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Used 2009 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
247 reviews

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1 out of 5 stars

Should have gotten another car

AMR, 06/13/2009
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD w/Premium Pkg,VDC (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

The car has a non turbo 4 and it has very poor performance and gets dismal mileage, 15 to 16 in the city, 20 to 21 on the highway. It rattles daily, the carpet finish is poor, it takes 3 to 5 turns to start in the rain and the nav system is not only hard to use it is very bad at getting you from A to B in the easiest way possible.

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4.5 out of 5 stars

It's about love

tarsier, 05/11/2010
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD w/Premium Pkg,VDC (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I could have paid less for my Forester if I had been more patient but it's about love and the extras I might have added for the same price were not terribly interesting or involved trade offs (standard, turbo) I wasn't willing to make. I have no problem with stereo volume but the plastic/felt interior, goofy high chrome exterior trim, engine high speed 'rev' and blind spots exist. I am not thrilled with the armrest, but my dog likes it and I have issues with the ipod integration kit. But that's it, other issues are more industry-wide technology-style issues than Subaru's 'fault'. 15,000 miles, 6 major road-trips from the snow to the desert and its still all about love.

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4.25 out of 5 stars

Good basic utility SUV under $20000

Excellent Vehicle, 08/18/2010
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD w/VDC (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Bought this after test driving CR-V and RAV4. Did not want to pay more than $20,000 for a new car and needed an SUV. New 2009 style was ok and 4wd system is very good. Mileage is as good if the mechanics tune it right. After 1st service mileage got better; after 2nd it went down and 3rd now has gotten better again. Got 30 mpg to Chicago and again to Cincinnati recently from Rochester, NY. Gets about 22 around town and overall around 25 mpg. have had no rattles or mechanical problems. Quality is excellent; have had Toyota mostly until now. Only thing I don't like is that it seems a bit sensitive to high/cross winds; could be the tires though.

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3.75 out of 5 stars

Want to love this car, but...

deserthillsman, 04/22/2011
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X 4dr SUV AWD w/VDC (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
8 of 11 people found this review helpful

I like this car, but can't get excited about it. Overall handling is very good and the turning radius is the best of any small SUVs that I've driven. It's a very stable drive, and it's been good on rough roads and in the rain. I have no problem with the sound system as many others seem to have, but I'd love to have more power, the lack of which is sometimes downright dangerous when trying to enter the freeway or pass slow cars on the two lane roads in the desert where I live. The car has been fairly trouble free for three years, except for the A/C going out last summer in 100+ weather here. But Subaru took care of the problem and I have to say that they've been very good overall.

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2.5 out of 5 stars

dont buy xt

bad experience, 02/15/2009
2009 Subaru Forester 2.5XT 4dr SUV AWD w/VDC (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 4A)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful

The engine on this car (turbo) blew up in a remote location late at night in a snow storm. We had kids in the car. BAD experience. Totally unacceptable for a car with 9600 miles on it. Subaru paid for the rental car for the time my car was at the dealer; plus got them to pay me $1000 for my hassle and pay for free scheduled maintenance on the car for the rest of the lease term. I was told by dealer that turbo engines have an oil piping problem. The turbo gets starved of oil. The result is mechanical failure of turbo. Metal pieces somehow get into engine. Bye-bye engine.

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