2018 Subaru Forester

Price Range: $9,348 - $27,998

Subaru Forester Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.2
138 reviews
5(57%)
4(27%)
3(6%)
2(4%)
1(6%)
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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Better than Expected
Mark in the North Georgia Mountains, 05/01/2018
2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
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.
High Tech Safety Features
Jim W, 05/22/2018
2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
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. There's also plenty of room to sleep in the back. 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 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. 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 I’ve owned the Forester for about 18 months with 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! My best mileage was 36.4 mpg highway. 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, and haven’t had any problems. I’m 6’4", and I can nearly stretch out fully in the back while sleeping. The Forester’s high clearance makes climbing over serious ruts and relatively rough terrain quite easy. 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; it cuts about 3 mpg off of the fuel consumption. I have no problems making u-turns on most streets. The 2.5 liter engine is perfect for this vehicle’s weight. Lots 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. Even though it only has the four cylinder engine, it’s fine for my usual type of driving. 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; SOA reimbursed me for the earlier AC service. UPDATE: November 23, 2022. The Forester continues to be my favorite car; no 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. 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. Subaru of America charges a ridiculous fee to download updates. Oh well, I'll just start using my cell phone. Still drives like it did the day I bought it. I think the brake pads will be the next item I'll need to replace. UPDATE: May 23, 2024. I replaced the brake pads. The windshield wiper fluid reservoir stopped pumping fluid suddenly, and I discovered that the pump filter had gotten clogged with sediment from the hard water that comes to my house. Unfortunately, Subaru designed their reservoirs so that they can't be taken apart to replace individual components; you have to buy the entire (exorbitantly pricey) reservoir unit. Cheap solution: pour a cup of vinegar into the reservoir to dissolve the mineral buildup. I used a concentrated formulation rather than the kind you put on your salad. I let the vinegar sit in the reservoir over night. By the next day the wiper fluid reservoir worked just fine again. Yes, you'll smell vinegar until the reservoir is empty, but hey! I bought a new Garmin GPS for far less than Subaru charges to update their factory GPS. Garmin lets you update their GPS units for free. The car is 7 years old now and still runs great. I have less than 33,000 miles on it. UPDATE May 24, 2025. Paint job on the rear hatch is wearing badly, but the Forester continues to drive like a champ. I just went over 36,000 miles.
For my money, best in class
MN, 08/20/2017
2018 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
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.
Very Impressive!
DM, 10/15/2017
2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
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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2018 Subaru Forester video

2018 Subaru Forester Features Rundown
2018 Subaru Forester Features Rundown

Safety

Our experts like the Forester models:

Incline Start Assist
Prevents the vehicle from rolling backward on a hill for several seconds after the brake pedal is released.
EyeSight Driver Assist Technology
Helps prevent accidents by adding features such as lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and automatic emergency braking.
Reverse Automatic Braking
Helps reduce collisions by applying the brakes if a vehicle is detected crossing the Forester's path while in reverse.

FAQs

Is the Subaru Forester a good car?

There's a lot to recommend in the 2018 Forester, thanks to its standard all-wheel drive, a spacious cabin with excellent outward visibility, and a large, versatile cargo area. The base engine won't quicken your pulse, but the optional turbocharged four-cylinder engine is among the punchier powerplants in the segment. As a bonus, base engine variants are available with a manual transmission. We've found, however, that the Forester's interior has room for improvement, due to a high-mounted seat and middling infotainment interface.

Does the Subaru Forester have good MPG?

Overall, the Forester does well here. With 28 mpg EPA combined (26 city/32 highway), models equipped with the base 2.5-liter engine and CVT automatic are the most efficient among Foresters and only 1 mpg shy of the class-leading CR-V's optional engine. Sticking with the manual transmission in the Forester makes its numbers slip to 24 mpg combined (22 city/28 highway), while Foresters with the optional turbocharged engine (paired to the CVT automatic) return 25 mpg combined (23 city/27 highway).

Does the Subaru Forester have good resale value?

If you're ready to buy, you're probably wondering about the Subaru Forester's resale value. How much will a 2018 Subaru Forester be worth in two or five years — or whenever you decide to sell? Check out the Edmunds True Cost to Own (TCO) calculator. It includes projected annual depreciation over the first five years of ownership based on Edmunds' robust market transaction data.

True Cost to Own calculator
Research other Forester years

FAQ

Is the Subaru Forester a good car?

The Edmunds experts tested the 2018 Forester both on the road and at the track, giving it a 7.3 out of 10. Edmunds’ consumer reviews show that the 2018 Forester gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 138 reviews) What about cargo capacity? When you're thinking about carrying stuff in your new car, keep in mind that carrying capacity for the Forester ranges from 31.5 to 34.4 cubic feet of trunk space. And then there's safety and reliability. Edmunds has all the latest NHTSA and IIHS crash-test scores, plus industry-leading expert and consumer reviews to help you understand what it's like to own and maintain a Subaru Forester. Learn more

What's new in the 2018 Subaru Forester?

According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2018 Subaru Forester:

  • Black Edition package includes black-finished wheels and trim
  • Touring trims get the EyeSight safety bundle, automatic high beams and reverse automatic braking as standard
  • Part of the fourth Forester generation introduced for 2014
Learn more

Is the Subaru Forester reliable?

To determine whether the Subaru Forester is reliable, read Edmunds' authentic consumer reviews, which come from real owners and reveal what it's like to live with the Forester. Look for specific complaints that keep popping up in the reviews, and be sure to compare the Forester's 4-star average consumer rating to that of competing vehicles. Learn more

Is the 2018 Subaru Forester a good car?

There's a lot to consider if you're wondering whether the 2018 Subaru Forester is a good car. Edmunds' expert testing team reviewed the 2018 Forester and gave it a 7.3 out of 10. Our consumer reviews show that the 2018 Forester gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 138 reviews). Safety scores, fuel economy, cargo capacity and feature availability should all be factors in determining whether the 2018 Forester is a good car for you. Learn more

How much should I pay for a 2018 Subaru Forester?

The least-expensive 2018 Subaru Forester is the 2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $22,795.

Other versions include:

  • 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M) which starts at $22,795
  • 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $23,795
  • 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M) which starts at $25,695
  • 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $26,195
  • 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $29,395
  • 2.0XT Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo CVT) which starts at $29,495
  • 2.5i Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $33,090
  • 2.0XT Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo CVT) which starts at $36,090
Learn more

What are the different models of Subaru Forester?

If you're interested in the Subaru Forester, the next question is, which Forester model is right for you? Forester variants include 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M), 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT), 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M), and 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT). For a full list of Forester models, check out Edmunds’ Features & Specs page. Learn more
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