Used 2018 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
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Better than Expected
Mark in the North Georgia Mountains, 05/01/2018
updated 05/08/2024
2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
109 of 109 people found this review helpful
We purchased a base model 2018 Forester as an economical everyday/trip vehicle to replace our 16 year old Mazda hatchback. We needed something with a little more room, but was still economical to own and operate. Another requisite was a manual transmission which is getting harder to find outside of sport models, but was still available in the Forester. This is our first Subaru, and we hope their reputation for durability and reliability are warranted. The vehicle has so far (1600 miles and about a month of use), proven to be better than expected. The interior comfort, quietness of the cabin at speed, ride quality, ease of entry and exit, storage space, and fuel economy have all been excellent. The fuel economy has been a surprise (over 29 mpg combined), in that we exceed the EPA estimates for the model without really trying. The manual 6 speed shifts well and the engine has plenty of power and torque for everyday driving. It has a roomy and comfortable back seat capable of long trips with little trouble. The only criticism so far is that some of the interior materials seem to have hard plastic finishes. The base infotainment stereo unit has an excellent sound and easy Bluetooth connectability, as well as great radio reception, and shockingly, a CD player for us old folks that like such things. The standard backup camera comes in handy for parking in tight places. It handles well on our mountain roads with some expected body lean (for the class of vehicle), and tracks well through the curves. The turning radius is excellent for a vehicle of it's size, for great maneuverability in tight spaces. The all wheel drive and ground clearance will come in handy for exploring the Forest Service roads around here, and when the snow is an issue. Overall, we are very pleased so far with the purchase. Update 11/1/2018 - We have now owned the Forester for 7 months and 9800 miles and are still very pleased with it. One thing I neglected to mention in the earlier review was how fantastic the brakes are in this thing. They have great pedal feel and stop the vehicle very quickly, which has come in handy on a number of occasions. The visibility from the cabin is much better than on any of our other vehicles which helps with confidence on the road. Plus we are still getting over 29 mpg combined mileage. I was disappointed to hear that Subaru has dropped the manual transmission option from the 2019 Forester, and hope they reconsider it in later years for those of us who prefer them. Update 11/1/2019 - We have had the Forester for a year and a half with over 21,000 miles on the odometer, and are still pleased with the purchase. We have had no issues at all and are still getting 29 mpg combined. If I had to nitpick, I would wish for the original equipment tires on the base model to have a little more aggressive AT style tread and a higher treadwear warranty, as the current tires are showing significant wear at this point. Given that we live in the mountains and have pretty much continuous curves and hills to traverse, I'm not surprised with the tire wear, but one can wish. Update 5/1/2020 - We have had the Forester for a little over 2 years now and the vehicle is still running great with no issues at all. Still comfortable, quiet, over 29 mpg combined, and holds contents like Hermione's purse. Still very happy with the purchase with no regrets. Update:5/4/2021 - Forester still running well, but I have 2 improvements to suggest to Subaru. First, at 32k miles, the OEM Yokohama tires are mostly shot, and have been getting more and more squirrelly in the rain for quite a while. Better, deeper grooved more AT type tires would be an improvement. Second, the rear brake pads are about in need of replacement with normal driving, which is way sooner than any other vehicle I have owned. Larger pads and/or calipers from the factory would be a great improvement, so that all four wheel's brakes could be replaced at the same time. Still comfortable and dependable, however. Update - 5/2022 - A little over 4 years and 40k miles and still happy with it. We replaced the OE tires at 38k miles, as they were shot and really bad in the rain. The Cooper CS5 Grand Tourings we put on are a huge improvement in wet and dry handling, although they are a tad less fuel efficient. Still averaging 29 MPG overall, comfortable, and reliable. Update 11/2023 - Over 50K miles now, with no issues and just basic maintenance costs. Still reliable, comfortable, and 29 mpg over the life of the car. Happy wth the car, and hoping it lasts a long, long time with the current vehicle pricing up to what it is now thanks to inflation and regulatory pressures. 5/2024 - Still going strong with no issues.
