I have a 2019 Forester Sport. Prior to that I had a Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock, Grand Cherokee, and MX-5 ND. Different cars for different stages of life and needs. Forester is great at just being a basic car that can handle all weather conditions, toss a dog and some camping gear in the back, long highway stretches are easy with the Eyesight and I don't feel beat to death like the MX-5 or Wrangler. Engine is gutless of course and transmission a little jerky at low speeds; definitely not a driver's car, and if that's the main criteria CX-5 would be the obvious choice. For more money the Cherokee Trailhawk with whatever that new powerful engine is would be a great choice, but FCA quality still makes me nervous and cost difference not insubstantial. You get to a point in life where just owning "a car" is a simple, enjoyable way to live. Where you get rock chips and door dents and don't care. Where the car gets filthy and you wait for a nice rain shower to give it a wash. That's what the Forester is to me, just a car being a car when you have no one to impress and get your enjoyment from life outside of your vehicle. I think Subaru should use that as their next ad campaign lol
I have had my 2019 Forester sport for about a month. First Subaru. I took it on an 80 mile off road ride and everything was great. Love it. Building a teardrop camper for it now. Can't wait to take it camping.
This kind of format really helps to get to know a vehicle better .... The object to watching these videos is of course to consider a vehicle for future purchase. The more informed we can be the better decisions we can make to get an SUV that matches our needs ...... Thanks and I would be interested in many other SUV's to consider ..... I am also eyeing the mid luxury to luxury SUV models...
As a family car, you really can't go wrong with Forester. Looks notwithstanding, you have such a roomy, airy cabin, fantastic safety with Eyesight + build quality and excellent AWD.
Good idea with this interview format. I would like to see more of owners who have had their cars for a while and can speak about them after the honeymoon phase wears off.
I concur with the guest 100%. I just purchased my first Subaru, a 2019 Forester Sport, after primarily driving Toyotas for the past 31 years. I do have a 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata that I absolutely love and has never given me one issue aside from battery and brake pad replacement. Two years ago my wife was in the market for a compact SUV and narrowed it down to the Forester (last generation) and the CX-5. While the Forester was roomier inside and had fantastic visibility, she just liked the handling characteristics and luxury of the CX-5 Grand Touring. Our two oldest daughters also purchased CX-5s within the past year. It truly is the drivers car in the class and punches far beyond it's weight. It is now Consumer Reports (Sep 2019 issue) most reliable compact SUV so not too shabby either! I have been driving a 2004 4Runner (V8 Limited) for the past 15 years . My wife and I have a fairly active lifestyle and love to (primitive) camp and kayak. While he 4Runner was incredibly reliable mechanically, the winter weather in NE Ohio took it's toll. I have been very disappointed with the resultant corrosion and rusting...everything from brake and fuel lines, suspension components, rear differential, and the frame as a whole. Despite me washing off periodically during the winter months and even sanding and re-coating the under-body every few years, the vehicle just rusted out. I would have considered a new 4Runner but the dismal gas mileage, "ancient" 10 year old design ,and complete absence of today's modern safety features that are available in vehicles costing 1/2 the price, just turned me off. At 61 years of age I also wanted a somewhat more compliant/comfortable driving experience for everyday commuting. I always like Subarus conceptually but was a it nervous to "jump ship", especially after hearing about head gasket and " oil seepage" issues for several years. It does appear that Subaru is past many of these issues and is rated as one of the more reliable (as well as safest) brands over the past few years. I patiently waited for the new RAV4 model the past year for comparison. After driving it and comparing it the new Forester, I must admit I was somewhat disappointed. The roof rack (like may compact and even midsize SUVs) only has a 30" inch or so maximum crossbar distance and this is too narrow for our longer sea kayaks, including my nearly 18' Valley Nordkapp. I was leery of the CVT on the Forester but after driving back-to-back vs. the new RAV4, it actually felt smoother. If I didn't know better I would have thought the RAV4 had the CVT! The engine was louder, droned, and seemed to constantly hunt for the right gear. I wasn't as impressed with the RAV4's interior or space utilization vs. the Forester, not to mention the higher price vs. a comparably equipped Forester. Long story short, I now own my first Subaru and am cautiously optimistic about my choice. My wife's CX-5 is certainly the more fun and luxurious vehicle in our family but the Forester will be our camping/kayaking/exploring vehicle and the one we will use when transporting others thanks to it' cavernous cabin and abundant rear seat head and legroom. The 29 mpg I am averaging (vs. 24 for the Mazda) is a nice bonus as well! Cheers!
I'm surprised you think the Mazda is more luxurious. I went from an Alfa Romeo Guilia to a 2019 Forester Sport and I actually like the interior of the Forester more. The infotainment and audio is also better, but I do have the upgraded Harmon Kardon system and it really is sublime.
@@Wesquire I do think the HK system in my Forester is better than the (premium) Bose system in our CX-5. Nothing wrong with the Forester but in my opinion the materials, fit and finish, smoothness, and sound deadening in the CX-5 (Grand Touring) is a cut above.
Good review. I like the format because it gives the perspective of longer term real life living with the car, not just a short test drive. Steve the Forester owner was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the SUV. Thanks
Just got my Forester Sport a week ago, I absolutely love it. Came from a Honda Accord coupe, and while I do miss the engine power... I don't miss being stuck in the snow, even with good winter tires.
I have a '18 forester. It is the perfect natural successor to my 2000 XJ Cherokee. It does all of the things my stock Cherokee did before I turned it into an off road toy. Tows my small camper and utility trailer on minor trails with ease. Can fit the dog, camping gear, hiking stuff, whatever with no problem. Except it can hit 30 MPG. It's a great all around vehicle.
Thanks for doing these types of videos. Nice to see how you are about the people (subscribers or not). We love Heuberger, they are awesome there. Always nice and friendly and they are not there to take advantage of their customers. Also nice to have a place where we can bring our dogs and they are welcome there as well. This Forrester is on my list, we just picked up a 2019 Crosstrek late last year and love it.
I have 2017 forester premium and am satisfied. Avg 28 mpg summer and 24 winter. Drove an accent and the technology was overwhelming but reg gas turbo was a great drive. Forester needs a turbo for sure.
We've had a 2017 Forester for 46k miles. The CVT does great on mountain grades, which in our area you're always going up or down hill, up to 8% grade. We've gotten an average of 29.2MPG over those 47k miles.
Agreed. I've hated every single other CVT vehicle I've driven (I was a valet attendant) & swore i would never buy a vehicle with one. Very jerky and always revving up the disgusting sounding engines to 4-5k for what seems like forever, plus some other issues when driving more spirited. Subaru actually knows how to build and program a CVT then match the engine torque to it as well. My '16 non-turbo forester rarely goes above 2.5k rpm in normal driving, only venturing to 3-4k when you really get on it. For a 4cyl it has great torque even in the 1-2k rpm range! The engine is pretty quiet in daily driving and if you do open it up the engine sounds nice anyway. The CVT shifts a bit like a conventional automatic with gears on its own as well. All these things culminate to a very pleasing CVT experience I have not found from another company. There are some negatives; seats are uncomfortable (I'm 6'7"), a bit noisy on the highway, stereo is lacking (cut hole in dash grills then cover in car speaker cloth & eq adjust will help) and though the interior design is decent materials are mostly cheap. The new tiguan is superior in all these areas, but the forester is superior in mpg, awd system, ground clearance, front & especially rear overhangs, aftermarket support, and reliability.
People criticize Forester for its design and looks. I think of it in terms of Jeep Wrangler design philosophy; keep it faithful to the past, build brand loyalty by being consistently good at what you do best, and keep predictability of a product's quality for the buyer's comfort zone. Personally I like the Forester's design looks best. It has excellent greenhouse views in all directions, is functional in purpose, and is reliable. With the 2.0XT I have enough of a fun factor to keep driving interesting and safe in all driving conditions. Also, try to pound out all of those trendy swoopy lines on the panels of more fancy SUVs after a dent and scape parking lot encounter. People also mock the CVT. This is the first CVT for me and I like the smooth, seamless application of power. If you think stick shift is the only thing that satisfies you, fine. CVT works better for some of us and is better in our use of a vehicle. Stop the stick shift 6-speed snobbery.
