2021 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews

I'm a 6'8" 265lb male with a stocky shoulder build and I truly love this car coming out of the dealership after searching for weeks. PROS: +Massive amount of front row shoulder room and head space in both driver and passenger positions +Doors open very wide so great for loading car seats/gear/ or a 70" tv, literally. +Panoramic moon roof +Visibility is incredible, being tall, I can almost see to the very front of the car with front view angle +Tons of storage, seriously there is a ton of room for a family with gear and even room in the spare tire department which has a foam insert to keep personal belongings separate from the tire and such so things don't take on new tire smell +Rear hatch privacy shade to hide your goods +Spare, tow hooks, and jack are all included. Lincolns don't have this included even and you only care when you need it so this is piece of mind +Minimal cabin noise during highway driving, excess of 75 or really windy you can experience some wind noise but not disruptive by any means +Suspension absorbs Michigan roads +All wheel drive is always on vs software enabled, (2017 Fusion AWD 2.0L EcoBoost owner), this enables the car to not slip. It snowed and was icy last night and my wife was comfortable driving 45mph while other cars crawled at 25-35mph on poor roads. +2021 auto high beams AND steering responsive headlamps help you see into your turns better at night than the straight point and shoot kind +33mpg combined, we got 35 driving in Ann Arbor which included 10 miles on i94 +Eyesight is great and also helps keeps the rear passengers buckled in. This car does everything but slap you if you are not being safe. +Insurance cost increased $62 a month, (perfect driving record), but also in part to increasing coverage options with Michigan's weird no-fault policy. +5 Star IHS Safety Pick, 4 star on roll over only, all else is 5 which is insane +250 dollar donation to Make a Wish Foundation CONS: -6.5" infotainment system can lag at times, also seems a tad small but very functional -Android Auto requires a USB connection which is right under the infotainment system, with a bigger phone you need either a short cord or something long enough to run to the cup holder. Either way its just cord in your way that could've been done differently with a USB in the center console -Mediocre power, the car drives great but you will not be aggressive to apprehend slow drivers on busy one or two lane roads -Standard radio is just ok, no bumping, heavy metal jamming, or symphony off of the lot unless you move up a trim or package -CVT can be rather deliberate when using Auto Start/Stop but if you like a more mechanical connection to a car as a driver, I like knowing the alternator pumps it alive fast and impactful, its like hitting a second gear nice in a stick shift. -Premium trim does not come with BLIS standard, you certainly need this and the rubber floor mat package, (package 15) -1.9% APR vs every other Subaru offering in December being 0% Overall: This car is a prime example of outstanding value and safety, even after USMCA deal raised the tariffs on imports to equalize the total cost compared to say a 2020 Escape. We are a Ford family through and through but when comparing to the Escape, I had substantially more room up front being a broad man and the storage, overall front/back, and side window visibility, and ride clearance are unparalleled. This car has an inch greater ground clearance to take it through that much more terrain. I drove every Ford crossover and SUV from 2019 to 2021 model years and this car won hands down. The Ford Edge was close but I felt that I was sitting nine feet away from the front of the car and it took a lot more effort to park. The Subaru culture is also budding up which equates to the feeling of Jeep ownership with people giving you the wave and such and a pro is with a flat 4 engine that has been iterated upon since 1999, it has a low center of gravity which also explains why the front visibility is so awesome. The oil filter is literally on top of the engine too with this design so you can change oil at home easily vs a trip to the fast lane. My final recommendation is to go with the Premium trim, opt for BLIS package and the rubber floor mats as you can cover the entire floor/hatch area/ and back seat even in thick protective rubber which is wonderful to clean compared to carpet, also comes with power rear hatch. Also opt into the 3 year Security package during the sale as you and your family can use remote start with climate control from your phones which also has anti-theft through StarLink. It is 75 dollars for 3 years compared to spending over 500 for a fob with remote start on it which you can lose. In total we got this car out the door with a 6 year 60k mile bumper to bumper warranty cheaper than a 2020 Escape with similar features and less room/storage for our lifestyle.