Used Subaru Forester (Mk5, 2019-2024) buyer’s guide: great off road, less good on it
A full used buyer’s guide on the Subaru Forester covering the Forester Mk5 that was on sale between 2019 and 2024
Verdict
In a very competitive segment, the Subaru Forester struggles to challenge. That’s not to say it’s a lost cause though, because this is a car that’s genuinely good off road, crammed with safety kit (and equipment in general), plus it’s pretty well put together. But Subaru didn’t put enough effort into honing the Forester’s on-road prowess, and the lack of powertrain options further limits its appeal. Now that the fifth-generation Forester is available only as a used buy, high running costs have become apparent, in part because the e-Boxer hybrid set-up isn’t as frugal as Subaru claimed.
This year marks three decades since we had our first glimpse of the original Subaru Forester, albeit in concept form. It was at the 1995 Tokyo motor show that the Subaru Streega was unveiled, and the first-generation Forester went on sale two years later.
Always a left-field choice for those who can’t decide between an SUV and an estate car, the Forester combines elements of both, with four-wheel drive as standard.
We’re now on the sixth-generation Forester, which arrived in 2024, but here we’re looking at the Mk5, which was Subaru’s most popular model in this country when it was launched.
History
The Forester Mk5 reached UK showrooms in November 2019 with one powertrain option. That was a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, backed up by a lithium-ion battery powering a 16bhp electric motor.
Used - available now
2022 Subaru
Forester
45,291 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £18,900
2022 Subaru
Forester
40,139 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £19,000
2022 Subaru
Forester
41,014 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £18,600
2022 Subaru
Forester
41,189 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £18,800This set-up produced 148bhp, which was sent to all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission; no other powertrains would be offered throughout the life of this generation of Forester.
A facelift arrived at the end of 2022, with a Sport edition slotted in between the XE and XE Premium. There was a new front-end design, extra driver-assistance systems, and recalibrated suspension for a more comfortable ride.
On the road
There isn’t much to like about the Forester’s driving experience. Things get off to a bad start with a rather weak engine that’s combined with a continuously variable transmission (CVT); it becomes very raucous very quickly when you’re accelerating.
At higher speeds there’s quite a lot of wind noise, and in corners the Subaru feels rather top-heavy. So it’s poor on road, but it’s much more accomplished off it.
Which one should I buy?
You don’t have too many choices to make, because the model range was narrow and there aren’t that many Foresters on the used market. You’ll probably end up with the option of an XE Premium, or maybe a Sport.
Whatever you buy it’ll be well equipped, with the entry-level XE having LED headlights, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, electric adjustment for the front seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 17-inch alloy wheels and adaptive cruise control. The XE Premium adds privacy glass, 18-inch wheels, a sunroof, heating for the steering wheel and rear seats, leather trim, a powered tailgate and satellite navigation.
Alternatives to the Subaru Forester
The Forester is up against such talented rivals as the Ford Kuga, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4, all of which offer plenty of showroom appeal and are easier to find.
That’s also the case for the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage, which also come with long warranties.
Stellantis brought you the Citroen C5 Aircross, Peugeot 3008 plus the Vauxhall Grandland, while the Volkswagen Group offers the SEAT Ateca, Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen Tiguan, or the Audi Q3 if you want to spend a bit more.
You should also consider the Renault Austral and Honda CR-V, along with the Nissan Qashqai. All of these alternatives are more readily available than the Subaru.
What to look for
On the pull
All Foresters are able to tow up to 1,870kg, which means that you can pull pretty much any single-axle caravan, and some twin-axle models.
Going spare
All Foresters come with a tyre repair kit instead of any kind of spare wheel. But there are plenty of suitable space-saver wheels available from as little as £150.
Safe word
Euro NCAP rated the Forester safest in class in 2019, thanks to its ultra-strong structure and the standard fitment of a suite of high-tech driver-assistance systems.
Peace of mind
We couldn’t pin down any fault patterns for the Forester, although reliability is a bugbear with owners, according to our Driver Power surveys. All Foresters came with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty.
