Subaru Forester SUV (2013-2019) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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Great car. I like the handling, visibility (which is in a class of its own), seats, and just the engineering. I can’t see me buying a European car again: this is in a different league

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Yes Green thumbs up

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This is the best car I have ever owned or driven. The reliability is fantastic, the road holding and build quality is far better than most cars in my opinion. Subaru has spent the money on the engineering and quality of components with the Forester rather than LED lighting for the inside mirror! Anyone who appreciates build quality of cars will prefer a well built and designed car over silly gimmicks any day of the week. The Forester has the best 4x4 system on any car, a braking system that if fails will still leave you with 50% of the car's brakes. Self leveling suspension, a limited slip diff, and on and on. The Forester is in a class of its own, if you're thinking of buying one of these cars read the spec you wont be disappointed. Mine has just gone straight through the M.O.T again with no problems. It has 175k on the clock and it drives like it has just come out the showroom 14 years ago, fantastic bulletproof cars that will take you anywhere and back with extreme safety reliability and comfort!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Always starts first time and very reliable

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I have had subarus for 9 years and have only had servicing, nothing has ever broken or let me down

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Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Wheel bearing failure and suspension seems to be a weak point

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No Red thumbs down

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In 6 year is only needed a Ł32 suspension bushing

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Yes Green thumbs up

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GREAT CAR FOR POOR CONDITIONS

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Had 3 with no problems at all

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No Red thumbs down

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Third Forester in a row. Never had a problem in 10 years

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Yes Green thumbs up

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So far it's never broken down. We have it reguarly serviced and so far so good.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No work other than manufacturers services and free winter check.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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All the performance of an impreza sti with added practicality and more subtlety.

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No Red thumbs down

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1st and 2nd gearchanges are difficult especially when cold. 2nd gear ratio is too low making change down from 3rd jerky unless one slows down more than expected before changing down. Neither of the 2 of us who drive it are used to the parking views yet - 14000miles. Difficult to judge the edges and corners. Other than that it is a very good vehicle indeed for our needs. Lots of room for rear passangers plus dogs etc. Superb heating system and wipers are well above average. Why do vehicle manufactures not make a time delay switch for the electric windows so when one switches off the engine and relise a window is still open, they can be closed without having to turn on the iginition again? Uses more fuel than expected even if the mpg figure states otherwise. Will check for accuracy sometime. Typical subaru performance.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Great performance with the added factor of four wheel drive but Rather expensive to run on a day to day basis.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very satisfied

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Near perfect suv - reliable,practical & enjoyable to own & drive

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excelent build quality and reliability

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Absolutely brilliant - does everything i need it to.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very reliable

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Solid , reliable, especially in wet and snow. A real workhorse that i couldn`t live without. I will run it until it`s done

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Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent, fulfilled all that i had decided were needs. Very reliable, solid build, functional rather than fashionable. One of the best cars i have owned overall in45 years

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I use this car on long distant trips and for local off-road work. So it has both extremes of work to contend with. The car is a post April 2016 update model. It has the new Euro 6 engine, thicker glass, thicker noise insulation and I suspect lots of new electronic gadgetry. I impressed with the 49mpg as it is only 2 months old. The car drives well and has a superb satnav system. We moved from a BMW X1 and see this car as an important upgrade but nearly £9k cheaper. Please don’t believe the motor magazine reviews instead go on line and look at the USA and Australian reviews. This is a proper 4WD SUV (wonderful permanent 4WD & Boxer engine combination) getting to be in the Land Rover Discovery Class but £20k cheaper and £10k cheaper than Discovery Sport and of course much better built.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It's an excellent car for such journeys. My long trips often include off road terrain, where it really comes into life. It's not the best car in the world, but it certainly doesn't deserve a 1.6/5 rating.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Apart from the driver's window motor and an exhaust sensor nothing has gone wrong.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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In six years and 40,000 miles nothing has failed.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No reliability issues at all.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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faultless

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Bulletproof

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Yes Green thumbs up

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135,000 mls and still on the original exhaust and battery.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No breakdowns or refusals to start. Did have to replace some suspension components.

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No Red thumbs down

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Excellent- no problems at all

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No Red thumbs down

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An excellent , reliable and very practical vehicle. Good passenger comfort and good luggage space. Excellent driver comfort.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Complete wolf in sheeps clothing, superb car, awesome power, but heavy on the fuel,

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No Red thumbs down

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Comfortable,practical,reliable,but if you need subaru parts they are far too expensive,the importers are ripping owners off.I For one would think twice about another forester,on this point alone.But Fuel consumption to one side,i love driving this machine. N.b. My previous 190e,its spares,type for type were cheaper than the subaru.