CVT behavior at least to my mind, is the least satisfactory when you use a lot of heavy throttle, which naturally emphasizes engine noise at a time when the engine is running at a constant droning high rpm. So people who cross Rocky Mountain interstate highway passes with 80mph speed limits may well have different opinions than flatlanders who stay within suburbia. My XT does pretty well in most mountain driving, climbing most anything at
I have the Outback 3.6R upgraded from a 2012 Outback 2.5i. I chose the 3.6r over XT for my wife. Wished I would have gotten an XT for me. I hope they bring them back. I have had trouble with the 2012 CVT but Subaru repaired and had a service bulletin on the problem. Subaru put me in a loaner for 2 weeks at no cost. If there is an issue Subaru will take care of the problem. For me CVT > Traditional Transmission. I do like the CVT before they put in the artificial shift points. I prefer the smooth band vs choppy shifting.
My 14 XT forester is at about 68k and has been good so far. I have owned other CVT Subaru models with non-turbo motors and was not happy with them when I needed extra power. I do worry about the long term reliability of the CVT. I also think it was a mistake by Subaru to put auto start/stop in the new Forester. Also you do not even get dual zone climate control in the sport trim which is frustrating since not many couples have the same temperature preference inside a vehicle.
I bought my 2019 Forester Base on December 23rd. I love it! I’m a little jealous of a couple of features on the upper-end models, but holy cow, for $8500 less, than the car in this video, no regrets! AWD, Eye-Sight with adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping and emergency braking, climate control. This thing rocks. The base is an absolute steal! It’s even got Android auto and Apple Car play! The sound quality is inexcusably poor, but it’s on the list of things to fix and and it won’t be that hard! X-Mode, shmect-toad: you don’t need it! One of the worst winters here on record and this base can hang with our F-150 in DEEP snow with the stock all-season tires! We have a very steep driveway and no problem getting up it with a foot of snow on it. Go little Fozzy! ps: As others have said, the power is fine for what this car is. The CVT does a great job of squeezing every last drop of performance out of the 184HP, all in a 3500 lb car that will get 30 mpg. This really is a great utility car.
June Marshall probably a little bit of both. Replacing the speakers is fairly inexpensive and easy and should make a world of difference. Checkout www.crutchfield.com. A couple hundred bucks should go a long way m
I bought the same Forester Touring as Steve in October. It is been a great car with no problems. I live in San Antonio, and have no problem with acceleration on the expressways or passing. It is comfortable on the highway (32mpg) and nimble around town (29mpg). I have had no problems with the car, and frankly love it. In early October when the car first started US delivery, I was visiting in Colorado and stopped at Heuberger’s to take a test drive because no one else had one. I explained I would buy a car locally but I would like to drive it here. They were terrific, and within 15 minutes of conversation! the salesman wrote down the price of a turbo model and the touring model on the back of the business card. He said if I flew up here he would meet me at the airport and the car I wanted would be ready to drive away. I have never been in a dealership that asked like they do, and a card for us to my local dealership to sell me my touring at Heuberger’s price plus the cost of a plane ticket.
We bought a used 2019 Forester Touring and absolutely love it !! The blind spot warning literally saved our lives!!! Some idiot passed us in a double yellow with a oncoming car. The flashing warning light warned to HIT THE BRAKES !!!! Going to NM we got as much as 52mpg and average 37mpg. Comfortable, quite and smooth.
I know the Subie Forester isn't the sexiest car or Ute out there, but there's a lot to love about the things. And their ability to get through the nastiest, deepest snowfalls is positively unparalleled! That's something I've been hoping to see TFL honestly put to the test with their Subie Outback test car.... and I'm not talking about the lame 6 inches Roman and son played around with a couple months back. I mean the REAL snow that makes other SUVs cringe. Like over a foot of the stuff. Hell, head-to-head it with the JK Wrangler (or even the Cheap Jeep) to make more a show out of it. Just make sure the snow is deep enough to be an honest challenge.
At 0:01 Steve spells his name out in the sound background during the intro. Not sure you had that as back-up audio to get his name right, but it may be in there as an error just FYI.
I have the 19 sport. The ride comfort is night and day better than previous generation. MPG is spot on. Of course, mpg never as good in winter. Once temps get above 50, all good.
We got our Forester Touring 2019, and so glad to have this techno marvel, I guess; Perfectly working computer on wheels! Actually we wanted to keep our prior leased Forester 2016 but due to observed significant improvements of 2019 models, we went to get Sport Model but because they didn't have the color we wanted (Despite several contacts), (How fortunate for us) we went with Touring that is the flagged ship of Subaru's Foresters (Sport being mid way between Limited and Touring- Premium and base, being the lower grades of Forester- Also many other models in Subaru's line have similar grades). This is our 6th Subaru and you only understand the love for Subaru, once you get involve with one! We returned our 2016 Forester and though had a few thousand miles over the scheduled millage, they didn't charged us (Cuz Dealer directly buys the returned car and we are no more dealing with Subaru's lease contract conditions). Can't say how much I love my local dealer (Pacific Subaru of Torrance, So. California) who made the deal as smooth and as friendly as one can wish for and great thanks & appreciations goes to Jeff, young sale manager and Wendy in Financing. There is a reason that we have remained a loyal customer of this particular dealership, for more than a decade and this is beside the regular monthly programs they have such as Second Saturday BBQ or Third Thursday family meeting /live music/ raffles, that has made Subaru well beyond a car, a personal family thing! We really feel to be a part of Subaru family, sharing a lot of good things, in good quality times, with other Subaru owners. And for the record, I must declare: I am a only a customer of Subaru, paying for all my services with them, and by no means have any financial gain in sharing my experience here (No one has paid me etc and this is for the record as there are so much here on YT that every one needs to know about under-covered ad & Sponsorship business or an independent, individual's opinion). So lets be clear on that. 8:38 Not only that but it even change the infotainment center to driver's smart phone, so your screen saver is the background, your BT is connected, your phone and contacts are set, your other apps are ready to be used as per current driver seating on driver seat and I can't tell you how much fun this single feature is, when wife, me or our son is the driver for the moment. This was one of our major hassle with our prior 2016 Forester. 11:07 Tinted window (An excellent legal one indeed) is standard on any Touring model and not an upgrade. Other great things for me, that was not mentioned here: 15:35 Not only you can turn the car on when far away from it, but you can set many other things, such as keeping the temperature at what comforts you, so by the time you get the car, it feels cosier that home! - Not sure what Subaru calls it (Guess "Adaptive cruse control") but car has numerous high tech additions (As of 2019) such as auto drive mode that when selected, I set the maximum speed. My touring Subie follows the car in front, increase or decreases the speed as need, even fully comes to stop at traffic light and again follows when light is green..., keeping the car in lain all the time, I believe via EyeSight and Radars. - Auto brake system to avoid accident, when drive can't assess quick enough! - Blind Spot warning yellow lamp, on each sides mirror is such an addictive item that you want it on everything you drive, once use this one. I have tried GM / Cadillac's bigger model comparable feature that is seat vibration, when something on your blind spot and you try to use blinker or when driving my father's this year Honda that has a right side camera, turning automatically on (Similar to now mandatory backup camera) but both of those are only extensions to what Subaru delivers here: Blinking yellow light on your side mirror (With or without use of turn signal) mean DON'T CHANG your lane as there is a car in blind spot. This really works at best, among all the similar concept systems I have tried. - Built-in Wi-Fi Hotspot Connectivity with numerous given opportunities. - High Beam Assist that automatically switch the headlights between the high and low beam settings when an oncoming vehicle is detect (in conjunction with EyeSight) is a truly life saving feature, when driving at night and in tortuous far trains as my wife or Kids never understand the importance of High beam at night or may be didn't want to have the hassle of switching on & off / When! - Automatic back door, has an easy way to set maximum height when it stops, so its is perfect for ceiling height of your garage and also height of driver (My wife who is shorter, really likes this feature). - Compare to 2016, the cargo illumination is now perfect (This was the major nag - If any at all- that we could come with our prior 2016 Forester). 11:50 All I can complain about, so far, and must say there is not much, not to like here, is lesser responsiveness of infotainment LCD in response to touch, as opposed to a regular iPad etc but still this is a very minor one. Then because we are leasing this current Forester, during paper signing we were told (As a courtesy recommendation) to buy an additional insurance for damage to WindShield (Thrown stone, crack etc) as we cannot return the car if windshield is change by a third party cheap glass cuz this can interfere and jeopardize the life saving functions of EyeSights and not sure if even those EyeSights are an integrated part of windshield. This extra insurance was $700 that covers a change with factory windshield which is priced at $1400. Throughout the many decades of driving and going through numerous cars, I had to chance the windshield for a total of 5 times in my entire life and felt the rare occurrence of this unfortunate event, still justifies for me not buy this insurance. To mention, as extra, we bought additional 2K millage per year use (Above 10K given millage per year) that I feel is essential and a pre buy cost us less than half the price, if we have to pay extra, at the end of the lease. Then an additional insurance that covers extra oil change/ services/bumper to bumper coverage/ full coverage of 30,000 mile service that is not included in courtesy services, for $500 that is reimbursable, if we return this and lease another Subaru at maturation of current lease (I firmly think this is going to happen, so worth for us). And we paid a small fee (I Think about $150) for that SUBARU STARLINK data program that to me is an essential piece of comfort and at this price, it is no brainier to have it. My wife is the living witness to confirm how many times, in most undesirable climate, Subaru has saved something major for our family. That by itself is enough of reason, for our family to remain a loyal consumer of the BEST of BEST in transportation world, at any price tag, a.k.a SUBARU.
