Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019) Review
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Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019) Verdict
Well-equipped as standard. Impressive roadholding even in poor weather. Spacious interior.
Cabin has some low-budget details. Pricier than some better-finished rivals.
Find out more about the Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019)
The Subaru Forester isn’t likely to appeal to many buyers. It lacks the plush, luxurious feel of rivals from European 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 CVTs under hard acceleration, but is just as smooth and relaxing at low speeds around town. It’s probably the best fit for the 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 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 it’s capability is down significantly on something like 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 big enough for typical family needs – its capacity of 505 litres is plenty for shopping trips, pushchairs and suitcases, which will all fit without any trouble.
The cabin is sturdily built but it lacks the flair and plush, luxurious feeling of a Volkswagen Tiguan or Audi Q3 – but 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 Forester lacks the flair and style of many of its rivals – but with genuine off-road capability and a reassuring five-year, 100,000-mile warranty it will make sense to rural buyers. It's not cheap with list prices starting at around £25k and so for many, something like a Volkswagen Tiguan will make more sense – it’s more refined, more comfortable and more luxurious.
Reviews for Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019)'s top 3 rivals
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Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019) handling and engines
- Engines range from 2.0i to 2.0 D Automatic
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 28–56 mpg
Subaru makes a big deal of its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, which is standard on all Foresters. Not only does it provide some extra peace of mind in poor weather conditions, but it also works very well off-road, making the Forester a smart buy for drivers based in very remote, rural areas.
There are three engine choices – a 2.0-litre petrol with either 150PS or 241PS or and a 2.0-litre diesel with 147PS. The 241PS petrol is restricted to the high-performance XT model and only comes with a Lineartronic CVT, so is a very niche choice that some Subaru aficionados will appreciate, but that most are best off avoiding.
The entry-level 150PS petrol is a is a decent engine that comes with a manual 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 diesel 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. Official economy for the auto is 46.3mpg, while the manual is officially capable of 49.6mpg – and Subaru models tend to do well in Real MPG, so those numbers are realistic.
All of the engine variants are four-cylinder boxers – a Subaru trademark. The advantage of a boxer layout is its low centre of gravity, which helps improve handling through bends. It’s effective, giving the Forester very impressive levels of grip and excellent body control through corners despite its tall SUV body.
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, it 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 Forester so well.
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.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 D Automatic | 46–50 mpg | 9.9 s | 158 g/km |
| 2.0D | 50 mpg | 10.2 s | 150–156 g/km |
| 2.0i | 41 mpg | 10.6 s | 160 g/km |
| 2.0i Lineartronic | 33–44 mpg | 7.5–11.8 s | 150–197 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
94%
Real MPG
28–56 mpg
MPGs submitted
121
Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019) interior
- Boot space is 1577 litres
- Euro NCAP rating of five stars
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4595 mm |
| Width | 1795 mm |
| Height | 1735 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2640 mm |
The cabin of the Subaru Forester, while perfectly practical, lacks the flair and luxurious feel of some 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 and they’re not the only issue with the cabin.
Atop the dashboard is a screen that displays the current or average economy, plus there is another display in the instrument binnacle showing eco information, a clock and some other details - and there is yet another screen for audio and navigation. It all looks cluttered and confusing.
The rear seats offer ample head and leg room while the 505-litre boot is big enough for typical family jobs like shopping trips, holidays or carrying pushchairs – though the load deck is quite high off the ground. 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 Forester is a very comfortable car. There is plenty of adjustment in the seat and visibility is good, plus there are creature comforts like air conditioning as standard. There are three 12V sockets, so everyone can keep their gadgets charged and there are decent door pockets and storage areas.
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. Higher trim levels gain navigation, a power tailgate and leather upholstery.
The trim structure is slightly confusing, with different equipment levels for different engines. XE and XE Premium are reserved for the 150PS petrol, while XC and XC Premium trim levels are reserved for diesel variants. The XT trim level is only available with the most powerful 241PS petrol engine and CVT automatic transmission.
Standard equipment
XE and XC models come with 17-inch alloy wheels, auto wipers, auto lights, heated door mirrors, dual-zone air conditioning, electric windows, heated power adjustable seats, cruise control, Starlink touchscreen system Bluetooth, USB connectors, reversing camera, roof rails and a roof spoiler.
