Starts at $27,095
FAST FACTS
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2024 Subaru Forester that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
One of the bigger surprises in Subaru's lineup is that the compact Forester and the ostensibly subcompact Crosstrek share the same wheelbase length. The Forester's body is about six inches longer and five inches taller, which is where its more generous interior accommodations come from. But because the two also use nearly the same powertrain, the heavier Forester ends up being slower to accelerate than the 2.5-liter Crosstrek. In any case, acceleration is perhaps the main factor holding the Forester back, as it's strong across the board in other respects.
Make it make sense, Subaru — the Forester Wilderness is about 165 pounds heavier than the base Forester and rides on knobby all-terrain tires, yet it's appreciably quicker to 60 mph. Well, it does make sense when you consider that the Forester Wilderness gets its own off-road spec of the CVT that effectively has shorter gearing (it's a CVT; it's complicated), which enables it to leap off the line more aggressively. Okay, "leap" is too strong, but the modest acceleration boost is a nice bonus. You also get a 3,000-pound towing capacity, which doubles up the rest of the lineup.
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Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008, personally driving most new cars on the market every year since. He also served as the project manager for Edmunds' expert vehicle rankings from their inception in 2018, building the product out from the back end to the front end. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has tested, compared and critiqued a ridiculous number of cars in his career.
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