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• Outdated four-speed automatic transmission, handling could be sharper.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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  Engine Failure - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By MJU - October 6 - 8:33 pm

  I had my Forester XT limited for about 4 months and had driven it about 6,000 miles. I really liked the car, but the engine died on a family vacation. It now needs to be replaced. It is all under warranty, but it still is an inconvenience It also makes me feel uneasy about the engine from now on, even if it is brand new. I had heard and read so many positive things about the Subaru boxer engine that this shocks me.

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  Not worth giving up the room for mileage - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By SubaruAdmirer - August 8 - 8:56 am

  No problem with it so far except gas door release level falling off. Decent acceleration from stop but no power at all on highway especially with ac on, need to drive in "power" mode or else difficult to pass or climb hills. 50/50 mileage averaging 21mpg with the 4spd auto. Will not get the 28mpg+ some claim unless going below 60mph. Not sure about you, but I dont drive on all stretches of country road. A small v6 with a 5 or 6 spd auto would have been better. Interior much smaller than mid-sized SUV with no 3rd row seating. Frankly the only slight increase (15%) in fuel economy was not worth giving up the space and seating option. Overall build feels a bit cheap. Liked our Outback better.

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  No issues after a year of driving - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By PharmD - May 5 - 2:50 am

  I bought the car shortly after it came out. I wanted to wait at least a year before I submitted a review. So far I love the forester and have no regrets. I test drove the Rav4 and the mazda CX7 and felt the forester was the better car. Fuel consumption has been a bit disappointing. I am getting an average of 18mpg in mostly city driving. I have not experienced the rattling that was mentioned before however, I find the location for the heated seats very inconvenient. With the limited you get 2 additional speakers to which I added the optional subwoofer. Even so the sound is mediocre at best. Overall, the forester is not perfect. However, you get a lot for the money.

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  Interior issues - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By ShellyJ - April 9 - 4:30 am

  Bought my 09 Forester this summer, and am a little disappointed in the cheap quality of the plastic interior parts, such as the center console. It chips and flakes off with hardly any contact. In addition, I am very disappointed in the "carpet", which appears to be more of a felt material. Absolutely everything sticks to it and it doesnt vacuum up well at all. I didnt do an in depth inspection of the carpet and such at the time I bought it, as I expected more from a Subaru. Other than these interior issues, its great. Im guessing you just have to buy the upper end styles to get a decent interior.

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  Nice, but areas for improvement - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By board_jay - December 27 - 9:53 am

  Overall I like the vehicle and the dealer where I bought it was great. Got the Premium AWP in 5sp manual. Shifting is touchy on it compared to my VW which is more forgiving, but Ill get used to that over time. Pretty decent MPG - 25mpg around town on the 1st tank of gas. Looks nice, Id recommend the front and rear spoilers to make it look different. I am 65" and fit in it fine with the moonroof and with my toddler or infant in a car seat behind me. There are some things to improve upon such as stock radio which is horrible until you add the sub and the tweeter kit and then it sounds pretty good. Also wish they had window rainguards and there is some whistling w/all windows open.

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  Made for the snow??? - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Adventurer - November 4 - 9:26 am

  I bought my Forester in May, and have put about 9500 miles on so far. Its been a nightmare in the snow. The ABS is atrocious. Traction control brings the vehicle to a complete stop on snow covered hills. And the back end slides out in turns. Cargo space looks good. But I cant fit my mountain bike (wheels removed) in it without folding down half of the back seat. In my wifes Corolla, I can fit my bike and my sons trailer in the trunk without dropping the seat. Anyone that says they get 30mpg, needs to let the rest of us in on their secret. 26 on long trips. 23 city/hwy. I dont feel safe taking my family anywhere in snowy conditions and am in the process of trading it in.

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  Mileage update - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By cosailor - April 22 - 8:36 am

  I wrote a review earlier and wanted to share some mileage numbers. In town driving normal which is like everyone else being somewhat aggressive our XT will get 19 MPG, baby it at the lights and corners and 22 MPG is possible. Needless to say we get 19 MPG most of the time. Highway at 75 MPH steady, it gets 23 MPG. Side roads at 55 MPH to 65 MPH we can get 25 MPG reliably. Recently we took a 160 mile trip up into the mountains. For anyone from N. Colorado, we drove from Greeley to Lyons, up highway 7 to Allens Park, then to Estes and then to Fort Collins. Nearly a 4000 ft gain but we drove conservatively near the speed limits and got 26.1 MPG. Never lacked power.

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  My chevy is more dependable - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By onedisappointment - February 26 - 5:00 pm

  I was sold the safety, resale value, and dependability. Well, within two month of purchase I had a cracked windshield, warranty did not cover the crack and it cost me $370 to replace. and now the car has a leak in the evaporator core and it costing me about $1000 to fix. This car barely 2 years old. My Chevy has 276k miles and still runs with original A/C. Never again will by a Subaru again!