Used 2017 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
Used Forester for sale
2500mi on my 2017 Touring
Laura K., 09/28/2016
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
29 of 32 people found this review helpful
I've driven the wheels off this car in the last month, 2 semi-long road trips for family events. I thought about keeping it parked but it's such a nice drive on the highway, I couldn't imagine leaving it in the driveway. This is my first SUV or crossover, I'm coming from a 2011 Mazda 3 5-speed, so I was a bit nervous about the transition to CVT. The shifting is taking time to get used to, but she will get up and go when I need it. The RPMs are usually low when I look, ~2k cruising but up to 6k if pushing it extra hard. The take-off is lacking but I knew that when I weighed the cost of ownership for the turbo; that said, she'll do what you need her to do. The noise is very low this year and it's noticeably so. I listen to audio books which can sometimes be difficult when doing 70mph. The interior is relaxing overall. The visibility makes me less nervous about driving such a big thing and the controls are easy. The navigation is absolutely fantastic and the bluetooth has worked flawlessly. The headlights that turn with the steering wheel are AMAZING for country driving and has helped me see deer in the road. The automatic cruise control and break assist is equally as fantastic. I can honestly say that the break assist may have saved me from rear ending someone already! Within the first week! The car behind me pulled to the side it happened so very quickly! The ONLY con I have really is the automatic headlights. These things make no sense and basically do whatever the heck they want. If you have automatic headlights turned on, you cant override and turn on the brights without holding the stick back. Seriously, WTH!? When I'm coming down by suburban street late at night, I like to watch for my neighbors cats and such but can't turn the brights on without either turning the headlights to manual or holding the stick.
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'17 XT Touring attended finishing school
kurtamaxxguy, 10/04/2016
updated 10/08/2018
2017 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
21 of 23 people found this review helpful
After mixed results with the '14 XT (was first year model, suffered major engine wear covered by TSB), I found Subaru had refined it for '17, smoothing out ride (less jiggly/harsh), reducing interior noise (engine quieter, tires less so), and upgrading interior trim and seat colors. Engine/CVT feel more polished, there are fewer rattles in dash and interior. A saddle brown color option offsets the usual drab black interior. Gains: LED brake lights and Road following LED headlights, heated steering wheel, better shaped seats, color graphic displays, lighted vanity mirrors, memory seating. Losses: Harmon Kardon sound equalizer degrades to 3 bands rather than 10, Nav only available with Eyesight. No Apple Carplay or Android Auto (a favorite peeve of car journalists). A fair bit of chrome and shiny trim can prove distracting in sunlight. XT's nicely responsive on the road, with option to use regular fuel (at cost of 10 - 15% of power/MPG) but can stumble going up hills. Odd that torque vectoring's only available with Eyesight, and that tailpipes soot up quickly. S# mode lets engine lug at times due to "fake shifts" - not good fit for performance driving. For icy roads ditch its stock Bridgestones for ones having ice grip - Nokian WR G3 SUV's work much better.. Only minor quality issues. Summary: a very practical, pleasant vehicle.
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2017 Subaru Forester for sale near you
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- 2.5i Premium PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: $9,4998 mi away
- 2.5i Touring PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: $9,7508 mi away
- 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: $10,4998 mi away
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This model is ok
Don, 11/26/2016
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
20 of 22 people found this review helpful
But I should have bought the Legacy.... Disappointed on a few levels that a test drive may not reveal. Seat comfort, over an hour, they are not great. The vehicle leans, alot, in hard cornering that other vehicles I have owned did not, including Honda CR-V. Vibration of something in the rear of the vehicle is annoying. Windows are large, which has a downside. The sun is unbearable at times. I am over 6 feet tall and have to use sun visors WAY more than ever before, and with the eyesight feature, they don't block all the sun. Heater makes a lot of noise relative to the volume of heat being put out.. Cargo space is plentiful, braking is great, eyesight and safety technology is great. I have buyers remorse over the other the other things listed. The vehicle steering and lean in the corners is a big dissatisfied. The mileage is NOT as advertised. Driving the highway I am happy to get 30 mpg...... No wear near the 33 advertised.. Very sad to supply this info.
