Name: Subaru Forester (2025 onwards) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Subaru Forester
Rating: 61.0

Summary

The Subaru Forester is a medium-sized SUV that sits above the smaller Crosstrek in the Subaru range. The current sixth-generation model arrived in the UK in early 2025, powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine with mild hybrid assistance and a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Like most Subarus, the Forester has a fairly specific audience in mind. Permanent all-wheel drive, generous ground clearance and dedicated off-road systems give it genuine ability on rough tracks, muddy roads and slippery surfaces. Unlike many family SUVs that simply look rugged, the Forester is quite capable of venturing beyond the tarmac.

It’s also a comfortable and practical family car, with plenty of passenger space, good visibility and easy access thanks to its upright body and relatively high seating position. The latest generation is noticeably more pleasant to drive than the smaller Crosstrek, with better steering and a more settled ride.

Unfortunately, the Forester still feels behind the times in several important areas. The petrol engine is noisy and sluggish, particularly when paired with the continuously variable automatic gearbox, while the mild hybrid system offers little meaningful electric driving. Fuel consumption is poor for a modern family SUV, especially one marketed as a hybrid.

The interior also looks dated compared with newer rivals, with old-fashioned displays, awkward touchscreen controls and a rather uninspiring mixture of materials. Given the Forester’s relatively high price, these shortcomings are difficult to overlook.

As of October 2026, the Subaru Forester holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 61%, and a Used Car Expert Rating of C, at 64%.

Safety is its strongest area, earning an A-grade rating of 85% thanks in part to an excellent five-star Euro NCAP result. Elsewhere, the picture is less impressive. Media reviews average 54% (D-grade), while environmental performance, running costs and warranty cover are also rated D. There isn’t yet sufficient reliability data to produce a reliability rating.

The Forester remains an interesting choice for buyers who genuinely need its all-wheel-drive and rough-road capability, particularly in rural areas. For everyone else, there are more economical, sophisticated and better-value family SUVs available.

Forester highlights

Genuine off-road ability and permanent all-wheel drive
Five-star Euro NCAP safety performance
Spacious cabin with excellent visibility
Comfortable seats and easy access
Good ride quality on most roads

Forester lowlights

Noisy and sluggish engine/automatic gearbox combination
Poor fuel economy despite hybrid assistance
Dated dashboard and touchscreen controls
Relatively high purchase price
Short three-year new car warranty

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 offers excellent visibility, comfort, plenty of space and genuine off-road ability, but its noisy gearbox, dated interior, disappointing fuel economy and high price let it down.”

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic Touring

Score: 5.8 / 10

Read full review

The Car Expert

Stuart Masson

“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

More reviews

Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The latest Subaru Forester is an improvement over its predecessor, but it’s let down by a lack of powertrain options.”
Author: Shane Wilkinson, Jordan Katsianis
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 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

The Times

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic Touring
Score: 6 / 10
“Useful but not desirable.”
Author: James Fossdyke
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 October 2026, 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 October 2026, 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 ratingD25%
Petrol or diesel modelsE13%
Electric or hybrid modelsC47%
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 October 2026, 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.