2014 Subaru Forester 2.0i | new car sales price

Subaru has dropped the price of entry to its popular Forester SUV range, with the base 2.0i petrol manual reduced by $1000 to $29,990.

The price reduction is exclusive to the 110kW/198Nm 2.0-litre ‘i’ petrol manual, which was already the cheapest all-wheel drive mid-size SUV among the Forester’s key rivals, now some $1500 beneath the next-in-line $31,490 Ford Kuga Ambiente auto.

No other changes have been made to the Forester lineup, which includes the auto-only 126kW/235Nm 2.5 litre petrol, manual-only 108kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel, and auto-only 177kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol drivetrain options.

The fourth-generation Forester has been on sale for 12 months, and continues to be Subaru’s best-selling model and the third-best selling mid-size SUV despite retaining its all-wheel drive only lineup.

Most of the Forester’s competitors have moved to offer cheaper and more efficient two-wheel drive models in addition to more off-road and traction-friendly all-wheel versions.

“The safety benefits and flexibility of All-Wheel Drive are another Forester plus as some other brands charge a considerable premium for the technology, way above their entry-level two-wheel drive variants,” Subaru Australia Managing Director Nick Senior explains.

All Subaru Forester models carry a maximum five star ANCAPsafety rating, and come with a full-size spare wheel beneath the cargo floor. 

Subaru Forester combined fuel consumption ranges from 5.9L/100km for the diesel models, to 7.2L/100km for 2.0-litre petrol manuals, to 8.1 for 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre petrol autos, and 8.5L/100km for the auto-only turbo XTs. 

The new $29,990 entry point should help the Forester in the mid-size SUV sales race, after its third-placing 13,649 sales in 2013, compared to the Mazda CX-5 with 20,129 and Toyota RAV4 with 16,983, with the Honda CR-V in fourth at 12,510, and the soon-to-be replaced Nissan X-Trail in fifth at 10,701 sales.

This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn

2014 Subaru Forester pricing
Subaru Forester 2.0i petrol manual - $29,990 (down $1000)
Subaru Forester 2.5i petrol auto - $32,990
Subaru Forester 2.0i-L petrol manual - $33,490
Subaru Forester 2.5i-L petrol auto - $35,990
Subaru Forester 2.5i-S petrol auto - $43,990
Subaru Forester 2.0D diesel manual - $35,490
Subaru Forester 2.0D-L diesel manual - $37,490
Subaru Forester 2.0D-S diesel manual - $43,990
Subaru Forester 2.0XT turbo petrol auto - $43,490
Subaru Forester 2.0XT Premium turbo petrol auto - $50,490