How Much Is the 2026 Subaru Forester?
Subaru redesigned its popular Forester SUV for 2025, adding fresh tech and a degree of refinement that was missing from its predecessor. For 2026, the off-road-oriented Wilderness trim migrates to the new platform after lingering on the last-generation architecture in 2025, and all Foresters benefit from an updated center console that can now fit the 32-ounce water bottles Americans are so fond of carrying everywhere.
Availability and Pricing
The 2026 Subaru Forester goes on sale in the fall. The base MSRP of the 2026 model is unchanged from ‘25, but the destination charge every buyer must pay increases by $55, to $1,450. Full pricing is as follows:
- Base: $31,445
- Premium: $34,835
- Sport: $37,555
- Wilderness: $39,835
- Limited: $39,145
- Touring: $43,045
What Are the 2026 Subaru Forester’s Trim Levels?
The entry-level Forester rides on 17-inch wheels and has LED headlights, remote keyless entry, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, a manually tilt/telescoping steering column and dual-zone automatic climate control. Its touchscreen infotainment system consists of two 7-inch displays, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and four speakers.
The Premium trim adds X-Mode to the standard all-wheel-drive system, which varies drivetrain settings for improved traction on slippery surfaces. It also gains a panoramic moonroof, LED foglights, heated side mirrors, windshield-wiper de-icers, and keyless entry and start. Inside, the Premium features upgraded cloth, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats and a single 11.6-inch touchscreen with six speakers.
Subaru’s signature AWD system is again upgraded for the Sport trim, which gains X-Mode Dual Mode with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud settings to better manage traction in those conditions. It also gains paddles mounted to the steering wheel for shifting through eight ratios, as well as bronze 19-inch wheels, gray synthetic leather with brown stitching, and additional safety technology.
The Forester Wilderness sits 0.6 inch higher than the rest of the Forester lineup, with 9.3 inches of ground clearance versus its siblings’ 8.7 inches, for improved approach, departure and breakover angles — helpful for not scraping the underbody over rough terrain. It also features a skid plate and matte-black 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, unique exterior styling with copper accents, and rear tow hooks. Copper stitching on the seats and elsewhere in the cabin mirrors the exterior trim.
The Limited rides on 18-inch wheels and adds a hands-free power liftgate. Its cabin is overhauled with perforated leather upholstery, a power-adjustable front passenger seat and a heated steering wheel.
At the top of the Forester hierarchy is the Touring. It rides on 19-inch wheels and gains driver’s seat memory settings, heated and ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, navigation and an 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, as well as more standard safety features.
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Standard and Available Safety Features
Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite is standard on the 2026 Forester. It includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist and automatic high beams. Emergency steering assist is optional on the Premium trim level and standard from Sport on up. The Sport trim also includes blind spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert. The Wilderness includes a wide-angle front camera to ease entry onto crowded streets, as well as reverse automatic braking. The latter is not included on the Limited but reappears on the Touring along with a 360-degree camera system and a driver attention monitor.
What Are the 2026 Subaru Forester’s Powertrain Specs and MPG?
The sole powertrain available in the 2026 Forester is a 2.5-liter flat-four engine making 180 horsepower and 178 pounds-feet of torque. It’s teamed with a continuously variable automatic transmission and standard AWD. For 2025, Base and Premium Foresters returned an EPA-estimated 26/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined, while the Sport and Touring were rated at 25/32/28 mpg; with its all-terrain tires and taller stance, the Wilderness checked in at 25/28/26 mpg. Subaru expects fuel economy to be the same for all but the Wilderness, which will lose 1 mpg city (official EPA estimates, however, are not yet available).
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