2019 Subaru Forester | The Right CUV For You? | TestDriveNow

[@TechGently]

Wife and I are considering moving to Vermont, family lives there and we just bought a Subaru Forester Premium, has cloth seats but very comfortable. came with both the optional packages.

[@bg1379]

I find the Forester Premium to be a much more agreeable car than the CR-V and helped someone who just wanted a comfortable CUV choose the former a few months back. The ride seemed nicer, as did the tech and the visibility. I wholeheartedly appreciate your perspective and insight even though I disagree with your conclusions!

[@TechGently]

After my CRV broke down 6 times (I just ended up with a lemon I guess), I went with the Subaru, feel more confident with this car. I had oil problems, head unit issues, brake issues, etc less than 40k miles on the car w extended warranty that was useless.

[@mariamiller1770]

I've just added a 2020 Forester Limited to our stable which also includes a 2017 Rav4 and a 2018 Rogue. The Forester's tech feels like I'm in a space ship. Buttons ARE everywhere and it's taken about 500 miles to figure most of it out. The OEM Falkens are about as stable as a beach ball, I dont like the way the car fails to groove on the freeway and can't wait to put some Michelins on it. Mpg in mixed city/country has been 31. I find the ride refined and composed at 50 mph.

[@Doc1855]

On 12/11/22 I bought a 19 Forester Touring with only 4,700 miles. It’s Sephia Bronze with Brown leather interior. The previous owner is a maintenance guy, like me. At 1,300 miles he had Michelin Cross Country tires installed. We get 5-6 feet of snow every winter so good snow tires are a must. These X Climate tires are awesome on snow, ice, mud, wet and dry roads. Just getting up our private road in the winter would be considered light off roading and the tires handle it well. I’m so happy with my Forester. My previous car was a 11 Rav 4WD Limited with the 3.5 V6. The Subaru AWD system is far superior over any other AWD or 4WD vehicle we’ve owned. My wife’s car is a 19 Outback and we can’t say enough good things about our Subaru’s. Just maintain them WELL and they’ll last 250-300K miles. One thing about a Subaru, you MUST change the oil every 6 months or 6K miles. I change my oil every 6 months as I only drive 5-6K miles a year.

[@717dash_cam]

So a few things. The shade on the moonroof will come forward, there are two settings when the glass is open, the furthest back will return the shade; honestly why open the shade all the way when if glass isn’t open... the glass doesn’t vent here. Usually keep it closed for insulation purposes. Switchgear, I personally prefer the individual switches, you may not need them often, but when you do it’s probably on the fly so fussing with settings menus makes it a pain; top that with the eyesight setting menu being locked out when the car isn’t in Park. I feel the ride is better than the current gen Rav4, and quieter too. It’s an SUV not a sports car so super connected steering isn’t really a necessity. I have had a few hiccups where the transmission jolts with liftoff at low speed, I don’t particularly care about driver focus. Looks are subjective but Subaru’s in general aren’t gonna win beauty contests. Loved my 09 Legacy, probably one of the best looking Subaru’s made. Overall it’s built and fulfills the purpose of being a practical appliance. My biggest gripes are more functional. I don’t care for the shape of the center stack vents, storage cubbies need to be bigger. Screw wireless charging until we get wireless CarPlay. I also have a few programming logic gripes. My biggest so far is the power rear hatch disabling.

[@aayonce4]

Regarding your comment about the amount of switch gear, and excessive amount of inputs needed to access information.. I'd like to applaud them for giving the driver something ti play with while driving it makes for a more enjoyable ride when you feel in control of everything .

[@paulhenry913]

Disagree withe the ride comfort. I think it has the best ride in the Subaru lineup currently and that includes the Ascent that seemed harder and nosier. Also, it it very quiet inside especially in Touring trim. My experience with the CVT is it was smooth and had soft shifts vs the Ascent 's lurching and surging

[@stevehammes]

Good point on the ride comfort...it's nuanced. I feel like in most situations the ride quality is very good (I did a poor job of articulating that) but over potholes and stretches of really rough road the Forester's suspension has an unforgiving harshness to it that isn'y simpatico with its price.