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High Tech Safety Features
Jim W, 05/22/2018
updated 05/23/2023
2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
69 of 69 people found this review helpful
I've had the car for nearly a year, and I have over 8,000 miles on it. I am 6'4" tall, and I have sufficient leg room up front. I have slept, fully stretched out, in the rear of the vehicle overnight several times. You have to move the front seats all the way forward, and you have to lay something on the floor of the rear cargo area to raise the floor to the same height as the back of the rear seats. But once you do that, there's plenty of room to sleep in it. I don't like the hesitation and stutter of the transmission when starting from a stop, however. The CVT is quirky, but this can be overcome with a delicate touch on the gas pedal and a lot of practice. I turned off the lane departure feature because the pulling and tugging at the steering wheel just drove me crazy. I pulled a 1,600 lbs. utility trailer behind the car for over 3,000 miles, traveling between San Diego, CA and Eugene, OR. It handled wonderfully on flat-and-level as well as mountainous roads. The high tech safety features on this vehicle are outstanding. The backup and rear cross-traffic sensors will alert you to approaching traffic even if you can't see it, and will stop the vehicle in a hurry should you fail to respond appropriately. If you want to get the maximum freeway gas mileage (33 mpg highway), you'll have to set the Adaptive Cruise Control to 65 mph. That seems to be the sweet spot on my Forester. I HAVE been able to achieve that without ACC, but the car is much better at managing fuel consumption than my right foot. The shorter wheelbase makes the Forester very responsive to steering input. That's great when it comes to the turning radius, but not so great when you're traveling at highway speeds. I found that driving on the freeway for more than an hour at a time meant that my shoulders got a little workout. The headlight beam is designed in such a way that it doesn't rise above waist height. So the traffic ahead of you isn’t exposed to a lot of glare. The high beam is appropriately bright, but it too is flat on top so as to avoid shining where it doesn't have to shine. UPDATE November, 2018 Edmunds asked me to do an update, so here it is. I’ve owned the Forester for about 18 months, and I have over 12,000 miles on it. I love this vehicle as much as I did when it was brand new. I got used to the CVT, but it’s still a little annoying when shifting from reverse to drive because of the delay. Oh well! I can’t complain about the mileage on the freeway though. My best was 36.4 mpg. Pulling my 1600 lb. utility trailer drops that down to just over 15 mpg. This vehicle is rated to pull 1500, but I cheat sometimes when I’m fully loaded. I don’t do this often, but I haven’t had any problems. I’m 6’4", and I can nearly stretch out fully in the back while sleeping. What I’ve learned to do is angle my body diagonally across the back, and that gives me all the room I need. Of course the front seats have to be all the way forward. The Forester’s high clearance makes climbing over serious ruts and relatively rough terrain quite easy. It’s not designed to go rock climbing though. The street tires it came with suffice for the kind of driving I do, but if I were doing a lot of off-the-highway driving, I’d get a more aggressive tire. I also put a roof basket on top to carry additional gear. No problems there, but it cuts about 3 mpg off of the fuel consumption. The Forester has a very, very short turning radius. I have no problems making u-turns on any of the streets I have driven on. The 2.5 liter engine is perfect for this vehicle’s weight. There is a whole lot of rear-passenger leg room. I got the sunroof, and I like how it has two different open positions: normal open and "big-mouth-bass open." UPDATE May 22, 2019 The only thing I want to add is that I still love driving