@@RichardShelton You're welcome Richard. Go for it and I promise you wont regret. In fact, if you liked your Outback, you're going to love Forester. After all with Subaru, you are in the best hand.
I think Subaru should kill off the Touring model for the forester and add the XT engine in the Sport. No need to have all that “luxury” when the limited is just as nice. You’re paying extra for brown seats lol, it should just be an option on the limited
Subaru reported only 5% Foresters sold were the XT version so there was no reason to keep it, they'll probably wait a few years then bring it back when the demand is higher, people have really wanted a turbo crosstrek since launch and we still haven't got it.
Subrau makes a great car/SUV. My first ever brand new car was Subrau a DL. Bought it right off the showroom floor back in the early 70's for $3500.00. they just started to sales in the USA. Great car, if I was looking for a smaller SUV I would purchase another one. The Boxer engine is awesome. Thanks for sharing this video.
Roman, I really appreciate these videos! Getting real opinions from real owners is the best idea your team has to very come up with! But my wife and I like to do real budget off-roading and I’m hoping you can get someone with a late model, Trail Rated Jeep Cherokee to bring in their vehicle and give us a review! Every time I’m thinking of something we can afford that has low range, and still live with as a daily driver, the Cherokee stays on our short list! Thanks for your good work, car and truck video are the best!
Very nice video of your very nice '19 Subaru Forester Touring! As a new Subaru customer, I went the opposite way, getting a "base" model '19 Forester, as it had most of what I desired in an SUV, except for the lumbar seat adjustment. Seems like a well-made, robust, spacious SUV, and the 184 hp CVT seems more than adequate for my city and infrequent "off-road" driving. Not being a mechanic, I'm not sure what the big deal is about the "CVT" engine, as I don't tow anything (except my wife ;-)...Thanks again!
Longtime viewer, first time poster. Really liking this format style of bringing in a regular owner who review a car along with them. It really gives viewers a platform that they can relate to and information that they are most likely seeking. Good on that owner for bringing up the point of the technology helping him out since he's getting older. Very honest and real aspect! One question I have, though, is I've been wondering if Subaru has fixed the oil consumption issues with this newly revised engine? After the lawsuit about serious consumption from brand new vehicles, I think it really made a lot of potential new purchasers second guess about buying a Subaru
Great episode! We're looking at this as our next vehicle as a follow-up to our 2002 Toyota Highlander LTD. The new Highlander is too big for our small NYC rental garage and this Forester is almost exactly the same size as our current one. Technology sure has leaped in those 17 years.
Recently had the pleasure of renting an Outback. Terrific car. All just as Steve said. Capable and powerful enough. Lots of useful tech on-board presented in a helpful way. Pleasure to drive. Great car.
Nice review from a real owner. Thanks for the video. My granddaughter recently bought a Subaru Forrester and just loves it. I really didn’t know about the Subaru’s and went with a Toyota Rav 4.
I have a 19 toyota corolla with cvt and 2014 crosstrek with cvt. The subaru cvt is a lot better then the toyota one. I had a 2004 corolla with auto before the 19 corolla. The cvt in the corolla has a slight pause before doing anything. That pause is not there in the crosstrek or my old 04 corolla with auto.
I didn't know that was a problem. I have an Ascent and one day the tailgate was open. Now once in a while when I push the button on the dash, the tailgate opens about 1 foot
A GM I had taken my Subaru for service multiple times to address this issue. I’m not sure how forester is setup but my 2015 outback was not able to disconnect from mechanical system of the gate when it was not working so it was very difficult to open. But once I got it open I would close with a push of the button. It was the opening that was an issue. The lock would always unlock but gate would not go up. Dealer was blaming factory trunk mat but never fixed the issue. Most of the time they couldn’t duplicate the problem. When I told them to keep the car and try the next day or later on. They did have the problem. All they would do was reset the system and few hours later I had the same problem. On average I had this happen twice per week.
My gal just got her 2019 forester sport....goes in next week for the LP adventure 2" lift, wheels, and tires. So far we love it. Mpg is great, rides nice, and comfortable. She came out of a bmw x3....while we miss the x3's power.....that's all we miss.
Owned the 2012 Forester. Now driving the 2016 Forester. Simply put, I have to get to work through farm country to the city centre for six long months of Canadian winters.
Great vehicle. We have a 14 XT Touring. I was upset when they got rid of the hood scoop, but getting rid of the Turbo was ridiculous. Everyone else is moving to a turbo and Subaru had it the whole time and then took it away.
I just bought a 2014, so first CVT Forester ever and I have to say CVT has treated me just fine. My hood doesn't require a stand though as far as I can remember.....
Steve, nice Forester and for stopping in. One tip about the tailgate ... Please stop touching the tailgate while in motion... I can tell you from experience the tailgate is temperamental if you don't just let it do it's thing.
I have the 2018 Forester Premium. It is a love/hate relationship. I love most things about the car, but there are a couple I hate: The automatic obstruction warning is signaled too much, especially driving down a wooded lane (dealer says it is fine), the seats are horrible, not enough support for a 6'4" guy, because I use hand controls, my legs don't have enough room and even with X-Mode on, it had a difficult time getting out of my steep driveway in the snow (previous Jeep & Outback Sport with all seasons had no problems).
New owner, 35 days. 1300 miles. I do like it, 27mpg city and 31mpg hwy so far. I think it is underpowered for highway merging and I agree, 1500 pound tow limit, disappointing.. stylish and comfotable.
Roman, really interesting video segment on getting an actual owners prospective on ownership. I would consider a Forester if it had a turbo charger and a manual transmission, I really love its looks though.
that guys in prepared. compressor jumper cables etc. cousin has a 2017 forester and its pretty nice. prices are getting up there though for the higher models
Its quite a redesign. Outback is tacky and a bit of a boat you get almost the same space in a much more compact format with the forester. If Subi woke up and sent us a Levorg or the 2020 Legacy in a wagon they would actually grab a lot more European and enthusiast buyers and have something practical and exciting
I wish they would have never gotten rid of the XT model. The new models don’t have enough HP to interest me. My other Subie is the outback 3.6r. I was this close to buying an XT last year that had everything I wanted and it sold before I could make it to dealer. Literally there for 3 days.
Thanks for the great video. I really enjoy this new series. I've owned 5 Subaru Outbacks, with the last one being the 2011 model. I put 100K miles on each vehicle and never turned a wrench on any of them. In 2014, I was ready for my next Outback. In 2014, Subaru, in their infinite wisdom, decided to go with CVTs. Sadly, goodbye Subaru.
The CVT trans went bad in my 2013 Outback at a little over 140k miles (I bought it at 120k miles). It is a major repair, $7200 dealer rebuilt trans. I have owned quite a few vehicles first time for a trans to fail. Also it was a 2.5L oil burner. Subaru should have issued recalls on those items not just TSB’s.
a 2019 XT 2.4T (a la Ascent's powertrain) might be pretty appealing, especially since I think the CVT ratios have been broadened for greater economy. but the pricing probably makes it an unrealistic pipe dream
I purchased a certified 16?touring. My first one. After flooding an Audi A6T I was looking for a good 4W drive. Got used to it and really appreciate it fir what it is. But after my Audi my goodness what a rattle can. Rattles everywhere. I fixed the complete front area dash rattle and only have a few door rattled left to fix. The power is ok and does the job, but wow how spacious it looks inside and no blind spot anywhere. I am thinking of an outback Wilderness probably next. Just not a truck guy do this could work.
When you make a right turn on busy crossroad that is where many light bumping happens, to the cars in front of you, because you look to your left and creep forward and front car usually slam on brake a lot.
