2021 Subaru Forester Review

Name: 2021 Subaru Forester
Brand: Subaru

Price Range: $17,998 - $31,998

Subaru Forester Limited 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

Good

7.8

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Aside from lackluster acceleration, there isn't much to dislike about the 2021 Subaru Forester. This crossover SUV delivers the feel and rugged attitude that buyers want, along with a comfortable cabin and plenty of features for the price.

See all features & specs

Price & Payment

Select year

Average price: $24,503

Min$

Max$

See listings

Appraise My 2021 Subaru Forester

Subaru Forester model years

Subaru Forester for Sale

Pros

Standard all-wheel drive
A full complement of driver assist features are standard
Enhanced off-road capability thanks to better-than-average ground clearance
Generous cargo capacity

Cons

Engine is underpowered
Modest tow rating limits maximum utility

What's new

Automatic high beams and turn-swiveling headlights are now standard
Other minor revisions to standard feature availability
Part of the fifth Forester generation introduced in 2019

Overview

Written by automotive expert Reese Counts

10/29/2020

The fifth-generation Subaru Forester debuted just a couple of years ago, so it carries on into 2021 with relatively few changes. We're pretty fond of it, even if it isn't our top-rated small SUV. The ever-popular Forester slots between the smaller Subaru Crosstrek and the larger three-row Ascent. It's loaded with tons of standard driver aids and tech, and — thanks to standard all-wheel drive and decent ground clearance — it's better than most of the competition off-road.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Ashburn, VA

122 listings

Sort by:

2021 Subaru Forester
Limited 4dr SUV
$22,499
great price
$4,792 below market
- 63,107 miles
- 5 Seats, 26 City / 33 Hwy MPG
- 15 mi away
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Leather Seats
Close
Located in Vienna, VA
LIKE NEW, DEALER WARRANTY INCLUDED!. 2021 Subaru Forester Limited AWD Horizon Blue Pearl 2.5L 4-Cylinder DOHC 16V VVTWelcome to Ourisman Honda of Tyso...
Features and Specs:
29 Combined MPG (26 City/33 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN:
JF2SKAUC2MH438802
Stock:
P438802
Certified Pre-Owned:
No
Listed since:
07-14-2026
New Listing
2021 Subaru Forester
Limited 4dr SUV
$26,225
good price
$2,386 below market
- 30,989 miles
- 5 Seats, 26 City / 33 Hwy MPG
- 4 mi away
- Free home delivery*
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Leather Seats
Close
Located in Sterling, VA
Low Mileage,Apple CarPlay,Back-Up Camera,Blind Spot Monitor,Bluetooth,Brake Assist,Heated Seats,Keyless Start,Lane Keeping Assist,Leather Seats,Satell...
Features and Specs:
29 Combined MPG (26 City/33 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN:
JF2SKAUC0MH460877
Stock:
MH460877T
Certified Pre-Owned:
No

See all for sale

There's a plethora of great choices for a small SUV, with just about every mainstream automaker offering a similarly sized and equipped model. Our favorite remains the well-rounded Honda CR-V, though you might also want to check out the Jeep Cherokee, which has similar off-road abilities as the Forester. Is this small Subaru for you? Check out our Expert Rating to read our in-depth take on the 2021 Forester's advantages and disadvantages.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Good

7.8

out of 10

We drove the 2021 Subaru Forester on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7/10

How does the Forester drive? A largely gutless engine holds the Forester back. The four-cylinder engine and CVT automatic take their time getting up to speed. The Forester accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in a slow 9.3 seconds during Edmunds testing. Its steering, handling and braking, on the other hand, are more respectable. While the Forester isn't sporty, especially not compared to top rivals, it feels planted and changes direction with speed and confidence.

The Forester shines off-road thanks to 8.7 inches of ground clearance and an X-Mode drive setting that includes trail capability and hill descent control. There's much more off-road prowess here than you get in a typical small crossover SUV.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the Forester? Whether you've got a long daily commute or a refreshing retreat on the horizon, the Forester will keep you riding in comfort. The front seats are well padded and have good bolstering and lumbar support, and the suspension easily smooths out bumps and ruts in the road.

Road noise is kept to a minimum. The Forester's tall profile does produce some wind noise, but it's a small price to pay for the commanding seat position and great visibility. Climate control knobs are right where they should be and easy to find without taking your eyes off the road. The available automatic climate control works well, and most Foresters come standard with heated seats.

Interior

8.5/10

How’s the interior? All controls inside the Forester are clearly labeled and easy to reach. There's no fussing around or overdoing things. The available 8-inch center touchscreen is crisp and simple to navigate. Everything about the Forester seems to have been designed right. Getting in and out is aided by tall doors and an SUV-style ride height. There's enough room for four, and possibly five, seated adults. The driver's seat offers a wide range of adjustments, and the steering wheel has plenty of telescoping range.

