Subaru Forester Review 2024
Written by Richard Aucock
Quick overview
Pros
- Genuine off-road ability as standard
- Strong level of equipment
- Practical and spacious interior
Cons
- Interior quality does not feel premium
- Poor fuel economy
- Noisy and dim-witted CVT auto gearbox
Overall verdict on the Subaru Forester
“Stoically traditional in its approach to being an SUV, the Subaru Forester is a niche choice for those who need dependable off-road ability.”
The Subaru Forester has been part of the Japanese company’s model range since 1997, and is reviewed here in fifth-generation form as the e-Boxer version.
Despite being on sale in the UK for more than 25 years, the Forester still sells in modest numbers. It seemingly has more appeal in markets like the United States, where a forthcoming sixth-generation version was previewed in late 2023.
In its current form, the Subaru Forester is very much an SUV aimed at people living a true country life, rather than those just wanting to imagine they are. With Subaru’s all-wheel-drive system, plus bespoke off-road driving modes, it will tackle mud and snow with relative ease.
On tarmac, the Forester is less capable, although it does benefit from a smooth ride quality. The e-Boxer engine feels strained and unrefined, not helped by the noisy Lineartronic continuously variable transmission.
Even with the e-Boxer flat-four engine benefitting from hybrid assistance, the car still only returns around 35mpg. This makes it expensive to run, and it only offers a tiny all-electric range.
The Forester’s cabin might be uninspiring to look at, but it should stand up to years of hard work. Subaru has been generous with the level of standard equipment, which includes a substantial amount of safety features through its EyeSight package.
Recommending the Subaru Forester e-Boxer to a wider audience is hard to do. For many, it will be too focused on utilitarian dependability. Add in a relatively high purchase price, along with expensive running costs, and the Forester will remain a specialist choice – at least here in the UK.
Yet Subaru’s SUV does perform very well at what it is designed to do. Ultimately, the Forester is a vehicle you choose because you need one, rather than simply because you want one.
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Is the Subaru Forester right for you?
Subarus have typically attracted those who do not necessarily want to conform, or who need a vehicle for a specific purpose.
The Forester e-Boxer is no different, being best suited to drivers who frequently need to venture off-road, or live in rural areas where some roads are muddy tracks.
This means choosing dependability and off-road prowess over luxury and driver engagement, whilst also being prepared to stomach a costly ownership experience.
What other cars are similar to the Subaru Forester?
When it comes to family SUVs there is an almost endless list of mainstream alternatives to the Subaru Forester. The latest Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson are available with hybrid powertrains, although both are unlikely to match the Subaru off the road.
The SEAT Ateca, Volkswagen Tiguan, Skoda Karoq and Mazda CX-5 are all established favourites, along with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
A Dacia Duster makes for a budget option, with a similar focus on practicality and robustness as the Forester.
Comfort and design: Subaru Forester interior
“Hard-wearing and practical, the interior of the Subaru Forester should last a lifetime of abuse. It is not particularly premium, though.”
When Subaru updated the Forester for 2018, it came with an all-new interior design, even if it still closely resembled the previous-generation model.
Working in the Forester’s favour is Subaru’s avoidance of using a touchscreen to control everything. Instead, there are plenty of traditional physical buttons and dials, including ones for the dual-zone climate control. This means things can be operated while wearing gloves, which will certainly appeal to Forester drivers in remote areas.
The seats come with plenty of electrical adjustment, ensuring it should be easy for all drivers and passengers to get comfortable. A memory function is included for the driver’s seat, too. Visibility is good, while a standard reversing camera helps when parking.
Quality and finish
Robust practicality is the order of the day inside the Subaru Forester, meaning it should be built to last. This also means an interior lacking in chintz and needless decoration, although Subaru has made some effort to update the latest Forester e-Boxer.
There are now more soft-touch elements throughout the cabin, and improved details such as the stitching around the dashboard. Compared to a Mazda CX-5 or Kia Sportage, the Subaru will still look a little low-rent, but all the components should remain free of squeaks or rattles.
Range-topping XE Premium models come with leather upholstery, a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, plus heated seats in both the front and rear.
