Subaru’s Forester is one of the top-selling five-passenger crossover SUVs in America. Depending on the month, it is Subaru’s top-selling model or second to the very similar in size Outback. These facts don’t say enough about the Forester. Tour New England’s rural areas, and it seems like every other car you see is a Forester. Subaru has developed a vehicle that appeals to a wide number of buyers and has abilities that few can match.

Our review here is for the 2023 Forester, which is the end run of its generation. For 2024, Subaru is planning to launch a new generation Forester. We would expect those to go on sale in the fall. The current Forester is so good, and the shortage of vehicles so dire, we would advise those in need of a new vehicle to seriously consider not waiting if you can find a 2023 in stock for immediate delivery being sold at MSRP or less.

We reached out to Subaru expert Denis Flierl and asked him what changes Subaru Forester shoppers should expect in 2024. He told us that many of the upcoming changes will be similar to those found on the new 2024 Crosstrek we recently tested. “Forester will get the next-generation EyeSight driver assist safety technology, an updated Subaru Global Platform with improved driving dynamics and ride quality, a quieter cabin, updated infotainment, and a larger 11.6-inch tablet-style touchscreen,” said Denis. Watch Car Talk for an updated review of the new 2024 Forester as soon as it is revealed.

Testing Notes: Subaru has been very generous with media test vehicles. Prior to creating this review, we had a chance to spend weeks with the Forester Wilderness and also a day with the 2023 Forester Limited. Your author owns a 2016 Forester 2.5i Premium. Any positive bias in this review is based on his experience having owned four Subarus.

The Subaru Forester is a great SUV that melds many great car-like qualities with outstanding utility and off-pavement capability. In the snow, there really is no better vehicle of any type at any price point. Subaru’s Forester is one of a very short list of vehicles you can purchase that will come with severe snow-duty-rated tires straight from the factory.

The Forester’s versatility is what makes it so popular. The Base trim is available for well under $30K, including Destination charges. The Wilderness has off-road capabilities that are unsurpassed until you get into an extreme off-roader like a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. The Sport, Limited, and Touring trims are very nice all-around crossovers perfect for commuting or long vacation road trips.

Drive a Forester, and you will quickly realize that it offers the very best visibility of any SUV sold. The front, side, and rear glass areas are enormous. The effect is almost unsettling. You feel as if you are in something other than a vehicle. There are no blind spots, and you have a view of the road and your surroundings that is hard to quit once you’ve experienced it.

The Forester’s value is a big part of its appeal. Prices are at the low end of its segment. Since Subaru doesn’t offer a turbo or hybrid Forester, the vehicle almost always comes out on top in any price matchup with its peers. Over the past generation, the Forester has proven to be reliable, and the fuel economy from the 2.5-liter engine mated to its constantly variable transmission (CVT) is very good. 30 MPG on road trips is not unusual.

The Forester has long offered a simple operating scheme as well. The switches and knobs all make sense. Some knocked the Forester for this, calling it outdated, and Subaru has responded. In 2024, the Forester will integrate more of its functions with the large center screen. Nobody does a better job of moving a vehicle into a new generation without a major shock to current owners than Subaru. We suspect faithful Subaru fans will love the new 2024 model.

The Forester Wilderness, the trim equipped with its longest list of off-road features, is hard to beat. It offers over nine inches of ground clearance, a full-size spare, severe snow-duty-rated tires, skid plates, recovery points, dual X-Mode driving modes, easy-to-clean seat coverings, and much more. The Ford Bronco Sport Badlands can match the Forester point by point and offers a stronger turbocharged engine. We’ve tested both off-road and in the snow. We’d go with the Forester because it offers better visibility, but the Ford does match the Subaru in terms of capabilities. Sticker prices are similar between the two, with the Bronco Sport being a bit more pricey than the top end of the Wilderness range.

Honda’s new CR-V is really one of the best crossover SUVs in its size and price. Offered with an outstanding Hybrid system or with a satisfying turbocharged engine, the CR-V is quiet, refined, and efficient. In a powertrain matchup, Honda wins hands down. However, the Honda costs more, and the Forester has a slightly better reputation for reliability over its past few model years. Honda leaves the spare out of the Hybrid, so if you are shopping for a utility vehicle, you know that disqualifies it from consideration.

We know it’s weird to compare a model with one of its brand siblings, but Subaru seems to make the comparison almost mandatory. The Forester and Crosstrek are so similar they are nearly twins. The Crosstrek is a bit more compact and has a lower roofline. The prices are not that different. We just tested the new 2024 Crosstrek and felt that the Forester is a more sensible purchase for most buyers.

The Outback looks bigger than the Forester, but inside, it doesn’t feel like there is more room. The only place you really notice the size difference is in the length of the cargo area. The Outback's cargo space is longer, but the Forester's is actually a bit greater in volume. There are two reasons to opt for the Outback over the Forester (and we are not saying you should).

First, the Outback looks like a wagon. If you like the look, get the Outback. Second, the Outback offers an optional turbocharged engine. We’ve tested it in its current generation and didn’t like it much. The Outback’s turbo does not like to play. Paired with the CVT it is not a fun engine. The Outback does not feel sportier by adding it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If you want a sporty SUV, look at Mazda’s lineup.

