Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Dont drink the Kool-Aid - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Daz - September 13 - 12:26 am

  The Pros - steering is excellent in the car, it can take sharp turns very well. Safety and visibility is also a big plus for the car. Acceleration is pretty good, but the sport shifting can sometimes lag. Head space is pretty good. The Cons - very small backup camera. The center console storage is too far back. The front passenger seat is way to high up, with no ability to lower it. Paint is very thin and scratches easily. MPG is less than satisfactory, and requires premium gas. Vehicle requires maintenance much quicker than other cars. Stock tires absolutely suck!

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  Fell below expectation and reputation - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Kiran Chedella - April 26 - 12:17 am

  This car has very cheap interior, too many rattling noise, blower noise. Most of the issues are during cold weather. Passenger seat belt warning light come up even though the passenger seat is empty. When cold it takes 10 minutes for the engine to warm up and pick up acceleration, if driving in before 10 minutes, cant drive more than 30 to 35 mph at full throttle. Drive side windshield freezing from inside even though all windows, moon roof is completely closed and it takes long time to clear and melted water dripping into dashboard. Have several fixes done nearly visited 7 times dealership and again scheduled one. Highly recommended to thoroughly check the vehicle before purchasing. The dealership from where I purchased the vehicle always say why are you worried about the plastic and noise but the other dealer identified the root cause and fixed them but new issues coming up. This vehicle is just 7 months old and has only 7000 miles on it. Not at all recommended.

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  poor interior design - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By higgy - April 28 - 12:38 pm

  Fond the drivers seat very uncomfortable. The door panels constantly interfered with my legs and the left foot rest even tho I am 6 feet tall was way out of reach without putting the steering wheel in your stomach. Ride was choppy too much jostling on uneven surfaces like found on most highways. Found the info center lacking in useful information like distance to empty. The accessory tray in the console had to be removed to fit even the most basic USB and charging equipment to keep my phone charged. The backup system is poor quality and needs more useful calibration options Overall I would never buy this vehicle as there are much better options even on the most basic vehicles in this class

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  Poor interior quality - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Jim - November 29 - 8:09 pm

  Had the vehicle less than 3 months. It has been in the shop on 3 occasions two of which were multiple days. The main problem is the quality of the interior. There are multiple rattles throughout the vehicle. The two main rattles still havent been fixed. The engine is under powered. No acceleration at all.

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  Aint what it used to be - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Ron - February 25 - 4:34 pm

  I had a 2004 Forester until recently and loved it. If the head gasket didnt go Id still have it. The new 2016 is a real disappointment compared to it. There was so many nice features with the 2004. Whoever designed the interior should be fired. I never seen so many uncomfortable placements of controls and things (compared to the 2004) as in this car. For example, in the rear area - there are two corner sections with sloping bottoms and no wall to keep things in there. Why have the sections if you cant put something in there and have it stay put? The power windows and door locks are placed below the door pull handle and take special effort to go directly to. Door storage has just a long open slot for things to bounce around in. If you put a music CD in, withdraw it, you must push a button for the radio to come back into play - WTF??? The speedometer doesnt have markings between the tens of MPH (e.g., 10, 20, 30, etc. - no 15, 25, 35, etc.) many highways in the US are 45 or 55 mph. And wait until you feel the car in a slight wind. Lastly, you now need synthetic oil for your changes ($$$$$).

