2005 Subaru Forester Review
2005 Subaru Forester Review
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Used Forester for sale
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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 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 $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$181/mo for Forester X
Forester X
vs
$174/mo
Avg. Compact Car
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2005 Subaru Forester.
5 star(71%)
4 star(23%)
3 star(4%)
2 star(0%)
1 star(2%)
141 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4.63 out of 5 stars
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 … replaced, which have set us back another $2,000. This has been the only problem with the car and it is running perfectly other than this issue, however we did some research and it is a HUGE problem with Subaru engines throughout the lineup. If you can get over that though, this car is definitely worth the money!!
4.75 out of 5 stars
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 … in the country where I live. It is excellent in both settings. I have no issues with getting up to speed on the freeway.
My gas mileage has been an acceptable 20-22 mpg, and I expect it to be a little better when I take it for my first long trip on the highway.
So far, this vehicle has been a joy to own.
5 out of 5 stars
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).
4.5 out of 5 stars
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 … compartments to store everything from pens, pencils, cups, change, glasses, map books and more. The H4 engine performs very well, but tends to use more oil than most fours we've had. Problems at 100,000K have been a new radiator, cam timing belt and power steering pump. Gas mileage is mediocre at 20.
2005 Forester Highlights
X
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $21,445 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 23 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $181/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 32 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | all wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Forester include:
- Alarm
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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