2022 Subaru Forester Review

Name: 2022 Subaru Forester
Brand: Subaru

Price Range: $18,998 - $31,998

Subaru Forester Limited 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

Good

7.9

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Aside from lackluster acceleration, there's a lot to like about the 2022 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.

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Average price: $28,013

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Appraise My 2022 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

New Wilderness trim level
Restyled bumper, grille and headlights
Upgraded roof rails can support more weight
Part of the fifth Forester generation introduced for 2019

Overview

Written by automotive expert Ryan ZumMallen

2/17/2022

The Subaru Forester is your outdoorsy choice for a small SUV. It can go places most rivals can't thanks to its higher-than-average ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive. It's also packed with standard safety features and offers a generous amount of cargo space. Now, for 2022, Subaru is enhancing the Forester's strengths even further with the new Wilderness trim.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Ashburn, VA

2,120 listings

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2022 Subaru Forester
Wilderness 4dr SUV
$26,500
great price
$2,691 below market
- 33,524 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use only
- 5 Seats, 25 City / 28 Hwy MPG
- Koons Kia of Woodbridge (29 mi away)
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Sunroof/Moonroof
Close
Located in Woodbridge, VA
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness **PRICED BELOW MARKET VALUE**, Audio System & Navigation & Power Rr Gate, Auto-Dimming Exterior Mirror w/Approach Ligh...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
26 Combined MPG (25 City/28 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JF2SKAMC2NH476550
Stock: KWK260667A
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 03-26-2026
Price Drop
2022 Subaru Forester
Wilderness 4dr SUV
$23,000
great price
$1,761 below market
- 72,825 miles
- 1 accident, 2 owners, personal use only
- 5 Seats, 25 City / 28 Hwy MPG
- Koons Tysons Toyota (15 mi away)
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Sunroof/Moonroof
Close
Located in Vienna, VA
Adventure. Rugged. The 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness AWD 2.5L delivers 182 horsepower and 176 lb‑ft of torque with a confident AWD system and enhanc...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
26 Combined MPG (25 City/28 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JF2SKAMC9NH513237
Stock: KTT264364A
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 03-28-2026

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Similar to the Outback Wilderness that Subaru introduced last year, the Subaru Forester Wilderness has a slight suspension lift, giving it a total clearance of 9.2 inches. That's almost as much as a Toyota Tacoma's clearance and helps give the Forester's vital mechanical components underneath a little more breathing room when driving on off-road trails or through heavy snow. You also get chunky all-terrain tires and a few styling enhancements that set the Wilderness apart from other Foresters.

Overall, we give the Forester high marks but it does have a couple of weaknesses that might make a Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 or Nissan Rogue a better choice for you. Check out our Expert Rating below to get our test team's full review of the Forester's performance, utility and more.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Good

7.9

out of 10

We drove the 2022 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 does shine on dirt roads or easy to moderate off-road trails. It has 8.7 inches of ground clearance plus an available X-Mode drive setting that tailors the Forester's powertrain and traction control to driving on dirt. The Wilderness model is especially suited for getting out into nature thanks to its slightly higher ground clearance, upgraded suspension and all-terrain tires. In general, the Forester offers more off-road prowess than 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 the smartphone integration through both 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 than 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.

Towing isn't the Forester's strong suit with a maximum capacity of just 1,500 pounds, though the Wilderness improves things with its rating of 3,000 pounds.

Fuel Economy

7/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA rates the Forester at 29 mpg combined, 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

8/10

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.

2022 Subaru Forester trim level differences

The Subaru Forester is available in six trim levels: base, Premium, Sport, Wilderness, Limited and Touring. As with nearly all Subarus, all-wheel drive is standard on all trims. Feature highlights include: Compare the 2022 Subaru Forester trim levels in-depth.

Which Forester trim does Edmunds recommend?

The midlevel Forester Premium is the trim to get for the best value. For not much more than the base model, the Premium gets you some desirable extras such as keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof and rear privacy glass. It's also available with more options.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$174/mo

$243/mo

Avg. Midsize SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

See Edmunds pricing data

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Reliability

The 2022 Subaru Forester has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and 1 recall. 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

1 recall found

Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.

