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Subaru Forester

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Subaru Forester Review, For Sale, Colours, Specs, Models & News

The Subaru Forester was somewhat late to the small SUV party when it debuted in Australia in 1997, a full three years after the Toyota RAV4.

That said, it managed to co-lead the small SUV charge regardless, thanks to its combination of a car-like driving experience, the space of a small station wagon and a decent amount of off-road ability.

Current prices range from $37,890 to $50,140 for the Forester 2.5X (awd) and Forester Hybrid S (awd).

Because of its long suspension travel and higher ride height, the Forester certainly had the measure of the standard sedans, hatches and wagons when the going got tough, whether on Australia’s rough roads or beyond them. Its car-like driving experience is because the Forester is based on the Impreza sedan and wagon, which debuted here in 1993. These days, the Forester continues the same formula, growing larger, safer and more powerful through successive generations.

Subaru Forester Models Price and Specs

The price range for the Subaru Forester varies based on the trim level you choose. Starting at $37,890 and going to $50,140 for the latest year the model was manufactured. The model range is available in the following body types starting from the engine/transmission specs shown below.

Year Body Type Specs Price from Price to
2024 SUV 2.5L, —, CVT AUTO $37,890 $50,140
2023 SUV 2.5L, ULP, CVT AUTO $34,540 $54,450
2022 SUV 2.5L, ULP, CVT AUTO $31,900 $52,250
2021 SUV 2.5L, ULP, CVT AUTO $29,920 $49,390
2020 SUV 2.5L, ULP, CVT AUTO $28,490 $45,980
See All Subaru Forester Pricing and Specs

Subaru Forester Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Subaru Forester here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

  • Is it worthwhile using premium fuel in an engine that doesn't need it?

    The short answer is no, the extra cost is not justified in a vehicle that does not require premium unleaded. While some premium fuel products do contain detergents to help keep an engine internally clean (which is the basis of the claim you heard) the major difference (and the reason PULP costs more) is to do with the octane rating of the fuel.

    Put simply, engines in a higher state of tune require this higher octane rating to produce their potential and well as avoiding internal damage. Your Subaru, meanwhile, is tuned to be quite happy on standard 91 RON ULP, and filling it with the more expensive premium brew is a waste of money. You might gain a small improvement in performance and/or economy, but not enough to offset the higher per-litre price of PULP, and probably not enough to even notice.

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  • Is my 2021 Subaru Forester Sport classed as Luxury?

    Technically, as far as local car-industry definitions go, your car is a member of the light commercial class of cars, and in the medium SUV sub-category. Whether you think it's a luxury car is up to you and will largely depend on your expectations and previous experiences.

    Luxury is a tricky thing to define and as cars gain more and more standard equipment and refinement with each passing year, what passed for luxury a few years ago might now be considered a run-of-the-mill vehicle. There was a time when velour trim and intermittent windscreen wipers were the preserve of luxury cars, but that won't cut it these days when the cheapest cars have those things and much more as standard.

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  • What's a good hybrid car to buy?

    The default purchase for somebody looking for a mid-sized hybrid SUV is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. But if that’s too big, there’s the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, C-HR Hybrid and even the Corolla Cross Hybrid which sounds like the marketplace is getting crowded but is really just a reflection of the appetite right now for cars like these. And that’s the catch; the waiting times for a brand-new example of some of these cars is out to many months and even years. So your plan to shop second-hand makes plenty of sense, but don’t expect any bargains in a market currently being dominated by lots of demand and less supply.

    Beyond the Toyota brand (which has been doing hybrids longer than just about anybody else) there’s also the Mazda CX-30, Subaru XV Hybrid, Haval Jolion Hybrid, Kia Niro, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Nissan Qashqai e-Power, MG HS, Honda HR-V e and more. For something a bit bigger, try the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe hybrids. There are others out there, too, that are probably bigger or more expensive than you need, but it's very much a growing scene in the Australian marketplace.