Infotainment: Touchscreen, USB, sat nav and stereo in the Subaru Forester
Sticking to the rugged off-road ethos, the infotainment system found in the Subaru Forester e-Boxer is determinedly old-school in its operation and design.
A central 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen operates most functions, and is relatively quick to respond to inputs. The graphics do look very dated in comparison to newer rivals, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are included as standard – meaning you can quickly bypass Subaru’s own user interface if desired.
Aiding the touchscreen is a separate 6.3-inch LCD display on top of the dashboard. This feels like a reminder of SUVs from the 1990s, and is mainly used to display the status of the hybrid system, although other information can be shown instead.
Behind the steering wheel is a traditional-looking set of instrument gauges, with a small digital display in between.
DAB radio, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and multiple USB ports all come as standard. Sport models and above gain built-in satellite navigation.
Space and practicality: Subaru Forester boot space
The Subaru Forester e-Boxer is at the larger end of the family SUV spectrum, measuring 4640mm in length and 1815mm in width. Being relatively big, it does at least come with standard front and rear sensors to aid with parking, along with a reversing camera.
Room in the front is generous, and there should be no issue with even the tallest adults getting comfortable behind the wheel. There are plenty of cup holders and cubby spaces on offer, too.
In the back, the Subaru Forester is best considered as a sizable four-seat SUV, instead of a five-seat model. A large transmission tunnel makes the centre seat uncomfortable to straddle, leaving it best suited to occasional use only. Adults will have enough room in the outer two seats, at least.
Hybrid-powered SUVs sometimes come with a compromised boot capacity, but the Subaru Forester e-Boxer avoids falling into that trap. With the rear seats in place, the Forester can carry a useful 509 litres of luggage. Dropping the rear seats sees boot space increased to a considerable 1779 litres.
Some rivals can take even more luggage, but the Subaru should prove practical enough for most drivers.
Handling and ride quality: What is the Subaru Forester like to drive?
“The Subaru Forester resists body-roll well, and rides with plenty of comfort. Just do not expect much in the way of driving fun.”
If the Subaru name conjures up images of Impreza saloons sliding through corners, the reality of the Forester e-Boxer may come as a shock. This is not an SUV for enthusiastic drivers, but one aimed at those who require all-weather dependability instead.
The Forester’s steering is very light and lacking in feel, and it can be quite sensitive to inputs at speed. This makes placing it on a motorway particularly tricky, so the Subaru is not an SUV likely to be driven just for fun.
At least ride quality is respectable, with the suspension able to absorb the worst potholes that UK roads have to offer. Body-roll is relatively well contained, and there is a seemingly endless supply of grip.
Subaru does fit a standard hill-descent control to assist with off-roading, which works in combination with the driving modes for mud and snow. In these conditions, the vagueness of the Forester’s handling matters less.
What engines and gearboxes are available in the Subaru Forester?
The Subaru Forester is now only sold with one engine option: the e-Boxer hybrid. Previously, the car was offered with a turbocharged petrol and a diesel engine, but these are no longer available to buy from new.
For the e-Boxer, a 2.0-litre flat-four petrol engine is combined with a small electric motor, resulting in a combined output of 150PS and 194Nm of torque. Even with electric assistance, the e-Boxer powertrain strains to haul the Forester from 0-62mph in 11.8 seconds, with a potential top speed of 117mph.
A Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) is the only gearbox now available for the Subaru Forester. This attempts to hold the revs to extract maximum performance from the e-Boxer engine, but the result is also more noise and worse fuel economy.
Subaru’s famous Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system is fitted as standard, along with settings designed to help when off-roading. It does deliver a considerable amount of traction, and will help the Forester go further into the rough than most normal SUVs.
Refinement and noise levels
With a focus on off-road ability, rather than being a premium luxury SUV, the Subaru Forester is not the last word in refinement.
The e-Boxer engine is noticeably uncouth, a situation not helped by the CVT automatic gearbox. This sees it revving quite high to achieve the best performance, but making lots of noise along the way.
Adding to this is plenty of wind roar from the boxy shape, combined with tyre noise from the road as well.
Safety equipment: How safe is the Subaru Forester?
The Subaru Forester comes equipped with the EyeSight package, which includes a comprehensive list of safety equipment. Included as standard are adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, lane departure assistance and blind spot monitoring.