Interior
Compared with its predecessor’s, this Forester’s cabin is streets ahead for design and quality. There’s no digital instrumentation so it doesn’t feel as modern as rivals, but there’s a high-quality feel to the dashboard, which is logically laid out, even if three information screens might seem like overkill.
Where the Forester really scores is with practicality. All-round visibility is superb, there are several large cubbyholes dotted throughout the cabin, and there’s no shortage of head and legroom for everyone wherever they’re sitting. There’s no seven-seat option, however. Boot space is excellent at 520 litres with the back seats in use, or a hefty 1,779 litres with them folded down.
Practicality
One thing the Forester has in huge supply is space, for passengers and luggage. Dial allows you to select driving mode.
Prices
XE Premium is the most common Forester trim, but there are a few XEs for sale.
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Running costs
All Foresters need to be serviced every 12 months or 12,000 miles, and it’s not cheap – even a basic service is priced from £422, rising to £720. At least there’s no cambelt to replace; that’s a £750 job on older Foresters.
Pre-facelift Foresters sit in insurance group 16 but later cars are in group 23. That’s quite a difference, but for this type of car even group 23 is pretty low – a rating helped by the huge list of standard safety kit.
Most Foresters cost less than £40k new, but later XE Premiums were priced at a little more than this, which means a £620 road tax bill until the car’s sixth birthday. What you’ll notice the most though, is the car’s thirst. Despite the hybrid powertrain, you can expect 30mpg, although Subaru claimed 34.7mpg as a realistic average.
Recalls
Subaru has a good record when it comes to recalls. It has issued 12 of them against the Forester, although some of those concern models built as far back as 2003.
The Forester Mk5 has been recalled just twice, although the first campaign affected just a small number of very early cars. These were fitted with faulty ignition coils which could fail and damage the catalytic converter.
The second recall came in September 2022 and affected 99 cars made between November 2020 and June 2021. These were fitted with sub-standard fuel pumps which could fail, leading to the engine refusing to run. The solution was to fit a new fuel pump.
Driver Power owner satisfaction
In 2024, Subaru claimed just 0.12 per cent of the UK new-car market. The brand wasn’t in our 2024 Driver Power survey, but three of its models appeared in 2023, including the Forester Mk5, in 29th place out of 75. Owners don’t like the functioning of the safety systems, high running costs, poor acceleration or reliability, but they do love the quality, handling, ride comfort, practicality and reassuring brakes.
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Used Subaru Foresters for sale
2022 Subaru
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Cash £18,9002022 Subaru
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What we said: Subaru Forester (2018-2024) review
Extracts from our three-star review of the Subaru Forester Mk5 in 2023...
The fifth-generation Subaru Forester offers a combination of sturdy build, decent off-road prowess and idiosyncratic engineering in a package that feels more luxurious and driver-friendly than previous models, although the latest Mk6 elevates things even further.
Completely revised back in 2018, the Mk5 Forester boasts mild-hybrid electrification and much-improved road manners. There’s more space and improved quality inside, while ride and handling received a welcome boost, too. But, with a slew of talented SUV rivals to face down, the Forester's average fuel economy, bland exterior styling and frustrating onboard technology mean that it's unlikely to be considered by family buyers.
About the Subaru Forester
The Forester sits in a niche almost entirely of its own; it’s not as good to drive as some cheaper, more road-focused SUVs, instead pitched as an alternative buy, offering impressive off-road ability, proven reliability and good levels of standard equipment.
The Forester has been a mainstay of the Subaru lineup for well over two decades. It began life as something of a toughened-up four-wheel-drive estate before evolving along with customer tastes into a more traditional family SUV. Throughout its various incarnations, the Forester has remained true to its original remit of providing hardy family transport that’s undeterred by bad weather, muddy fields and steep farm tracks.
Now into its fifth generation, the Forester has taken a slight step upmarket, with improved interior quality, infotainment and on-road ride and handling, and a facelift in 2023 provided additional safety features, interior technology and some mechanical tweaks, along with some cosmetic enhancements.