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  • What options do I have after my 1998 Subaru Forester suffered loss of power?

    Okay, let's tackle your questions one by one. The advice you've been given by two repairers doesn't really gel. For a start, you have a mechanic telling you it's an electrical problem, and an electrician telling you it's a mechanical problem. Sounds like neither of them know what's up here. There's a big difference between an engine that has no spark and an engine that needs a complete rebuild, in both dollar and effort terms, so you need to get an independent assessment of what's really wrong with the thing and go from there. If, for instance, it's a simple case of needing new spark plugs or coils, then it's worth fixing. If the engine is indeed toast, then a new one is probably going to cost more than the value of the entire car.

    Which brings us to your second question. Given that a 1998 Forester is probably a $3000 to $5000 car in good working order, you're not sitting on a gold-mine. While you could potentially make more by wrecking the car and selling it in pieces, you have the hassle of physically separating the car and selling it piece by piece with cleaning, packaging and mailing the parts one by one. Then there's the fielding of hundreds of emails and phone calls, not to mention the hassle of having a dead car in your driveway for as long as it takes to sell all the bits. Even then, you'll eventually have to have the carcass taken away. The alternative is to sell the car to a wrecking yard to handle that side of things, but you'll be lucky to be offered more than a few hundred dollars to have the car picked up and removed.

    The option, to answer your third question, would be to have the car electronically scanned, find out precisely what's wrong with it and make an informed decision from there. If the thing is fixable, great. But if it needs a new engine, it might be time to think about a replacement car as spending thousands on a 25-year-old car that will certainly be showing wear in other areas, doesn't really stack up.

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See All Subaru Forester Q&As
Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

Subaru Forester Colours

The Forester comes in nine standard colours – ‘Crystal White Pearl’, ‘Ice Silver Metallic’, ‘Brilliant Bronze Metallic’, ‘Crimson Red Pearl’, ‘Autumn Green Metallic', ‘Horizon Blue Pearl’, ‘Cascade Green Silica’, ‘Magnetite Grey Metallic’, and ‘Crystal Black Silica’.

  • Crystal White Pearl
  • Ice Silver Metallic
  • Magnetite Grey Metallic
  • Crystal Black Silica
  • Crimson Red Pearl
  • Brilliant Bronze Metallic
  • Autumn Green Metallic
  • Horizon Blue Pearl
  • Cascade Green Silica
  • Dark Blue Pearl
To confirm current colour availability, please check the manufacturer's website.

Subaru Forester Accessories

The Forester’s interior is decidedly traditional with its gearshifter, CD player and press-buttons and dials. The dashboard and doors feature heavy cutaways and ledges, making it look robust and capable.

The dashboard is headlined by two screens – an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a smaller 4.2-inch information panel. While the instrument panel is a mix of analogue and a 6.3-inch digital panel.

A large sunroof is available on higher grades.

Subaru Forester Towing Capacity

The Subaru Forester has maximum towing capacity of 1800kg for the latest model available.

Year Body Type Braked Capacity from Braked Capacity to
2024 SUV 1200kg 1800kg
2023 SUV 1200kg 1800kg
2022 SUV 1200kg 1800kg
2021 SUV 1200kg 1800kg
2020 SUV 1200kg 1800kg
See All Towing Capacity for Subaru Forester

Subaru Forester Dimensions

The dimensions of the Subaru Forester SUV vary according to year of manufacture and spec level.

Year Body Type Height x Width x Length Ground Clearance
2024 SUV 1730x1815x4640 mm 220 mm
2023 SUV 1730x1815x4640 mm 220 mm
2022 SUV 1730x1815x4640 mm 220 mm
2021 SUV 1730x1815x4625 mm 220 mm
2020 SUV 1730x1815x4625 mm 220 mm
The dimensions shown above are for the base model. See All Subaru Forester Dimensions

Subaru Forester Engine

There are two engines available for the Forester.

