CVT transmission is not a pleasurable drive, feels like driving a vehicle with a squirrel cage with a rubber band powering it. Even the interior carpeting looked 1/16” thick. These dogs might have a decent longevity reputation, but they are pretty lame.
Subaru getting rid of the 250HP engine is why we are buying a 2018 Forester this week and not waiting for the 2019 models. Great review!
Honestly such a fantastic review. Really appreciate your honesty when pointing out areas where the competition is better or vice versa. It really helps when shopping. Thank you!
Thanks, Blake. We aim to please!
I FREAKING LOVE THIS CAR!!! I got one for my first car and it only had 37,000 miles on it!
Edit: The top of the line trim is the touring, not the limited.
In Canada the top of the line trim is the limited
I understand Subaru is a publicly traded company and bottom line means a lot, but removing the 2.0 turbo engine was an absolutely terrible decision, in my opinion. Yes, only 5% of Forester owners went with the XT (2.0 turbo engine), but what happened to Subaru being loyal to their enthusiast audience? As someone who lives in a mountainous area (Steamboat Springs, CO) I wouldn't even consider the 2019 Forester with the 2.5L engine when I spend a large amount of time climbing mountain passes at high elevations. I'm glad I purchased the 2018 XT before they got rid of it. I test drove both the 2.5L and 2.0 turbo engine before purchasing the turbo. The standard engine is fine if you are only using it as a daily commuter and don't need to pass people or drive up steep inclines. However, once you drive the 2.0 turbo it'll be hard to go back to the 2.5. The extra power and torque of the XT also increases its off-road abilities as it can deliver more torque to the wheels, generating more traction. Yes, Subarus are very safe and very reliable (usually) vehicles, but outside of the AWD system and x-mode, they've done nothing to make this stand out from other competitors in the compact SUV market. Seems like they're catering to the empty-nest baby boomers and the drive to work, daycare, and the grocery store parents rather than people who actually enjoy driving vehicles. At the very least make it an option to have the 2.0 turbo engine, especially since they have it in other vehicles. It's not like they're developing a whole new engine. I understand the highly validated MPG argument, but offering the 2.0 engine as well as the 2.5 appeals to everyone and leaves everyone happy.
Love my 2014 XT limited! But it’s appetite on 91 octane really lightens the wallet... especially for stop and go city traffic.
Yeah, that quickly makes a dent in your gas budget, Vincent!
Yes, 7-8 seconds to open the trunk. 2 things, your calculation didn't take into account that even if you had cut the time in half, your calculation shouldn't include the entire time. Secondly, you don't have to stand there and watch it. You can press the button and walk away or when walking to it, use the key fob in advance as your walking to it. Not a big issue.
I would consider this generation of Forester just because it's a fact that the new version will be 'slightly' larger than this one, and larger doesn't necessary mean better as the automobile industry wants people to believe.
I love love love the Forester, I had to decide on either the 2018 Forester or Crosstrek. Ultimately I chose the Crosstrek. The Forester is amazing and has a great stance for the drivers. The only reason why I chose the Crosstrek over the Forester is because the Forester is being redesigned as you said for 2019, so within 6 months you'll have the older model, and with the brand new Crosstrek already out, the technology has been advanced, which has not for the Forester until the new redesign. I don't have a big family or anything so the Crosstrek will be just fine for me, but now I've started a tailspin so in 5 years when I have paid the Crosstrek off it'll time for the new Forester again (whoops haha). The Forester won me over until the new Crosstrek came out, sorry! Not everybody wants the newest and the new technology, and don't get me wrong the Forester is VERY capable, probably more than the latter.
Thanks for the review as always! Now i'll head over to the Legacy review (i'm a bit behind and missed this one)
I would like to wait for the brand new gen.
