Used 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) Consumer Reviews
Best of the small crossovers I've tried
I am 6'5" and my wife is 5'3" and we wanted something that we could adjust to both be able to drive comfortably. We tried a Forester last year, but the visibility was nowhere near as good and the interior seemed very cheap. The 2014 is a huge improvement. I don't have to adjust the seat all the way back even with my 35" inseam legs. Visibility is much better due to the larger windows all around and the relatively straight roof line, unlike a lot of the competitors. After about 400 miles I am getting about 29 MPG of mostly highway driving. Overall I like the look and functionality. It isn't flashy, but is the most comfortable and practical of the crossovers out there.
New Subarau believer
I test drove 30 awd's out there and due to a family balance disorder, the ride requirement was the following: Highway smoothness, near zero body roll, zero cabin pressure (Suv must be vented properly) unlike VW tiguan, and no road vibration through the steering and seats. The 2014 was a clear and easy winner. I have owned the forester for 2 months in the NE winter and this thing proves itself every day of my 70 minute tristate commute. Coming from a BMW x5 I thought I would be unhappy - but this SUV is really a swiss army knife. Insane in the snow/ice - great comfort, a kickin' stereo system. Computer readout of everything + X-Drive! + 27mpg avg + rock solid reliability LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!
- 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: $8,9956 mi away
- 2.5i Touring PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: $16,99818 mi away
- 2.5i PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: $10,49921 mi away
Great Vehicle
I took delivery of my Forester on March 21. I have about 4K miles on the car to date. I traded in a 2005 Honda Element. Boy, what an upgrade this has been. The car is fun to drive and handles great. I have been averaging about 30 MPG with a mix of highway and city. The radio and navigation system are not difficult to operate as other reviews have pointed out. My 10 year old daughter had it figured out in no time. The nav system works great. I had to meet some work colleagues at a supplier about an hour away from home and I was the only one who made it to the right location. The others used the iphone and got lost.
Most comfortable of the small SUVs
I test drove all of the small SUVs on the market and the Forester was far and away the most comfortable for me. I am 6' 5" and 225lbs and none of the other ones had anywhere near as comfortable a driving position. The visibility is great due to the big windows, especially in the back where the competition seems to have all put large pillars in the way. It is quieter than the Highlander that it replaced and I have been getting a combined 27 MPG commuting and as much as 32 on highway travel.
Dangerous Flaws in an otherwise decent car
I owned a 2014 Forester for nearly 3 years and 36,000 miles. This was my second Forester having liked my 2010 so much, but it's also my last Forester and likely my last Subaru. The Forester provides a balanced package of performance, utility and price. As car shoppers we should understand the cost benefit analysis and the compromises inherent in every automobile we purchase. For the Forester, in my experience, the benefits include Subaru's AWD system, good safety ratings, relatively good reliability and decent driving dynamics... all at a decent price point. Downsides include poor interior design and fit and finish, noisy highway driving and lousy electronics. My ownership of the 2014 revealed that this redesigned model comes with something else: terrifying handling in sub-optimal driving conditions. At highway speeds I found the driving stability lacking, and very noticeably worse than my 2010 model. The car felt top heavy and unsteady when executing lane changes or navigating exit ramps. Also, highway driving in windy conditions or very wet roads was less than confidence inspiring and the car often felt poorly planted. I attributed these handling defects to the taller profile compared to my other Forester. The first winter I owned the car I was driving on a highway with less than a 1" layer of slush. I am 53 and have driven in winter conditions my whole life and I had my family in the car with me so I was driving even more cautiously than I normally do. Up ahead was a car on the shoulder so I slowly made a change into the left lane and then it happened... the car started to oscillate and the rear end felt like it wanted to come around. It was like driving with no traction at all and I struggled to get the car back under control for what seemed like an eternity... honestly, I am amazed we didn't go off the road. Yes the conditions were not great, but no other car on the road seemed to have problems driving and in all my experience driving I have never had a car handle that way. I attributed the incident to an unwise decision to switch lanes exacerbated by the truly horrible Yokohama OEM tires Subaru puts on these cars. Needless to say I got rid of my nearly new OEM tires and bought a set of top rated Continental True Contacts. The new tires helped the handling a bit, as did a dealer performed alignment, but the car still felt skittish and I again experienced the loose rear end feeling, albeit not as bad as the first time. Meanwhile I was growing tired of the endless rattles that the dealer could not address, frustrated by the awful Subaru navigation system and bluetooth that could not make outgoing calls and alarmed by the extended warranty issued for excessive oil consumptions (a problem for many Subaru owners, but not for me personally). As I casually started researching cars I found that the handling problems I had were not unique. There are countless cases of the same DANGEROUS handling flaws for the Forester and the mechanically very similar Crosstrek. Just search for "Ghost walking" or "dangerous Forester" or "Forester slush problem", etc. and you won't believe the extent of problems out there. And that's with most people, like me until I researched, thinking they did something wrong to cause the problem. I am now convinced that there is a serious design flaw (not sure if it's the suspension, AWD, chassis design, or some combination of these factors) with these vehicles that can render them an accident waiting to happen. I traded in my Forester (and it has not held its value well... depreciation is much higher than for Subaru's I have owned in the past) for a new Volvo XC60 and couldn't be happier and I feel much safer. It's a shame really. Subaru makes a decent product and it pains me to write such a scathing review. This Forester has been reliable, yields very good fuel economy, offers lots of second row and cargo space, had great visibility, relatively comfortable seats, and offered good maneuverability. I like my local dealer and have had generally good ownership with my four previous Subarus, but the dangerous aspect of this car has shaken my faith in the brand and I am not likely to ever purchase another Subaru.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value