One of Subaru’s strengths is its ability to offer an appealing package at an impressively-low price point. The Base Forester starts at just $27,720, including Subaru’s low-for-the-industry $1,225 Destination charge. That price includes Subaru’s EyeSight safety system and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The go-anywhere Wilderness trim isn’t the most expensive trim in the lineup and has a price point from $35,545 to $37,395, depending on if you get its single option package. There is really nothing else on sale in America with this level of off-pavement and snow capability at this price point other than a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness.

The top-trim Forester Touring has a fully-equipped price of $38,020. There are six different trims from Base to Touring, so Subaru shoppers can pick and choose their preference of features and cost within a narrow $10K price range. It’s very easy to get exactly what you want and avoid what you don’t want when shopping for a Forester.

As we mentioned before, the upcoming 2024 Forester will be called “All-New.” But that is not really true. It will look a lot like the current one, and have basically the same powertrain and a similar pricing scheme. The big difference will be the new infotainment setup now found in the 2024 Crosstrek. We liked it. The primary advantage is wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Explaining how the Subaru Forester “drives” is not as straightforward as with most vehicles since it can do so many different things. On pavement, on the highway, around town, and on your commute, the Forester is easy to live with. No bad habits. It is not the quietest or smoothest vehicle in its segment, but it also doesn’t stand out in any negative way. Now for the good parts.

On a road trip or country drive, the Forester is brilliant. The outstanding visibility makes the Forester a joy to experience. The Forester is perfectly sized for a family of four, a couple, or a single person to enjoy on a vacation or an adventure. You're not lugging around a huge tippy SUV, but driving in a crossover that is pleasant to drive.

When the pavement ends, the Forester is even better. On dirt roads, the Forester is among the best vehicles you can drive. On trails, it is capable, fun, and willing to tackle anything you are. It’s not a true off-road beast like a Wrangler or Bronco, but do you really want the compromises those come with? Every Forester, from Base to Wilderness, is great on any unpaved surface.

And then there are snow days. Glorious snow days. Instead of dreading snow as most car owners do, you will look forward to them. The Forester, particularly the Wilderness with its winter-rated tires, is a blast in powder. If it’s icy where you live, get some dedicated winter tires or even studs, and you are in the best possible winter vehicle made.

If you ski, snowboard, kayak, mountain bike, paddle board, fish, birdwatch, or anything along these lines, your Forester is your enthusiastic partner. When you get to the trailhead or boat launch, don’t be surprised if there is a row of Foresters already there waiting to greet you.

Safety is paramount for Subaru. Based on decades of reporting on safety news, we would rank Subaru tied with Mazda as the brand with the best SUV safety overall. This includes Volvo and the rest of the premium-priced brands. The Forester was tested in 2022 by IIHS and earned the highest possible rating, Top Safety Pick Plus.

For 2024, we expect its IIHS side-impact safety will be even better. IIHS has a new standard, and automakers have been preparing to ace it now for about five years. NHTSA tested the Forester in 2019 and blessed it with a full five-star rating across the board. It would not be an exaggeration to say the Forester is among the safest automobiles sold today.

Consumer Reports brands the 2023 Forester with its “Recommended” stamp, and for the most recent model year scored, the Forester earned a perfect 5/5 Reliability Score based on owner surveys. Since 2018, the Forester has not earned lower than a ⅘ reliability score at CR. That’s a darn good rating.

J.D. Power’s 2023 Durability Study put Subaru in the lower half of brands. However, Subaru did score higher than Volvo, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz.

The Forester offers shoppers quite a few options from its Base to Touring trim. The mid-priced Sport offers a good value package. We’ve never been impressed with Subaru’s leather seating, so we would consider avoiding the Limited and Touring for that reason. The panoramic moonroof is standard on all but the Base trim, and we like it, so we would skip the Base for that reason.

If you want the off-roady kit, the Wilderness makes good sense. The upholstery is novel and very nice. Not cloth and not leather, but very durable and pleasant to the touch and eye. How can you say no to having standard winter-rated tires plus a full-size spare in the Wilderness?! Wilderness trims also get a 3,000-pound tow rating (up from 1,500 lbs) Yes, please. The Wilderness is becoming very popular with Forester owners because if you are buying your Forester for its capabilities, there is little downside and many upsides.

Subaru offers one of the shortest vehicle warranty packages in America. Included maintenance is by region and does not include the Northeast, where Subaru is strongest.

• Basic: 3 years / 36k miles
• Powertrain: 5 years / 60k miles

Used Subaru Foresters are a gamble. Prior to 2018, the Consumer Reports reliability ratings drop. 2014 and 2017 have a very low ⅖ rating. 2006, 2008, and 2010 have the lowest ⅕ ratings. As you can see, there were some problems with older Foresters. These included oil consumption problems, head gasket issues, and a CVT glitch that resulted in an extended warranty program that ends at 100,000 miles. We would urge caution if you are considering a used Forester older than the model year 2018 or with more than 90,000 miles.

Editor's note and disclaimer: Car Talk is supported by our fans, readers and listeners. When you click on some of the links on our website, we may receive referral compensation. However, you should know that the recommendations we make are based on our independent editorial review and analyses.