The Subaru’s trademark off-road ability remains, however – its permanent Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and accompanying X-Mode drive mode make light work of terrain that would trouble most conventional family SUVs.
The Forester is powered by just one engine, a 2.0-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder that features Subaru’s latest e-Boxer mild-hybrid tech and powers all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Unlike conventional hybrid systems, the e-Boxer technology helps to compliment the Forester’s engine and gearbox, improving throttle response and torque – especially in off-road situations – while helping to slightly increase fuel economy and reduce emissions. All-electric drive is possible only at very low speeds.
Subaru has been keen to distance itself from the rally-inspired racy image garnered in the 1990s and instead focus attention on its impressive reputation for safety. The Forester features the brand’s EyeSight safety system as standard, which incorporates adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, lane-keep assist and other active systems, alongside a range of passive safety features that combine to help make the Forester one of the safest cars in its class.
At first inspection, the Forester could be construed as a very expensive car for its class – but it’s worth considering exactly which SUVs can offer a similar breath of ability, quality and standard equipment. Similarly sized cars like the Mazda CX-5, Peugeot 3008 and Skoda Karoq are better to drive on the road, offer a wider range of more frugal engines and are priced more competitively, but none can quite match the Subaru for overall build quality, reliability or off-road prowess.
Instead, it is perhaps best to consider the Subaru against more capable SUVs like the much-larger-yet-similarly-priced SsangYong Rexton, or even an entry-level Land Rover Discovery Sport. Each of these offers a similar combination of off-road ability and comfort at much the same price.
The Forester, then, exists in its own small niche in the market, offering a very specific range of attributes to a similarly specific kind of customer. Changes to its recipe have broadened its appeal slightly, but it’ll need to be far more economical to buy and run to trouble the established SUV mainstream.
Engines, performance and drive
The Subaru Forester was thoroughly improved for the current generation, introduced in mid-2019. It sits on the Subaru Global Platform, a chassis that facilitates mild-hybrid power, more sophisticated suspension and improved safety. It’s the same as found underpinning the latest Impreza, XV and Levorg models.
It’s this platform that has improved the way the Forester drives. There's less body roll than before, and it offers good levels of grip and a reassuring sense of plantedness. The Forester makes making swift, comfortable progress easy, although we wouldn't put it in the same dynamic class as its Ford Kuga rival.
There’s a pliancy to the ride that lends itself well to our rutted roads, all the while offering plenty of travel and ground clearance when venturing off-road. It’s reasonably refined on the move too – the engine is quiet in its operation, although there’s more wind noise at motorway speeds than we'd like.
0-62mph acceleration and top speed
The Forester is powered by a 2.0-litre flat-four petrol engine that produces 148bhp and 196Nm of torque, assisted by a small electric motor and battery that provide mild-hybrid assistance and all-electric drive at speeds of up to 25mph. Select X-Mode and the mild-hybrid system injects more torque lower down in the rev range to make short work of slippery slopes and stationary obstacles ledges and tree roots.
Performance is adequate but not especially impressive: 0-62mph takes 11.8 seconds and top speed is 117mph, and overall you're left with the feeling that the Forester could certainly do with more oomph.
Subaru has worked to improve throttle response in normal driving and while the CVT gearbox still feels a little detached in its operation, we noticed a small improvement in the feeling of immediacy from the Forester’s drivetrain. The car’s battery recharges through a mix of engine power and regenerative braking, but the latter does not adversely affect brake feel. Engineered ‘steps’ in the transmission can be accessed via paddles behind the steering wheel, but in truth you're unlikely to use them. However, we're not big fans of this transmission - particularly its habit of holding on to its virtual gears longer than needed.
MPG, CO2 and running costs
Petrol-powered Subarus have never been synonymous with fuel efficiency and the latest Forester’s e-Boxer system aims to address this. Unfortunately, thanks to the fuel-sapping demands of its permanent four-wheel drive system, the Forester isn’t especially frugal – figures on the WLTP average cycle are 34.7mpg; CO2 emissions sit at 185g/km.
