Subaru Forester (US) review

It’s the Subaru Forester, the compact SUV from the intrepid adventure vehicle brand that sits between the Crosstrek crossover and Outback in its line-up.

The Forester comes in three distinct flavors: the standard version, the hybrid and the Wilderness model that ups the inherent off-road readiness even further with a number of tweaks.

This thing’s got more angles than an Ocean’s 11 heist.

Oh it’s… chiseled-looking for sure, though the sculpting sure could’ve stopped a bit earlier. If the look isn’t much to your liking, the Wilderness (pictured above) adds a substantial amount of cladding that will distract from its rough-hewn features.

Oh, great.

Look, the Wilderness models are meant to look like a trail running shoe, so that’s okay if it isn’t your cup of tea. Chonky as they are, the standard and hybrid models are the most streamline-looking ones, though all of them are fairly uniform beneath the surface.

Each Forester is fitted with Subaru’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer producing around 180hp and 178lb ft of torque, though the hybrid’s output is slightly different, delivering roughly 194hp total and nearly 200lb ft when it needs to.

All are similarly equipped with Subie’s symmetrical all-wheel drive, ride on an independent suspension setup, and feature brake-controlled torque vectoring. All but the base Forester include Subaru’s X-Mode off-road driving software and hill descent control.

How does it drive?

Subarus of late have leaned into their purpose-built nature, in that they’ve been developed in the specific areas its user base focuses on, like light to moderate off-roading and daily utility. That is to say they’re rarely one-car-fits-all solutions, particularly when it comes to mixing in sportiness. It’s either a weekend adventure workhorse like the majority of its line-up, or the track-ready BRZ, with the WRX maybe being the closest thing Subaru has to an all-rounder.

With this context in mind, the Forester isn’t particularly fun to drive, though it isn’t meant to be necessarily. 180hp doesn’t sound like much these days but it’s perfectly sufficient in this vehicle for what it needs to do. The Forester is dutiful in getting you from point to point safely and securely, whether you enjoy the ride is none of its concern. Which is good, because its active safety systems might actually prevent that.

Is that a reference to the eye-tracking thing?

Oh, goodness, the eye-tracking! Many safety systems in modern vehicles employ different levels of driver monitoring, and while that’s old news, the latest systems are fairly unobtrusive unless they really catch you distracted or worse. Subaru’s current system across its line-up is as stern as a disgruntled detention proctor.

The Subaru system isn’t simply tyrannical about glancing at your phone, it’ll beep at you for long gazes at its own infotainment system or any prolonged looks toward anything that isn’t directly ahead. If you’re sussing out a situation in your rear-view or out to either side, you’re getting chastised with alerts.

Dare we ask about the rest of the tech?

You may, though you’re not going to like the answer. The Forester’s centerpiece is an 11.6-inch tablet-shaped touchscreen that behaves like old hardware struggling to run current software. On its own, it’s clunky and pairing it to Apple CarPlay can make it even worse.

Thankfully, these are just about all the serious complaints we can levy at the Forester. While the babysitting software can be a little much, it’s effective and all the passive safety programs are a welcome inclusion. X-Mode, the off-roading drive mode, works seamlessly with a press of a button, maximizing grip and throttle response in reaction to the type of terrain the Subaru attempts to navigate.

On the topic of overlanding, Wilderness trims make traversal beyond the pavement a little easier with a touch more ground clearance, all-terrain tires and redesigned bumpers for better approach and departure angles.

What’s the rest of the cabin like?

Very functional, in that particular Subaru way, though it’s not without style. Most functions live in the clunky touchpad, but there are enough physical inputs to access quickly while on the go. Storage and charging ports are top priority throughout the interior, for use while road-tripping or as a home base at a camp site.

And if I don’t want this…?

Alternatives would include the particularly versatile Toyota RAV4 or perhaps the Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch, which is similarly equipped for light-to-moderate off-roading. Boom.

The Subaru Forester sits in that sweet spot in the line-up where it’s more substantial than the Crosstrek but smaller than the Outback or indeed the three-row Ascent. All the while, it offers up the same utility and functionality Subaru fans have come to depend on, and the asking price isn’t too shabby, either.

You’ll find everything you need here except thrills on the road and a half-decent media system. The Wilderness trim in particular stands out as the most on-brand model, specifically tooled for more rugged use along with a few added touches to make it a proper adventure transport, though you might want to look elsewhere when it comes to more extreme off-roading.

All told, it’s the right-sized option if you’re attuned to Subaru’s particular vibe, and its less than desirable quirks matter little so long as it gets you to the next trailhead.