My name is Forrest with two Rs and I have thought about getting the FoRester since kind of has my name and is a quality vehicle. Yes with the CVT and the smaller motor it isn't going to win in a drag race vs a lot of vehicles, but that isn't the space it lives in. Nor is it a super sexy looker that will turn heads, but it is a quality vehicle that is comfy, has some cool safety tech including that Driver Focus which is neat and the face scan which I like quite a bit, plus can make it through snowy and muddy conditions rather well with that AWD and 8.7 inches of ground clearance. I keep looking at the Subaru family of CUVs in the Forester, but mostly the Outback and Crosstrek (which is the only one I can get close to affording atm) as my next vehicle. I have a compact sedan in the 2013 Chevy Cruze and would like something with some ground clearance and utility since I like to hunt, fish, and take my kayak, these would fit the bill if I had the dollar bills to afford one. Same goes for a mid sized truck like the Colorado/Canyon that I have wanted since they came back out. Thanks for sharing Episode 3 not 2 (Wrangler, Raptor, Forester) I really enjoy hearing these experiences with both the vehicle and dealerships, even though I live in West Virginia, one may have similar experiences.
I typically average 24 to 27 or so MPG in my 14 XT Forester. I run 93 octane. I recently averaged 27.6 on a tank of gas with more than usual highway miles. I find it funny that many people don’t get great mileage from the NA engines and a guy with an XT can do just about as well or better in NH. I think the big reason is that I can come up to speed quickly while keeping my RPMs low due to the great torque the turbo engine has.
Loved the video, we have a 2017 Forester with the CVT, when we leased it in 16 it was the best of the CVTs we had driven. A year earlier we bought a new truck and drove one with an eight speed automatic that sometimes seemed indecisive on what gear it wanted to be in, so we went with a 6 speed. I hear people sometimes complain about the CVT, the failures, and cost to replace one, but wonder if these new automatics with 6, 8, and 10 speeds are any more reliable, or cheaper to replace than the CVTs. i do like the way automatics drive, I think it's better than the CVT, but it might just be that is what I am use too. It does seem the more I drive the CVT the more normal it seems.
CVT is nearly as bad as all the reviewers make it seem if you have a basic daily driver. If you plan on modding a car for performance then I could see it being an issue but CVT's are not a big deal.
We got the 19 Forrester Touring and love it. First car in 15 years, it's now the grocery getter instead of our LJ Rubicon and Taco. The CVT is fine and is predictable vs that '17 Taco's automatic. We wanted a good AWD car with snow clearance that wasn't too big or compact, the Forrester fit the bill. It plus Blizzaks equal glue on ice. That combo is a little boring in our Montana winter's vs my 4x4s with studded tires. I've gotten a few seatbelt checks trying hard breaking on icy and snow packed roads. Power's fine, accelerates up our passes at 70+ much better than the 5.4L Triton I had previously. We haven't loaded it down though. I think the rear auto tailgate is buggy, any small item against it and it won't open.
It looks like an SUV. That's why I like it. Some SUVs look like lifted minivans. Looking at you Honda Pilot. I drove a Forester Sport. I wanted an SUV after driving that. I'm not a fan of SUVs generally.
34k for a Forester is just too much. Don't get me wrong, I like Subaru Foresters, but that's when they're in the 20-25k range, with fewer bells and whistles.
My parents, both retired, have had three Subarus. The first was a used 1994 Legacy wagon (with 5-speed on the floor) bought in 1995 and they ran it till 2012. (About 250,000 miles) It was a durable car that impressed my family with its go-anywhere all-wheel-drive. It eventually fell apart, but it was fun to visit junkyards and glean parts off of old Subies to keep it going on the cheap. In 2013, they decided to try 36-month / 36,000-mile leasing on a new '13 Impreza Si hatchback. It was too small and not powerful enough and ingress-egress was not good for them. And the rear hatch wasn't as nice as the '94. The windshield had a weird squeak to it when going down the road, as if the fit 'n finish wasn't up to the '94's standards. But the car's all-wheel-drive was still impressive and it ran like you would expect of a Subaru. In 2016, my parents took the Impreza back and moved up to a Forester. Ingress and egress much improved. The amazing 2.5 L Boxer motor was incredibly smooth, quiet and topped 38 MPG on long highway rides. (Around town, it was mediocre on gas) Generally comfortable seating and position, excellent heat/AC, roomy. But those problems: my mother could not ride more than a short distance in the car. Something in the air made her break out. We complained to Subaru USA about and they paid to have the car detailed. This only partially addressed the problem. The car's standard all-season tires are wearing out alarmingly fast. Worst off all: the all-wheel-drive and brakes did not handle well on even moderate winter conditions. from a braking and traction standpoint, this is the worst of the three Subarus. My family concluded that quality and design of the newer Subarus has declined compared to the '94. Even though they were thrilled to be able to have a late-model car in the driveway (each for less than $300/month), it was still a disappointment. They decided their next vehicle will not be a Subaru.
we just had a snow storm in the pnw. i saw a lot of subarus not doing well in the snow. its not the awd, but the tires they put on them. my 99 outback has a set of winter tires and had no problem going anywhere in the snow. if one get a lot of snow and ice, get winter tires . combine this with awd its almost unstoppable
I drive since new a 2009 Mazda 3 s hatchback 2.3 with 5 speed auto and 195,000 miles. I have been dumping money lately for suspension parts at all four corners and a trans module. A trans module is not a rebuild. At the end of a recent 5000 mile oil change interval I got back from a 2000 mile Marathon trip in 50 hours. Car ran like a champ. Did not burn or leak a drop of synthetic oil. Show me one Mazda with a head gasket problem and I'll show you a hundred Subarus with a head gasket problem. Also CVT transmissions are no good as well. Overall Subaru recalls are way higher than Mazda.
I have a 2019 Forester Sport. Prior to that I had a Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock, Grand Cherokee, and MX-5 ND. Different cars for different stages of life and needs. Forester is great at just being a basic car that can handle all weather conditions, toss a dog and some camping gear in the back, long highway stretches are easy with the Eyesight and I don't feel beat to death like the MX-5 or Wrangler. Engine is gutless of course and transmission a little jerky at low speeds; definitely not a driver's car, and if that's the main criteria CX-5 would be the obvious choice. For more money the Cherokee Trailhawk with whatever that new powerful engine is would be a great choice, but FCA quality still makes me nervous and cost difference not insubstantial. You get to a point in life where just owning "a car" is a simple, enjoyable way to live. Where you get rock chips and door dents and don't care. Where the car gets filthy and you wait for a nice rain shower to give it a wash. That's what the Forester is to me, just a car being a car when you have no one to impress and get your enjoyment from life outside of your vehicle. I think Subaru should use that as their next ad campaign lol
I use my truck as a pussy magnet
endocry damn. Made me laugh
The rav4 hybrid is faster and gets 40 mpg...
Dungsta been a few of the Rav4’s they also ride like a matchbox car 👀
I honestly get what you mean. It's very practical. The car for people who hate cars.
I have had my 2019 Forester sport for about a month. First Subaru. I took it on an 80 mile off road ride and everything was great. Love it. Building a teardrop camper for it now. Can't wait to take it camping.
This kind of format really helps to get to know a vehicle better .... The object to watching these videos is of course to consider a vehicle for future purchase. The more informed we can be the better decisions we can make to get an SUV that matches our needs ...... Thanks and I would be interested in many other SUV's to consider ..... I am also eyeing the mid luxury to luxury SUV models...
As a sedan lover...wish there weren't so many tall suvs out there! Great format tho!!
As a family car, you really can't go wrong with Forester. Looks notwithstanding, you have such a roomy, airy cabin, fantastic safety with Eyesight + build quality and excellent AWD.
Good idea with this interview format. I would like to see more of owners who have had their cars for a while and can speak about them after the honeymoon phase wears off.
Grandpa really knew his stuff, it’s a car which fits his lifestyle, no crazy drag racing or twin-turbo
My forester does everything i need it to do. I live above the snow line in the UK and my forester will drive through ANYTHING!
I concur with the guest 100%. I just purchased my first Subaru, a 2019 Forester Sport, after primarily driving Toyotas for the past 31 years. I do have a 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata that I absolutely love and has never given me one issue aside from battery and brake pad replacement. Two years ago my wife was in the market for a compact SUV and narrowed it down to the Forester (last generation) and the CX-5. While the Forester was roomier inside and had fantastic visibility, she just liked the handling characteristics and luxury of the CX-5 Grand Touring. Our two oldest daughters also purchased CX-5s within the past year. It truly is the drivers car in the class and punches far beyond it's weight. It is now Consumer Reports (Sep 2019 issue) most reliable compact SUV so not too shabby either!
