History/Overview
In the late 1990s, Subaru stuck a boxy body and a taller roof on its Impreza small car to create the Forester, the brand’s first-ever compact crossover. This little utility is popular for its excellent visibility and, of course, the well-sorted AWD system that has helped Subaru build a reputation for all-weather excellence.
What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year
The 2023 Subaru is unchanged.
Available Trims
Subaru offers the Forester in base, Touring, Sport, Wilderness, Limited and Premier trim levels. In all, power is from a 2.5L engine that’s mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and standard AWD.
Standard Features
Base trim comes with heated side mirrors, adaptive auto on/off LED headlights, 17-inch steel wheels with covers, a 6.5-inch touchscreen, four-speaker audio, automatic single-zone A/C, and heated front seats.
Forester’s basic safety package includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and forward collision mitigation.
Touring gains a power tailgate, fog lights, a sunroof, alloy wheels, and a wiper de-icer, Inside, you get an 8.0-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker stereo, passive keyless entry, dual-zone A/C, a driver info display, power driver’s seat adjustments, and a heated steering wheel. To the car’s safety kit, Touring adds blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic braking, lane change assist, and automatic emergency steering.
Sport gains 18-inch wheels, vertical LED fog lights, and orange/gunmetal trim.
Wilderness adds a transmission oil cooler, auto-dimming side and interior mirrors, underbody skid plates, and hexagonal LED fog lights.
Limited gains navigation, nine-speaker audio, a power passenger seat, leather upholstery, heated rear seats, and hand-gesture HVAC controls; Limited also reverts to halogen fog lights.
Finally, Premier adds regular LED fog lights, two-tone leather, and some gloss black trim.
Fuel Economy
Subaru’s fuel consumption estimates for most Forester trims are 9.0/7.2 L/100 km (city/highway); the Wilderness package is rated for 9.5/8.3 L/100 km.
Competition
Shop the Forester against the Chevrolet Equinox, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Nissan Rogue, GMC Terrain, Mazda CX-50, Ford Escape, Jeep Cherokee, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