We have a Forester and LOVE the all wheel drive as it's always all wheel drive. However, after two head gasket leak repairs (80,000km), front wheel bearings right and left replacement at (90,000 and 110,00km) rear right break seizing (130,000km) we will not be buying a Subaru again. Top that off with the unpleasant dealers here in Calgary and it looks like Honda will be the replacement. Civic LX and Ridgeline Sport come to mind :) One for daily commutes and the other for nice long drives in the mountains or moving stuff ;)
kcac222 I to had a forester, I loved the car but I also had the head gasket and cracked heads. I also do a lot of service myself and ounce I tackled replacing the spark plugs and valve cover gaskets and do to the engine design what a pain in the ass, just way to cramped and tight to do what should be simple maintenance. It ended up being one of the most expensive cars I ever owned. I got rid of it and my Frontier and bought a Ridgeline RTL AWD. Now instead of 2 vehicles now I have one that does everything perfectly and I feel the AWD in the Ridgeline is better than in my Forester. Happy shopping
Yeah, the only reason the wife and I didn't consider Subaru for our next vehicle was because of the dealerships in Calgary. We went to Subaru Calgary for all of our maintenance work over 8 years, trying to build a relationship. But it was like pulling teeth trying to get a loaner car when they said they'd need the car over a couple of days. "Screw you for your patronage," apparently.
What year was your Forester? I have read/heard of these issues with a little older Subarus.
Happy New Year to you :) My Forester was/is a 2010 model. I take it to All Makes Auto here in Calgary. The guys specialize in Subarus ;)
2008-2013 foresters were not good. Multiple issues as some have described here. 2015+ models are WAY up there reliability-wise.
My parents have a '17 Forester Limited and I have a '16 Crosstrek Sport, both purchased the same day. Forester has a much better throttle response, sound insulation and a freakin moonroof! Crosstrek has better interior finish (more leather finish and soft plastic) and even though it has the same ground clearance it doesn't seem like you are driving a truck! :)
Too much Nanny technology (anti collision) and no standard transmission? Bought my 2018 in September... Love it....
Hey Paul, How come you didn’t like the Forester for 2018 but loved the Forester for 2017 even though it wasn’t heavily changed?
Great review and great Rhodesian Ridgeback!
Man I'm not sure I'm on the fence I like the current one but I'm afraid the new one might be better or worse it's can be worse where they make it bigger
Hi, does anyone know when the new version will be released? Thanks!
I would go with the base 2.5 liter engine in the limited trim with the Automatic
we have a 17 2.5 Touring and the power tailgate is so frustrating, slow and finicky for sure! Vs my Ford tailgate it really is slow. The power isn't incredible but good for daily work. If you live at higher altitudes, drive both the NA and TURBO version as the power difference is noticeable for sure. Great room for our GSD's and such. The front seat comfort isn't great.
Yep, great feedback. Thanks for writing! GSD?
Thanks! and Sorry, GSD - German Shepherd Dog
We have a 2015 xt and love how it drives but we found on certain types of pavement it’s painfully noisy. We are trying to see if undercoat will dampen the sound.
i got 2017 xt..i only get 13 or 15 mpg at city driving ...very bad. but i only drive 6 miles a day
Paul what’s your personal car?
gary zhao WE drive a Volvo XC70, Gary.
Rumor has it that Subaru will be doing away with both the 2.0 DIT engine and 6-speed manual tranny in the 2019 model year for the Forester! How sad!
That's no rumour. And it's a damn shame!
Picked up my 18' with the 6mt, had to have it.... I'd never buy a CVT.....
No X Drive with the manual transmissions???
From what I gather, this X-drive tech couldn't work alongside a stick.
For a family of 5, it is hard to argue against this vehicle. Subaru makes really good family vehicles, yes, including the WRX STI.
However my father is quite dead set on a 7 seater and I cannot for the love of *** get him to even LOOK at the Odyssey, Pacifica or even the Sienna (even with AWD). Then I saw/heard about the 2019 Ascent; is that car on your list to review Paul? I can imagine that selling even better than cars like the Atlas or Pathfinder, maybe even the Pilot or Highlander.
Yes! We're looking forward to getting into the Ascent as soon as it's available!
Is there a reason to pick Forester over Outback aside from wanting something that looks like an SUV and a little more headroom?
for us it was price, fuel economy, and being able to fit it in our garage, ( 8 inch difference in length...)
