Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019) Review

A bit like Wellington boots, the Subaru Forester is only really at home in the countryside. It can deal with city driving, but its four-wheel drive and raised ground clearance, plus functional interior, are better suited to rural life. It’s decent to drive but misses the on-road zest of a Toyota RAV4, while the Mitsubishi Outlander feels more rounded. Read on for our full Subaru Forester review.

The Subaru Forester isn’t likely to appeal to many used car buyers. It lacks the plush, luxurious feel of rivals from European SUV manufacturers like Audi or Volkswagen, but for rural drivers who need a sturdy, reliable car that works well on and off the road, it’s a decent choice.

All-wheel drive is standard and it’s effective, providing great confidence both in adverse weather and on muddy tracks or fields.

There are three engine choices – an auto-only 241PS 2.0-litre petrol, a 150PS 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel.

Alongside the manual gearbox, there’s also an impressive automatic available. Called Lineartronic, it is quieter than most continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) under hard acceleration, but just as smooth and relaxing at low speeds around town.

It’s probably the best fit for the Subaru Forester, since the manual variants aren’t quite as relaxing or as easy to drive smoothly, especially when pulling away from a standing start.

The Subaru Forester has a good braked trailer rating of between 1800-2000kg depending on the variant, which is enough to tow a medium-sized caravan or a small horsebox. But its capability is down significantly on the likes of a SsangYong Rexton, which can tow a braked trailer of up to 3500kg.

Practicality is good. The back row of seats is spacious enough for adults, while the raised driving position gives a good view above overgrown verges and hedgerows. The boot is sufficient for typical family needs – its capacity of 505 litres is plenty for shopping trips, pushchairs and suitcases.

The cabin is sturdily built but can’t match the luxurious feeling of a Volkswagen Tiguan or Audi Q3. However, it comes with all the essentials as standard.

Air-conditioning, cruise control, auto lights, auto wipers, a touchscreen, a reversing camera, heated seats and Bluetooth come with all versions. Upper trims gain luxuries like leather and a power tailgate.

The Subaru Forester lacks the style of many of its rivals – but with genuine off-road capability it will make sense to rural buyers.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Subaru Forester review here.

The brand makes a big deal of its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, which is standard on all Subaru Foresters.

Not only does it provide some extra peace of mind in poor weather conditions, but it also works well off-road, making the car a smart buy for drivers based in very remote, rural areas.

The ride quality is quite good, tackling potholes, speed bumps and uneven road surfaces without much drama – but refinement could be better.

The diesel engine can be quite coarse when pushed, and on the motorway the large mirrors create some wind noise. It’s not terrible, but could certainly be better.

Capable though it is, the Subaru Forester isn’t the most enjoyable car to drive – the steering isn’t very nicely weighted and lacks feel, while the manual transmission is quite clunky.

The impressively smooth CVT improves things, though, and is easy to recommend, since it suits the car so well.

There are three engine choices – a 2.0-litre petrol with either 150PS or 241PS and a 2.0-litre diesel with 147PS.

The 241PS petrol is restricted to the high-performance Subaru Forester XT model and only comes with a Lineartronic CVT, so is a very niche choice.

Some Subaru diehards will appreciate it, but most buyers are best off avoiding this motor.

The entry-level 150PS petrol is a is a decent engine that comes with a manual gearbox as standard or with an optional CVT.

It produces enough torque to keep up with traffic, plus it isn’t too bad when it comes to fuel economy and emissions when you consider its all-wheel drive capability – but the diesel is better.

It isn’t the quietest engine in the world, but with 350Nm of torque it’s responsive on the move, pulling well out of bends and making light work of overtaking.

Unlike other CVTs, the Subaru Lineartronic has pre-programmed steps, so when accelerating hard it acts like a traditional torque converter auto.

The rest of the time it behaves like a typical CVT. So when driving at normal town speeds or cruising the motorway it’s very quiet and relaxed, plus its effect on fuel economy isn’t huge. 

