Used 2017 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
Used Forester for sale
5k miles into it
Vlad, 05/24/2017
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
21 of 24 people found this review helpful
This is our 4th Subaru. Previously owned Impreza 2007, Forester 2011 and Outback 2013. I got to say, I'm extremely disappointed with 2017 Forester. Aesthetically it is very appealing and during the test drive everything appears to be great. Well after driving for 5 thousand miles and couple of smaller road trips, we realized that ride quality is very poor, it feels like the car wobbles side to side like a carriage and because of the wobble it you constantly have to correct the wheel for it to go straight, especially at higher speeds. My 2011 Forester went dead straight and we went 2500 road trip in our 2013 Outback and it felt perfectly safe. My guess is that Subaru is trying so hard to appeal to general public with wrong tastes for so called "softer ride" they completely ruined what used to be an amazing line of cars. I would not recommend anyone getting Forester 2017, I wish i could take an extended drive in a car before we leased it and now we are stuck!
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2017 XT Touring with eyesight
FXT Fun, 06/08/2017
updated 06/29/2020
2017 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Update: About 3 years I think. Great car, oil changes mostly some normal maintenance. I did replace the tires with some snow-rated all seasons but the OEM still had good tread. I would buy it again. Update: 1 year 6 months. No complaints, still really like the car. Haven't had to do any work other than oil changes to date. Update: 1 year (plus a little). Still loving the Forester XT. The turbo is really fun. No problems at all to this point. Oil changes and wipers are it. Update: I've owned the Forester for over 7 months now. I still love the car. The only slight negative I've noticed is that with the 23mpg and a 16 gallon gas tank. I have to fill up a few more times a year as the range with my driving history on a full tank is under 400 miles. I had a 2009 Mazda 6 Grand Touring with a 6 speed stick because it was fun to drive. The Forester XT is just as fun and I'm going to love driving in the snow. So far, all my driving has been city and I'm avg about 23mpg. Not too bad as I have a bit of a lead foot and a turbo. The sport sharp mode is great fun and quick. I really like the feel of this car on the road. It's quiet and handles well. The ride is surprisingly comfortable even compared to my wife's Legacy. Turning into a parking spot is excellent compared to most cars I've driven (I travel quite a lot so drive many different types of rental cars). I can't think of much I don't like. There a few 'it would be nice' things; a bigger console, easier way to switch between radio and USB while driving, a little stiffer-feeling brake pedal (just feels a little soft after the Mazda).... that's about it. I drove it in very heavy rain a couple times where it plowed through 6 inches of water and kept me straight, really confident. Eyesight (with adaptive cruise), lane assist, automatic braking, rear traffic detection are all really good reasons to buy the higher Subaru trims. I'm very ok with the CVT (turbo XT gets a better transmission than 2.5 trims). The CVT shifts fine, I like that I can set the cruise and it will slow me to the set speed going down fairly good hills without hitting the brakes. I like to play with the paddle shifters once in a while just for fun. I'm pretty sure if no one ever mentioned it had a CVT most people wouldn't actually notice. I looked at the 2017 Outbacks but the Forester is much easier to get into and out of than the Outback. It's got fantastic vision - you can see everything around you.
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2017 Subaru Forester for sale near you
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- 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: $16,990In-stock online
- 2.0XT Touring 4dr SUVMSRP: $13,995In-stock online
- 2.5i Premium PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: $8,490In-stock online
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The Details
Kelly & Diana, 12/20/2016
updated 07/10/2018
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
I like the car. It was between this or Honda's new HRV. The 2017 Forester won hands down. In fact, it works far better than this site (which won't let you paragraph). [PRO’s] Other than the cons, I am happy with our purchase of a 2017 Subaru Forester. I like the various features. The CVT transmission seems to get the job done just fine. I’m told it may even contribute to the decent milage we are experiencing. On mileage, we seem to be doing well over twenty-five, which is several miles to a gallon better than our 01 six cylinder Accord. One of the first things I noticed was how nice and sharp the Forester turns. I haven’t tested its limits, but it feels you could nearly turn around on an old two lane road. I like that I don’t have to grope around under the car for the oil filter. Acceleration with the four cylinder is impressive. My formerly owned, five speed, four cylinder, 98 Accord hopped right along. Even with four adults in it and running up a mountain pass. The Forester feels as if it could compete, for the most part. The car seems to do pretty well grabbing what traction it can on ice or compact snow. When my little pickup wants to take a block to get up to steam, the Subaru just squats down and goes on the same roadway, though it does it’s share of slipping too. Something other than factory provided tires, true winter tires, would go a long ways to changing that. [CON’s] The cons are the not so well thought out details, such as the spare tire and the USB access to the radio. First, the USB port. Who thinks it was a good idea to put the USB port to the radio inside and at the bottom of the six by six square, ten inch deep console? Needless to say, trying to plug a flash drive into the port and drive the car is not a good combination. Second, there is the matter of AWD, a pretend spare tire and no choice in the matter. Obviously, it’s a good practice to keep all four tires the same size. This keeps the front from turning at a different speed than the back, which can not just trash mileage, but can also trash transmissions. A good tire rotation pattern includes the spare. That way, all tires are the same diameter. If you have a blow out, you can go to the spare. As it is, you may have to consider purchasing at least two, if not four tires, when one goes. NOTE: A tire suffered road damage and to get a good match to the remaining three cost just short of three hundred dollars at Les Schwab. That spare is even more important to me now. I didn’t pay total attention to the details and didn’t catch that the radio lacks rear speakers. I WILL remedy that, because the sound quality from the current system is what it is - barely stereo. This is not to say the system is not quality for what it is. As others pointed out, the warranty could be better. [JUST FOR REFERENCE] Our previous ride, an 01 Accord, had a lot of trunk space. In fact, until we put the Forester’s seats down, we could get about three times as much in its trunk. WIND. We have a lot of it here. This car doesn't like it too much. While it holds the road, you can feel the car being tossed about. That may be due to nothing more than the higher profile, but it is something for the Subaru people to look at and address.
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Still love My 2017 Subaru Forester
Joy Bitzer, 09/23/2016
updated 04/09/2025
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
15 of 17 people found this review helpful
I am still enjoying my 2017 Subaru Forester! Appx 52,400 miles and I plan to keep driving it. This car has its regular checkups with oil changes and tire rotation the only issue i have is that a sensor for windshield wiper fluid has failed. I checked with dealer service and was told $700 to fix A SENSOR!! I drive with a wiper fluid dash warning because the fluid level is fine and works fine. That and the original steering wheel peeled and was satisfied with a cover i have no other issues.The car continues to satisfy me. Its still hear too much road noise, an Anker 12v. charger handles slow USB ports and safety features continue to be flawless. My 2017 Forester has provided satisfaction every time I drive.
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Traded the 2017 Forester for a 2019 Outback.
L, 10/02/2018
updated 12/02/2020
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
I purchased a 2017 Subaru Forester in the summer of 2018. First time owner of a Subaru. For the past two years, I did extensive research and reviews on the Forester and the Outback. However, I sure missed the reviews about how horrible the Subaru is on oil consumption. So far I've had to take the vehicle to the service department once for engine rattling, and then two other time times because my oil light suddenly lights up to let me know that I need oil! This happened at just under a month of purchasing the vehicle and again 5 weeks later. When I've taken the vehicle into the dealership, they check the dip stick and guess what? There is no oil in the engine! The service manager (on my 3rd trip to the service) gives me a handout about how the boxer engines burn more oil. Update: I recently traded in the 2017 Forester for a 2019 Outback 2.5i and I'm one happy Subaru owner!
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