I have been driving a 2004 4Runner (V8 Limited) for the past 15 years . My wife and I have a fairly active lifestyle and love to (primitive) camp and kayak. While he 4Runner was incredibly reliable mechanically, the winter weather in NE Ohio took it's toll. I have been very disappointed with the resultant corrosion and rusting...everything from brake and fuel lines, suspension components, rear differential, and the frame as a whole. Despite me washing off periodically during the winter months and even sanding and re-coating the under-body every few years, the vehicle just rusted out.
I would have considered a new 4Runner but the dismal gas mileage, "ancient" 10 year old design ,and complete absence of today's modern safety features that are available in vehicles costing 1/2 the price, just turned me off. At 61 years of age I also wanted a somewhat more compliant/comfortable driving experience for everyday commuting.
I always like Subarus conceptually but was a it nervous to "jump ship", especially after hearing about head gasket and " oil seepage" issues for several years. It does appear that Subaru is past many of these issues and is rated as one of the more reliable (as well as safest) brands over the past few years. I patiently waited for the new RAV4 model the past year for comparison. After driving it and comparing it the new Forester, I must admit I was somewhat disappointed. The roof rack (like may compact and even midsize SUVs) only has a 30" inch or so maximum crossbar distance and this is too narrow for our longer sea kayaks, including my nearly 18' Valley Nordkapp. I was leery of the CVT on the Forester but after driving back-to-back vs. the new RAV4, it actually felt smoother. If I didn't know better I would have thought the RAV4 had the CVT! The engine was louder, droned, and seemed to constantly hunt for the right gear. I wasn't as impressed with the RAV4's interior or space utilization vs. the Forester, not to mention the higher price vs. a comparably equipped Forester.
Long story short, I now own my first Subaru and am cautiously optimistic about my choice. My wife's CX-5 is certainly the more fun and luxurious vehicle in our family but the Forester will be our camping/kayaking/exploring vehicle and the one we will use when transporting others thanks to it' cavernous cabin and abundant rear seat head and legroom. The 29 mpg I am averaging (vs. 24 for the Mazda) is a nice bonus as well!
Cheers!
I'm surprised you think the Mazda is more luxurious. I went from an Alfa Romeo Guilia to a 2019 Forester Sport and I actually like the interior of the Forester more. The infotainment and audio is also better, but I do have the upgraded Harmon Kardon system and it really is sublime.
@@Wesquire I do think the HK system in my Forester is better than the (premium) Bose system in our CX-5. Nothing wrong with the Forester but in my opinion the materials, fit and finish, smoothness, and sound deadening in the CX-5 (Grand Touring) is a cut above.
That's was a great interview. Thanks Roman!
Good review. I like the format because it gives the perspective of longer term real life living with the car, not just a short test drive. Steve the Forester owner was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the SUV. Thanks
I really like this format where the show host talks with an actual buyer
Just got my Forester Sport a week ago, I absolutely love it. Came from a Honda Accord coupe, and while I do miss the engine power... I don't miss being stuck in the snow, even with good winter tires.
Just bought my third Forester and I love it. I had a 10,15 and now 19 got the touring model for the features great vehicle.
Just bought the exact same vehicle, int/ext color and all, two days ago, mainly based on this video and Nathan’s review. Keep up the great work, guys!
I have a '18 forester. It is the perfect natural successor to my 2000 XJ Cherokee. It does all of the things my stock Cherokee did before I turned it into an off road toy. Tows my small camper and utility trailer on minor trails with ease. Can fit the dog, camping gear, hiking stuff, whatever with no problem. Except it can hit 30 MPG. It's a great all around vehicle.
Roman learned to not interrupt 😜
I noticed that too . Good job Roman, for not interrupting.
Someone show this video to Jay Leno ! He sure as Hell could use it ! 🙄🤣
Thanks for doing these types of videos. Nice to see how you are about the people (subscribers or not). We love Heuberger, they are awesome there. Always nice and friendly and they are not there to take advantage of their customers. Also nice to have a place where we can bring our dogs and they are welcome there as well. This Forrester is on my list, we just picked up a 2019 Crosstrek late last year and love it.
They found a smart guy, someone who gets how CVTs work and what their advantage is.
I have 2017 forester premium and am satisfied. Avg 28 mpg summer and 24 winter. Drove an accent and the technology was overwhelming but reg gas turbo was a great drive. Forester needs a turbo for sure.
We've had a 2017 Forester for 46k miles. The CVT does great on mountain grades, which in our area you're always going up or down hill, up to 8% grade. We've gotten an average of 29.2MPG over those 47k miles.
Agreed. I've hated every single other CVT vehicle I've driven (I was a valet attendant) & swore i would never buy a vehicle with one. Very jerky and always revving up the disgusting sounding engines to 4-5k for what seems like forever, plus some other issues when driving more spirited. Subaru actually knows how to build and program a CVT then match the engine torque to it as well. My '16 non-turbo forester rarely goes above 2.5k rpm in normal driving, only venturing to 3-4k when you really get on it. For a 4cyl it has great torque even in the 1-2k rpm range! The engine is pretty quiet in daily driving and if you do open it up the engine sounds nice anyway. The CVT shifts a bit like a conventional automatic with gears on its own as well. All these things culminate to a very pleasing CVT experience I have not found from another company. There are some negatives; seats are uncomfortable (I'm 6'7"), a bit noisy on the highway, stereo is lacking (cut hole in dash grills then cover in car speaker cloth & eq adjust will help) and though the interior design is decent materials are mostly cheap. The new tiguan is superior in all these areas, but the forester is superior in mpg, awd system, ground clearance, front & especially rear overhangs, aftermarket support, and reliability.
Some people are just afraid of the reliability. Especially in the mountains.
People criticize Forester for its design and looks. I think of it in terms of Jeep Wrangler design philosophy; keep it faithful to the past, build brand loyalty by being consistently good at what you do best, and keep predictability of a product's quality for the buyer's comfort zone. Personally I like the Forester's design looks best. It has excellent greenhouse views in all directions, is functional in purpose, and is reliable. With the 2.0XT I have enough of a fun factor to keep driving interesting and safe in all driving conditions. Also, try to pound out all of those trendy swoopy lines on the panels of more fancy SUVs after a dent and scape parking lot encounter. People also mock the CVT. This is the first CVT for me and I like the smooth, seamless application of power. If you think stick shift is the only thing that satisfies you, fine. CVT works better for some of us and is better in our use of a vehicle. Stop the stick shift 6-speed snobbery.
CVT behavior at least to my mind, is the least satisfactory when you use a lot of heavy throttle, which naturally emphasizes engine noise at a time when the engine is running at a constant droning high rpm. So people who cross Rocky Mountain interstate highway passes with 80mph speed limits may well have different opinions than flatlanders who stay within suburbia. My XT does pretty well in most mountain driving, climbing most anything at
Let’s see how long the CVT will hold up. Extending the warranty coverage of past Forester CVT as recent of 2018 isn’t a good sign.
I have the Outback 3.6R upgraded from a 2012 Outback 2.5i. I chose the 3.6r over XT for my wife. Wished I would have gotten an XT for me. I hope they bring them back. I have had trouble with the 2012 CVT but Subaru repaired and had a service bulletin on the problem. Subaru put me in a loaner for 2 weeks at no cost. If there is an issue Subaru will take care of the problem. For me CVT > Traditional Transmission. I do like the CVT before they put in the artificial shift points. I prefer the smooth band vs choppy shifting.
@@LOUROK-SR20 My main worry as well. I do not mind the power and behaviour, but I do mind the lack of reliability.
My 14 XT forester is at about 68k and has been good so far. I have owned other CVT Subaru models with non-turbo motors and was not happy with them when I needed extra power. I do worry about the long term reliability of the CVT. I also think it was a mistake by Subaru to put auto start/stop in the new Forester. Also you do not even get dual zone climate control in the sport trim which is frustrating since not many couples have the same temperature preference inside a vehicle.
Just got mine over the weekend. Sport trim. Absolutely LOVE IT. Can tell this will be the perfect vehicle for the fam.
I bought my 2019 Forester Base on December 23rd. I love it! I’m a little jealous of a couple of features on the upper-end models, but holy cow, for $8500 less, than the car in this video, no regrets! AWD, Eye-Sight with adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping and emergency braking, climate control. This thing rocks. The base is an absolute steal! It’s even got Android auto and Apple Car play! The sound quality is inexcusably poor, but it’s on the list of things to fix and and it won’t be that hard! X-Mode, shmect-toad: you don’t need it! One of the worst winters here on record and this base can hang with our F-150 in DEEP snow with the stock all-season tires! We have a very steep driveway and no problem getting up it with a foot of snow on it. Go little Fozzy!
ps: As others have said, the power is fine for what this car is. The CVT does a great job of squeezing every last drop of performance out of the 184HP, all in a 3500 lb car that will get 30 mpg. This really is a great utility car.