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No Red thumbs down

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Amazingly brilliant car that unfortunately devalued faster than any car i have ever owned. such a shame.

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No Red thumbs down

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Has done everything i wanted and without fault. The only issue is the fuel consumption, but then you can't have performance without fuel penalties

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No Red thumbs down

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The good: reliable, practical and rugged. Excellent in slippery conditions. The bad: not the easiest car to drive -- an agricultural feel. Gearchange often notchy. Handling less sure than standard road cars. Fuel economy middling. Extra maintenance costs associated with 4wd.

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No Red thumbs down

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Ideal car for me as not a big 4x4 but still still good towing (race car)

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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This is a great car. First, I have the Premuim XT model and it is very refined. Soft touch materials all over the place, with great leather seats. My neighbour has a brand new BMW X3 with lots of extras and the Forester interior quality and refinement is as good as the X3 and at the same places even better. The car has plenty of space. We've been 5 adults on long distances with tons of luggage and there was lots of space for each and every one of us. Both the leg and the head room are terrific. Really even cars much bigger than this one rarely offer so much space. The ride is excellent. It's very smooth and quiet. You barely hear the engine even at motorway speeds. Where I live the roads are terrible, especially in the city, and the ride is still great. I've driven and been driven in both Citroens, BMWs, Mercedes and this car matches all of them in terms of quality ride. Before I bought the car I tried almost every one in the class, and there is no one with better visibility. They moved the A pillars, they changed the position of the side mirrors and the windows are so large, you can see everything around you with ease. The looks of this car are also great. Mine is in dark metallic black. It really stands out and looks better next to BMWs and Mercedes which you can see everywhere, where as the new Forester is much rarer view. Permanent all wheel drive is also fantastic. You feel safe and confident in every situation. However, the XT has a powerful, 240 horsepower engine. It is great fun to drive, but as expected it is a little bit thirsty. I get between 22-28mpg, depending on city/highway and traffic, which I think is reasonable for this kind of engine and vehicle size. After the first 3000 miles the mpg got better and it is still improving.

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Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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apart from brakes nothing

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No Red thumbs down

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total reliability

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Yes Green thumbs up

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The only time its let me down was my own fault, Ive had a few parts replaced due to wear and tear and probably mistreated (track abused by its previous owners). but since then alls perfect.

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No Red thumbs down

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No problems in 12000 miles No oil used No water used

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Great, shame subaru have decided not to make it any more.(2.5 turbo) May have to look else where for a fast practical efficient 4x4. In my view they have lost the plot and will loose their core buyers if they keep this up. This is my 3rd subaru, and may be my last...

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No Red thumbs down

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Reliable and rugged. Great in recent snow and poor road conditions

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very enjoyable, practical, reliable, but expensive on fuel

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent, practical, go anywhere car, fuel economy not the greatest, but not the worst either...newer diesel will be my next choice.....

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Superb, in every way apart from fuel consumtion

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No Red thumbs down

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Good so far

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No Red thumbs down

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Let down by running costs otherwise almost perfect.

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No Red thumbs down

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Excellent machine, very reliable and four wheel drive is fantastic.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Utterly reliable and comfortable.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Having driven BMW, Lexus and Mercedes vehicles for years, the XT has been a revelation. The build quality, engineering and capabilities of the Forester really are first class and the car is so much fun to drive. I've used the car both on and off-road and can't fault it's abilities. It feels very surefooted in all conditions and inspires confidence when driving in bad weather and snow. The interior is well equipped and a nice place to be, with loads of room both front and back. The XT engine is just superb and the multiple gearbox modes (i/S/S#) really get the best out of it, whether motorway cruising, town/country driving or having some fun off-road. It's not the most frugal vehicle when it comes to fuel but am regularly achieving 29-31 mpg, which is reasonable considering the weight and engine. To summarise, this is a great SUV and a real alternative to the mainstream brands

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent. Only one breakdown in 120,000 miles and that was caused by the faulty fitting of a new timing belt by the garage at a 60,000 mile service.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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So far the car has fairly good reliability, during the winter months where I live I usually need the cars 4 wheel drive ability at some point & it usually gets me through icy roads & up to 10 inches of snow without to may worries.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Good all round

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent . Has not stopped ever, and goes as well as when new Has full 253hp Prodrive kit

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I have owned the car for over 7 years now and the only times it has not been driveable have been my fault - running out of petrol (thinking I could make the next motorway services after passing two with the low fuel light on!) and leaving it for 6 weeks while on holiday (flat battery).

