2005 Subaru Forester Review

Name: 2005 Subaru Forester Review
Brand: Subaru
Price: 2071 USD
Rating: 4.6 (141 reviews)

2003 Subaru Forester 2.5 X AWD 4dr Wagon

2003 Subaru Forester 2.5 XS AWD 4dr Wagon

+162

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Edmunds' Expert Review

by the Edmunds Experts

Pros

Standard all-wheel drive, two engine choices, availability of upscale features, class-leading crash test scores.

Cons

Price can be higher than some of the competition, tight on legroom in the backseat.

What’s new

The base engine is enhanced this year with electronic throttle control, and a new four-speed automatic transmission is available. An air filtration system is now standard on all Foresters. Also new this year is the 2.5 XS L.L. Bean Edition, which includes a myriad of interior and exterior trim enhancements, rugged cargo area trim and a self-leveling rear suspension.

Edmunds says

Practical, well built and enjoyable to drive, the Forester offers an excellent balance of upscale features and all-weather drivability.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$189/mo

$179/mo

Avg. Compact Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2005 Subaru Forester.

5 (71%)

4 (23%)

3 (4%)

2 (0%)

1 (2%)

4.6

141 reviews

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Most helpful consumer reviews

Love this car, but...

kmcglynn, 11/24/2012

2005 Subaru Forester XS AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)

We love our 2005 Forester! It is a ton of fun to drive, and the leatherette interior with heated seats is very good for all of the bad weather we have here in the Pacific Northwest. This is one of the better quality SUVs for the money and the AWD is great!! However I do have one small issue with it. We barely hit 80k miles on our Forester and we already need to get the head gaskets …

2005 Subaru Forester

lucasr, 06/06/2012

2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)

I recently purchased a 2005 Forester with 95k miles on it, and will be using it as my college vehicle. It had 2 previous owners and no accidents reported. It appeared to be mechanically sound. So far, it has been an excellent vehicle. The ride is smooth, and it handles nicely. Some complain about power on these vehicles - I have had no issues with power. I drive plenty both in town and …

GREAT VEHICLE

4TIRES, 06/03/2005

2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)

I've had it for 2 months now and did some camping (therefore loaded it a lot) drove in hilly roads and so far, nothing to complain about! Great purchase, great handling, good power/weight ratio. Good feature too, the hill holder that prevent the vehicle from going backward on an inclined road (excellent when you are fully loaded in a very steep road at a traffic light).

Simply The Best Small SUV

CC Rider, 08/13/2010

2005 Subaru Forester XT AWD 4dr Wagon w/Premium Package (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 4A)

We've had our Forester XT Turbo for 5 years now and it has over 130,000 miles. It sees hard daily use for both business and personal reasons. In comparing this with other small SUVs which we test drove, like the RAV4, CR-V, Liberty, Highlander and Pilot, there was simply no comparison. It easily out accelerated, braked and handled all the others. The interior has lots of neat little …

See all 141 reviews of the Subaru Forester

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2005 Forester Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$21,445
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	23 MPG
Cost to Drive	$189/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	32 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Key safety features on the Forester include:

Alarm

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Side Barrier Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front SeatNot Rated
Back SeatNot Rated
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of RolloverNot Rated

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Not Tested
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested

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2005 Subaru Forester Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2005 Subaru Forester.

Trending topics in reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Love this car, but...

2005 Subaru Forester

GREAT VEHICLE

Simply The Best Small SUV

2005 Forester Highlights

Safety

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2005 Subaru Forester Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.

Most helpful consumer reviews

Love this car, but...

2005 Subaru Forester

GREAT VEHICLE

Simply The Best Small SUV

2005 Forester Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2005 Subaru Forester info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Subaru

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}