Overview & Reviews

Redesigned for 2009, the Subaru Forester compact crossover SUV is bigger and more beautiful inside and out.

• Standard all-wheel drive, spacious cabin with ample cargo space, comfortable ride, capable engines.

• Outdated four-speed automatic transmission, handling could be sharper.

User Reviews:

Showing 71 through 80 of 217.00

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  Happy with purchase, esp. gas mileage! - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By J&J - January 5 - 5:10 am

  We bought our new 2009 Forester, after going in to look at an Impreza. We had just been in a bad accident (totaled our car) and we were impressed with how easy it was to get in and out of the Forester. We prefer a manual shift as we live in the mountains and have been impressed with the mileage. We are pretty much averaging 30 mpg! We have 1800 miles on the car. Weve only taken 2 long trips on the highway and we even hit 32 mpg at times on those. The car is a little underpowered, we have to downshift to get up some of the hills when we didnt have to downshift in our VW Jetta. There is a LOT of room inside, especially leg room. The hatch makes it easy to load and unload.

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  SO FAR GREAT CAR!! - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By ColoCubbie - September 23 - 12:53 am

  Went through the usual comparisons and narrowed it down to the Forrester XT and the Rav 4 six cylinder. Living at altitude in CO, I wanted an SUV that had some power to easily get up steep grades. I liked the look of the Forrester and the fact that the Subbie AWD felt superior to Toyotas 4WD. Of course the safety features also helped. Bought the Forrester and have 800 miles on it so far. No regrets at all. The turbo is a blast, the car rides extremely smooth and it looks great in Dark Gray Metallic. The only sacrifice is the extra cash for premium gas... which I balanced out by quitting lattes. Ive been getting 24 MPG in mixed driving which is better than most SUVs.

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  Little dissapointed - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By JLouie - September 10 - 11:13 am

  I bought my 2009 Subaru based on safety rating and new design. Im mostly happy with my purchase but several small improvements are needed: Three separate windshield cracks within the first six months! Most of my driving is done on I5 Hwy. I owned a Jeep for 10 yrs, and Jeep windshield are even more upright than the Subaru and you do get plenty of dings, but it didnt crack instantly. The paint is too thin as small rocks from the road takes chunks of paint off and I now have several rust spots on the front grill/hood area. Interior silver coat on the plastic interior door handle,etc. are easily scratched and same with exterior paint. Stereo and AC is weak.

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  Very Happy - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By J.W. - July 29 - 12:16 pm

  We have had our forester for one year now with 10,000 miles on it. Have not had any problems with it at all. Its every thing we expected and more. Getting good gas mileage, 23 to 24 in town, 27 to 29 highway. We love everything about it.

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  Wifes new toy - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Kman - June 27 - 9:03 am

  Just brought home a Sage Green Forester last week, wanted something very safe, reliable and user friendly. So far it has been a fantastic vehicle. Could not get the LL Bean or ex package in the color we wanted so have added the heavy duty mats, cargo mat and cover and will probabily add the fog lights. 600 miles on it and right at 28 mpg. Getting lots of looks as people try to figure out what it is from the side. I think its the best value out there

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  My 1st Subie - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By JP3 - May 6 - 8:03 pm

  This is my first Subaru and based on what Ive seen so far it wont be my last. We had some pretty specific requirements for our next vehicle: A vehicle in which the whole family could fit including the dog. AWD (especially after this winter) Sunroof Manual. Not ugly. We looked at the Outback, RAV4 and CR- V and the Subaru beat the CR-V for real world driving. CR-V concerned me with part time AWD. RAV4 and Outback are more expensive with same options. The RAV4 actually has a 4x2 option? I also liked Subarus dedication to safety. Side curtain air bags, active head restraints, roll over sensors and VDC all standard. There are a lot of extras in this SUV.

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  2009 Forester - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By fred - March 3 - 2:43 pm

  Im used to full size pickup truck but with gas prices being the way they are decided to test drive the Forester. So far Im very happy with my purchase. Getting like 24.5 mpg combined according to trip computer, 27-28 highway. for a little car it has enough room for hauling a good amount of stuff. Im 6 foot tall and with the 09 I was able to adjust driver seat to comfortable position then got in the back seat and was still comfy at least for short rides. Havent had bad weather since Ive owned it but it feels nimble when driving. No its not a Hemi but does a great job for a commuter car and loaded even for base model. And lots of room.

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  No regrets - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By NiceBet - January 16 - 7:36 am

  I bought this vehicle 8 months ago with a healthy dose of skepticism about the Subaru brand. But after extensive review online and test driving it and my other top choices (CR-V and RAV4) I came to a decision that the Forester was the optimal choice to suit my needs. It provided everything I wanted in a SUV- reliability, fuel efficiency, AWD, reasonable cost and reasonable comfort level (leather seats and heating, 6 disc changer stereo system to mention a few). My vehicle has handled well in the sub- artic condition in which I drive it. I have slipped a few times this winter but my vehicle handled well (those experiences have reminded me that technology is no substitute for sensible driving)

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  Wow! - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Frank W. - December 31 - 3:43 am

  After considering & test driving the Rav4, tiquan, Honda CRX, I choose the Forester. It is everything I expected and more. The visibility is fantastic, itss like driving a greenhouse, you can see everything. My mileage is going up, now about 24-26 mixed city/ highway. Not bad. Fit and finish are great with no real complaints. Parking is a snap!

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  New Turbo Subie Owner - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By TLH - December 29 - 6:23 pm

  7 mo/7000 miles, so far so good. Almost bought a RAV4 V6, but didnt like paying extra for accessories and hated RAV4 looks. However, would have bought a V6 Forester if available vs turbo-4cyl. While the car is fun, sometimes it seems it cant decide whether to downshift or use turbo, so performance is jerky with some lag at times. Could be due to 4spd auto tranny (or my driving style, which is avg to a little aggressive). MPG is ok, 20-23mpg avg, with up to 25 seen during a recent 1000 mile trip. I installed aftermarket oil temp and turbo gauge b/c I like to be more informed about engine status vs silly idiot lights. However, I still think its the best small SUV on the market, no regrets.