All of this and more helped the Forester to achieve a maximum five-star safety rating when it was assessed by the Euro NCAP organisation. This included a considerable 97 percent score for adult occupant protection and 91 percent for the protection of children.
MPG and fuel costs: What does a Subaru Forester cost to run?
“Adding hybrid power usually results in impressive fuel economy. Not so for the Forester, which is still a thirsty proposition.”
Coming with a hybrid powertrain, you might expect the Subaru Forester e-Boxer to offer miserly fuel economy. However, the result is less impressive, due to the Subaru’s permanent all-wheel drive system and boxy styling. Subaru’s continued use of its famed flat-four engines does not help, either.
On paper, the Forester e-Boxer can reach a combined average of 34.7mpg, according to the official WLTP tests. In reality, the Forester should manage close to this in everyday driving, hovering just over the 30mpg mark.
This is less than the official 50.4mpg fuel economy achieved by the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, or 51.4mpg for the Kia Sportage Hybrid.
The hybrid system’s battery is very small, and can only allow the Forester to travel around one mile on electric power alone.
How reliable is the Subaru Forester?
Subaru has crafted a strong reputation for dependability, something demonstrated by the brand’s showing in the Honest John Satisfaction Index. The Japanese company was rated third overall for reliability, ahead of rivals such as Toyota and Honda.
The new Forester e-Boxer comes with a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty as standard, whereas older models had five-year or 100,000-mile cover. However, Subaru does cover the hybrid system’s battery pack separately for eight years or 100,000 miles.
Insurance groups and costs
The Subaru Forester e-Boxer has seen its insurance group rating revised, now placing it in group 23 out of 50 groups in total. This is relatively average for the family SUV class, given the Forester’s performance, and it applies to all trim levels.
For comparison, a new Kia Sportage Hybrid would be found in group 25, although the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid starts from only group 19.
VED car tax: What is the annual road tax on a Subaru Forester?
The new e-Boxer engine is meant to make the Subaru Forester more economical, but its CO2 emissions are still higher than many other SUVs. As a result, the first-year VED (road tax) charge is a considerable £1,030.
Following this, the Forester should be subject to the standard £180 per year charge for VED. Just be aware that the Sport and XE Premium models are close to the £40,000 price threshold, which sees a higher rate applied for years two to five.
How much should you be paying for a used Subaru Forester?
“Although a relatively niche choice, prices for the latest Subaru Forester e-Boxer begin from around £22,000 on the used market.”
Compared to more mainstream SUVs, hunting down a used Subaru Forester will take a little more effort, but they are still out there to buy.
Early examples of the hybrid e-Boxer-powered Subaru Forester now begin at £21,500. This will get you an entry-level version in XE trim, with around 40,000 miles on the odometer.
For a nearly-new example in fancier Sport or XE Premium trim, expect to pay £37,000.
Trim levels and standard equipment
All models in the Subaru Forester range are particularly well equipped, especially for an SUV squarely aimed at rugged rural use.
XE trim is the starting point for the Subaru Forester, with automatic LED headlights, front LED fog lights, 17-inch alloy wheels and silver wing mirrors.
On the inside are cloth seats, with the front pair heated and benefiting from power adjustment. Aluminium pedals, keyless entry and start, and dual-zone climate control are all included as standard.
There is an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus Bluetooth and a DAB radio. A 6.3-inch LCD display can be found atop the dashboard, too. Subaru’s EyeSight safety system is fitted, featuring adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and even autonomous emergency steering.
Moving up to the Subaru Forester Sport brings 18-inch dark-painted alloy wheels, black roof rails with red/orange trim, and red/orange trim for the front and rear bumpers. Privacy glass for the rear windows is added, too.
Cloth seats gain red/orange stitching on the inside, with the steering wheel also becoming heated. A power tailgate is added, and the infotainment system comes with built-in satellite navigation.
At the top of the Subaru Forester range is the XE Premium model. This comes with 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, a sunroof and leather seats. The outer rear seats are heated as well.
Ask the heycar experts: common questions
Is the Subaru Forester good off-road?
Can you buy a diesel Subaru Forester?
How long is the warranty on the Subaru Forester?
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