XE Premium and XC Premium gain navigation and leather upholstery.
XT gains 241PS petrol engine with Lineartronic transmission, sports styling along with 18-inch alloy wheels.
Subaru Forester (2013 – 2019) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4595 mm |
| Width | 1795 mm |
| Height | 1735 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2640 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1477–1622 kg |
| Boot Space | 1577 L |
| Warranty | 5 years / 100000 miles |
| Servicing | 12000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £24,995–£32,825 |
| Insurance Groups | 16–34 |
| Road Tax Bands | F–J |
| Official MPG | 33.2–49.6 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | 5 |
| SUV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 2.0D X 5dr | £24,995 | 49.6 mpg | 10.2 s |
| 2.0D X Lineartronic 5dr | £26,495 | 49.6 mpg | - |
| 2.0D XC 5dr | £28,810 | 49.6 mpg | 10.2 s |
| 2.0D XC Lineartronic 5dr | £30,325 | 46.3 mpg | 9.9 s |
| 2.0D XC Premium 5dr | £31,310 | 49.6 mpg | 10.2 s |
| 2.0D XC Premium Lineartronic 5dr | £32,825 | 46.3 mpg | 9.9 s |
| 2.0i XE 5dr | £26,510 | 40.9 mpg | 10.6 s |
| 2.0i XE Lineartronic 5dr | £30,000 | 43.5 mpg | 11.8 s |
| 2.0i XE Premium 5dr | £29,010 | 40.9 mpg | 10.6 s |
| 2.0i XE Premium Lineartronic 5dr | £32,500 | 43.5 mpg | 11.8 s |
| 2.0i XT Lineartronic 5dr | £32,035 | 33.2 mpg | 7.5 s |
Model History
- March 2013: Fourth generation Subaru Forester unveiled
- March 2016: Revised Subaru Forester launched
- August 2016: Forester Special Edition launched
- September 2017: Subaru Forester gets EyeSight as standard
March 2013
Fourth generation Subaru Forester unveiled
Comprehensive facelift of the third generation car, rather than an all-new model, but sharper styling gives the capable off-roader more showroom appeal.
Designed to continue the rugged, capable nature of the outgoing model that has heen massively popular in Switzerland, but with improvements to fuel economy , safety and cabin quality.
It wears sharper styling similar to that introduced on the XV crossover model. The brand’s Subaru’s ‘Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive’ system will still be used, as you might expect following Subaru’s recent announcement that it plans to concentrate heavily on SUVs and crossovers in the UK, so much so it has dropped the Impreza hatchback and WRX saloon.
The interior has been similarly smartened-up with a new dashboard and fixtures and fittings, with the intention of making the well-made but slightly dour outgoing model more inviting.
March 2016
Revised Subaru Forester launched
Pricing remains unchanged for all trim levels in the updated Forester line-up, with the range starting from £25,495 (on-the-road) for the 2.0i XE model and £26,995 for best-selling 2.0D XC models.
Every Forester is equipped with two core Subaru technologies: Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive, affording surefootedness in all conditions; and the latest-generation four-cylinder ‘Boxer’ engines, contributing to the low centre of gravity beneficial to balance, road holding and handling.
At the front of the car, the Forester’s distinctive hexagonal grille has been updated with a new ‘wing’ motif grille mesh, while the front bumper has been reshaped and now features new L-shaped chrome trim adding greater visual volume to the lower part of the Forester’s ‘face’. The change is designed to emphasise the car’s relatively low centre of gravity, wide stance and innate stability.
The wraparound headlamps – retaining Subaru’s signature ‘hawk-eye’ shape – feature a new black base paint finish for a sharper appearance. The 2016 model is also fitted with new LED combination lamps at the rear.
Inside the cabin, new materials and technologies have been introduced to further modernise the interior and introduce a higher-quality look and feel, while still retaining the functionality for which the Forester is renowned.
The interior is finished with a higher proportion of soft-touch materials, new piano black and metallic trim, higher-resolution TFT displays and new cloth and leather upholstery options – including a new brown leather option. Following the adoption of Subaru’s new 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system in 2015, the changes to the 2016 Subaru Forester are designed to further improve the quality look and feel of the cabin.
