OVERALL SCORE !ECOMMENDED R FEBRUARY 2019 2019 Subaru Forester 88 #1 of 15 Compact Sport ...

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OVERALL SCORE

! RECOMMENDED

2019 Subaru Forester

88

CR MPG Overall 28/ City 20/ Hwy 38 mpg #1 of 15 Compact Sport-utility Vehicles

88

41

RANGE OF TESTED LARGE CARS

88

ROAD TEST

90/100

PREDICTED RELIABILITY

PREDICTED OWNER SATISFACTION

FRONTAL CRASH PREVENTION

4/5

4/5 Fwd Collision Warning

Auto Brakes City

Auto Brakes Highway

Standard Standard Standard

Road Test Results

Performance

Acceleration 0 to 60 mph (sec.) Transmission

9.2 sec

Fuel Economy

CR's Overall Mileage CR's City Mileage CR's Highway Mileage Annual Fuel Cost

Braking

28 mpg 20 mpg 38 mpg $1,030

Emergency Handling

Comfort/Convenience

Ride Noise Front Seat Comfort Rear Seat Comfort Interior Fit & Finish Trunk/Cargo Area

Owner Reports

WORSE

BETTER

Reliability History

3/5

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

2 33 23545

4/5

4/5

Reliability Trouble Spots

This car is new and detailed reliability trouble spots will be available at a later date.

Engine Major

N/A

Engine Minor

N/A

5/5

Engine Cooling

N/A

3/5

Owner Satisfaction

This car is new and detailed owner satisfaction will be available at a later date.

4/5

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

3/5

3 3 3 x x x 5 N/A

4/5

5/5

4/5

Driving Experience

3/5

Comfort

Value

75/100 61/100 73/100

Road Test

The updated Subaru Forester is a smart, well-executed small SUV that boasts a roomy interior, great fuel economy, and plenty of standard safety equipment.

Beneath the familiar exterior design, Subaru has made a lot of improvements without altering the SUV's sensible, no-nonsense character. The ride is comfortable and supple, the steering is responsive, and there's little body lean around corners.

The standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is a little more powerful but that doesn't make the Forester any quicker. Sprinting from 0-60 mph takes 9.2 sec--which puts it on the slow side compared to other small SUVs. In the real world, however, the Forester has enough power to pass and merge successfully. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) has been refined to be less obtrusive, but drivers still hear a pronounced engine buzz under acceleration.

Fuel economy is impressive at 28 mpg overall, tying the Honda CR-V EX for the best mileage of any small SUV that isn't a diesel or a hybrid.

Ride and handling have also improved. The Forester is adept at absorbing road imperfections, making it one of the better riding in the category. And yet, it benefits from responsive handling with less body roll and quicker steering than the previous version when rounding corners. The spacious interior has controls that are easy to use, plenty of headroom, and some of the best visibility of any new vehicle. The driving position helps provide a commanding view of the road ahead. Most versions come with a power seat that is comfortable and supportive, thanks in part to its adjustable lumbar support.

As is often true for Subaru, the controls are simple to reach and use.

The latest infotainment system is intuitive and responds quickly. It is also compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

On the utility front, the split seats fold nearly flat, leaving a slightly inclined surface for cargo. Opening the power liftgate exposes a wide, square-shaped space that can swallow a fair amount of bulky warehouse-store items. There's even enough space with the rear seat folded down to fit a bicycle with both wheels on.

The Forester falters only when it comes to refinement. Despite upgraded soft-touch surfaces and additional padding, some interior materials look cheap. But what the SUV lacks in panache it makes up for in practicality.

Forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist come standard.

Best Version to Get

The Premium trim is a good place to start since it includes blind-spot warning, a power driver's seat, rear air vents, sunroof and alloy wheels.

For additional convenience and luxury items such as leather upholstery, bigger infotainment screen, and dual-zone automatic climate control, the Limited trim is the way to go.

Notable changes: The Forester is all new for 2019. We're pleased to see that Subaru's Eyesight suite of advanced safety features is now standard on all trims.

To read the full road test go to subaru/forester/2019/road-test.

Highs

Lows

Fuel economy

Engine noise

Great visibility

Roomy interior

Easy Controls

(#S0657516-6) Reprinted with permission from ? 2018, Consumer Reports. This reprint does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of any product, service, company, or organization. Consumer Reports is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers make informed choices about products, services, and safety. For complete reviews, articles, tips, and

recommendations go to or call 800-333-0663 to subscribe. Do not edit or alter this reprint in any fashion. Reproductions are not permitted.

Rec. Predicted reliability Owner satisfaction Front-crash prevention Road-test score Overall mpg Acceleration 0-60 mph, sec. Dry braking 60-0 mph, ft. Avoidance maneuver speed, mph Routine handling Ride Noise Seat comfort front/rear Controls Luggage, suitcases+duffels/ cargo volume, cu.ft.

FEBRUARY 2019

Ratings Use the Overall Score Start your car shopping by reviewing models that have the highest Overall Scores, then use our detailed ratings to narrow your list.

Make & Model

Overall Score

Survey Results

Safety

Road-Test Results

COMPACT SUVs

!0 Subaru Forester Premium !0 Mazda CX-5 Touring !0 Honda CR-V EX (1.5T) !0 Nissan Rogue SV !0 Volkswagen Tiguan SE !0 Kia Sportage LX (2.4L)

Ford Escape SE (1.5T)

Chevrolet Equinox LT (1.5T)

*Indicates miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe).

88

40 40 Std./ 50 90 28 9.2 130 53.0 40 40 30 40 /50 50 36.5

81

40 40 Std./ x0 80 24 8.6 133 54.0 40 40 40 40 /40 40 30.5

76

30 40 Opt. 82 28 8.2 137 52.0 40 30 40 40 /50 40 36.0

73

30 20 Std./ 50 74 24 9.5 134 54.0 30 40 30 30/40 50 31.5

72

30 30 Opt. 84 25 10.3 131 52.0 40 40 40 40 /50 40 33.0

69

30 30 Opt. 78 23 9.6 128 52.5 40 30 30 40 /40 50 29.5

67

30 30 Opt. 75 23 10.1 132 50.0 40 40 40 30/30 50 34.0

66

30 30 Opt. 78 25 9.6 132 53.0 40 40 40 40 /40 50 32.0

HOW WE TEST: Recommended models did well in our Overall Score, which factors in Road-Test Results, Predicted reliability, Owner satisfaction, and Safety, which includes crash-test

results and the availability of frontcrash prevention features, such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. NA means no such safety system is

offered; Opt. means it's available but not as standard equipment. We also rate models from 3 to 5 based on how many advanced safety features come standard. We deduct points

if a model's gear selector lacks failsafes or is difficult to operate. AllAccess or Digital members can go to cars for complete ratings.

10 20 30 40 50

WORSE

BETTER

!0

RECOMMENDED

(#S067516-5)) Reprinted with permission from the February 2019 edition of Consumer Reports ? 2019 Consumer Reports. This reprint does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of any product, service, company, or organization. Consumer Reports is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers make informed choices about products, services, and safety. For complete reviews,

articles, tips, and recommendations go to or call 800-333-0663 to subscribe. Do not edit or alter this reprint in any fashion. Reproductions are not permitted.

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