Subaru Forester (08 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 17 October 2011
Subaru's answer to the Toyota RAV-4 and Nissan X-Trail, the Forester is an off roader in the old-school mould. Some alternatives may be more refined and comfortable, but the Forester is incredibly capable on tough terrain and makes an ideal choice if you regularly tackle muddy fields. The old car built up a strong following, especially among those living in the country, so Subaru's decision to ditch the estate bodystyle and turn it into a more conventional 4x4 may surprise some. The benefits are a spacious interior and good size boot, but on tarmac it feels dated to drive with overly soft suspension and lifeless steering.
2.5 out of 5

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2.5 out of 5

Running costs

Prices start quite high, even for the 2.0X manual and although it comes well equipped it's not great value. Opt for the better equipped 2.0XS with an automatic gearbox and the price tag rises accordingly. The diesel is the only realistic choice if you're concerned about running costs - it returns 44mpg compared to 34mpg in the petrol.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,659 - £1,659 *

Diesel

£1,364 - £1,457 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£170.00 - £195.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    155
  • H
    174
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

It's no surprise the Forester is a fairly polluting model - especially the 2.0-litre petrol engine. The diesel is better on fuel and puts out less CO2, but with emissions of 167g/km (170g/km on higher equipped model) it's far from efficient.

Find the exact engine and CO2