Technology

8.5/10

How’s the tech? Subaru provides infotainment features that any owner, tech-savvy or not, can appreciate. The dual-screen center layout is attractive and easy to use. The navigation system is clear and even takes voice commands well. If Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are more your flavor, Subaru has you covered by making them standard equipment. Multiple USB ports are in both the front and rear.

We're especially fans of the driving aids included with Subaru EyeSight. The adaptive cruise control system works well and lane keeping assist, now with lane centering, prevents the Forester from drifting out of its lane. Forward collision mitigation is also included and never activated when it wasn't needed in our test.

Storage

7.5/10

How’s the storage? The Forester is slightly lower in total storage capacity compared with competitors such as the Honda CR-V, but a high roof and clever cargo layout make the space usable for large items. Parents will find the Forester a little disappointing when it comes to installing child safety seats, however. The car seat anchors are buried deep in the rear seats, and fitting large rear-facing seats will be a squeeze.

With just 1,500 pounds of maximum towing capacity, towing is not the Forester's strong suit. It's better to look elsewhere if you're pulling anything substantial.

Fuel Economy

7/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA rates the Forester at 29 mpg combined (26 city/33 highway), which is near the top of the class. In testing, however, we found that the weak engine had us pinning the throttle more, which can make real-world fuel economy suffer a bit.

Value

7.5/10

Is the Forester a good value? The Forester gives buyers a lot of options depending on how much they want to spend and how fancy they like their cars. Interior build quality is high, and in general you'll feel like you got your money's worth. Subaru offers an average warranty for the class.

Wildcard

7.5/10

Acceleration is the Forester's only notable weak point. While it's a big one, it's certainly not enough to detract from all of the vehicle's standout areas. Everything else, from comfort to technology to driver aids to storage capacity to outdoor adventure credentials, is top-notch. Its upright style and rugged components lend the Forester a unique personality, and standard all-wheel drive with a strong ride height backs it up.

2021 Subaru Forester trim level differences

The 2021 Subaru Forester is available in five trim levels: base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring. As with nearly all Subarus, all-wheel drive is standard on all trims. Feature highlights include: Compare the 2021 Subaru Forester trim levels in-depth.

Which Forester trim does Edmunds recommend?

While the base Forester comes with a decent list of standard equipment, including a full complement of advanced driver safety aids, we suggest stepping up to the Forester Premium trim. It adds features including a panoramic sunroof and alloy wheels that aren't available on the base model.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$163/mo

$224/mo

Avg. Midsize SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

Year

Make

Model

See pricing history

Reliability

The 2021 Subaru Forester has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and no recalls. RepairPal gives it a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5, ranks it #22 out of 29 among Compact SUVs. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

3.5 out of 5 stars3.5/5Above Average

#22 out of 29 among Compact SUVs

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

$525/yr

vs. $465/yr
for Average Compact SUV

Frequency

1.07x/yr

vs. 1x/yr
for Average Compact SUV

Severity

15%

vs. 11.5%
for Average Compact SUV

Recalls

There are no recalls for the 2021 Subaru Forester

Warranty

3 years / 36,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 5 years / unlimited miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles

Subaru Forester Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.3

79 reviews

5(68%)

4(8%)

3(10%)

2(10%)

1(4%)

See all 79 reviews of the Subaru Forester

Write a vehicle review

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

2021 Subaru Forester video

2021 Subaru Forester vs. 2021 Subaru Forester | Off-Road Crossover Comparison

It's the Subaru Forester vs. Subaru Forester in a battle of off-road crossovers. The Forester is the smaller sibling of the new Subaru Bronco, which was revived last year. Though not as potent as the bigger Bronco, the Forester promises strong off-road capabilities for the class since it's loaded with all-wheel drive, various traction settings, and a bunch of options for…

2021 Forester Features & Specs

Trim:

Base

Est. Market Value	$19,942
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	29 MPG
Cost to Drive	$163/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	31.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the Forester models:

EyeSight Driver Assist Technology: Helps prevent accidents, with features such as lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and automatic emergency braking.
Reverse Automatic Braking: Helps reduce collisions by applying the brakes if an automobile is detected crossing the Forester's path while it's in reverse.
DriverFocus: Sounds an alert when the head-tracking system detects that the driver is distracted.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover16.9%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Marginal
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Acceptable
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

People who viewed this also viewed

Subaru Outback
4.7 average Rating out of 42 reviews.
Starting at $34,995

See Subaru Outback Inventory

Honda CR-V
4.3 average Rating out of 68 reviews.
Starting at $30,920

See Honda CR-V Inventory

Subaru Crosstrek
4.5 average Rating out of 17 reviews.
Starting at $26,995

See Subaru Crosstrek Inventory