[@wind7sailor]

Now if they just offered a stronger optional engine option, I'd probably be a buyer. Hoping for 2020

[@stefanfalldorf6573]

I like buttons much more than all that Idrive crap. I was once with a BMW 6 Series with a 160mph on the Autobahn and wanted to switch the sound on the radio. So I had to go through that stupid menu instead of pressing a button when I was driving a Mercedes E-Class (W211).

[@damiienevo4053]

The Color of the outside and inside are beautiful. That combined with all wheel drive might be enough

[@Tinrs80]

Thanx for Takin time for the Review man.

[@bextar6365]

He gives..About 5 pros and 50 cons..

[@stevehammes]

Thanks for watching it!

[@kentsutton4973]

To each their own. Seriously considered all the vehicles in the class with no brand loyalty and ended with a Forester Sport. There really are only minor differences. The Mazda and CRV did feel more sporty, but I wasn't as confident off road or in poor conditions. I had concerns on the Cherokee's long term reliability and very poor cargo space. It came down to the Forester and Rav4. The Rav4 styling felt like it was trying too hard, but the kicker was value. Ultimately this class is not forever cars, I couldn't justify spending $10k more on a similarly equipped Rav4 to get 20 hp and ditch the CVT. So far happy with the Subaru.

[@TechGently]

Funny story (I know you posted 10 months ago though), wife and I went to an apple festival and parking was up a little hill, a few Jeeps and a Subaru were on the hill, I tried to get up the incline and my CR-V wouldn't have it. Subaru was made for it. CVT's unfortunately but meh, my 2020 Forester, I'm not looking to win any races.

[@themiddle-4614]

Tom voelk & you best car reviewers in the business and you guy's really deserve more subscribers، big fan from iraq.

[@mohammedsami7080]

ها عراقي.....ياهلا ....ههههه

[@stevehammes]

Thanks! Really appreciate it!

[@K03sport]

What about those of us in the US that want a Levorg vs a CUV? Why can't Subaru bring it to us as a WRX wagon? So why does an interior like this have to be on the $35k trim and not the $29-30k trim? However, it doesn't really matter as the CVT is the biggest put off to me in this vehicle despite all of the positive changes made.

[@stevehammes]

Seriously, bring back the Baja! Perfect timing.

[@K03sport]

@@stevehammes... Agree very much so, and I know of at least two ppl who would buy one on day 1 of availability... I realize federalization of cars is expensive, but engine/chassis sharing minimize the expense/costs.

[@miguelircontar]

This actually looks good

[@libertystuffnthingsreviews829]

You almost had me piss my pants when you talked about the interior buttons then transitioned to maple syrup!

[@tntmyth]

I am looking at the Forester vs the CR-V as I want a high mpg compact SUV. The Honda is nice and there is a general concensus that it performs better than the Subaru. But there has been a lot of bad publicity about the alleged engine oil dilution. I don't know if that would affect a car driven in mostly warm temperatures. The Forester has the possible advantage of a normally aspirated engine. The Honda gets essentially the same horse power out of a 1.5 liter. I have to admit it makes me wonder if that high compression 1.5 liter is being stressed to much and might develop problems few years down the road if the oil dilution issue is not present from the get go. The Subaru has better visibility and the same mileage as the CR-V.

[@stevehammes]

You can't use fear of mechanical issues as your criteria. Heck, Subaru has been named in a class-action suit that models equipped with the 2.0- and 2.5-liter engines may contain defective piston rings in the engine, which causes excessive oil consumption. If AWD is super-important to where you drive than the Forester is the better choice. And its visibility is superior to the competition. If you prefer your drive with a little zip and a much more honed driving feel than the CR-V is clearly the right choice.

[@okellodennis1199]

Great car you complain to much

[@martinbusler8113]

Not sure if you ever read Consumer Reports. They found the Forester the top small SUV. Seems you would disagree with them.

[@stevehammes]

CR rates their vehicles based on a set of criteria that sometimes leaves me shaking my head.

[@rolan2dr]

Good honest review. I like it. Not another of those "The forester is great and has no flaws"

[@AhmedAhmed-od7mx]

Hey Steve, is Google demonetizing your videos? I haven’t seen an ad on your videos for a long time. I don’t mind watching an ad for some channels so you can make a living Ps: great review just like always

[@stevehammes]

Geez...don't scare me like that ;-) All is good on the YT front. Not sure why you're not seeing ads but good for you!