All petrol-variants share a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder boxer-petrol engine (136kW/239Nm).

While the two hybrid models share a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder hybrid engine (110kW/196Nm).

All Foresters are all-wheel drive with a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Subaru Forester Boot Space

When both rows are in use, the Forester has 498L of capacity available. You can jump that figure up to 1740L with the rear seats folded.

It has a level loading space but the floor is not adjustable due to the full-size spare wheel. There is a retractable cargo blind, multiple luggage anchor points and a 12-volt port, too.

A powered tailgate is only available on higher grades.

Subaru Forester Wheel Size

The Subaru Forester has a number of different wheel and tyre options. When it comes to tyres, these range from 225x60 R17 9 for SUV in 2024.

Year Body Type Front Tyre Size Front Rim Rear Tyre Size Rear Rim
2024 SUV 225x60 R17 9 225x60 R17 9
2023 SUV 225x60 R17 9 225x60 R17 9
2022 SUV 225x60 R17 9 225x60 R17 9
2021 SUV 225x60 R17 9 225x60 R17 9
2020 SUV 225x60 R17 9 17x7 inches 225x60 R17 9 17x7 inches
The dimensions shown above are for the base model. See All Subaru Forester Wheel Sizes

Subaru Forester Fuel Consumption

The Subaru Forester is available in a number of variants and body types that are powered by —, Hyb/ULP and ULP fuel type(s). It has an estimated fuel consumption starting from 7.4L/100km for SUV /— for the latest year the model was manufactured.

Year Body Type Fuel Consumption* Engine Fuel Type Transmission
2024 SUV 7.4L/100km 2.5L CVT AUTO
2023 SUV 6.7L/100km 2.0L Hyb/ULP CVT AUTO
2023 SUV 7.4L/100km 2.5L CVT AUTO
2023 SUV 7.4L/100km 2.5L ULP CVT AUTO
2022 SUV 6.7L/100km 2.0L Hyb/ULP CVT AUTO
2022 SUV 7.4L/100km 2.5L CVT AUTO
2022 SUV 7.4L/100km 2.5L ULP CVT AUTO
2021 SUV 6.7L/100km 2.0L Hyb/ULP CVT AUTO
2021 SUV 7.4L/100km 2.5L ULP CVT AUTO
2020 SUV 6.7L/100km 2.0L Hyb/ULP CVT AUTO
2020 SUV 7.4L/100km 2.5L ULP CVT AUTO
* Combined fuel consumption See All Subaru Forester Pricing and Specs for 2024

Subaru Forester Interior

The Forester’s interior is decidedly traditional with its gearshifter, CD player and press-buttons and dials. The dashboard and doors feature heavy cutaways and ledges, making it look robust and capable.

The dashboard is headlined by two screens – an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a smaller 4.2-inch information panel. While the instrument panel is a mix of analogue and a 6.3-inch digital panel.

A large sunroof is available on higher grades.

Subaru Forester Seats

The Forester comes with five seats, in a 2/3 configuration. The back row has a 60/40 split-fold and can be electrically folded via buttons found in the boot.

Manual adjustments can be made on the front seats and on higher grades both front seats feature an eight-way power adjustment.

Entry-level trim is black cloth, while higher grades enjoy leather-accented trims.

In the second row, there are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats plus three top tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.

Subaru Forester Speed

The Subaru Forester does not have an official 0-100km/h sprint time but expect it to reach that speed from standstill in around 9.0 to 11 seconds (depending on grade). Top speed is around 210km/h.

Subaru Forester News

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Subaru Forester Range

Petrol variants for the Forester have a 63-litre fuel tank. Based on the official combined fuel cycle of 7.4L/100km, you should be able to achieve a driving range of around 851km.

Hybrid variants for the Forester have a 48-litre fuel tank. Based on the official combined fuel cycle of 6.7L/100km, you should be able to achieve a driving range of around 716km.

Subaru recommends a minimum 91RON petrol to be used.