2009 Subaru Forester consumer reviews

Not only was it luxurious with all the bells and whistles, sunroof, heated seats, 6 cd player, all the options, but it was affordable. And then sadly I totalled it. I ran into a tree head first and then skidded backward across a highway and hit a fence with the backend and then it rolled half over and back. I didn't get a scratch. Not even a piece of glass hit me and all the windows busted out. There are so many safety features like these curtains that came down and protected me from the glass and of course all the airbags. It was completely ruined except for the driver and passenger seat areas. They were like a cocoon. I never got to see the back seats but I am sure they were protected also. This is what you want to drive to keep yourself and your family safe. And its a nice looking and tricked out vehicle too.

Comfortable, great interior (I own the limited ed), great smooth ride. Looks great and also great space inside.

Car is clean, Well maintained,. Spoke to previous owners so have a good idea of maintenance. Runs great and is fun to drive.

Great family vehicle, roomy for work or gear. Precise handling. Not a lot of road noise, and comfortable seats. Love it.

Good safe and reliable vehicle for a new driver has ample. Horsepower and options. Good vehicle to drive during inclement weather conditions

The Forester is ugly. That is the worst part. It is peppy, but not fast. Really roomy inside. Subaru's are very reliable. I appreciate the simplicity of the layout. I am not an airplane pilot, I just want to turn on the heat or AC and turn down the radio. All that other stuff seems a bit much. The Forester provides excellent ergonomics.

In the 6 years I've owned this SUV, it has been very reliable, economical and capable. I drive in mountain terrain in the winter and encounter deep snow, heavy rain, and muddy roads. The Forester conquers all of these without breaking a sweat. In addition, as a daily driver, it's comfortable and convenient with enough interior room to haul most anything I need to.

Very helpful from 2003 with my 2004 Forester through my now 2009 Forester. Several friends have bought one also.

On paper, the stats of the 2009 Subaru Forester is far from impressive. A 2.5L Flat Four-cylinder engine that manages to pump out 170 hp and stretch a 0-60 time to 9.7 secs. But almost ten years and over 130,000 miles later, it is evident that this Subaru was not meant for speed but consistent reliability with surprising capabilities. Start off with the design. Subaru hit this generation of Forester design on the head so well that almost 8 years and 2 cycles later, the design has barely changed. The major changes seem to be seen in the headlights and tail lights. The previous generation was short and wagon-ey, but this Forester almost started the movement for tall wagons with flat fours although turbos are more mainstream now. The major winning point for this car is the symmetrical AWD system in that it doesn't fail in its simplicity. It just works, whether is going over parking lot curbs or off-road trails with gravel and mud, the wheels just manage to turn and move the car along. And nothing breaks, but if it did, it was not a major problem. This car just hummed along for the last 130,000 miles with regular petrol, regular oil changes, and regular brake pads and tires. The only major service that needed to be done was a re-tuning of the engine- courtesy of Subaru due to a recall and a failing catalyst converter that seems to have failed for many other owners online. The replacement costs ranged from $600-1200 but considering other competitor's reliability, this cost must be setting some type of record. The Forester falls short in cabin noise and speakers. The speakers are bad. Without the volume on above 3/4 of the maximum, noise from speakers is barely above a whisper. And ride noise from the wind at high speeds and wheels is pretty high. These two combinations take away from date night, but not much from adventure days. The seats and knobs almost seem like they are meant to get dirty and easily wipeable with durability. This Forester feels like it can keep going like this forever and hitting 200k miles seems like it is only a matter of time and not parts and money.

I bought this car recently, a pre-owned one. It drives very well. Smooth and stable on highway over 80 miles per hour. With an back view camera region embeded in interior rear view mirror activated at "R" mode. This is very helpful for my wife. Big sunroof, very nice in good wheher. Powered adjustment of driver's seat front-back and up-down. Heated seats. The only downside for me is that it does not have bluetooth. However, I don't answer phone call when I am driving. So, this is not a big deal to me. 20 MPG in city is not that good, some times it's even lower.