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  Great except for comfort - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Sue Baru - November 1 - 10:29 pm

  I just traded in a 2012 Subaru Forester for a 2016. I always said that the Forester was a perfect car and I never wanted to have another car. I may have to amend my review after driving the 2016. It drives great, but the drivers seat is really uncomfortable. The seatbelt buckle comes up really high and is made of very hard plastic. It jabs you in the hip the whole time you are driving. I have had my car for over a month now and it bothers me as soon as I get in the car and the whole time I am driving. I have tried stuffing wash cloths in between the seat and the seatbelt to push it away and wrapping a washcloth around the buckle with rubber bands to soften it, but nothing works very well. The ride is great, but whats the point if the seat is so uncomfortable? There are a couple of other minor things wrong with it. First is the placement of the gas pedal. The sides of the center console do not go straight down, they flare down the side, encroaching on the space for your foot to reach the gas pedal. This is OK for a women wearing a dress shoe, but if you are wearing a shoe with a wide base, like a tennis show, you have to turn your foot sideways to reach the gas pedal because it is somewhat behind the console. Its not very ergonomically correct. The last complaint I have is about the satellite radio. The display was terrible on the 2012 and the 2016 is much improved, but it could be a lot better. I dont know why Subaru is so resistant to developing a decent satellite radio for their cars. The display is still limited. And since it has XM equipment, if you "upgrade" to having access to the Sirius channels, every time, you turn on the radio, it jumps back to the "preview" channel, which is super annoying. I ride with people who own Fords and their radio has a robust display and seamless interchange between the Sirius and CM channels. The drive of the Forester is still great, but I dont know if I will continue to get them after my experience with the 2016.

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  After a 4,000 mile road trip. - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Roger 2miss - March 27 - 1:45 am

  My wife bought this in Oct 15. She drives it 95% of the time. I have my own set of wheels. June 16, we drove this Forester on a 4,000 mile road trip, of which I drove 80% of the time. Prior to the trip, the odometer had 2,300 miles on it. Drove from Minnesota - North Dakota - Calgary, SK, CA - Jasper, AB - Lake Louise, AB - Banff, AB - Coeur dAlene, ID - Jackson Hole, WY - Gillette, WY - Big Horns, WY - Black Hills, SD - across SD to Minnesota. I say all this to let you know I tested this in all types of terrain, from sharp mtn. curves/grades to long drawn out flat lands. My take on this vehicle: > Blue Tooth usage. Recipients of my calls complain of my voice being "tinny" & broken up. > Sky light - wind buffeting when fully opened - 2 rectangular openings in the wind deflector were way to noisy, had to put duct tape over these openings to quiet down the noise. > Looked into deflector mounted to roof. It covers too much of the opening. Sits in such a position so as to accumulate water in the 2 corners. Don’t accelerate too fast after a rain fall, else a shower you’ll get. >Skylight doesn’t shut automatically when turning off vehicle. - In it’s fully opened position, too much air hitting leading window edge, causing loud reverberation. This happened before the duct tape and after I put it on. > Rear passenger windows - no option to adj. all the way down - dont have small kids. > Driver’s window - automatic function cannot be deactivated. > Vehicle profile - can’t take cross winds well, alot of buffeting back-n-forth. Had hard southerly winds constantly as we crossed over ND/SA/AB, Canada. > Passenger air bag light - cannot shut off this indicator when no front passenger in seat. Annoying to have on. > Driver sun visor - should be able to slide on its’ shaft, extending out so as to cover driver side window better from sun. My Chevy Silverado does this quite well. > Rear hatch in open position - why is there no light on the hatch door to shine down, rather than the cheap side light mounted 12" off floor on the side panel? Cargo/Luggage covers this light. This IS THE ONLY light in the rear area! This is way too dark, especially in low/unlit areas. > All door jamb faces should have a light reflector when in the open position for safety. Most vehicles don’t have this feature, duh??? > Steering/braking/fast maneuvering in a critical situation was most impressive. At 60 mph, on a 2 lane HWY, no shoulders with deep ditch both sides, all most hit a fast moving bull moose coming outta the ditch. Rear hoofs were 12” from drivers corner of the front bumper. Luckily, no on coming vehicles. > Acceleration, braking, cold winter starts, low gear usage, sound system, use of dash board amenities, engine compartment access & maintenance, etc. were all acceptable. > Steering is very "tight", response is quick. > Braking is very good > Gas cost was $300 @ 30+ mpg. average. I kept sharp records on this road trip expense.This is a 4 banging Boxer engine. > Dash area, where electric port located below center radio, the storage area is too low profiled. It should be higher to give more storage area. > Front driver/passenger windows, in full opened position, allows way too much air into faces of driver/passenger. Suspect outside rear view mirrors to be the cause of. I had to keep the windows 3/4 way up to block this irritating wind. Conclusion: I’ll keep driving my Silverado. Ya know, for the money spent on this vehicle you’d think Subaru would spend a couple extra dimes into design/manufacturing to eliminate these piddly annoyances. They spend way to much advertising money to make you think the Subaru is a feel good car, which it is to a point. Subaru, put the extra moo la boo la into common sense design.