Thicker glass has been applied to every door and the front quarter lights at the base of the A-pillar, reducing the ingress of wind ‘rush’ and other noises into the cabin. Additional soundproofing material has been added around the dashboard, particularly where the dashboard meets the base of the windscreen and in the front passenger foot well, minimising noise intrusion from wind rush and the engine, respectively.
The 2016 Forester adopts new headlamp technologies which include LED lights with Adaptive Front Lighting System. The new Adaptive Front Lighting System allows the headlamps to rotate left or right into corners as the driver turns the wheel. By illuminating the road ahead in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, the Forester’s night visibility is greatly improved, particularly useful in poorly-lit rural areas.
All existing safety equipment on offer is fitted as standard to every model in the Forester range, including twin front, side, curtain and knee airbags, Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC; Subaru’s electronic stability control system) with trailer stability, and Subaru’s hallmark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive technology.
Updated suspension settings at the front and rear are designed to make the car comfortable and refined, particularly over broken or choppy surfaces, plus there's a new steering gearbox which quickens the steering ratio.
The range of engines remains unchanged for the 2016 Forester; buyers can choose from three 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engines – a 150 PS naturally-aspirated 2.0i petrol engine and a 147 PS 2.0D turbo-diesel unit from Subaru’s FB family of engines, and a 241 PS direct injection turbocharged (DIT) petrol unit, engineered for high power, responsiveness and efficiency.
A six-speed manual transmission is fitted as standard to 2.0i and 2.0D models, with an optional Lineartronic CVT automatic transmission. Lineartronic is standard on XT models, equipped with the 241 PS DIT petrol engine.
In uneven or slippery road conditions, the all-terrain capability of the standard Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive is enhanced further with the X-Mode on Lineartronic CVT models, a control system which includes Hill Descent Control and makes traction even better than the outgoing model’s.
| 2.0D XC | £26,995 |
| 2.0D XC Lineartronic | £28,495 |
| 2.0D XC Premium | £29,495 |
| 2.0D XC Premium Lineartronic | £30,995 |
| 2.0i XE | £25,495 |
| 2.0i XE Lineartronic | £26,995 |
| 2.0i XE Premium | £27,495 |
| 2.0i XE Premium Lineartronic | £28,995 |
| 2.0 DIT XT Lineartronic | £30,995 |
August 2016
Forester Special Edition launched
On sale from the 1 September, 100 units will be produced and will be priced at £29,995 for the petrol Lineartronic and £31,495 for the diesel Lineartronic. Based on the XC Premium model, the Special Edition model comes with £1,500 of additional equipment at no extra cost.
Unique equipment for the Forester Special Edition includes Hunter Green Metallic Paint, front, side and rear under guards, wheel arch extensions and stainless steel cargo step panel as well as Special Edition brown leather seats with brown leather interior door grips, centre armrest and centre panel uprights.
Other equipment on the Forester Special Edition includes Subaru Starlink, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, connectivity and navigation system, Hill Descent Control (HDC) and the X-Mode system.
September 2017
Subaru Forester gets EyeSight as standard
EyeSight has two stereo cameras, mounted on each side of the rear-view mirror, and they use image recognition to capture three-dimensional colour images with clinical precisions. The technology can distinguish vehicles, motorbikes, bicycles, pedestrians, lane markings and road furniture and can differentiate between these and determine the general traffic conditions.
With an emphasis on real-world tests and evaluations, EyeSight has been developed to correspond exclusively to the individual country’s traffic conditions.
In total EyeSight uses six technologies to maximise safety including Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Throttle Management, Lane Departure and Sway Warning, Lane Keep Assist and Lead Vehicle Start Alert.
EyeSight will be standard equipment on all Forester XE Lineartronic and XE Premium Lineartronic models from October and will also be equipped with a black shark fin antenna and DAB radio. Prices start from £28,995.00 on the road.
What to watch out for
Report of Subaru Forester failing to start in Northern Spain. Spanish Subaru dealer unable to help because immobiliser system was fitted by the UK importer. Suggested a phone call to the supplying UK dealer in case there is a simple solution.
31-08-2016:Report of DPF warning light flashing on 8 month old (January 2016) Subaru Forester 2.0 diesel. Dealer recommended an oil and filter change. Also a problem with getting into gear. Suspect some air or moisture in the clutch hydraulics or a failing clutch slave cylinder.