The majority of the Forester’s rivals will be cheaper to run. Most are available in lighter, more efficient front-drive formats, while most four-wheel drive options will be powered exclusively by diesel engines. Within the niche of off-road-ready family SUVs, even the much larger SsangYong Rexton runs the Forester close from a running costs standpoint: an entry-level five-seater model returns 32.9mpg on average, with CO2 emissions of 225g/km – all in a package that’s more akin to a Land Rover Discovery in size.
Subaru has made an effort to tackle emissions with its e-Boxer mild-hybrid system, which, alongside a CVT transmission, allows for coasting and electric assistance at lower speeds. The system is also used as part of Subaru’s X-Mode system, helping improve low-down torque when tackling difficult obstacles.
Interior, design and technology
To the untrained eye the latest Subaru Forester looks much like the previous generation model, but it’s actually entirely new – the familiarity of the car’s design was an intentional choice on the part of Subaru’s designers. The Forester uses Subaru’s latest mechanical underpinnings, shared with the Impreza and XV models. It’s longer and wider than before, with a sharper design that incorporates some modern touches with more traditional SUV dimensions.
Inside, quality is much-improved over that of the old model. It doesn’t boast the most cohesive design but the car’s cabin feels more luxurious and built to last, with plenty of hard-wearing plastics and some genuine attempts to make things feel plush.
All models come well equipped too – keyless entry and go, LED headlights, heated door mirrors, dual-zone air con and eight-way electrically adjustable memory seats are all included as standard.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The Forester doesn’t feel quite as high-tech as some rivals; analogue dials feature behind the steering wheel and the overall layout isn’t quite as stylish as some of the competition. Infotainment isn’t terrible, however – there’s a total of three screens, one between the dials and two on the dash. A larger eight-inch main display is bright, clear and fairly easy to read, while a smaller screen on the dash-top is reserved for displaying vehicle data including the EyeSight safety systems and power flow for the car’s mild-hybrid set-up.
All models come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard; sat-nav is only available on XE Premium models, but smartphone users won’t need to worry. Voice recognition and Bluetooth connectivity are featured as standard on all models, as is DAB radio.
Practicality, comfort and boot space
The latest Forester may look similar to the car it replaced but it’s actually longer and wider than before; the result is a family SUV with even more space inside. There’s a great view out from the the driver’s seat – a huge area of glass, narrow pillars and a high, squared-off bonnet mean the Forester retains a pleasingly old-school feel and is easy to place on the road.
The cabin features some large doorbins on all for doors, plus a large storage cubby under the front centre armrest. In true Subaru fashion, everything feels built to last – it’s easy to see how so many Subaru owners can work their cars hard over a number of years. Despite its hard-wearing nature, the Subaru feels pretty luxurious.
Size
The Forester is bigger than ever; at 4.6 metres long and just over two metres wide including mirrors it’s not too far off the SEAT Tarraco in its considerable dimensions. It’s a large SUV with all the space you’d expect – but there’s no seven seater option.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
The Forester’s slight increase in size has paid dividends inside its cabin, where front and rear-seat passengers have plenty of space. Headroom is huge and there’s more than enough legroom in the rear seats for adults to travel in comfort.
Access to the rear seats is easy thanks to doors that open wide and the tall ride-height; those regularly battling with child seats will welcome this, along with the easily accessed Isofix points. Big windows mean there’s an airy feel inside, further adding to the sense of space.
Boot
The Forester’s boot is big – 520 litres of space with the seats up, or an impressive 1,779 litres with them folded flat. It’s a well-shaped load space with a low lip so it’s very practical and perfect for dogs. A Toyota RAV4 has more space with the seats in place (580 litres) but loses out with them folded (1,690 litres). The larger, similarly hardy Ssangyong Rexton is altogether more spacious, boasting 820 litres or 1,977 litres with the seats down.
Towing
The Forester is rated to tow a braked trailer of 1,870kg. If you plan to tow heavier trailers regularly we’d still recommend opting for a diesel rival, though – the Ssangyong Rexton can manage an especially monstrous 3,500kg, for example.
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