All models in the Subaru Forester range come with twin front, side, curtain and knee airbags, Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control (also known as VDC, Subaru’s electronic stability control system) with trailer stability, and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive technology.

The car scored a five-star rating from Euro NCAP when new, and there are six airbags and two Isofix child seat mounts in the rear bench.

The Subaru Forester is a handy tow car, helped by its standard four-wheel drive.

It can pull an unbraked trailer of up 750kg, while its braked trailer maximum is a very decent at 2000kg.

The rear seats offer ample headroom and legroom, while the 505-litre boot is big enough for typical family jobs like shopping trips or holidays.

The load deck is quite high off the ground, though.

Folding the rear seats frees up a total of 1593 litres of boot space, but the seat backs don’t fold completely flat, which can make sliding big, heavy items in quite difficult.

Up front, despite its flaws, the Subaru Forester is a very comfortable car. There is plenty of adjustment in the driver’s seat and visibility is good, plus air-conditioning is standard.

There are three 12V sockets, so everyone can keep their gadgets charged, and there are decent door pockets and storage areas.

The cabin of the Subaru Forester, while perfectly practical, lacks the flair and luxurious feel of similarly-priced cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan.

It’s solidly made and uses sturdy materials, but the switches and minor controls feel like they would better fit a budget car.

On the top of the dashboard is a screen that displays the current or average fuel economy, complemented by another display in the instrument binnacle that shows eco information, a clock and some other details. 

There is yet another screen for audio and navigation, and the effect is a cluttered look that is really quite confusing.

A touchscreen system is standard and comes with USB/Bluetooth connectivity for streaming music or making calls, plus there is a standard reversing camera and even heated seats.

Aa Subaru Forester that is 10 years old and has 60,000 miles on the clock will require a spend of around £10,000, which gets you a diesel-powered version.

If you want something newer, a six-year-old example will cost up to £17,000 for a car with 50,000 miles under its belt and fitted with the Lineartronic automatic gearbox.

When it comes to fuel economy, the Subaru Forester is best when fitted with the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine. It claimed just shy of 50mpg with the manual gearbox, or 46.3mpg with the auto.

Our Real MPG data shows the manual offers a creditable 47mpg, while the auto is also decent at 43.8mpg.

The petrol engines are less impressive, claiming between 40.9mpg and 43.5mpg, but delivering Real MPG figures of 33.3mpg and 36.2mpg respectively.

The boxer engine has never been especially low on carbon dioxide emissions, and it’s the same story here. The diesel manages 150g/km, which means £210 in road tax for earlier models registered up to 1 April 2017. All versions after that pay the flat £190 rate.

The diesel auto will cost you £255 in road tax at the time of writing, while the petrols come in at £210 for the auto and £255 for the manual for those earlier cars.

Insurance is a little higher than many rivals, with the cheapest being the Subaru Forester 2.0i XE Lineartronic model in group 16 (out of 50).

However, it is something of an anomaly as most versions sit in the mid-20s for insurance ratings, while the Subaru Forester 2.0i XT Lineartronic is all the way up in group 34.

Subarus have a well earned reputation for reliability, but they can be pricey to put right when work is needed. However, a good independent garage should help here.

The Subaru Forester XE and Subaru Forester XC (XC was the trim name given to the diesel models) come with 17-inch alloy wheels, auto wipers, auto lights, heated door mirrors, dual-zone air conditioning and electric windows.

You also get heated power adjustable seats, cruise control, Starlink touchscreen system, Bluetooth, USB connectors, reversing camera, roof rails and a roof spoiler.

The Subaru Forester XE Premium and Subaru Forester XC Premium (again the latter is the designation for the diesel versions) gain navigation and leather upholstery.

The Subaru Forester XT gains 241PS petrol engine with Lineartronic transmission, sports styling, and 18-inch alloy wheels.