[@AhmedAhmed-od7mx]

TestDriveNow Reviews by Auto Critic Steve Hammes I’m glad to hear that all is well at your end. Keep up the good work.

[@stevehammes]

Thanks, Ahmed!

[@JOHNch4.v.v.7to10]

A MOST HONEST REVIEW. THANKS.

[@stevehammes]

You got it!

[@76carmel]

Bring this vehicle to that sister of yours. I'd like to see her contrast her CR-V with this Forester. (She might like it.) Would like to see Subaru make a 2.4 XT in the future for the Forester... similar turbo engine in the Ascent and the next model year's redesigned Outback and Legacy (their unlevel engines that replace the 3.6L H-6).

[@stevehammes]

She owns a 2016 CR-V!

[@76carmel]

@@stevehammes comparison test...

[@stevethorne4978]

Hey weren't you the weather guy on WRGB?

[@stevehammes]

That was me...20 years ago.

[@jonnykromps9836]

Another great review bud! I look forward to every new one you release

[@stevehammes]

Thanks!!

[@TJC450]

I like the saddle brown seats. But that’s about it.

[@stevehammes]

Exactly!

[@MOO-ty5kz]

Most people who complains are oldman usually don't even know how to use there smartphone..🤣

[@stevehammes]

I am old but I’m proficient at smartphone 😉

[@TechGently]

Tom Voelk's twin! (Driven) Wouldn't be able to tell the difference with my eyes closed.

[@bosse641]

If they only could offer a manual transmission. And more power.

[@stevehammes]

That would help.

[@stephenhendricks103]

Hey, Steve. Considering where you (and I) live, I know you realize you risk alienating friends and neighbors with a negative comment about any Subaru. I'm not a big Subaru fan either but like politics and religion it's not a topic I bring up at Thanksgiving dinner. Here in the Pacific Northwest Subar-ites qualify as a cult. A very nice and polite cult but a cult nonetheless. So kudos for your bravery. :) As you note, Subaru understands its customer base and gives them what they want. In the past Subaru owners typically had to sacrifice interior quality and other bells and whistles to pay for standard full-time AWD. That sacrifice seems less obvious in their most recent models. On the other hand, as you note, it looks like Subaru has sprinkled controls all over the driver space without much thought to a coherent design. In any event the dorky styling of the Forester (which Subar-ites love) provides an awesome amount of overall cargo space for the compact class. Even more than the CR-V and over 25% more than the CX-5. More even than the Mazda CX-9. The Forester has added considerable bulk as it has reached middle age. (Similar, I suspect, to many of its owners). And with the Ascent now available Subaru's Outback is being squeezed on both sides. From the looks of the 2020 version it appears Subaru is hoping to attract buyers with more stylish looks. It will be interesting to see how well it works. All in all, I found your review to be a fair assessment of the Forester. Just one piece of advice. Don't walk into a bar around the Puget Sound and proclaim its weaknesses. Subar-ites are polite but it doesn't take much to upset them. :)

[@stevehammes]

Ha!!! So true! This made me laugh. But I've got tough skin...so bring it! ;-)

[@mohammedsami7080]

Subaru hater: you don't have the best SUV of the year. Subaru: well we don't because its not even an SUV Hater: what a heck is it then ?! Subaru: It's and CUV we made a genra for our cqrs to be best at..... *wears thugs life glasses 👓*

[@uberenthusiasts]

*crickets*

[@hoderharris]

Steve , excellent review. You nailed the idiosyncrasies of Subaru perfectly. I personally do not like the brand for the reasons you mentioned. You are the best in the business.

[@stevehammes]

Wow! Thanks Hoder!

[@index6738]

One day Subaru will surprise us with modern styling. So Japanese boxy.

[@HackHunter1835]

360p ??? Why? What happened to your video' quality?

[@stevehammes]

You got here too early! YT takes a while to process.

[@HackHunter1835]

@@stevehammes Roger that.

[@minniesaab7255]

👍🏻🚘

[@adrianharvey3511]

I have never had any appetite for a Subaru except the turbo wrx and the new 3 rd row suv.. other than that Subaru’s are boring in so many ways.. sad because they dnt look bad