Name: Subaru Forester (2025 onwards) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Rating: 0.0

Summary

The Subaru Forester is a medium-sized SUV/crossover that sits above the smaller Crosstrek in the Subaru family. This model is the latest sixth-generation, which went on sale in the UK in early 2025 and is only available with a 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid ‘e-Boxer’ engine.

The Forester has received UK review scores ranging from average to excellent, as British motoring outlets are in agreement that this iteration of the Forester is a marked improvement over the last.

“It might not look like much has changed on the surface”, says Car’s Jake Groves, “but this is a quieter and more comfortable family car to drive than before – and one that’s seen some tech improvements, too.”

The Carbuyer team concludes that the Subaru is likely to be “forgotten” by many buyers – struggling to stand out in a very competitive medium SUV category – but that it is a “dependable choice for countryside-dwellers”, pointing to the car’s off-road ability.

Highlighting the key criticisms of the Forester, Carwow’s Tom Wiltshire explains that the SUV “can handle some serious rough stuff – but it’s not very powerful or efficient.” Despite being a hybrid as standard, the Forester has one of the thirstiest engines in the medium SUV class.

As of August 2025, the Subaru Forester holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 63%. Beyond review scores, this overall rating is aided by a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and hindered by high running cost estimations.

Forester highlights

Durable and dependable build quality
Four-wheel drive as standard
Comfortable and spacious
Entry-level trim is well-equipped

Forester lowlights

Sluggish acceleration
Thirsty hybrid engine
Outdated infotainment design
Noticeable wind noise at higher speeds

Key specifications

Body style: Medium SUV/crossover
Engines: petrol-electric hybrid
Price: From £39,995 on-road

Launched: Spring 2025
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Featured reviews

“The Subaru Forester is a solid and practical SUV that can handle some serious rough stuff – but it’s not very powerful or efficient.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 8 / 10

Read full review

Carwow

Tom Wiltshire

“The new Subaru Forester SUV is an improvement over its predecessor, but is let down by a lack of powertrain options.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 8 / 10

Read full review

Auto Express

Jordan Katsianis

More reviews

Auto Express

Score: 7 / 10
“The new Subaru Forester SUV is an improvement over its predecessor, but is let down by a lack of powertrain options.”
Author: Alex Ingram
Read review

Business Car

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic Field
Score: 6 / 10
“The Subaru Forester SUV has its plus points but may struggle to appeal beyond Subaru’s existing customer base.”
Author: Sean Keywood
Read review

Car

Score: 8 / 10
“Subaru has gone about improving the Forester in the only way the brand knows: carefully, and with consideration. Like trimming a bonsai tree. It might not look like much has changed on the surface, but this is a quieter and more comfortable family car to drive than before – and one that’s seen some tech improvements, too. It’s still a bit soggy to drive, but it manages to feel tough and is impressively practical for the money.”
Author: Jake Groves
Read review

Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.8 / 10
“The Subaru Forester may often be forgotten by buyers, but four-wheel drive and a hybrid system make it a dependable choice for countryside-dwellers.”
Author: Charlie Harvey, Jordan Katsianis
Read review

Heycar

Score: 7 / 10
“Left-field SUV that’s decent value.”
Author: Matt Robinson
Read review

Parkers

Score: 7.4 / 10
“Interesting, rugged and still outclassed by its best rivals.”
Author: Keith Adams, Jake Groves
Read review

The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic Touring
Score: 6 / 10
“Useful but not desirable.”
Author: James Fossdyke
Read review

The Telegraph

“The Subaru Forester is still a formidable off-roader but a ‘more evolution than revolution’ refresh brings as many questions as answers.”
Author: Alex Robbins
Read review

Top Gear

Score: 7 / 10
“For a car built to venture off the beaten track, the latest Subaru Forester sticks to familiar territory: comfy, spacious and dependable.”
Author: Paul Horrell
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: December 2024
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 83%
Child protection: 89%
Vulnerable road users: 86%
Safety assist: 72%

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of July 2025, the Subaru Forester has not been assessed by Green NCAP.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score
Petrol models	35 mpg	D

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	183 g/km	D

The Subaru Forester is a relatively expensive car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

We currently have a limited picture of the Forester’s running costs, with no servicing and insurance cost data as of yet. That said, the model’s average fuel economy of 35mpg makes it one of the thirstiest options in the medium SUV class, and is particularly poor when compared to other hybrid models of this size.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of July 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Subaru Forester to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Forester, we’ll publish the results here.

Warranty rating

New car warranty information for the Subaru Forester

Overall ratingD31%
Petrol or diesel modelsE17%
Electric or hybrid modelsC56%
New car warranty duration3 years
New car warranty mileage60,000 miles
Battery warranty duration8 years
Battery warranty mileage100,000 miles

Subaru’s new car warranty is fairly basic, and worse than rival brands in a similar price bracket as the Forester.

The duration is three years, with a limit of 60,000 miles. In addition to the standard new car warranty, the hybrid version has an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.

If you are purchasing an ‘Approved Used’ Subaru Forester from an official Subaru dealership, you should get a minimum one-year/unlimited mileage warranty included. If you are buying a used Forester from an independent dealership, any warranty offered will probably be managed by a third-party warranty company and the terms may vary. If you are buying a used Forester from a private seller, there are no warranty protections beyond anything that may be left on the original new car warranty.

If you’re looking to buy a used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.

Recalls

Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Subaru Forester

As of July 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Subaru Forester. However, this information is updated very regularly so this may have changed.

You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Subaru dealer.