Used 2019 Subaru Forester

The Forester has been a big seller for Subaru, accounting for 27 percent of its U.S. sales. Here’s why: This Japan-built SUV artfully blends good interior capacity with a reasonably small overall size, which makes it a super-handy vehicle around town. And if you live in areas with harsh weather, or you occasionally like to explore areas with dirt roads, the Forester also shines, thanks to its 8.7 inches of ground clearance, rugged construction and full-time all-wheel drive. For 2019, the Subaru has completely revamped the Forester, keeping its spirit intact while replacing its chassis with the company’s strong new global platform already put to good use in the popular Crosstrek. Equally significant, some clever packaging moves have made the new 2019 Subaru Forester more spacious inside while still maintaining the vehicle’s compact overall footprint.

The 2019 Subaru Forester is much quieter than the previous model, and its electric-assist steering, which seems a bit heavy at first, feels normal after a few minutes at the helm. Ride quality is outstanding, and even though the new Forester has 8.7 inches of ground clearance (the same as the outgoing model), body lean in corners is kept well in check. The updated 2.5-liter boxer engine, with 182 horsepower (up from 170), feels adequate if not overwhelming, yet still strong enough to move this 3,500-pound compact SUV up mountain passes without obvious strain. The CVT, updated by Subaru to be lighter and quieter, “downshifts” and “upshifts” like a traditional automatic when the driver is aggressive with the throttle. Subaru has worked to improve Forester brake feel, and this can be felt in the reduction of pedal stroke needed before speed retardation occurs. The Limited model that KBB tested at the Forester’s press preview near Asheville, North Carolina, had a particularly active beeper for lane-keep assist, and it took time to find the shut-off switch (it’s on the headliner, above the rearview mirror). If you’re the sort who takes corners aggressively, a new standard torque-vectoring system automatically applies the brakes to the inside wheels to help the Forester follow its intended path and not push wide. Last: If there’s one area needing improvement, it’s the automatic stop/start system, new for 2019. Although designed to be unobtrusive and save fuel while your Subaru idles at stoplights, the automatic restarts aren’t as smooth as they should be. Fortunately, the system can be shut off, which we did.

Even though the 2019 Forester is narrower than competitors such as the Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4, Subaru has widened the front seating area by 1.2 inches, which enabled the manufacturer to move the front seats nearly an inch farther apart, making the area feel far roomier. Improved materials and a new wraparound dash highlight the 5-seat interior, and the infotainment touch screen (either a 6.5-incher or the preferable 8.0-inch unit) is right where you’d expect it to be — within easy reach atop the center stack. And thanks to the added wheelbase, the new Forester has significantly better rear-seat legroom. A 6-foot-tall passenger now fits very comfortably behind a 6-foot-tall driver. Impressive.

Subaru clearly didn’t want to mess with success, so the all-new 2019 Forester doesn’t stray too far visually. And while this new Forester looks much like the previous one, the pleasant update is just enough to let us know that significant improvements have been made beneath the skin. Front, side and rear underguards are standard, as is lower body cladding to protect against mud and rocks. Also, roof rails are standard on all but the base model. The new Sport model is distinguished by its gloss-black exterior trim and orange accents on the black underguards and roof-rail mounts, plus orange interior stitching and other accents.

ENORMOUS CARGO OPENING
At 51.3 inches wide, the Forester’s rear cargo opening is huge, 5.3 inches wider than before and a full six inches better than the nearest competitor’s. Golf bags don’t need to be tilted to fit in back. An extra 1.1 extra inches of space between the rear-wheel intrusions also helps.

DRIVERFOCUS
This new tech, standard on the Forester Touring, uses infrared sensors and facial recognition to identify driver distraction or fatigue. If the driver has looked away from the road for three seconds, DriverFocus will sound a warning and even slow the car to a stop if necessary.

Key standard features on every 2019 Subaru Forester include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus EyeSight, the driver-assist safety suite featuring adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, pre-collision throttle management, lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist. Also standard: trailer-stability assist, brake hold, automatic climate control, electronic parking brake, automatic power door locks (a first for the Forester) and LED headlights. The 2019 Forester also has active grille shutters in the front bumper (for better fuel economy), plus a rearview-camera washer, which will come in handy if you spend a lot of time on dirt roads.

The base 2019 Subaru Forester is available with 17-inch alloy wheels and roof rails, a package bargain-priced at $600. On the Forester Premium, there’s an available all-weather package and push-button start, plus blind-spot detection, lane-change assist and dual USB ports in the center rear console. The Forester Sport can be ordered with the 8-inch MultiMedia Plus system and a 9-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, while automatic reverse braking is available on the more opulent Limited. The top Forester, the Touring, can be ordered with Black or Saddle Brown perforated interior leather. In-vehicle Wi-Fi is available through your Subaru dealer.

One engine is available in the new Forester, a 2.5-liter flat-4 that produces 182 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 176 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm (versus last year’s 170 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 174 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm). Subaru says 90 percent of its parts are new, and this includes a stronger block and a new direct-injection system. This boxer powerplant mounts to one transmission: a CVT built and developed by Subaru. In Sport and Touring Foresters, the CVT features a manual mode that simulates a 7-speed automatic transmission via shift paddles. On all 2019 Foresters, however, there’s a new SI-Drive system allowing the driver to select between smooth (Intelligent) or crisp (Sport) powertrain performance. EPA fuel economy figures for the 2019 Subaru Forester are 26-mpg city/33-mpg highway/29-mpg combined.

2.5-liter flat-4 (all models)
182 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm
176 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 26/33 mpg (all models)