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No Red thumbs down

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Very few faults, repaired by dealer

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Car is 2 years old and covered 20000 miles.It has not required any attention other than servicing.Everything works efficiently and it feels well made.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Not the best looker but makes up for that with performance and reliability

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It's nearly 12yrs old, never let me down, not a hint of rust although never kept in garage, only done 45,000 miles and the only reason i would change is price of petrol, but as only driven about 1,000 miles a year and car not worth much - why change!

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Living in scotland the forester has proved to be an excellent workhorse, very comfortable, great in winter conditions with snow tyres, not to large for a 4 x 4, great performance with the turbo petrol engine, a bit thirsty but gets about 27 mpg regardless of speed or journey.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Does just what i had hoped for, great overall capabilities, just gets on with, reliable, starts first time, goes anywhere i want it to without fuss. Trim allows all purpose useage.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Just what i need. Good in snow and ice ,with winter tyres. A bit thirsty, otherwise fine.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent 4wd everyday car, higher than average fuel use, but practicality in poor weather, more than makes up for that........

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Superb build quality, and reliability, practical, and nice to drive.

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No Red thumbs down

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Very smooth transmission, when in a hurry the sports mode remaps the transmission & engine controllers upping performance notably. I'm 6' 4" & there is more than enough room for me to fit behind me. I also fit with an (enormous) sunroof (very rare to have this much headroom and seat adjustability). Seating position is also straight with good pedal alignment and left foot room. Space wise the back seat has room for 3 adults and there is great visibility with the low window line. Fuel consumption has averaged 37mpg over 4000 miles, it improved notably as the engine loosened up at around 2k, I am braking 40mpg on long motorway trips, short trips on a cold engine are thirsty but at least there is no particulate filter to worry about. Motorway cruising fuel consumption is aided with cruise control, when engaged the engine revs drop to min required, note the gearing goes all the way to 37.8mph/1000rpm. I am also surprised how stable it is when I am occasionally in a hurry on a back road, the 4 wheel permanent traction is easily sensed & wet road driving confidence is very high. Safety performance is outstanding, iihs.org testing in the US includes a very difficult small overlap test (tougher than NCAP) & the forester results are top of class.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Keep the oil changed regularly and just keeps going

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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So far good apart from a major repair to known defect

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Only one minor problem with a light cluster getting condensation. Otherwise no problems at all.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Now at 76000 miles but still utterly reliable. Only the usual pads, discs, tyres replaced and all of which have lasted well.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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The only problems have been my fault, i.e. flat battery through interior lights having been left on.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very reliable, self- serviced regularly.Worn parts replaced to keep up to MOT standards

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It doesn't break down!

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No Red thumbs down

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Gives feeling of being very well made

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Yes Green thumbs up

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six year and no faults

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No Red thumbs down

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have had no problems at all

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Yes Green thumbs up

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never had any kind of problem

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Farmers workhorse estate car. Very reliable and apears that it will last the same distance again.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent engine. Good performance and pulling power. Economical for size. Very practical. Poor gearbox compared with previous model. Doesn't handle as well as previous model - too softly sprung. Some things better than previous model but somethings changed and not soo good.

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No Red thumbs down

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Great car that has exceeded my expectations has done everything asked of it easily, whilst not being a perfromance beast it's no slouch either. Interesting look to the car that grows on you, a four wheel drive without the stigma attached.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Good all round car and reliable ,easy to drive with some extra space available ,

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent apart from awful fuel economy (or absence thereof).

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No Red thumbs down

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Excessively high wear rate on brakes and tyres despite moderate driving

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Subaru Forester SUV (2013-2019): owner reviews

“It’s not very stylish, but the Subaru Forester is a practical, reliable and good-to-drive family-size SUV”

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Subaru Forester SUV (2013-2019): owner reviews

“It’s not very stylish, but the Subaru&nbsp;Forester is a practical, reliable and&nbsp;good-to-drive family-size SUV”

Reviews

Owner Reviews

Common Problems

Continue reading

Most Popular

Tips & advice

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024

carbuyer news & reviews

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“It’s not very stylish, but the Subaru Forester is a practical, reliable and good-to-drive family-size SUV”