this SUV. And even though it only has the four cylinder engine, it’s fine for my usual type of driving. I’m nowhere near ready to buy a new car, but when I get there I’ll make sure to get a six cylinder version. Of course if they don’t have one of those I guess I’ll have to switch to the Outback, heaven forbid. By the way, I’ve taken the Forester off-road several more times, on some pretty washed-out trails as well. It takes them all in stride. UPDATE November 22, 2019 You’re probably tired of reading about my experiences with the Forester, but I’m telling you, this is my favorite vehicle of all time. I’ve now owned it for about two years and three months. I don’t get anymore free services, but I still love this vehicle. UPDATE November 22, 2020 The AC failed (leak) in August this year. It’s only three years old! The Forester was out of warranty, so I took it to an auto AC specialist. Within a week or so, I received a letter from Subaru of America stating the warranty covering the AC would be extended. I took my Forester to the dealership where they replaced the condenser and refrigerant, and SOA reimbursed me for the earlier AC service. UPDATE: November 23, 2022. The Forester continues to be my favorite car. I haven't had any issues since my last update. I have 26,000 miles on it now. I'm expecting the original battery to give out soon due to the fact that I bought this Forester in August of 2017. But it continues to crank right up, so I'll just bide my time. UPDATE: May 23, 2023. I have just under 30,000 miles on my Forester. Since my last update, I installed a new vehicle battery, four new tires, and new batteries for my key fobs. The GPS map gets me where I want to go when I use it, but I can tell it needs a software update. Unfortunately, Subaru of America charges a ridiculous fee to download updates. Oh well, I'll just start using my cell phone. The Forester still drives like it did the day I bought it. Although I haven't gotten to the wear marks yet, I think the brake pads will be the next item I'll need to replace.
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For my money, best in class
MN, 08/20/2017
2018 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
135 of 140 people found this review helpful
Review at 1000 miles: We spent the last six months researching and test driving for our first new purchase. We had a budget of $35k and the final three contenders were the BMW X1, Honda CR-V Touring and the Subaru Forester XT Touring. We live at altitude in the Pacific Northwest and are "outdoorsy" without needing extreme off road capability. We also take the highway up to fairly high altitudes for hiking and ski excursions. Coming from a fun & spirited but extremely noisy and uncomfortable Impreza, we were looking for a good blend of comfort and utility. Forester XT Touring satisfied these criteria with the added FUN factor that the CRV just didn't bring to the table. The Forester XT has *almost* all of the get-up-and-go of a WRX with off road capability and a far, far quieter ride. I find the CVT to be quite responsive, particularly in the Sport mode. Interior comfort is impressive; I'm 6'4" and 220 lbs, and have so far taken three 2+ hour trips behind the wheel, on highway and Forest Service roads. The cabin is quiet, with excellent visibility on all sides. While not quite the same in terms of luxury, at this price point, to get the AWD on the X1, we'd have been dropping closer to $40k. I just couldn't justify paying the premium for mostly a badge. Only qualms so far is the entertainment suite: Starlink is basically useless aside from Pandora. Navigation combined with Sirius XM traffic is quite useful. Eyesight suite is powerful, useful and intuitive and is what ultimately swayed our purchase. Considering our Impreza lasted reliable 275k miles with strict maintenance, I am confident that the Forester XT will be reliable for years to come and serve our needs well.
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Very Impressive!