13-09-2016:Report of conrod of 2013 Subaru Forester failing, wrecking the engine. Engine rebuilt by dealer under warranty but now, nearly 4 months after it broke down, has a misfire dealer seems unable to fix.
04-09-2017:Report that battery of 2014 Subaru Forester will not hold its charge sufficiently to start the car after 7 to 10 days parked in the garage. This car is not in daily use. Both the dealers and Subaru itself refuse to accept that this is a fault which should be rectified under the warranty which is about to expire. Probably caused by the immobiliser fault notified on 28-4-2016.
05-11-2017:Report of 2014 Subaru Forester XT petrol needing a new engine in December 2016 after 40,000 miles due to carbonisation of the valves. Paid for under Subaru warranty. Owner exchanged it for a new Forester XT on January 2017 and noe 11 months and 19,000 miles later needs a new gearbox.
24-02-2018:Complaint that 2015 Subaru Forester Boxer diesel is not regenerating its DPF under the owner's normal use. Handbook says it needs a run of about 20 minutes at 2,300 rpm which does not happen under normal driving.
20-11-2018:Complaint of Subaru Forester 2.0 boxer diesel DX manual going through clutches every 25,000 miles. Now on its 2nd replacement clutch.
13-05-2019:Report of car alarm going off repeatedly in 2019 Subaru Forester. "Super-helpful" mechanic at local Subaru dealer suggested that owner look to see if anything metallic had fallen into the cup holder in the central console. Turned out to be a 2p coin. Maybe the same problem might be solved by the same solution with other Subaru models.
18-08-2019:Report of Starlink unit of 2017 Subaru Forester XT failing. On starting the unit shows either the default 'warning screen' or switches on the reversing camera (without reverse gear actually being selected) and that screen then remains on until the engine is switched off again. Its been tested by the Subaru dealership who tell owner that the unit will not re-boot or accept software upgrades for the system. The only 'fix' is to replace the 'head' with a new unit at the cost of approximately £1,500. According to the dealer, this is an 'unusual' failure, but see Subaru Owners Club website. Means that satnav, radio, Bluetooth, etc. don't work and driving with the reversing camera on is distracting.
22-10-2019:Report of multiple problems with 2013 Subaru Forester diesel manual: In 2016 it needed a replacement clutch, dual mass flywheel and gearshift cable. Then in June 2019 the clutch release arm pivot broke.
02-11-2019:Report of problem with power steering of 2015 Subaru Forester Diesel XC Premium manual. Steering has recently gone: rather vague and floaty (straight line); rather heavy (turning to right); very light and imprecise (turning to left).
12-11-2019:Report of glow plugs problem with 50,000 mile 2015 Subaru Forester Diesel Lineratronic with full Subaru Service history. Some months ago several "fault lights" appeared on the dash. Orange exhaust emission and hill control lights with the cruise control and x-mode LED indicators flashing. Local dealer initially "reset" the fault but it manifested itself again within a couple of days. Thereafter, all four glow plugs were replaced under warranty. This being desite the fact that they were not covered under the 4th or 5th year of the Subaru Warranty. All seemed well until a few weeks ago when the same problem occured. The garage concluded that one of the new plugs fitted was faulty and this was replaced which cleared the fault. Then again at the weekend just passed the same fault lights appeared. Car is currently with Subaru dealer having the other three "faulty" glow plugs replaced. Dealer seems to offer a good service and has been in contact with Subaru over the issue but owner suspects an underlying electrical fault.
23-01-2020:Report of repeated failure of glowplugs of 2018 Subaru Forester Boxer diesel, now at 36,000 miles. Problems began at 6 months old. Since then has had had 14 glow plugs replaced. Subaru in an effort to cure the problem has replaced the glow plugs - sometimes just the one that failed; sometimes all four. They have also replaced the loom and control panel. Subsequently a glow plug failed again and has been replaced.
28-06-2022:Engine failure reported on 2014 Forester. Misfire in cylinder two diagnosed by local specialist. The compression in this cylinder is about half of what the others are. The car has done about 50k miles. Owner has had it since new and serviced it within the dealer network.