Audio on the Premium is not good and I'm going to get an upgrade some where. Is it the speakers or the amp that is the problem?
June Marshall probably a little bit of both. Replacing the speakers is fairly inexpensive and easy and should make a world of difference. Checkout www.crutchfield.com. A couple hundred bucks should go a long way m
I bought the same Forester Touring as Steve in October. It is been a great car with no problems. I live in San Antonio, and have no problem with acceleration on the expressways or passing. It is comfortable on the highway (32mpg) and nimble around town (29mpg). I have had no problems with the car, and frankly love it. In early October when the car first started US delivery, I was visiting in Colorado and stopped at Heuberger’s to take a test drive because no one else had one. I explained I would buy a car locally but I would like to drive it here. They were terrific, and within 15 minutes of conversation! the salesman wrote down the price of a turbo model and the touring model on the back of the business card. He said if I flew up here he would meet me at the airport and the car I wanted would be ready to drive away. I have never been in a dealership that asked like they do, and a card for us to my local dealership to sell me my touring at Heuberger’s price plus the cost of a plane ticket.
We bought a used 2019 Forester Touring and absolutely love it !! The blind spot warning literally saved our lives!!! Some idiot passed us in a double yellow with a oncoming car. The flashing warning light warned to HIT THE BRAKES !!!! Going to NM we got as much as 52mpg and average 37mpg. Comfortable, quite and smooth.
This is a really good and informative video series. Not like other car reviews where they just throw numbers at you.
These have gotten really nice over night!!! I kinda want a forester just for the ground clearance
Bought the limited trim in December and I'm very happy. Decent car in its class. My first vehicle ever.
Just hope there was a turbo engine.
I know the Subie Forester isn't the sexiest car or Ute out there, but there's a lot to love about the things. And their ability to get through the nastiest, deepest snowfalls is positively unparalleled! That's something I've been hoping to see TFL honestly put to the test with their Subie Outback test car.... and I'm not talking about the lame 6 inches Roman and son played around with a couple months back. I mean the REAL snow that makes other SUVs cringe. Like over a foot of the stuff. Hell, head-to-head it with the JK Wrangler (or even the Cheap Jeep) to make more a show out of it. Just make sure the snow is deep enough to be an honest challenge.
Real? I guess if you slash the tires of every plow
Nice car. Congratulations. Enjoy.
Good job Roman for learning not to interrupt. Thumbs up and hello from Seattle.
At 0:01 Steve spells his name out in the sound background during the intro. Not sure you had that as back-up audio to get his name right, but it may be in there as an error just FYI.
I got a 2019 in the same colour. I've had it since December 2018 and I really like it so far.
We have a 2018 outback and it’s awesome! Eyesight and awd ftw!
We own the same. In Cold weather here in MN, we are averaging 30+ mpg.
I am planning on getting the same color forester and the same interior when I get mine. I am super excited.
I have the 19 sport. The ride comfort is night and day better than previous generation. MPG is spot on. Of course, mpg never as good in winter. Once temps get above 50, all good.
Love having an owner on the show. Can he call me on 4 years when he's ready to sell ;-)?
We got our Forester Touring 2019, and so glad to have this techno marvel, I guess; Perfectly working computer on wheels!
Actually we wanted to keep our prior leased Forester 2016 but due to observed significant improvements of 2019 models, we went to get Sport Model but because they didn't have the color we wanted (Despite several contacts), (How fortunate for us) we went with Touring that is the flagged ship of Subaru's Foresters (Sport being mid way between Limited and Touring- Premium and base, being the lower grades of Forester- Also many other models in Subaru's line have similar grades).
This is our 6th Subaru and you only understand the love for Subaru, once you get involve with one!
We returned our 2016 Forester and though had a few thousand miles over the scheduled millage, they didn't charged us (Cuz Dealer directly buys the returned car and we are no more dealing with Subaru's lease contract conditions). Can't say how much I love my local dealer (Pacific Subaru of Torrance, So. California) who made the deal as smooth and as friendly as one can wish for and great thanks & appreciations goes to Jeff, young sale manager and Wendy in Financing. There is a reason that we have remained a loyal customer of this particular dealership, for more than a decade and this is beside the regular monthly programs they have such as Second Saturday BBQ or Third Thursday family meeting /live music/ raffles, that has made Subaru well beyond a car, a personal family thing! We really feel to be a part of Subaru family, sharing a lot of good things, in good quality times, with other Subaru owners. And for the record, I must declare: I am a only a customer of Subaru, paying for all my services with them, and by no means have any financial gain in sharing my experience here (No one has paid me etc and this is for the record as there are so much here on YT that every one needs to know about under-covered ad & Sponsorship business or an independent, individual's opinion). So lets be clear on that.
8:38 Not only that but it even change the infotainment center to driver's smart phone, so your screen saver is the background, your BT is connected, your phone and contacts are set, your other apps are ready to be used as per current driver seating on driver seat and I can't tell you how much fun this single feature is, when wife, me or our son is the driver for the moment. This was one of our major hassle with our prior 2016 Forester.
11:07 Tinted window (An excellent legal one indeed) is standard on any Touring model and not an upgrade.
Other great things for me, that was not mentioned here:
15:35 Not only you can turn the car on when far away from it, but you can set many other things, such as keeping the temperature at what comforts you, so by the time you get the car, it feels cosier that home!
- Not sure what Subaru calls it (Guess "Adaptive cruse control") but car has numerous high tech additions (As of 2019) such as auto drive mode that when selected, I set the maximum speed. My touring Subie follows the car in front, increase or decreases the speed as need, even fully comes to stop at traffic light and again follows when light is green..., keeping the car in lain all the time, I believe via EyeSight and Radars.
- Auto brake system to avoid accident, when drive can't assess quick enough!
- Blind Spot warning yellow lamp, on each sides mirror is such an addictive item that you want it on everything you drive, once use this one. I have tried GM / Cadillac's bigger model comparable feature that is seat vibration, when something on your blind spot and you try to use blinker or when driving my father's this year Honda that has a right side camera, turning automatically on (Similar to now mandatory backup camera) but both of those are only extensions to what Subaru delivers here: Blinking yellow light on your side mirror (With or without use of turn signal) mean DON'T CHANG your lane as there is a car in blind spot. This really works at best, among all the similar concept systems I have tried.
- Built-in Wi-Fi Hotspot Connectivity with numerous given opportunities.
- High Beam Assist that automatically switch the headlights between the high and low beam settings when an oncoming vehicle is detect (in conjunction with EyeSight) is a truly life saving feature, when driving at night and in tortuous far trains as my wife or Kids never understand the importance of High beam at night or may be didn't want to have the hassle of switching on & off / When!
- Automatic back door, has an easy way to set maximum height when it stops, so its is perfect for ceiling height of your garage and also height of driver (My wife who is shorter, really likes this feature).
- Compare to 2016, the cargo illumination is now perfect (This was the major nag - If any at all- that we could come with our prior 2016 Forester).
11:50 All I can complain about, so far, and must say there is not much, not to like here, is lesser responsiveness of infotainment LCD in response to touch, as opposed to a regular iPad etc but still this is a very minor one. Then because we are leasing this current Forester, during paper signing we were told (As a courtesy recommendation) to buy an additional insurance for damage to WindShield (Thrown stone, crack etc) as we cannot return the car if windshield is change by a third party cheap glass cuz this can interfere and jeopardize the life saving functions of EyeSights and not sure if even those EyeSights are an integrated part of windshield.
This extra insurance was $700 that covers a change with factory windshield which is priced at $1400. Throughout the many decades of driving and going through numerous cars, I had to chance the windshield for a total of 5 times in my entire life and felt the rare occurrence of this unfortunate event, still justifies for me not buy this insurance.
To mention, as extra, we bought additional 2K millage per year use (Above 10K given millage per year) that I feel is essential and a pre buy cost us less than half the price, if we have to pay extra, at the end of the lease.
Then an additional insurance that covers extra oil change/ services/bumper to bumper coverage/ full coverage of 30,000 mile service that is not included in courtesy services, for $500 that is reimbursable, if we return this and lease another Subaru at maturation of current lease (I firmly think this is going to happen, so worth for us).
And we paid a small fee (I Think about $150) for that SUBARU STARLINK data program that to me is an essential piece of comfort and at this price, it is no brainier to have it.
