The Subaru Forester: The All-Encompassing Used SUV

In the same way that you’d use a multi-tool to get a job done, why not do the same with your next vehicle? At Subaru of Troy, we’re one of the highest-rated used Subaru dealerships in the greater area of Troy, NY. Here, we’ve got all of the info on the SUV that we consider to be the multi-tool of the automotive industry: The Subaru Forester. Are you looking for a used Subaru, and do you want a vehicle that will be your daily driver for both the average day and special occasions like vacations? The Forester has a long history with Subaru, dating back to the late 1990s, meaning there’s anything but a shortage of models to choose from when you’re shopping for a pre-owned Forester. The chances are, however, you’re not interested in a Forester from the late 1990s; you’re interested in something more recent, albeit something that won’t break the bank at the same time.

Fortunately for shoppers such as yourself, used Forester models are as capable as they’re abundant. While the modern-day 2022 Forester may be appealing to the eye on the surface, you don’t have to buy the newest model to get even a fraction of the capabilities you’ll get if you spend the money on a brand-new Forester. Purchasing a Forester before 2019 can not only save you money, but it could also outperform the newer Forester by a large margin, and we’ll explain why.

An Improvement to Performance

As we mentioned earlier, purchasing a model before 2019 can boost your performance significantly. What do we mean by that? For starters, the newest Forester you can purchase, the 2022 model, only allows for a 2.5L 4-Cyl boxer engine paired to a Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission (CVT.) Boxer engines have advantages such as better thermal dissipation and generally better handling, and in the case of the 2022 Forester, the result of this engine is 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque.

Don’t get us wrong, the newer Foresters certainly have ample performance, and mind you, this was the only available powertrain for 2019, 2020, and 2021 models too. Models produced between 2014 and 2018, on the other hand, were available with either a 2.5L 4-Cyl boxer engine or a turbocharged 2.0L 4-Cyl boxer engine. With these engines, your powertrain will consist of either an aforementioned CVT or a 6-speed manual transmission, the latter of which simply can’t be found on the newer models.

The base powertrain in the models released between 2014 and 2018, the 2.5L 4-Cyl boxer engine, produces 170 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque, which is not as wide as a margin against the newest Forester as you’d expect, with only a mere 6.6% and 1% decrease to horsepower and torque respectively. However, this is where you’ll learn that the models that span these four years, and even the models released as far back as 2007, allow for turbocharged boxer engines that make the newer models look far less powerful as a result. This turbocharged 2.0L 4-Cyl boxer engine produces 250 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque between the model years of 2014 and 2018, which offers a 37% and 46.6% increase in horsepower and torque, even against the priciest 2022 Forester.

But what if you wanted to go back even further and save even more money? As mentioned, a turbocharged 2.5L 4-Cyl boxer engine has been available in models as far back as 2007, and this engine produced the same 224 hp and 226 lb-ft of torque up until 2013. So rest assured, if there’s one thing that you won’t be missing with a pre-owned Forester, it’s performance.

Stow and Tow

The Forester has always had some sense of capability, ranging from its tremendous cargo capacity to its entry-level towing performance. The chances are that you’re not purchasing the Forester with a dedicated mindset of heavy towing, but in the times when you would like to tow, you can expect a maximum tow capacity of 1,500 lbs on pre-owned models such as the 2018 and 2021, among many others. Although newer models such as the 2022 Forester have made advancements in this regard, bringing the towing capacity of the newest model up to 3,000 lbs, something that we can expect to see from here on out as these models slowly enter the used market.

What you are interested in is likely the available cargo space that your SUV will give you. After all, SUVs are supposed to be spacious, and Subaru has done wonders with this mindset. Keep in mind that compact SUVs, while SUVs in name, sometimes fail to live up to the hype with an interior size that could only be described as inadequate. With the Forester, however, you can always rely on some level of versatility with impressive cargo space at your disposal. For example, if you purchase a model such as the 2018 Forester, you’ll be getting a maximum of 34.4 cu.-ft. with the seats folded up, such as when you’re driving with four other passengers. Folding them down more than doubles this number to an impressive 74.7 cu ft. It’s worth noting that Forester models with the moonroof will offer slightly less cargo room, with the 2018 model with the moonroof turning in cargo space between 31.5 and 68.5 cu-ft.

Stepping down to an even older Forester model will have some surprising results. While the cargo space without the moonroof is more akin to the newer models with the moonroof, with the 2013 Forester offering between 33.5 to 68.3 cu-ft, the 2013 Forester can also tow up to 2,400 lbs with the right packages. The most surprising part of all is that the newest Forester, the 2022 model, only has 28.9 cu-ft of space with the backseats folded up but retains an ample 74.2 cu-ft of space when down. Things get worse for the newer Forester should the moonroof be installed, thanks to a rather upsetting 26.9 cu-ft of space. Between the 2018 and 2022 Forester models, there was a 13.7% decrease in cargo space for models without the moonroof and a 12% loss for models with the moonroof.

Pre-Owned Makes More Sense

While not especially true for every vehicle in the industry, Subaru models age gracefully thanks to the forward-looking mindset of its engineers. The Forester is a perfect example of when a vehicle manufacturer keeps a strong vision for one vehicle and enhances its concept each year until it’s the very best compact SUV that it can be. There’s never been any real reason to discredit the Forester. From its excellent performance and generous fuel efficiency to its spacious interior and durable design, the Forester is everything you’d want in a Compact SUV.

Thanks to the wide range of available Forester models, purchasing one has never been easier, and there are Forester models to fit your budget without missing out on the performance, efficiency, or capability of many of the later models. If you’re going to be shopping for any vehicle this year, especially if you’re interested in an SUV, then why not go with the Forester? Best of all, acquiring your Forester has also never been easier, especially if you shop with the right dealership, which you’ve found here at Subaru of Troy.