Overview & Reviews

Subaru has made many small but significant changes to the Forester for 2006. Foresters with normally aspirated engines have a new variable valve-lift system that bumps horsepower from last year's 165 to 173, while turbo Foresters have a higher compression ratio and redesigned intake and exhaust components for a 20-hp boost to 230 and cleaner tailpipe emissions. The manual and automatic transmissions have also been updated for better performance, as has the suspension. Interested shoppers should also note that Subaru has simplified the Forester's trim levels, freshened up the exterior styling and added more thigh support to the rear seat.

• Standard all-wheel drive, two engine choices, availability of upscale features, class-leading crash test scores, rides and handles like a car.

• Costs more than many competitors, tight on legroom in the backseat.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 111.00

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  One of the worst cars I have ever owned - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By New Subaru owner - October 11 - 8:36 pm

  Nice car in many respects, but the engine hesitation when starting out from a complete stop is terrible. Gets worse as outside temperature gets over 90 and AC is on. Dealer tells me that it is normal. I think a 3 or 4 second hesitation is unsatisfactory and unsafe since you never know what its going to do when you give it some gas.

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  Disappointing Experience - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By Jason Tylers - June 7 - 8:03 pm

  I bought this car new and loved it at first. Within the first year the sunroof malfunctioned and would take several attempts to close. End of year 1 door lock broke. Year two car began leaking in the rain. End of year two engine light came on and car has spent more time in the shop than on the road. Subaru has not been able to fix the problem. At this point I am forced to consider legal options. I will never buy another Subaru again.

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  Subaru Forester X - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By Agent_N - March 17 - 2:50 am

  I like my Subie! Where else can you get a vehicle that has all-wheel drive and gets better than 29 MPG with mostly highway driving? I have owned my Forester for 3/4 of a year now and have had no problems so far (I purchased it used with 32,000ish miles). It gets around better in bad weather than the Jeep Cherokee Sport that I had previously owned. The interior has some rattles and the materials arent the best, but what do you expect to get on a vehicle with all-wheel drive for $22,000 or so? Gas mileage has varied from 23 in very cold weather (mostly city) to 36 at 55 MPH. I dont have a lead foot so that helps :) I usually average 30MPG at 65-75 MPH. 70-80% highway & the rest city.

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  1st Subaru after 17 years of Cherokees - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By babybob - February 7 - 1:33 am

  Since Jeep no longer made the Cherokee & gas prices are high, it seemed to be the logical choice to get a "highly regarded" Forester. Ive owned it for almost a year & have 12500 miles on it. The car (& make no mistake, it is a car) gets decent mileage for this type of vehicle, rides peppily after a bit of sluggishness at the start, & gives a decent ride on a nice dry highway. The build quality of the body seems flimsy, tinny. Doesnt come across as a sturdy car at all. Has developed several rattles & a crunching sound in the rear when going over speed bumps/dips. Experience in the snow has been frightful, if not downright dangerous. Useless in SLUSH(!) in city driving. Wont even think of taking it offroad.

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  Just never fell in love - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By collmm - September 15 - 7:30 pm

  I wanted another AWD wagon after trading my 4Motion Passat & purchased the Forrester. This was a logical decision but a big mistake. No mechanical problems just a boring vehicle to drive compared to the Passat. I love wagons but the Forrester exterior is simply unattractive and the paint is cheap! Cheap looking but sturdy interior finishes. My driving is pretty habitual but the gas mileage varied widely in town from 17 to 26 mpg and had to calculate that by hand-no digital "mpg" or "miles to empty" on the Forrester. Ive just traded the Forrester after only 5 months for a 2006 Volvo S60 AWD and I have no regrets.

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  Fuel Problems - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By Richard - July 5 - 3:46 pm

  I bought a new ‘06 Forester with the 5-speed manual transmission in Sept ’05. After 3800 miles, it has three annoying, potentially dangerous characteristics. The engine races uncontrollably during cold starts after the clutch is released, it bucks when throttle is lightly depressed, and engine speed cycles when slowing to a stop with clutch depressed. The cold start problem is dangerous, as the car will accelerate briskly and unexpectedly to 20 MPH. I haven’t run into anything yet, but I caution other drivers about this condition. The dealer is cooperative but unable to fix the problem. Subaru says all ‘06 Forester 5-speeds do this. They are working on a fix, but nothing yet.

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  Love Everything but the Mileage - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By Indaburgh - July 26 - 11:06 pm

  Great car. Pickup is exceptional for a four cylinder. A little on the small side in the seating area. Impressed with how much cargo space it has.

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  Expected Better Quality From Subaru - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By 1st Subaru for Me - December 13 - 6:23 am

  Based on everything I read about this vehicle, I expected a quality, problem- free vehicle. Driving it is enjoyable, but Im finding out that the quality of some of the parts and pieces is cheap. The seat upholstery is kind of thin. The clear plastic on the engine gauges cover squeaks. A piece of rubber under the hood is loose in one spot, etc. One of my windshield washer sprayers stopped working. I have only about 1050 miles on the car so far. I never expected all these annoying things with a Subaru.

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  Update - 1st Subaru for Me - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By MB - September 27 - 8:36 am

  Had the car since April 06, and after about 6,000 miles, it just hasnt grown on me. The guy who complained about the jerky ride is right -- sometimes it feels like a roller coaster because the engine speeds up and slows down so much. And yes to the skewed consumer magazine opinions -- the Forester X does not deserve a top rating. I dont get near the 25 MPG the others talk about. I am lucky to get 21 MPG. I had a Jeep Liberty before the Subaru, and I cant wait to go back to Jeep. I havent driven the Subaru in the snow yet, and if it doesnt perform like my Jeep, its going! Havent gained respect for the Subaru like I did for the Jeep (owned 4 Jeeps prior to the Forester).

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  Wont buy this again - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By julie - November 22 - 9:20 pm

  I went from a Toyota 4 runner to Subaru LL Bean. I am highly disappointed. The leather seats are very cold in the winter until they warm up. Because of the heater design, my legs are too hot in summer and too cold in winter. The air just doesnt circulate down there. It comes out at chest level only. Passengers in the back seat freeze. The exterior paint job is very bad. It scratches incredibly easy. The windshield takes forever to thaw. It handles well in small amounts of snow but not in anything over 6 inches.