We chose an Outback because we already owned a CR-V and didn’t see the point in having two cars with very similar profiles, plus using a rear facing seat and a forward facing seat at the same time, there’s just more space in the Outback for us than in the Forester.
To answer my own question, I drove the Outback 3.6 and Forester XT back to back. Considering they are the same price, Forester feels 10K cheaper. Dinky doors, cheap interior trim, kind of what most people think of as Subaru interiors. Outback is solid and pretty nice, also substantially more spacious than Forester. Both cars are utterly ruined by their CVTs. Considering engine specs the Outback should be about 1 sec faster 0-60, Forester about 0.6 sec faster. The answer to "which would you" choose is neither. This money buys you a Countryman S ALL4 with a manual, just as fast despite having 60 fewer hp and actually fun to drive.
Man I'm kinda divided so I went in to Subaru calgary test drove the Crosstreck than got a price, a crosstrek sport is like 34 K and I'm guessing this touring trim on the forester would be like around 36 K after all there mark ups...I like both cars but I feel maybe the crosstrek is over priced but it does have the better interior and infotainment system....I know a lot of people complain about the HP on the crosstrek but driving in Deerfoot it was a champ definitely test drive it it actually has a smoother ride than the forester....
I’m not out of my current vehicle until Dec. 2018, so it’s not a problem for me to wait for the 2019 Forester. However, this review makes me think the 2018 vs 2019 Forester debate is less of a factor for me than the Forester vs Outback vs Crosstrek comparison. The Outback (and even Crosstrek) came out looking pretty good in this review. :-)
Well, hey there, Greg! Thanks for the views!
Such a great channel.
I have a states version of the 2017 and I have rear automatic braking
i got 2017 xt..i only get 13 or 15 mpg at city driving ...very bad. but i only drive 6 miles a day
Yeah, fuel economy will vary depending on where you drive, what the weather is like and how you drive. But we were very impressed with the economy that we saw.
I had the same problem with my 2009 Forester. Terrible city mileage and a very short commute to work (
I got 2017 XT, Average I got around 26mpg mix driving. If Highway, I got up to 30 mpg consistently .
Boxer engines do not achieve good fuel mileage in town. Despite that we still average well over 30mpg in our 2017 with the 2.5 engine. The engine power is fine but there I times I'd like another say 10% hp increase. No complaints about this car. My wife feels safe and tht is the most important thing to me.
Review the the 2018 Chevy traverse
Still working on getting Chevy vehicles, Grant. Keep checking in!
So nice. So want one.
8 seconds for an cargo open seems way safer to me.
The 2019 will lose the turbo and the stickshift option.
I know! Bummer!
I love the Subaru Forester, but Subaru Calgary has become pretty disappointing. My last few visits there in the outgoing days of my Impreza were pretty awful and I didn't feel like anyone was trying to treat me well (other than the receptionists).
Should have said this first - Nice review!
I had the same experience with the dealerships in Edmonton. I ended up going to Red Deer to buy. They treat you really well and you're likely to get a better price.
Last year I was shopping for a small-ish SUV. Test drove every brand except Subaru because I was tired of being ignored at the Calgary dealer for at least 30 minutes. Brutal customer service.
Viewer from BC Canada here, yes the Subaru dealerships here isn't any better than yours. Just make sure you are happy with the treatment from both the sales and the service department first before making your purchase. Just wondering if anyone here worries about the infamous head gasket failure and engine oil consumption issues?
Switched cars for a week with my wife, drove her Forester while she took mine. What a joke these things are, totally underpowered and the CVT transmission is not a pleasurable drive, feels like driving a vehicle with a squirrel cage with a rubber band powering it. Even the interior carpeting looked 1/16” thick. These dogs might have a decent longevity reputation, but they are pretty lame.
I feel like you don't understand the point of a Forester or their target demographic.
Just basically a bad weather snow belt car from point A to B...
That's not the XT though!
Vic Wiseman no, we reviewed the XT last year.
8 seconds for a automatic lift gate.....first world problems.