My wife is the living witness to confirm how many times, in most undesirable climate, Subaru has saved something major for our family. That by itself is enough of reason, for our family to remain a loyal consumer of the BEST of BEST in transportation world, at any price tag, a.k.a SUBARU.
I really appreciate your views! My wife loves her 2011 Outback 6 cyl., and I think there's a new Forrester in my future for me!
@@RichardShelton You're welcome Richard. Go for it and I promise you wont regret. In fact, if you liked your Outback, you're going to love Forester. After all with Subaru, you are in the best hand.
Sam Sen @
@@RichardShelton Just be prepared for a major loss in power.
I think Subaru should kill off the Touring model for the forester and add the XT engine in the Sport. No need to have all that “luxury” when the limited is just as nice. You’re paying extra for brown seats lol, it should just be an option on the limited
Subaru reported only 5% Foresters sold were the XT version so there was no reason to keep it, they'll probably wait a few years then bring it back when the demand is higher, people have really wanted a turbo crosstrek since launch and we still haven't got it.
Subrau makes a great car/SUV. My first ever brand new car was Subrau a DL. Bought it right off the showroom floor back in the early 70's for $3500.00. they just started to sales in the USA. Great car, if I was looking for a smaller SUV I would purchase another one. The Boxer engine is awesome. Thanks for sharing this video.
Great idea for a video. Nice to hear what people have to say about why they buy the car and their impressions.
Roman, I really appreciate these videos! Getting real opinions from real owners is the best idea your team has to very come up with!
But my wife and I like to do real budget off-roading and I’m hoping you can get someone with a late model, Trail Rated Jeep Cherokee to bring in their vehicle and give us a review! Every time I’m thinking of something we can afford that has low range, and still live with as a daily driver, the Cherokee stays on our short list!
Thanks for your good work, car and truck video are the best!
I bought my mom a CPO 11 Forester and thinking about getting her the new one , My wife has a 2018 XT Touring and that thing is a blast to drive
I really appreciate his honesty regarding dozing off behind the wheel.
Very nice video of your very nice '19 Subaru Forester Touring! As a new Subaru customer, I went the opposite way, getting a "base" model '19 Forester, as it had most of what I desired in an SUV, except for the lumbar seat adjustment. Seems like a well-made, robust, spacious SUV, and the 184 hp CVT seems more than adequate for my city and infrequent "off-road" driving. Not being a mechanic, I'm not sure what the big deal is about the "CVT" engine, as I don't tow anything (except my wife ;-)...Thanks again!
Longtime viewer, first time poster. Really liking this format style of bringing in a regular owner who review a car along with them. It really gives viewers a platform that they can relate to and information that they are most likely seeking. Good on that owner for bringing up the point of the technology helping him out since he's getting older. Very honest and real aspect!
One question I have, though, is I've been wondering if Subaru has fixed the oil consumption issues with this newly revised engine? After the lawsuit about serious consumption from brand new vehicles, I think it really made a lot of potential new purchasers second guess about buying a Subaru
Awesome review! We need more reviews like these on RUclips.
Great episode! We're looking at this as our next vehicle as a follow-up to our 2002 Toyota Highlander LTD. The new Highlander is too big for our small NYC rental garage and this Forester is almost exactly the same size as our current one. Technology sure has leaped in those 17 years.
Recently had the pleasure of renting an Outback. Terrific car. All just as Steve said. Capable and powerful enough. Lots of useful tech on-board presented in a helpful way. Pleasure to drive. Great car.
Nice review from a real owner. Thanks for the video. My granddaughter recently bought a Subaru Forrester and just loves it. I really didn’t know about the Subaru’s and went with a Toyota Rav 4.
We bought our first Subaru from Heuberger in 1998. Good experience, good price, great car!
Love how car reviewers hate the CVT, and yet just about everyone that buys it in a Subaru, loves it. Sales numbers don't lie.
I have 3 Subarus with CVT. And I love CVT. Feels like electric car.
I have a 19 toyota corolla with cvt and 2014 crosstrek with cvt. The subaru cvt is a lot better then the toyota one. I had a 2004 corolla with auto before the 19 corolla. The cvt in the corolla has a slight pause before doing anything. That pause is not there in the crosstrek or my old 04 corolla with auto.
@@thomasromano385 Subaru CVT is like you drive Tesla.
@@thomasromano385 I have 18 Crosstrek and 19 Forester both on new platform significantly better then previous one.
the Subaru CVT transmissions have always had issues putting power down off-road, that's a very well known issue. My manual has never had any issues.
Power gate issues are notorious on Subarus. When car sits for some time anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days you never know if it will open. It sucks!
I didn't know that was a problem. I have an Ascent and one day the tailgate was open. Now once in a while when I push the button on the dash, the tailgate opens about 1 foot
A GM I had taken my Subaru for service multiple times to address this issue. I’m not sure how forester is setup but my 2015 outback was not able to disconnect from mechanical system of the gate when it was not working so it was very difficult to open. But once I got it open I would close with a push of the button. It was the opening that was an issue. The lock would always unlock but gate would not go up. Dealer was blaming factory trunk mat but never fixed the issue. Most of the time they couldn’t duplicate the problem. When I told them to keep the car and try the next day or later on. They did have the problem. All they would do was reset the system and few hours later I had the same problem. On average I had this happen twice per week.
My gal just got her 2019 forester sport....goes in next week for the LP adventure 2" lift, wheels, and tires. So far we love it. Mpg is great, rides nice, and comfortable. She came out of a bmw x3....while we miss the x3's power.....that's all we miss.
Clay Kann get ready to kiss that great mpg bye bye. The only reason I won’t lift my Trek is because of that mileage loss.
@@brdrptrl06 we are not concerned so much with the mpg.....but thanks
Clay, What is the LP adventure?
@@norseman008 Google is your friend
Shayne Satter I’ll answer since this dick can’t. LP is a company who specializes in off road accessories and lift kits for Subaru and Toyota.
Our 19 forester sport has a hatch opening problem as well. We have to reset it a lot!
What a relaxing video. Grandpa nailed it.
Forester is a comfortable, sure footed, capable SUV. Have had one for 2.5 years and it's been great.
Owned the 2012 Forester. Now driving the 2016 Forester. Simply put, I have to get to work through farm country to the city centre for six long months of Canadian winters.
Very cool segment! This is why I love all of your TFL channels.!
The overwhelming, crucial missing option is the manual transmission that transforms the Forester into a crackerjack.
every Subaru comes with a golden....right?!
Thanks for having me down today!
Very helpful. I didn't know about the Starlink service - that may close the deal for me!
Great vehicle. We have a 14 XT Touring. I was upset when they got rid of the hood scoop, but getting rid of the Turbo was ridiculous. Everyone else is moving to a turbo and Subaru had it the whole time and then took it away.
A traditional auto and a turbo boxer will make it so much better only places it's lacking
I just bought a 2014, so first CVT Forester ever and I have to say CVT has treated me just fine. My hood doesn't require a stand though as far as I can remember.....
Steve, nice Forester and for stopping in. One tip about the tailgate ... Please stop touching the tailgate while in motion... I can tell you from experience the tailgate is temperamental if you don't just let it do it's thing.
You guys should take these cars around the block for a drive and discuss handling/comfort/braking etc. Could be a cool feature!
I have the 2018 Forester Premium. It is a love/hate relationship. I love most things about the car, but there are a couple I hate: The automatic obstruction warning is signaled too much, especially driving down a wooded lane (dealer says it is fine), the seats are horrible, not enough support for a 6'4" guy, because I use hand controls, my legs don't have enough room and even with X-Mode on, it had a difficult time getting out of my steep driveway in the snow (previous Jeep & Outback Sport with all seasons had no problems).
New owner, 35 days. 1300 miles. I do like it, 27mpg city and 31mpg hwy so far.
I think it is underpowered for highway merging and I agree, 1500 pound tow limit, disappointing.. stylish and comfotable.
Nice video! I have a 2009 Forester XT and love it!
Roman, really interesting video segment on getting an actual owners prospective on ownership. I would consider a Forester if it had a turbo charger and a manual transmission, I really love its looks though.
nice new format! i enjoyed watching what an actual buyer thinks
that guys in prepared. compressor jumper cables etc. cousin has a 2017 forester and its pretty nice. prices are getting up there though for the higher models
Its quite a redesign. Outback is tacky and a bit of a boat you get almost the same space in a much more compact format with the forester. If Subi woke up and sent us a Levorg or the 2020 Legacy in a wagon they would actually grab a lot more European and enthusiast buyers and have something practical and exciting
I wish they would have never gotten rid of the XT model. The new models don’t have enough HP to interest me. My other Subie is the outback 3.6r. I was this close to buying an XT last year that had everything I wanted and it sold before I could make it to dealer. Literally there for 3 days.