If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).

Recall Number:: 23V755000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: WRQ-23
Manufactured from:: 2021-07-26 to 2021-07-27
Number of vehicles affected:: 95830
Defect Description:: Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Defect Consequence:: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.

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

4.6

44 reviews

5(75%)

4(14%)

3(9%)

2(2%)

1(0%)

See all 44 reviews of the Subaru Forester

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

Forester vs CR-V. Subaru Wins!

Alan Schwartz, 07/10/2022

2022 Subaru Forester Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)

We are normally a Honda family (2 V6 Accords) but this time we went for a small SUV and chose the Forester Limited. I added the ONLY package available with upgraded Harmon Kardon audio, upgraded Starlink and RAB (Reverse Automatic Braking) which keeps you from a collision with an object or car when reversing by automatically STOPPING the vehicle. I compared, carefully, the CR-V and the …

2022 Forester Wilderness

Jim B., 02/22/2022

2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)

Love the car. Everything I hoped for, large doors, easy in an out. I'm 6'3" and have lots of headroom in both front and rear seating, go figure! It sits high with lots of glass all the way around. Just a great car, no buyers remorse from me.

1st Subaru and we love it

Rick DeWolfe , 02/23/2022

2022 Subaru Forester Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)

We ordered a new Forester due to lack of this vehicles on dealer lots and while we drove used Foresters after spending some time in ours it surpassed our expectations. The room it has coupled with visibility from the drivers seat is fantastic. Then the ride is very smooth and it handles great as well. Our Touring has the 2 tone brown / black leather interior with white exterior and …