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  A Lot to Like -- Other Things, Not So Much - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Frank Colligan - October 23 - 12:42 pm

  Things I like best: Overall visibility from inside is just awesome, appearance and styling, high riding position. Things I hate: Front drivers seat very uncomfortable. The seat cushion is very stiff and the seat width is not sized for large American butts ... feels like left cheek is hanging off the side. Compounded by the entire seat being jammed right up against the center console, which makes it difficult to sit squarely in the center of the seat. When driving it feels like I am not centered to the accelerator and brake pedals. Right now I am sitting on an excellent truck drivers seat cushion, which is helping, but this could get old real fast if the seats do not break in. Things I like: Paddle controls, adjustable steering wheel has good range, cargo space, auto-dimming mirrors, heated seats. Acceleration of the turbo is better than expected, though a little jumpy when starting from a stop. The 18" wheels are nice. Things I dont like: Other reviewers have mentioned these as well. Leg room for driver could be better (but is better than most other options in a small SUV). Analog speedometer is hard to read. During the day it is impossible to see where the climate control dials are set ... easier at night because of backlighting. Center console too far back to be of any real use. Entertainment system OK, but cannot figure out how (if possible with USB drive) to play all the songs in one genre ... I have to select one specific artist and album that fits the genre. Things I could do without: The panoramic moon roof. From past moon roofs Ive had, I can count on one hand how many times Ive used them. Too windy ... too noisy, and sunburned head ... need I say more? Id rather have the cost of that back to put into other options. Bottom Line? Jury is still out, but hoping I will adjust and find other ways to make life better. Biggest concern is seat comfort and how that will translate into a long trip. Hoping for the best with MPG, but that will take more time.

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  Missing in Action - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By mel turetzky - April 4 - 6:57 pm

  The Limited version I purchased omits many useful features that have been on all my previous cars at this cost and trim level. Heres a partial list: 1) ignition key does not fold so it stabs holes in pants pockets 2) there is no touch down for Passenger side window 3) there is no auto on for headlights at darkness 4) cruise control only increments in 5mph units after setting 5) there are no clothes hook hangers above back door entry 6) there is no overhead light in cargo area 7)the cargo mat is so rigid that it prevents entry to the useful underneath storage area. And Ive only had the car for four weeks. The ride and comfort are as good as reported. I think the Eyesight feature, while usually good is overrated because my limited experience is that its response time is too long for cars cutting you off and thereby requiring instant braking.

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  Too much glass not enough tint or AC - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Cheryl - February 26 - 10:23 pm

  The NAV system is virtually useless. It has so many safeties that your copilot cannot operate or change the settings unless you pull over and stop the car. The audible directions are horrible. You will be getting on and off Interstates until you cut it off. Requires way too much setup. Google Maps and Nav are much more efficient and trustworthy. Your copilot can recalibrate your smartphone nav while underway. Not so this machine. High level map and GPS coordinates are the only useful items. I do not have the oil issue that others have mentioned as of yet and hopefully wont but it is obvious that this machine is a rolling greenhouse. The glass and there is lots of it for optimum visibility is more than the AC can handle. Especially if you have a moonroof. You can feel the heat coming off the overhead with the blind shut. Not sure I would buy it again, we were not happy with the local dealership either.