DM, 10/15/2017
updated 04/19/2023
2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
123 of 128 people found this review helpful
I spent the better part of a year researching SUV's as I'm also the owner of a 2004 Tacoma TRD Off-Road. Having spent 13 years in that truck, I was getting a little tired of the stiff ride and poor gas mileage, but I need something that can handle some off-road as well as poor driving conditions in the winter. I was thinking of trading my truck for either a new Tacoma or a 4Runner, but really didn't feel like I'd get anything very different, especially from an MPG standpoint. Enter the Forester. My biggest concern was the available "get up and go" since I live at about 6100 ft in Colorado and frequently drive into the mountains where 10,000+ ft is common. The XT was an obvious consideration but the MPG of the Limited 2.5i was very enticing. After test driving the 2.5i up the local pass, I decided it would suffice. I've got 2000 miles on the car and many of them are mountain driving. No power issues whatsoever! I'll admit I'm not racer, but I usually go about 5mph over the speed limit and have really had no problem with acceleration or keeping the speed up at all with the 2.5i. If I could have gotten blind spot and RCTA on the XT without going all the way to a Touring model, I'd have probably gone that route (although I much prefer regular gas to premium). Anyway, the Limited 2.5i has a very comfortable ride and I'm averaging about 28mpg in town and 35mpg on the interstate...again, at real altitude! Also, I got to keep my truck! I couldn't be happier with my decision. So I've had the car for a little over a year now and thought I'd provide an update. Bottom line, still love it! My gas mileage is not quite as good because I'm passed the break-in period and drive it a little harder than when I first got it. I'm still getting about 26mpg in town and 33mpg or so on the interstate, which I consider to be excellent. My only complaint is the automatic rear hatch is slow as heck, but that's a pretty minor thing that I can certainly live with. Overall, I'm still extremely pleased with this car. Well I've owned the Forester for three years now and couldn't be more pleased. Absolutely no mechanical issues at about 34k miles and the mpg is around 26/33 city to highway driving between 6100 and 9000 ft in elevation here in Colorado. The car has been through two winters and is rock solid in the snow. No rattles or other noises as this vehicle still drives like it was brand new. I'm regularly getting offers from the dealer to trade it in, but it's paid for and my guess is we'll put a lot more miles on it before changing it out. Great car!! It's now been about 5 1/2 years since we purchased the Forester and the car has about 60k miles. I'm going to sound like a broken record but this car has simply been great. Absolutely zero issues mechanically and continued great MPG's at about 26/33. We will probably trade it in a year or so from now as the resale seems excellent as well. Most likely, another Forester will be in our future. We'll see.
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My 2nd Forester
RSJ, 06/13/2018
updated 06/16/2023
2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
37 of 38 people found this review helpful
I owned a 2017 Forester Premium 2.5i that I bought in the Summer of 2016 right after the '17 updated model came out. I had a few bugs over the two years I owned it but nothing debilitating. I decided, when some great incentives and 0% interest came along at my local Subaru dealer, I would upgrade to a 2018 model with Eyesight - I did not opt for this on my first one due to my lack of knowledge about it. After researching the last couple of years, the Eyesight became a safety priority for me so I purchased a 2018 Premium model with Eyesight, cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and also the all-weather package which came with fog lights and a power tailgate. I looked at a touring model with the brown saddle leather - nice look but here in Florida it was like an oven in the car with the dark leather so opted to stick with the premium trim - and saved over $4,000! I am pleased so far with my upgrade to the '18 model, seems as if the minor "bugs" have been worked out and it has a very solid, quality feel to the entire vehicle - the Eyesight is amazing technology and am so glad to now have it on my vehicle...the last model I owned was my first vehicle with a CVT transmission and it took a lot of getting used to but I have become accustomed to it and find that many aspects of it I like - yes, it has a strange "feel" sometimes compared to old style transmissions but it accelerates nicely and doesn't "hunt" for gears on inclines or in slow driving like old style ones do and in the '18 model, they seemed to have gotten the programming right since it feels very smooth so far....for kicks, I went and test drove a new Accord with the 2.0 Turbo and 10 speed automatic transmission...what a disaster that transmission is! The thing stumbled and skipped the entire drive...not a pleasant experience and I compared the new CR-V while I was at it and it pales in comparison to the Subaru with slow acceleration, lower visibility and a less-connected feel to the handling in my opinion...bottom line is, to me, there is no comparison to the solid feel, amazing visibility, handling and the award-winning Eyesight safety system of the Subaru compared to the other major players -- the amount of equity I had when trading mine recently, shows the strong resale and residual values of the Subaru. Keep the Forester on your list if you are in the market for a compact SUV. UPDATE: I have now owned my 2018 Forester for over 2 years. I am still very happy with it and have had no reliability issues with it at all. It remains a simple, reliable, easy-going vehicle to drive every day. UPDATE: I have now owned my 2018 Forester for 5 years. I have had no major issue with it at all and still enjoy driving it very much. In fact, I am headed out on a road trip this summer so counting on my Subaru to be a great companion on the road! Next year, I am considering trading for a newer model Forester - we'll see what the 2024 re-design is like.
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