My Perfect SUV

Weekend Warrior, 08/01/2022

2022 Subaru Forester Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)

The Forester Premium is my perfect SUV. Who I am: 6'2" with an unusually tall torso and short limbs. Without height adjustment, I cannot fit in almost any car with a moonroof. Even "luxury" cars tend to be a hard fit. I do a good amount of hiking on the weekends, and I work from home, so my dream SUV can do some off-roading but has to double as a daily driver. My last car was a 2011 … Honda Civic. I needed something with more hauling ability and modern safety features. My family had a 2020 Forester, so I already knew I loved this vehicle. The 2022 is better all around. Pros of the Forester: I have ample headroom, with the moonroof, even in the passenger seat without height adjust. If I really stretch my posture I can just touch my head on the liner. Normal people who are 6'6-6'8 probably fit in the Forester. Seating position is tall, and visibility is great. My girlfriend transferred from a subcompact Honda Fit and felt instantly comfortable. Don't forget the backup camera, blind spot warning lights on the rearview mirrors, and so on. The Forester Premium makes you feel safe in so many ways. (Premium adds rear cross-traffic alert, a must in my opinion.) Telescoping steering wheel and lumbar support are good for my abnormally short limbs. This car can suit anyone, and the Premium's now-standard driver's seat memory is great. Great MPG. Rated at 26 city, 33 highway, 29 combined. My 2011 Honda Civic was rated at 26/34, for comparison. In practice the Forester's numbers tend to be on the low side, especially because you'll naturally want to enjoy the auto A/C. But the Forester also has a big tank. With a 16.6gal tank and an engine rated at 29mpg, you could cruise close to 500 miles on a tank if you tried. Zombie survival territory. 2022 facelift is all good. Eyesight cameras are now integrated into the windshield. Formerly they sat a few inches behind the windshield so they could get dirty and you'd have no idea. The front end looks better. The suspension has a better tune. The 2020-2021 model was slightly tuned for off-road, and actually did not handle city speed bumps. The 2022 glides over bumps like a luxury car. Good power. Sure, the towing is weak at 1500lbs but most Forester fans are hauling bikes and kayaks, not horse trailers. The Wilderness is rated at 3000lbs which usually means an aftermarket transmission cooler is all you'd need to upgrade - but talk to a mechanic. The Forester's CVT is so smooth, it can cruise up an off-ramp and hit the speed limit like nothing. I guarantee most of the complaints are because CVT gearboxes don't "kick" you like a manual shifter would. Hit the Sport button (SI-drive) if you want the engine louder. Forester's adaptive cruise is second only to self-driving cars. Once the Subaru detects a vehicle ahead, it will maintain distance and slow down if the car ahead slows. But it can also do start-stop traffic automatically. And when you change lanes, it automatically resumes your set speed. On a long trip, the adaptive cruise is a life-saver. The Forester even has Auto Vehicle Hold. Basically if you're stopped at a train hit AVH and it'll hold the brake so you don't have to shift into Park (which is technically illegal in most states!). If you're at a stoplight on a hill it'll also do the brakes for you (AVH will automatically release the brakes when you apply gas). 2022 Forester improves touch points over the 2021, less plastic more rubberized or fabric surfaces. Compared to the 2016 era when the steering wheels were cheap plastic, the 2022 feels like a luxury vehicle. In independent tests, the Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive regularly outperforms rival AWD platforms. Whether it's rain, snow, or getting to a camping spot down a rough trail, the Forester is best-in-class. You can look up videos online where the Forester even beats some "real" 4WD platforms on difficult off-road tasks. This isn't a military jeep or anything, but it is surprisingly rugged for such a refined SUV. Cons of the Forester: Head unit is awful to set up. The #1 complaint on any Subaru forum is that when you unplug your phone from Android Auto or Apple Play, the radio automatically starts playing. Why!? Make a habit of turning the volume to 0 before you unplug your phone, and the radio will start up silent. If you use Sirius (why?) you can tune it to channel 0 which is intentionally silent. Once you figure out the quirks, it's fine for daily use. But the moment you need to change something on the head unit, good luck. It's like a 1990s DVD player menu. Electronics are a bit dumb, in all aspects. The rear hatch has a LOT of quirks about security where it won't open when you expect it to. I get that it's a security issue, but there needs to be an override. Sometimes you'll realize even though you've been vacuuming your car for an hour and the driver's door is open, the doors are locked, so the hatch refuses to open. Or something. It's not always clear what the programmer was thinking. With some troubleshooting, you'll eventually get it, but there will be annoyances. Rear headroom just "normal" compared to the front. As said I have an abnormally tall torso so it's a tight fit for me in back. A normal 6'2" person might fit okay. Taller people are going to be cramped. But for a family with two adults in front and kids or dogs in back, it'll be great. Overall: Once you learn the Forester's quirks, it's an easy SUV to love. Plenty of interior room, for the driver and for cargo. Great visibility, high driver position, and modern safety features. Engine is plenty for a daily driver or light off-roading. Great gas mileage and a big tank mean zombie survival range if you're gentle on the pedal. There's nothing exciting about the Forester, just like there's nothing exciting about a hammer. It's not the tool, it's what you do with it. The Forester is my daily driver, and the Forester is also there when I'm facing a poorly maintained trail on my way to a campsite. I love it.

2022 Subaru Forester video

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At Edmunds, we are big fans of the compact SUV. With enough room and comfort for passengers and good fuel economy, compact SUVs are a great choice for shoppers looking for an SUV that can do just about anything. In this video, Ryan ZumMallen from Edmunds presents our ranking of the Top 10 Best Compact SUVs and what makes each one different. From the popular Toyota RAV4 to…

2022 Forester Features & Specs

Trim:

Base

MSRP (New) Excludes Destination Fee	$25,895
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	29 MPG
Cost to Drive	$174/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	28.9 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 a vehicle is detected crossing the Forester's path while it's in reverse.
DriverFocus: Sounds an alert when the head-tracking system detects that you are 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

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2022 Subaru Forester Review

Price & Payment

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

For sale near Ashburn, VA

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

2022 Subaru Forester trim level differences

Which Forester trim does Edmunds recommend?

Cost to Drive

Reliability

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

Recalls

Warranty

Subaru Forester Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

2022 Subaru Forester video

2022 Forester Features & Specs

Safety

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