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UPDATED 12/8/22 - 6 years/86k miles - Mostly Happy
Megan C, 11/30/2016
updated 12/09/2022
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
31 of 35 people found this review helpful
"Regular" Maintenance is starting to get a bit more expensive. This could probably be mitiagted somewhat if I was more proactive about preventative maintenance. I've averaged about $2500/yr worth of work into the car over the last 2ish years. Big ticket items are tires and air conditioning. The AC is my biggest complaint, it stopped working around the summer of 2021, and then I moved to Texas in the fall of 2021.. and then lived in Del Rio through the hottest summer on record of any city in the history of TX (Summer 2022) with a broken AC >:( I took it to the dealership in San Antonio 3 separate times to have them troubleshoot and "fix" the AC and after about $1200 nothing had worked so I finally caved and replaced the compressor about two months ago, and $1600 later, the AC still doesn't really work. Thankfully I don't live in the south anymore so it's not as big of a problem, but it's still annoying that after almost $3000 and replacing all of the major components of the system it still sucks. I'm wondering if it's just a design flaw at this point. Everything else has been working fine. Over 4 years and about 70k miles, still drives like a dream, I haven’t had any major mechanical issues (knock on wood) and I’m among the more lazy car owners who don’t go crazy with regular tune-ups and such. I do the state legal minimum & regular oil changes and that’s it This is my first brand new car, as well as my first Subaru. I chose Subaru after considerable research and references from friends who drive and love them. They have a great reputation as being sturdy, reliable vehicles, and as I do not want to have to buy another car for at least 7-10 years, it seemed like a great, affordable option. I live in southwestern Pennsylvania, a place known for hills and bad winters, so I wanted a solid car that handles well in the snow. I chose an SUV for the snow thing and also because I have been getting increasingly into the outdoors, so I wanted a vehicle that I could take off-roading, and that will haul bikes, kayaks, camping gear, wet dogs, and maybe someday kiddos, but one that also did not destroy my fuel budget as this has to be my commuter car too. The Forester seems to check all of these boxes. Pros: • Gas mileage is great (in my opinion, my old car got 15 city, 27 highway), I average about 27-28 on my daily commute and on the highway I was getting over 36 MPG • The upgraded models have adjustable lower lumbar support which is great for road-trips (6/4/21: this feature definitely helps, but the seats still aren’t the best for 3+ hour drives) • I love the automatic climate control, set it once and didn’t have to touch it again in 3 hours • I think it rides smooth, I did not notice the noise or roughness that other reviewers have commented on, but I test drove a base model and that particular car was a little rough and noisy, so maybe depends on the upgrade (6/4/21: I notice the noise more now, it’s definitely a louder car, but in my opinion still not enough to be a deal breaker) • In over 2 years I never learned how to park my old car, and now I’m convinced it was the car and not me because the Forester has an awesome turn radius and I can park it just fine • Two words: Heated seats Cons: • My biggest complaint is that the remote starter is a separate fob that is about the same size as the regular key fob, so you basically have to carry two key fobs or only use the remote start at home. Personally, I use it at work as well, and 2 fobs is bulky and kind of annoying. In the year 2017, you’d think these things would come standard now, and all in one fob, but I guess not. • The manufacturer’s warranty is only 3 years/36,0000 miles, I bought an additional warranty from the dealership that extends my coverage to 5 years/60,000 miles • The Limited trim option only comes in an automatic (better gas mileage than the manual though, thanks to the new CVT) with only 2 drive gears, high/normal and low/descent control. The “normal” drive gear is fine, the “low” gear, apparently designed to utilize engine breaking during a continuous descent is kind of rough if you don’t shift at the exact right time and speed (almost like driving a manual again..) • 6/4/21 Update: The seats tend to get uncomfortable on long road trips, over 3ish hours. I’m comparing to my husband’s car, which is an Altima The cons are minor annoyances, nothing that would have been a deal-breaker for me had I known before I bought it, at this point I would definitely recommend this car for someone who wants an affordable, fuel-efficient SUV. If anything changes that is out of the normal, ordinary wear-and-tear of a vehicle, I will be sure to come on here and share.//Update 12-1-17: everything I wrote is still pretty much true. I put more miles on it than expected so that shortens the length in years of the warranty but oh well. Haven’t had any major mechanical issues yet (knock on wood). It’s only been in the shop for 1. Getting rear-ended, minor damage and covered by insurance 2. Tire patch 3. Inspection 4. Warranty mileage “check-ups.” We’ve since gotten a dog and taken it on several hiking/camping trips. The leather was worth every penny, as was the “All Weather Package” which inscludes plastic liners for all of the floor surfaces including the trunk. I haven’t had a problem with cargo room yet, the biggest thing I’ve tried to haul was a full size wheel-barrow, it fit with the seats down. At this point, still no deal-breakers and I would definitely still recommend it! 12/1/2018: Still no mjor complaints. Just had it inspected and the only thing it needed was brakes, but 2-yr brake life is pretty standard in my experience (Hills and my driving). I’m noticing that it’s a bit loud at high speeds more than I used to, but nothing else has changed substantially.
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5k Miles and Loving It
th3F0Z, 10/22/2016
updated 04/24/2018
2017 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
I've had the '17 Forester XT Touring for around 5 months and averaged 1k miles for each of those months--mostly commuting to/from work, but I've also taken the Forester on a road trip through the Appalachian mountains. The twin turbo in the XT adds a lot of pep and the suspension and AWD handle corners with confidence. As far as complaints go, the thicker glass and increased insulation around the doors helps cut down on road/wind noise that many complained about in prior year models, but it's still fairly noticeable on the highway. Not a major issue for me, especially not with the radio on. All-in-all the car has been comfortable, reliable, and fun to drive. —————————- 20k mile update: I’m still enjoying the car. No mechanical or reliability issues whatsoever. It’s taken me through winter snowstorms in PA and VA and through plenty of stop-and-go traffic in the city. Sad to see there won’t be any official CarPlay/AA retrofitting options, but that’s probably my biggest gripe. Now that Subaru dropped the XT from their lineup, I’ll be holding onto this one for a long time.
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