Thanks for the great video. I really enjoy this new series. I've owned 5 Subaru Outbacks, with the last one being the 2011 model. I put 100K miles on each vehicle and never turned a wrench on any of them. In 2014, I was ready for my next Outback. In 2014, Subaru, in their infinite wisdom, decided to go with CVTs. Sadly, goodbye Subaru.
The CVT trans went bad in my 2013 Outback at a little over 140k miles (I bought it at 120k miles). It is a major repair, $7200 dealer rebuilt trans. I have owned quite a few vehicles first time for a trans to fail. Also it was a 2.5L oil burner. Subaru should have issued recalls on those items not just TSB’s.
I really like this format, Good job, keep doing it.
a 2019 XT 2.4T (a la Ascent's powertrain) might be pretty appealing, especially since I think the CVT ratios have been broadened for greater economy. but the pricing probably makes it an unrealistic pipe dream
I purchased a certified 16?touring. My first one. After flooding an Audi A6T I was looking for a good 4W drive.
Got used to it and really appreciate it fir what it is.
But after my Audi my goodness what a rattle can.
Rattles everywhere. I fixed the complete front area dash rattle and only have a few door rattled left to fix.
The power is ok and does the job, but wow how spacious it looks inside and no blind spot anywhere.
I am thinking of an outback Wilderness probably next.
Just not a truck guy do this could work.
Also, I've heard the 2019 Forester can support roof tents. Let's go camping 😊
That's right. But roof tents are very expensive. We ca share....
When you make a right turn on busy crossroad that is where many light bumping happens, to the cars in front of you, because you look to your left and creep forward and front car usually slam on brake a lot.
Nice, now Subaru just needs to put that 2.4 turbo in it from the Ascent
My name is Forrest with two Rs and I have thought about getting the FoRester since kind of has my name and is a quality vehicle. Yes with the CVT and the smaller motor it isn't going to win in a drag race vs a lot of vehicles, but that isn't the space it lives in. Nor is it a super sexy looker that will turn heads, but it is a quality vehicle that is comfy, has some cool safety tech including that Driver Focus which is neat and the face scan which I like quite a bit, plus can make it through snowy and muddy conditions rather well with that AWD and 8.7 inches of ground clearance. I keep looking at the Subaru family of CUVs in the Forester, but mostly the Outback and Crosstrek (which is the only one I can get close to affording atm) as my next vehicle. I have a compact sedan in the 2013 Chevy Cruze and would like something with some ground clearance and utility since I like to hunt, fish, and take my kayak, these would fit the bill if I had the dollar bills to afford one. Same goes for a mid sized truck like the Colorado/Canyon that I have wanted since they came back out. Thanks for sharing Episode 3 not 2 (Wrangler, Raptor, Forester) I really enjoy hearing these experiences with both the vehicle and dealerships, even though I live in West Virginia, one may have similar experiences.
Great series! Keep them coming!
One of the few people who bought a car full of tech that actually took the time to learn it....
I typically average 24 to 27 or so MPG in my 14 XT Forester. I run 93 octane. I recently averaged 27.6 on a tank of gas with more than usual highway miles. I find it funny that many people don’t get great mileage from the NA engines and a guy with an XT can do just about as well or better in NH. I think the big reason is that I can come up to speed quickly while keeping my RPMs low due to the great torque the turbo engine has.
Thanks for the walkthrough TFL
Sure is a nice SUV. .....love the heated steering wheel. All other manufacturers should give that option too.
Loved the video, we have a 2017 Forester with the CVT, when we leased it in 16 it was the best of the CVTs we had driven. A year earlier we bought a new truck and drove one with an eight speed automatic that sometimes seemed indecisive on what gear it wanted to be in, so we went with a 6 speed. I hear people sometimes complain about the CVT, the failures, and cost to replace one, but wonder if these new automatics with 6, 8, and 10 speeds are any more reliable, or cheaper to replace than the CVTs. i do like the way automatics drive, I think it's better than the CVT, but it might just be that is what I am use too. It does seem the more I drive the CVT the more normal it seems.
CVT is nearly as bad as all the reviewers make it seem if you have a basic daily driver. If you plan on modding a car for performance then I could see it being an issue but CVT's are not a big deal.
I'm cross shopping a number of vehicles & this was very informative - thanks for the great content!
Any update?
We got the 19 Forrester Touring and love it. First car in 15 years, it's now the grocery getter instead of our LJ Rubicon and Taco. The CVT is fine and is predictable vs that '17 Taco's automatic. We wanted a good AWD car with snow clearance that wasn't too big or compact, the Forrester fit the bill. It plus Blizzaks equal glue on ice. That combo is a little boring in our Montana winter's vs my 4x4s with studded tires. I've gotten a few seatbelt checks trying hard breaking on icy and snow packed roads.
Power's fine, accelerates up our passes at 70+ much better than the 5.4L Triton I had previously. We haven't loaded it down though.
I think the rear auto tailgate is buggy, any small item against it and it won't open.
It looks like an SUV. That's why I like it. Some SUVs look like lifted minivans. Looking at you Honda Pilot. I drove a Forester Sport. I wanted an SUV after driving that. I'm not a fan of SUVs generally.
Nice and relaxed presentation,thks.
great work keep it up
34k for a Forester is just too much. Don't get me wrong, I like Subaru Foresters, but that's when they're in the 20-25k range, with fewer bells and whistles.
then get th e base model.
Had a 2011 forester xt touring for 30k...
Dude, I live in South Africa, cars are crazy expensive here. That same model goes for the equivalent of $45k here. Whish I could pay $34k
A loaded Forrester is VERY nice. As in life, it's nice to have a choice. If you don't want bells and whistles, don't get them, I guess.
@@RichardShelton lol
My parents, both retired, have had three Subarus. The first was a used 1994 Legacy wagon (with 5-speed on the floor) bought in 1995 and they ran it till 2012. (About 250,000 miles) It was a durable car that impressed my family with its go-anywhere all-wheel-drive. It eventually fell apart, but it was fun to visit junkyards and glean parts off of old Subies to keep it going on the cheap.
In 2013, they decided to try 36-month / 36,000-mile leasing on a new '13 Impreza Si hatchback. It was too small and not powerful enough and ingress-egress was not good for them. And the rear hatch wasn't as nice as the '94. The windshield had a weird squeak to it when going down the road, as if the fit 'n finish wasn't up to the '94's standards. But the car's all-wheel-drive was still impressive and it ran like you would expect of a Subaru.
In 2016, my parents took the Impreza back and moved up to a Forester. Ingress and egress much improved. The amazing 2.5 L Boxer motor was incredibly smooth, quiet and topped 38 MPG on long highway rides. (Around town, it was mediocre on gas) Generally comfortable seating and position, excellent heat/AC, roomy. But those problems: my mother could not ride more than a short distance in the car. Something in the air made her break out. We complained to Subaru USA about and they paid to have the car detailed. This only partially addressed the problem. The car's standard all-season tires are wearing out alarmingly fast. Worst off all: the all-wheel-drive and brakes did not handle well on even moderate winter conditions. from a braking and traction standpoint, this is the worst of the three Subarus.
My family concluded that quality and design of the newer Subarus has declined compared to the '94. Even though they were thrilled to be able to have a late-model car in the driveway (each for less than $300/month), it was still a disappointment. They decided their next vehicle will not be a Subaru.
we just had a snow storm in the pnw. i saw a lot of subarus not doing well in the snow. its not the awd, but the tires they put on them. my 99 outback has a set of winter tires and had no problem going anywhere in the snow. if one get a lot of snow and ice, get winter tires . combine this with awd its almost unstoppable
I drive since new a 2009 Mazda 3 s hatchback 2.3 with 5 speed auto and 195,000 miles. I have been dumping money lately for suspension parts at all four corners and a trans module. A trans module is not a rebuild. At the end of a recent 5000 mile oil change interval I got back from a 2000 mile Marathon trip in 50 hours. Car ran like a champ. Did not burn or leak a drop of synthetic oil. Show me one Mazda with a head gasket problem and I'll show you a hundred Subarus with a head gasket problem. Also CVT transmissions are no good as well. Overall Subaru recalls are way higher than Mazda.
Have problem for Subaru 2019 about steering wheel .waiting for recall !!!